Boonta Too Thai
Boonta Too Thai is a well known, independent, family-owned, and much loved restaurant in Abergavenny, however, when you search online you will find thread bare information on the venue. A grand total of six Google search pages, a limited social media presence, and it even takes serious digging to find an outdated copy of their menu.
I wanted to write a slightly more in-depth piece on the restaurant and the family behind it, and was fortunate enough to speak with the owners son, Toy, prior to dining on Friday the 31st of March.
Hailing from Thailand, mother of the family ‘Tau’ previously worked in their native country as a chef in luxury hotels, mainly cooking European food. From here, she was offered a job in Germany working in another hotel, before eventually migrating to London in the early 2000’s.
Gaining more years of experience working around England’s capital in pubs, restaurants, and cafes, she decided to take the leap of opening her own independent restaurant, as a better means of supporting her family. She found Abergavenny, deciding it was the perfect place - there was no Thai restaurant in the area, as Thai cuisine wasn’t popular in the UK at this time.
Their doors opened on the 14th of February, 2005. 18 years ago! And Tau has never looked back.
Located above a florist on Cross Street, you would have been forgiven for previously wandering by without noticing Boonta Too Thai, although their new signage makes it easier to spot.
A trot up the carpeted stairs immediately gives a homelike & cosy feel. We’re reminded by a black board that the premises is cash only and bring your own booze!
And as we turn the corner of the stairs to the main restaurant doors, we are greeted by wooden figures.
I absolutely adore the interior of this place. There are ceilings with beams & fans, an abundance of plants, colourful table settings, and another touch I loved were what appeared to be some family photos hung on one of the back walls, including a picture of someone’s Graduation.
As aforementioned, their menu isn’t easy to locate online, so I’ve attached the majority below. There are several starters including traditional Thai dumplings, soups, and platters.
Mains offer Thai salads, curries, stir fries, sizzling dishes, and set menus. Near enough all of the curries, stir-fries, and noodle options can substitute meat for vegetables or tofu.
Now would be a good time to mention there is a separate take away menu available too, accessible via their Facebook page.
The bring your own booze policy really helps to drive the price of your bill down, which is the very reason it was implemented by Tau; wanting to provide a cheaper experience for customers. I felt as though I was doing something incriminating as we cracked open our own bottle and poured ourselves two glasses of wine.
Our starters were Prawn Rolls (£5.99) and Tung Thong (Thai dumplings, £5.99).
The dumplings were a real treat. Golden, thick, crispy pastry expertly constructed & sealed, stuffed with chicken, prawns, potatoes & carrots, served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. There was a pleasant curry flavour running through the bite-sized parcels.
The prawn rolls had a similar coating of pastry to the dumplings, making this a great start to the meal.
Mains of honey roast sizzling duck with coconut rice (£14.95), and Pad Prew Wan (stir fried sweet & sour prawns) with jasmine rice (£14.95) followed.
The prawns were juicy, with spring onions, red bell peppers, onions, carrots, and chunks of pineapple stir fried with them. This culminated in a variety of flavours & textures, tied together with a sweet & sour sauce.
The roast duck had a crispy skin and a wonderful honey glaze puddled at the bottom of the dish, though without this glaze spooned over, the duck was slightly dry. The accompanying coconut rice also lacked a distinct coconut taste.
The final bill came in at around £20 per person (without tip), hammering home the point I earlier made regarding the benefit of bring your own booze.
Toy tells me that the families biggest challenge in their 18 years of trade has unsurprisingly, been the cost of living crisis. Having to maximise business with balance so the prices don’t scare customers away, whilst remaining afloat, has been tough. But Boonta Too Thai is part of the Abergavenny furniture, and as residents of the town we are lucky to possess such a unique restaurant in our midst.
Note: The restaurant will be closed between 28th April - 11th May for a well earned holiday!