Siam Smiles takes over Great Northern community kitchen with top Thai treats

“Siam Smiles is the most exciting thing to happen to me in Manchester since the days of the Hacienda,” said The Guardian‘s food critic Marina O’Loughlin when she reviewed the Thai restaurant a few years ago.

Based at Great Northern’s Mews, Siam Smiles has become one of Manchester’s best loved small restaurants, receiving rave reviews from both locals and national critics.

And this weekend, it’s taking over the al fresco Great Northern Community Kitchen to serve up the most delicious dishes on its menu.

It’s the first time that May, the restaurant’s owner and chef, who says she learned to cook Thai food via YouTube videos, has cooked at a pop-up. 

The menu will include a range of Thai classics, from soups to salads and noodles to rice, with all dishes priced at around £5 – £12.

Tuck into duck summer rolls, enjoy seafood salad and chicken curry with rice, or the delicious all-time favourite, Pad Thai.

For dessert, there’s koaw niew mamaung – sweet sticky rice, or kuay thod – banana fritter, both served with coconut ice cream.

You can wash it down with a cold beer from Estrella Damm, the pop-up’s official drinks sponsors, or enjoy a G&T with a twist from Didsbury Gin with a range of flavours including raspberry and elderflower, strawberry and lemon or blood orange.

The pop-up restaurant on the square provides a COVID-secure space for local businesses that are restricted with limited outdoor dining space.

The weekly takeovers allow these restaurants to serve up their delicious cuisine right in the heart of Manchester and also offer a simple way for the city’s residents to support independent eateries. 

With a jam-packed schedule the space has already welcomed Pan Asian treats from Tampopo and an eclectic mix of cuisines from Eat Well MCR.

The Siam Smiles dining experience will be open from 4pm-8:30pm on Thursday, and 11:30am-9pm Friday to Sunday at Great Northern. No need to book, simply pop down and enjoy drinks and food outdoors either solo or with the rest of your household. All diners will experience table service to reduce close contact and ensure social distancing to kept at all times.