Giggling Squid, Berkhamsted

Living Magazines Giggling Squid Golden Money Bags

The first surprise when we picked up our takeaway for two from Berkhamsted’s Giggling Squid restaurant was the pretty takeaway bags.

Living Magazines Giggling Squid packagingI’m used to takeaways coming in brown, usually slightly greasy bags. But the flower-strewn designs on the bags from this restaurant in the High Street looked like they contained some beautiful high-end skincare or gifts, making it the perfect choice for a special occasion, such as an anniversary or Mother’s Day – and at the moment, any chance to make things special is welcomed with open arms!

With the help of the lovely staff, we had chosen Golden Money Bags – crispy bundles of deliciousness combining chicken, vegetables and Thai spices. We dipped them in the Giggling Squid’s homemade chilli sauce for extra scrumptiousness!

We also tried the Hawker Style Moo Ping – chargrilled pork skewers with a tamarind sauce – a street food delicacy that had us coming back for more.

For our mains we opted for the Thai Melting Beef – which had been recommended by a few people. And now I know why. Melt-in-the-mouth and flavourful, it’s quite a rich dish, so good to share. The accompanying vegetables, with their coconut flavouring were so good that I could happily have ordered them as a main dish on their own!

Sticky chicken was another great choice – crisp and not too soggy and with plenty of flavour.

Egg fried rice and one of the tastiest Prawn Pad Thais we have tried accompanied our mains.

Living Magazines Giggling Squid dessertsDesserts often seem to be a bit of an afterthought  in Asian restaurants and can be rather disappointing, but I’m glad we didn’t forget them in this instance. The Caramelised Mango Cake was delicious – light enough to just finish off the meal perfectly – while the Melting Heart Chocolate Dessert was not too sweet, and had a delightful mousse-like texture.

I notice that Giggling Squid also offers reasonably priced children’s dishes – ideal for introducing little ones to different flavours without breaking the bank!

*The restaurant hopes to open on May 17, as long as government guidelines allow. Until then, it is open for takeaways and deliveries.