Zaap Thai Manchester - Preview

Zaap have been building a loyal following over in Yorkshire and beyond for a few years now, with their array of Thai delights and striking décor that's designed to transport you to a street food stall in Bangkok.    So after getting wind of them broadening their site portfolio to Manchester, we were a bit chuffed. 

After arriving to sample Zaap's wares, we did what we always tend to do on any press-invite dinner during a proper service, which is to ask the kitchen to just feed us whatever Chef feels best shows the arsenal.  And boy, did Zaap feed us!

Once seated at a tuk tuk themed table we broke the ice with some prawn crackers (£3.95), Thai ones of course, which as everybody knows are far superior to the white Chinese style variants.  A great sweet yet still punchy chilli sauce backed up the crackers!

Next was Zaap's splendid Tom Yum Soup (£19.75), served in a candle-heated bowl.  I feel the need to highlight that this was a sharer portion and was super generous in size, but a smaller portion is available.  An absolute ocean of wonderfully flavoured broth loaded with juicy prawns, perfectly cooked squid and plump mussels.  There's also a chicken version available, but we suggest sticking to how things are done and going with the seafood too!  This was absolutely outstanding.

Next up was a selection of starters which showcased three of Zaap's best sellers, and indeed some of the most iconic dishes in Thai cuisine.  Chicken Satay (£6.95) is a must order and is surely a dish which pretty much everyone loves.  Tender chicken thigh, skewered and then grilled.  Simple yet packed with flavour.

Thai fishcakes (£5.95) were reminiscent of Chinese fish balls in terms of texture, but were patty-like in shape, and sported the addition of spice to elevate things.

Squid in crispy batter (£7.50) ended the trio with a flourish, and was on balance possibly the table favourite.  Soft squid with brilliantly crunchy batter as per the menu description, that was well seasoned and just hit the spot.  Simple but exceptional.

We decided to go off-piste on the drinks and shy away from our usual preference of wine, after spotting Zaap's vast bubble tea and cocktail options.  The Watermelon Cooler (£8) stood out on the menu, largely because it was listed as 'boozy'.  Clearly we ordered one and were pleased at the good call.  Delving into the cocktail offering a bit, Phuket On The Beach (£8.75) was a pineapple and coconut menagerie and was as bright as it was tasty!  But for those sticking to the vino the bottles start from £19.95, which these days is approaching being almost unheard of in terms of value.

Our main courses landed, starting with deep-fried crispy chicken with a spicy red curry sauce (£14.95), which was a real crowd pleaser and is one of Zaap's biggest sellers for good reason.  Crispy strips of battered chicken breast, sat in a generous pool of red curry, with a moulded portion of steamed rice.  It' s 100% a dish that customers will order over and over again.

But the real star of the main course show was the steamed whole sea bass with Chinese leaves, chilli, coriander and garlic in a lemon soup (£18.95).  The fish fillets parted from the bones with ease, and the soup was wonderfully aromatic.  It's superb to see this absolute classic and uber-traditional dish on the menu, as it's something which you scarcely see outside the borders of city centre Chinatowns.

I hate to use the 'A word' as we call it, when penning reviews.  No, not that particular A word, but in this case; authentic.  And the reason that we tend to swerve using it is that because whilst menus often boldly pitch a venue's ware as being just that, in truth it seldom is.  But much of the cooking at Zapp is indeed authentic in feel.  That seabass took me back to the streets of the far east in a flash, and seeing such a celebratory/communal dish on a menu which sits on the UK high street, is for me a beautiful and sadly rare thing to see.

So Zaap has landed in Manchester and it's easy to see why it's been such a sensation over in Yorkshire for many years.  The menu offers something for all tastes and budgets, the food offerings are delicious, and venue's vibe and general quality transports you to a street food vendor in Thailand!

** Our experience was gratefully comped ***