The Everyday Review: Brother Thai
Authentic, vibrant dishes, full of fresh fragrant herbs and a deep earthy spice. Brother Thai have opened their second location, in Bristol, and considering they’re in the heart of Stokes, they’ve managed to match the energy perfectly. Music, street food inspired dishes, an open style kitchen and bar, and Singha on tap? Yes, please. You can sit at the bar, take up a larger table with friends or cosy up by the large windows and people watch.
You might recognise Brother Thai from festival line-ups or their first location in Cardiff. As a roti bar, they are well-known for their signature rotis: crispy parathas loaded with slaw, fragrant herbs, siracha, and Thai inspired filling. We are so grateful we got to try them and so much more of their menu.
To start: crispy wonton crackers with sweet chilli sauce. The deep-fried crackers are freshly popped and curled, perfect for scooping up the dipping sauce. This simple but delicious starter introduces some key Thai flavours that carry through all of Brother Thai’s dishes: sweet, salty and just a hint of spice.
Not forgetting sour, another important taste in Thai cuisine - the waterfall salad is the perfect accompaniment to the more savoury, substantial dishes, like the rice bowls or the rotis. The coriander, mint and spring onion are drenched in a punchy, lime and sugar dressing, and mixed with red onion and swede. This refreshing yet tangy salad really leans into its sourness. It’s also topped with khao kua: ground, toasted rice. At first, I mistook the rice for a peanut dusting as it’s so finely milled and savoury. An essential ingredient in many Thai salads and sauces, khao kua adds a subtle, satisfying crunch.
Next up, the crispy mushroom laab. Juicy shitake mushrooms fried in a light, crispy batter and dusted with khao kua. This dish is a savoury delight. Generously portioned and perfect for those who still want that meaty, bite-back from a vegetarian option. It’s topped with coriander, red onion, radish and chillies for that fresh taste. Speaking of vegetarian, Brother Thai incorporate vegan fish sauce into many of their dishes, in substitution of traditional anchovy sauce. The same umami, salty taste that everyone can enjoy.
The most fragrant dish has to be the woon sen khaeng – glass noodles and stir-fried vegetables in an earthy, red curry paste. This dish tastes so nourishing and pleasantly simple in contrast to the richer flavours we tried. Crunchy green beans and tender stem broccoli, fresh chilli and large cloves of garlic, which were surprisingly sweet and tender. Unlike dishes that call for finely chopped garlic, the large pieces showcase the garlic as its own vegetable, not just a flavour to taste. The noodles are bouncy and coated beautifully in the red curry sauce. If I had to order just one dish, the woon sen khaeng is my first choice.
Saving their speciality until last, their fully loaded rotis. Crispy, flaky parathas filled with your choice of spicy beef, Thai basil or red curry chicken, roasted jackfruit or sticky seitan. We opted for the seitan, which when mixed with the slaw tasted buttery and sweet. The seitan itself is tender and smoky. The siracha mayo only adds to the creamy, buttery taste and brings the perfect amount of heat. As advised by their team, fold the roti in half and dig in, just like a taco.
Roti is a popular street food in Southeast Asia, and Brother Thai have really captured that laid back, ‘grab-and-go’ feel with their rotis and small plates such as their fried chicken and the mushroom laab. Brother Thai is definitely the kind of place you’d stop for a few drinks, get distracted by their menu and order some food while you sip.
As for sipping, we asked our wonderful host to surprise us with their cocktails of choice and we were truly spoilt. First, a lychee longtime - gin, lychee liquor and lemon served over ice and with a dried lime leaf. If you opt for a cocktail instead of desert, you can still get your sweet fix with this drink. Although very floral and fruit, the sweetness is curbed by the lemon and the citrus of the lime leaf that slowly picks up and adds a sour note.
Next, and in a very different direction, the mekhong sour. Mekhong Thai rum, aquafaba and lemon over ice with an orange slice. The aquafaba is a great replacement for egg whites, again showcasing how inclusive Brother Thai are with their ingredients. The whisky is strong, smoky and served with a singular cube of ice to make sure the taste isn’t diluted.
Next time we visit we need to try their rice bowls and more of their small plates, but honesty, with a place like Brother Thai, you’d have to visit a few times before you really taste the complexity and variety of their menu – and we can’t wait for next time.
Review by food editor of the Everyday Magazine, Amelia Ling
