Sumptuous decor, Thai dishes that are new to Leeds and a very, very happy hour – we think Rambuttri will be rammed.
One thing that sets really good restaurants apart is authenticity, and that’s the guiding principle behind Rambuttri, the brand new Thai eatery from the fine people who also brought us the city’s first Thai tapas destination, Phranakhon. It all begins with the name, which is taken from a street in Bangkok where owner and executive chef Komgree ‘Guy’ Santatkollakarn grew up.
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“The street runs parallel to Khaosan Road, which was the name of my first restaurant that I opened in York in 2010,” Guy told us, and the menu here does its best to whisk you away to the heady, spice-scented and chaotic streets of the Thai capital. But this isn’t a phoned-in version of Thai street food – hell to the no – it’s stuff that marries big flavours with real refinement.
The interior sets the tone, with hushed lighting giving the place the perfect ambience even on the wettest, greyest Leeds day. There are Thai accents to the decor, without it feeling in any way cheesy, while a dramatic, undulating light fitting cascades over some of the central tables. Behind it, a trio of booths offer a recessed, semi-private space that will be one of the hottest spots to reserve.
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Why choose Leeds? Well, this has been a restaurant some time in the planning, but Guy was waiting not just for the right time, but the right place as well. “I saw a lot of potential for Leeds as a location for Rambuttri, and this was the right place. It sits at the base of Munro House, in a part of the city that’s most definitely on the up.
Delving into the menu, it gives you a couple of ways to go. There’s a whole heap of small plates if you want to fill your table with a smorgasbord of tastes, alongside a range of curries, rice and noodle dishes, wok and grill specials. Heck, there’s nothing to stop you and your guests from dipping into a host of the former, then plumping for one of the latter.
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Many of the familiar Thai classics are present and correct, albeit cooked with real panache. So if you want the reliable pad Thai or green curry, you’re in for a treat. But Guy has also delivered on his promise of, “many dishes that can’t be found in other Thai restaurants in the UK. Some of the dishes are difficult to find even in Thailand.”
The adventurous will be rewarded with a mouthwatering braised ox cheek curry and the headscratchingly delicious east-meets-west fusion that is Spaghetti Horapa Erik Hang. You read that right – whole prawns served over pasta with the genius touch of using a pesto made from Thai basil. The Moo Grop Grapow is the insanely good reward of years of research into making the perfect crispy belly pork.
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You can wash this all down with classic Thai beers such as Singha and Chang, as well as familiar wines of all hues. However, you can also try another unique offering, with wines from Monsoon Valley, the only vineyard in Thailand. These wines are ideal for matching with the strong flavours of dishes such as crispy whole sea bream with garlic, chilli, pineapple and tamarind.
Want to see if Rambuttri lives up to Guy’s bold claim that, “it’s the closest you can get to Thailand outside of Thailand”? Book in to sample the full a la carte, or grab a bargain at their happy hour where you can feast on two courses or three small plates for £19.95. And, yes, that includes that game-changing Thai spaghetti dish!
Rambuttri, Duke Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 8AG. It’s open from 5pm to 10pm on Monday to Thursday evenings for dinner, 12pm to 10pm on Friday and Saturday for lunch and dinner. Happy hour is before 6:30pm on Monday to Thursday, 12pm to 5pm on Friday and Saturday.
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