Review of Sabai Thai Elephant

Selection of starters at Sabai Thai Elephant, Brighton

I can’t believe that it's been nearly a year since I last visited Sabai Thai Elephant as it's been one of my favourite Brighton restaurants for close to 20 years, writes Nick Mosley.

I guess its a bit of an occupational hazard with so many great places to eat and drink in the city and surrounding county to write about.

I vaguely recall going to Sabai’s launch night with numerous tourism and hospitality colleagues in autumn 2007 and only three of us are left working in the industry. So its safe to say that Sabai has weathered the numerous storms that have been thrown at the industry, and indeed co-owner and host-with-the-most Gina Horsham doesn’t look a day older… unlike this aging hack.

Sabai has always served up really authentic Thai kitchen dishes that are all prepared and cooked to order. Add impeccably friendly service and Gina’s incredible spicy chilli mojito cocktails to the mix and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for an impressive meal.

Spicy chilli mojitos at Sabai Thai Elephant, Brighton

On my recent visit in March, I was joined by my Argus colleague Steve – the committed eater – and Little Miss Greedy Guts for lunch and a good gossip about the state of the city’s visitor economy. Hence I definitely needed the aforementioned mojito…

I have my perennial favourites at Sabai so I always start with the Tom Yum soup – a hot and sour broth with fragrant herbs and packed with fresh vegetables. I’m a big fan of spice and this is definitely a dish that clears the proverbial pipes so not for the faint hearted who may prefer the somewhat milder, creamy Tom Kha coconut soup.

Steve got his pinkies on an appetiser of pork belly with chilli dip – a dish thats recently been added to the lunch menu – whilst Greedy Guts busily chowed down on a crowd-pleaser of two chicken skewers and peanut satay. We also shared a plate of tempura prawns from the a la carte menu. I love these deep fried yet incredibly light crispy rice pancake parcels that are – joyfully – also gluten free so I wasn’t going to pass on the opportunity to munch a couple down.

Red Curry at Sabai Thai Elephant, Brighton

For our mains, Greedy Guts dived into a very hearty serving of red curry with prawns that – again – was packed with plenty of vegetables. I dipped a spoon in and although there’s undoubtedly some heat to the sauce, it was tempered by gentle coconut milk making for a really rounded dish. Served with a side of fluffy jasmine rice, it's comfortingly luxurious.

Steve’s prawn Pad Thai – in my mind perhaps the most iconic and delicious of all Thai dishes – certainly ticked his box. Rice noodles coated in a gently sweet and tangy sauce led by tamarind, lime and garlic with a hit of chilli and crunchy texture delivered by crushed peanuts. Spot on.

I’m a real sucker for Thai salads, which is surprising because typically mango and papaya aren’t go-to fruits for me. In Thai cooking, the fruits are utilised whilst they’re green – under-ripe before the natural sugars take hold – so have a very different flavour and texture profile to the intensely sweet ripe fruit that you’re likely to find at the supermarket, which kinda make me gag. Give me shreds of firm, tart, crunchy, slightly vegetal mango and papaya balanced in tangy lime, chilli and soy any day of the week and I’m a happy puppy.

Spicy Thai Salad with tofu at Sabai Thai Elephant, Brighton

So for my main, yet another Sabai go-to dish – Thai spicy salad – although to shake things up, rather than my usual chicken, I chose the vegan option with beautifully crisp bean curd tofu. This was a genuine revelation – and thats a rarity to say as a professional eater – and definitely a dish I’ll be ordering again.

Sabai’s lunch menu is fantastic value with one hearty course for £12.95, two for £17.95 or three for £20.95. Available Sunday to Friday from noon until 4pm and Saturdays until 3pm, its a flavour-packed alternative to the general offering to be found in that part of central Brighton, especially now the weather is warming up and you can sit on their outside terrace alongside Pavilion Gardens.

Perhaps with many of us staying closer to home this year, its reassuring to know that Brighton offers so many different world cuisines and undoubtably Sabai continues to serve up the very best from the Land of Smiles. And now I’ve discovered a new-found love for tofu, I’m definitely heading back for more.

Sabai Thai Elephant, 165-169 Prince's Place (off North Street), Brighton BN1 1EA

01273 773 030 • www.sabaibrighton.co.uk