Thai cuisine: This award-winning Leeds eatery offers discerning Yorkshire diners truly authentic tastes
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Chaophraya, founded by partners in life and in business, Kim and Martin, has been awarded Best World Restaurant at the Yorkshire Evening Post Oliver Awards 2023.
Kim, the real inspiration and beating heart of Chaophraya, grew up in rural Khiri Mat, a village in the Sukhothai province of Thailand where her love for cooking stemmed from making meals with her mum.
At the age of just 15 with big dreams, Kim left her village for the busy streets of Bangkok. In 1993, she set up her first Pad Thai cart. Through pure dedication, she expanded the business to run several street food stalls and won awards for the delicious flavours of her Pad Thai recipe. This very recipe is still proudly used in the restaurant today.
From Thailand with love
Chaophraya’s goal is simple: to allow everyone to experience a true Taste of Thailand – from the flavours and sounds, to the kind-hearted culture and exciting traditions. They pride themselves on their values and every morning, a L.O.V.E (Live Our Values Everyday) candle is lit by the person who opens the restaurant and blown out by the last person to leave – reinforcing a sense of togetherness.
Pride in Yorkshire Evening Post Oliver Award
Kim said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded this prestigious award and want to thank everyone who has supported us since 2004. As a family-owned business, we are proud to say that everything we do, is done from the heart. At Chaophraya, it is more than the food, it’s the feeling.”
If you want to experience a true Taste of Thailand, Chaophraya, located on Swinegate, offers just that. Expect carefully crafted set menus, designed to share featuring some of the very best flavours of Thailand, topped off with incredible five star service. The menu features a wide range of Thai classics, including Thai Green Curry, and Pad Thai, as well as plenty of fine dining and vegan options.
Perfect for socialising
What most people don’t know about Chaophraya is that their bar is almost as good as the food. The cocktail menu is sure to impress with a mix of twists on classic cocktails, plus some innovative new flavours too. Plus, there’s 2-4-1 cocktails between 4 – 8pm on Monday – Friday and on the last Friday of every month there’s live music, usually in the form of a DJ and saxophonist. It’s the perfect spot for after work drinks!