Zaap Thai, located in the centre of York at 7 Lendal, is a fun and relaxed authentic Thai street food restaurant which brings the vibrant and varied flavours of Bangkok to York.
I visited Zaap Thai on a Friday night with a group of friends; we were greeted by friendly and attentive staff who seated us at our booth table, which had views of murals depicting Thai life and culture. The brightly coloured lights and authentic signs made it feel as if we could truly be sat in the street markets of Bangkok.
Zaap Thai offers an extremely varied menu ranging from small plates and sharing platters of Bao Buns, dumplings, and spring rolls, to large main dishes of curries, noodles, and meats (with a range of different spice levels!), and even bubble tea, all with plant-based and vegetarian alternatives.
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of trying Thai food before, the menu may appear quite overwhelming at first, but the staff are there to offer suggestions for you. There truly is something for everyone to enjoy there.
When I visited, my group decided to start off with prawn crackers and the Bangkok Platter, a great choice for a sharing starter. The prawn crackers had a delicious flavour and came with a small dish of sweet and lightly spiced sauce.
The platter included five of the most popular street foods that ranged from steamed dumplings to chicken satay, Thai fish cakes and a range of different dipping sauces. I would really recommend the platter, as it gave us a nice taster of a wide range of different Thai foods, and we got to try a bit of everything.
For the main dish, I enjoyed the prawn Pad See Ew, which was a combination of stir fried rice noodles with egg in a dark and sweet soy sauce which came to £13.95. My boyfriend had the Gai ZAAP, crispy chicken with mixed vegetables coated in a delicious sweet and sour sauce, and added the side of traditional Thai sticky rice which brought the dish to £14.50
Zaap Thai only offers a walk-in system, which is something to bear in mind if you’re visiting with a larger group. They also have the option of Click and Collect and Deliveroo.
Our visit to Zaap Thai was fantastic: we enjoyed amazing food and friendly service. I would highly recommend giving it a try!