Thai Express Kitchen Edinburgh
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Quick info
About Thai Express Kitchen Edinburgh
Thai Express Kitchen Edinburgh is a Thai restaurant on Leith St in Edinburgh, set inside the St James Quarter shopping centre. It is the business's first dine-in restaurant, built around a traditional open kitchen and Thai dishes reworked with twists and fusions. Guests choose a protein and then set the spice level anywhere from mild to very spicy. The menu includes Pad Thai, with a satay sauce version with chicken, and Massaman curry. Thairacha sauce comes with sides such as tofu and wings. Halal, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options are part of the menu. Waiter service means the staff show guests to their table.
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention pad thai, thairacha sauce sides, thai fried rice and thai curry.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention pad thai, thairacha sauce sides, thai fried rice and thai curry.
Customer Review Summary
Pad Thai is the dish reviewers raise most, with one calling it perfectly balanced and another praising both the original and the satay sauce version, though that one found the two tasted too similar. Close behind are the Thai fried rice, the beef fried rice, the oyster sauce chicken stir-fry and a mango salad one reviewer could eat every day. The Thairacha sauce gets its own praise, from the punchy tofu side to the Thairacha wings. Curry also earns a mention as rich and creamy. Food is described as fresh, flavourful and quick to arrive, and several call the staff friendly, with one noting the kitchen took care over a shellfish allergy. The recurring complaint is service and value. One diner waited to order, then had to ask twice for water because the waiter kept moving on to other tables, with only two staff covering the room. Another found the red Thai curry and Massaman curry not authentic. One calls the prices a wee tad expensive. Reviewers who liked the meal describe being shown to a table almost immediately.
Customer Review Summary
Pad Thai is the dish reviewers raise most, with one calling it perfectly balanced and another praising both the original and the satay sauce version, though that one found the two tasted too similar. Close behind are the Thai fried rice, the beef fried rice, the oyster sauce chicken stir-fry and a mango salad one reviewer could eat every day. The Thairacha sauce gets its own praise, from the punchy tofu side to the Thairacha wings. Curry also earns a mention as rich and creamy. Food is described as fresh, flavourful and quick to arrive, and several call the staff friendly, with one noting the kitchen took care over a shellfish allergy. The recurring complaint is service and value. One diner waited to order, then had to ask twice for water because the waiter kept moving on to other tables, with only two staff covering the room. Another found the red Thai curry and Massaman curry not authentic. One calls the prices a wee tad expensive. Reviewers who liked the meal describe being shown to a table almost immediately.
Featured reviews
- Active Member
“The restaurant is located inside a shopping centre. We ordered a red Thai curry and a Massaman curry. Unfortunately, neither dish tasted particularly authentic to us, and we were not impressed with the flavours. We were also disappointed with the hygiene standards. The chefs handled food directly with their bare hands without wearing gloves, which unfortunately did not give us a very hygienic impression. After the meal, we both experienced some stomach discomfort. Overall, it was unfortunately not a good experience, and we will definitely not return.”
- Jian
“The food here was nice and the staff are very friendly. I had the satay sauce pad Thai with chicken and although it tasted good, I felt like it tasted a bit too similar to the original pad Thai which I shared with my mother. I also liked the sides with the a Thairacha sauce as it was so punchy. I especially liked the tofu with Thairacha sauce. Overall, a nice experience :)”
- Wenwei
“We came here because of the great review on Google. The food was pretty good (8/10), however, their service was not. After calling for order, I was told to wait for two minutes. The waiter was helping check out with other customer. But after that he walked away and cleaned other tables instead of coming to us with ordering. Another thing was that we were almost done with eating and they didn’t even give us water. I had to come to the waiter and asked for it. The same thing happened; he said “wait a minute” and just walked away with other stuff. I understood they might be understaffed as there were only two assistants serving for the whole restaurant. However, doing other stuff first and keeping the customers wait (to order, to request for water, and to check out) was a very unpleasant experience. I believe they should prioritize important things first.”
- sabu lama
“Amazing food and wonderful service! We loved the Thai fried rice, Thairacha wings, fries, and drinks everything was delicious. A big thank you to Sumit and Ozzy for being so friendly and attentive. They made our visit even more enjoyable. We’ll definitely be back!”
- SepiaSoul
“Delicious food that didn't take long to arrive. The staff came over almost immediately to show us to our table. The waiter was very pleasant and happily helped us choose our dishes. I highly recommend it.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“Our first ever dine-in restaurant! Thaï Express is a new take on traditional Thaï Cuisine. Packed full of flavour, with unique twists and fusions based on your favourite Thai dishes! We offer a whole new extensive menu and dining experience, whilst sticking to our roots with our traditional open kitchen. With Halal, Gluten-free, Vegetarian and Vegan options there is a variety for everyone to enjoy. Customers can choose a protein and then add spice levels based on preference from mild to very spicy. If you have not tried us already...don't be shy and give it a THAI!”
- AccessibilityWheelchair-accessible entrance · Wheelchair-accessible seating · Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Amenities
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 2
- Wheelchair-accessible seating
- Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Location
Thai restaurants near Thai Express Kitchen Edinburgh
- 0.5 mi
pad thai with mango, papaya salad, authentic thai flavours
- Ting Thai Teviot Place4.42,7550.6 mi
pad see ew, penang curry, pad thai
- Thai2Go Edinburgh4.62730.7 mi
pad thai, green curry, massaman curry
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thai Express Kitchen Edinburgh | 4.73,516 | — | pad thai, thairacha sauce sides, thai fried rice |
| Nok's Kitchen on the castle | 4.4875 | 0.5 mi | pad thai with mango, papaya salad, authentic thai flavours |
| Ting Thai Teviot Place | 4.42,755 | 0.6 mi | pad see ew, penang curry, pad thai |
| Thai2Go Edinburgh | 4.6273 | 0.7 mi | pad thai, green curry, massaman curry |
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