Brother Thai, Stokes Croft: 'Familiar, but impressive all over again'

Two of Cardiff's greatest exports arrive in Bristol

It seemed only fitting that we should invite Jonathan Swain over the bridge to review Brother Thai, as the man has been doing a stellar job of writing about Cardiff’s food scene for 13 years on his blog Plate Licked Clean and thus would be able to tell in a heartbeat if the second site didn’t live up to the first. Fortunately it seems this gig was worth making the trip for. If you should find yourself in Cardiff — there’s no better guide to local eating than Jon’s blog, and he can also be found on Instagram.

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The path between Bristol and Cardiff has often been a tricky one for restaurants to navigate.

Bar 44 may have established itself as a Bristolian fixture, but its neighbour The Clifton closed its doors last year despite a Bib Gourmand. A strong reputation on this side of the bridge wasn’t enough for maverick Stephen Gomes — the Welsh capital’s self-proclaimed ‘Usain Bolt of Indian food’ — to make a success of Meluha on Park Street. Sadly we’ll never know what the local reaction to his more off-kilter flourishes would have been like. Would Bristol have taken to his dishwasher chicken or lamb cheesecake? Maybe. We’ll never know.

It hasn’t been all beer and skittles in the opposite direction, either. It’s too soon to comment on recent arrivals Spitfire and Bosco, and while Pasture still packs them in on High Street and sister brand Parallel extends next door, Mugshot has recently come to a messy end, going the way of Pieminister, Burger Theory, Steak of the Art and Society Standard.

I’m expecting no such turbulence for Brother Thai.

They haven’t rushed heedless and headlong into this Stokes Croft opening. It has been a long time coming: they are no strangers to the city, with very well-received stints at street food markets since their 2015 debut. It’s hard to overstate the impact they had: the joke was that it was only the Great Wall of China and the line for Brother Thai’s sticky beef roti you could see from space. There has always been more to them, of course, as the original restaurant which opened in 2021 quickly flourished into one of those places that is always busy, and has never let up. It’s the right place, too: owner Andrew Chongsathien has always done things his way, in his own rhythm.

Although the Stokes Croft branch has been open just a few days, it feels confident and well-thought-out. There’s a welcome flash of familiarity, a sense of seamless transition — You just settle in/Like a song with no end, as Waxahatchee puts it. Don’t worry, there will be something a bit more dad-rock later.

Vegetarians, rejoice

The little nuggets of battered mushroom in the laab (£9.50) sit in a bright, spiky tumble of coriander, mint and a dressing humming with fish sauce. It’s bracing, instantly compelling, and punches way above its weight for a ‘lighter’ option.

Omnivores, rejoice

Chicken thigh (£9.50), lightly seasoned and fried to a crisp finish, is carved finger-thick. It has had a makeover since I last had it, when it was served whole and striped with sauces, but this presentation means you get to dip and dredge as you see fit. Get to work, then, and while you’re at it, congratulate yourself for nabbing a window seat, because people-watching in Stokes Croft never disappoints.

A red chicken curry bowl (£14) is everything you expect and want: that gentle collision of salty, sweet, and spicy in a creamy, fragrant broth bobbing with good things.

I wish my brother could cook like this

Of course, coming to Brother Thai and not ordering filled roti would be odd behaviour — like visiting The Louvre, ignoring La Gioconda heading to the bathrooms because you’re curious which taps they’ve installed.

This is the house that sticky roti built, after all, and while permanent sites (and what a lovely space this is, by the way, bright, airy and welcoming) have allowed them to expand the menu, this is still their calling card. The sticky beef version (£11) above all: big, bold, unmistakable, aromatic, sticky, tender and hot, the perfect delivery method for a payload of flavours and textures which has put a smile on the face of tens of thousands. That heady waft of lemongrass and herbs, the buttery paratha, that tangy cucumber ajat, that beef, all zigzagged with sriracha and sriracha mayonnaise? Familiar, but impressive all over again. Resistance is futile. Surrender. Enjoy.

The beef-loaded roti is already in the Bristol hall of fame from Brother Thai’s time at street food markets

Their advice? Eat it like a taco. Fold, don’t roll — this being Stokes Croft where the Saturday afternoon air is already decidedly herbal, it’s safe to say there’s plenty of rolling going on already.

This is still the one conversation stops for. It’s immediately evocative, every bit as good as the first I had years ago, triumphantly reaching the head of that queue. It is pretty much un-improvable: I’ve been slacking on Duolingo and so don’t know the Thai for ‘If it ain’t broke...’

In the kindest of ways, Bristol, you are very welcome to Brother Thai. Make the most of them. And signing off in true Classic Rock ™️ style? ‘Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss.’

All words and photos by Jonathan Swain

Brother Thai, 104 Stokes Croft, BS1 3FH

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