Giggling Squid are a popular and innovative family of Thai restaurants in the UK, serving up traditional dishes packed with flavours and textures to please even the fussiest of taste buds! I headed to my local Giggling Squid in Billericay with my friend Chloe to try out their delicious Thai dishes and cocktails – and I already can’t wait to go back!
We nibbled on some prawn crackers and sweet chilli sauce (£3.50) to start, whilst we looked through the menu to decide what we wanted to order. The prawn crackers had a nice little kick, and the sweet chilli sauce was sweet and mourish.
For starters, Chloe ordered spring rolls (£5.95) and I ordered the pork dumplings (£6.95). The spring rolls were crispy and packed with shredded mixed vegetables and served with a home made sweet chilli sauce. The portion was a generous size for a starter – so I helped Chloe finish them! The steamed pork dumplings arrived in cute individual little pots, sat in a light soy and rice vinegar dip. They were super delicious and tender to eat, packed full with lots of flavour.
We ordered an absolute feast for our main courses! Chloe ordered the sticky chicken stir fry (£9.95) with jasmine rice (£2.95). The sticky chicken stir fry tasted insane! The piping hot tender chicken was wrapped in a sticky batter, with a deliciously sweet sticky sauce.
I ordered the prawn paneang curry (£11.50) with jasmine rice (£2.95). The prawns were plump and juicy, and the curry sauce was just right. I’m not a big curry fan, but I wanted to try something different and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The curry sauce was creamy and had a slight kick to it, and the fluffy jasmine rice soaked the sauce up nicely.
The staff were so friendly and helpful at Giggling Squid, giving us the low down on each dish and recommending different bits for us to try. We were persuaded to try the chicken pad thai (£8.95) to share alongside our main course, and we were so glad we did because boy, did this taste amazing! The chicken was tender, sweet and sticky, with noodles and peanut crumb to mix in too. I would happily order this next time as a main course – I was so full up but I couldn’t stop going back for more.
We shared a bottle of Pinot grigio (£19.95) together and we tried their famous Giggling Cosmo (£6.95) cocktail each, which had a dash of vodka, cointreau and cranberry juice, finished with a squeeze of lime and topped with Fever tree spiced orange ginger ale. The cocktail was sweet and refreshing; we certainly wouldn’t have stopped at one cocktail if we didn’t have work the next day!
Although we were comfortably full, we were easily persuaded to try out Giggling Squid’s signature desserts. We ordered the prosecco and muddled berry cheesecake (£5.95) and the molten chocolate dessert (£5.95) to share. The cheesecake had a lovely crunchy biscuit base and the berries were sweet with a nice tang. The chocolate dessert was amazing too, with a warm melt in the middle centre. Both desserts were amazing and a great choice for anyone with a sweet tooth.
We had a wonderful meal at Giggling Squid and I enjoyed trying somewhere totally new and different. I can’t wait to visit another Giggling Squid soon, especially for their lunchtime tapas deal. You get to sample the dishes and form a little meal deal for around £11, so it’s a fantastic deal for someone who wants to get a taste for Thai food.
Giggling Squid are also opening on Christmas Day for the first time ever this year! Check out the Christmas Day menu and book at your local Giggling Squid today!
Meal gifted by Giggling Squid in return for a review. All opinions and photos my own. Please see my full disclosure policy for more information.
Im so glad you tried it. The Pad Thai is out of this world isnt it! This has made me crave Thai food so badly!
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Craaaaaaaaazy good food there!! I can’t wait to go again!