Whenever Helen says I must try something I always put it off, thinking I won’t like it so it’ll just be a waste of time and money. For example, scallops, as soon as I tried them I was hooked. Avocado’s, tofu, hummus, jackfruit…the list goes on, so when she suggested taking us out to Ning’s Thai restaurant I resisted for a while until eventually giving in and I’m SO glad I did. I should learn to trust her more.
Helen and Carlos had been a couple of times to a local Thai restaurant, Ning’s Thai in Castle Road, Southsea. It was in-between lockdowns and we only got to visit once but we’ve had numerous takeaways from them since. They do a few dishes which can be vegan, which is wonderful news for me.
On my one and only visit, we received a warm and friendly welcome as soon as we entered the premises. It used to be Old Tom’s and then Sants, I recognised the interior. We all chose Thai beer and wines – except for Helen who had a South African Merlot after she’d chastised her father for originally ordering a non-Thai beer. What a cheek. The drinks were all really tasty and I’d certainly order the Thai wine again.
Ning’s have a good variety of dishes on the menu; curries, soups, noodles, stir-fries, rice dishes, etc., With some dishes, you have a choice of chicken, prawns, beef, vegetables or tofu and also how spicy you want it, mild, hot or extra hot and some, no spice at all. We usually go for mild.
Geoff and I shared our starters. The tempura vegetables are deep fried in a light batter and served with sweet chili sauce, as were the corn cakes. Both the batter and the vegetables were very fresh. Helen and Carlos shared the crispy hoisin duck pancakes, which was really nice and again, a generous portion.
Now on to our mains, I had the ginger stir-fry with tofu and rice noodles. That’s the only main dish I’ve had from Ning’s Thai as it’s SO flipping delicious! A selection of veg, all very fresh indeed, onion, peppers, strips of ginger and carrot, mushrooms in a ginger sauce, and oodles of noodles. I particularly liked the tofu, a much different texture to the one I normally buy, I love it!
Geoff had the red curry with chicken and a side dish of egg fried rice. Like myself, he’s only ever had this dish. It’s funny, we find it difficult to try new things but once we like something we usually tend to stick with it, so although Helen’s got us into Thai food, she’s now finding it hard to get us to try a different dish.
Helen had the Penang curry with vegetables made with coconut milk, an infusion of herbs and spices, and potatoes. It was rich and creamy with a good selection of vegetables. It was surprisingly thick, with all the veg. Carlos had the massaman curry with chicken and potatoes. Helen and Carlos have tried sticky rice but prefer coconut rice as it’s lovely and creamy.
There was only one dessert on the menu, coconut sticky rice with mango, but to be honest we were rather full. We did try this in a takeaway after our visit but again, it was too filling and rich to finish.
The service was very good and friendly throughout the evening and we even got a chance to speak with the Thai chef. Portion sizes are generous. We would have preferred Thai music in the background rather than the Western music they played.
As I mentioned, we’ve had lots of takeaways from Ning’s Thai since the start of December’s lockdown and they’re delicious every time. When I place my order online I mention that I want my stir-fry and noodles to be vegan in the comment box. The service can’t be faulted and they’re very friendly when we go to collect our order.
Once we can eat inside again I’ll try something different when I next visit Ning’s, promise.
Ambiance 7
Service 8
Quality 8
Value 8
Overall 8/10
Return? Yes!
Living life, loving Thai food
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