Tah Chang, Harrogate

I chanced upon this small Thai restaurant when I was staying in Harrogate on business. You can scour the internet for places to eat in Harrogate but honestly, ask a local and they’ll happily tell you what’s good and what’s not. There’s a surprising number of Thai restaurants in Harrogate but Tah Chang, situated in the centre of town, just across the road from the Convention Centre, is not particularly well known.

It’s quite a cool little restaurant once you get inside (it’s not pretty from the outside but please don’t let that put you off). Blue painted and exposed brick walls, wood floors, reclaimed wood tables and subtle lighting make it an inviting space, both upstairs and downstairs. It’s not posh and formal, it’s got a chilled vibe and there’s certainly no standing on ceremony here. But it’s the smell of spices and cooking food wafting through the place food that will make you want to take a seat, not just get a takeaway (they offer that too, obviously).

Chef Kongree Santatkollakarn (aka Guy) is not new to the Thai restaurant scene. He trained as a chef in 2005, honing his skills along the way as head chef for a couple of Thai restaurants, before opening Khaosan Road Thai Bistro in York in 2009. Tah Chang is his fourth restaurant venture, and a welcome addition to the Harrogate dining experience.

The menu is everything you would expect to see on a Thai restaurant menu. There’s chicken satay, chilli squid and spring rolls for starters, with your usual red and green curries and noodle dishes for mains. And there’s a decent selection of signature dishes if you want to try something different too.

Leaning back in my chair with a cold Chang beer, I did a bit of people watching and waited for my starter to arrive. There are couples chatting quietly across the table from each other and small groups of friends or families joking and laughing with one another. No-one has their phones out taking pictures of foods and there’s not a frown in sight. All is well in the world.

I ordered scallops to start, delicately steamed with a host of spices – ginger, lemongrass, chilli, garlic, kaffir lime leaves. They arrived in their shells and not only were they pretty as a picture, the flavours were so beautifully balanced that I could taste every element. I only wish there had been more of them but that would have been downright piggy.

As with every Thai restaurant, you don’t have to wait long between courses. They’re not trying to rush you, it’s just a cultural thing that, if you’ve spent any time in Thailand, you become accustomed to quickly. My main course – the chicken rad prik – is piping hot and very tasty. The chicken is crispy, the veggies well-cooked but not soggy, and the sauce is spicy with lots of umami that keeps you coming back until the plate is empty.

When I say spicy, it’s really spicy. Beware the little red asterisks on the menu – if two stars is hot, three stars must be blow the roof of your mouth off! Fortunately I don’t mind a bit of spice so it didn’t overwhelm the other flavours in the dish but if you’re not into spicy food then opt for the dishes with one or no asterisks to be on the safe side.

This would be the perfect place to go for a date night and a few drinks as it’s nice and cosy; romantic yet chilled too. But as a lone traveller, Tah Chang is also a good option; the staff are friendly and knowledgable, and make you feel right at home, rather than being billy no-mates in the corner. It’s affordable too – with starters ranging between £6 & £7 and mains starting at around £12. Call me a cheap date but for me it’s all about quality and value, and you get bucket loads of that here.