Does a taste of Thailand await at Madame Mew's in Aberdeen?

Madame Mew’s has had a presence in the Granite City for more than 20 years, and it continues to set the bar incredibly high for neighbouring Aberdeen Thai restaurants.

In saying that, my trip to the business’ premises on Summer Street this week was a first for me.

Shocking, I know, but better late than never.

Inside Madame Mew’s. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Churairat (Mew) Garthley has built Madame Mew’s from the ground up with the help of business partner and fiancée Angus Kerr. Their journey is inspiring, and they have built an enviable reputation for good value, authentic Thai food.

Mew Garthley. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

My colleague Andy Morton and I, along with P&J photographer Darrell Benns, had the pleasure of stopping by on Wednesday.

We got stuck into a selection of dishes for our latest Taste Test installment.

Read on to see what dishes we tasted at Aberdeen Thai restaurant Madame Mew’s, and our ratings for each…

Dish 1: Deep-fried vegetable spring rolls

If you love spring rolls and think you’ve tried the best there are in the north-east but haven’t visited Madame Mew’s, then think again.

Our £5.90 portion included five uniform rolls that were miniature, yet packed full of flavour.

Madame Mew’s has nailed its spring roll recipe.

I was suddenly ravenous after taking a glance at the golden-brown treats.

Andy couldn’t wait to dive in either.

The spring rolls were served with a sweet chilli dip.

There was the perfect amount of fresh, shredded vegetables and aromatic seasoning inside, all encased in a delicate, crispy pastry.

They were paired with a zingy sweet chilli dip.

Ratings:

Andy: 5/5
Karla: 5/5

Dish 2: Moo ping

Before Wednesday, I’d never heard of moo ping so had no idea what to expect when it came to this dish. However, it was recommended.

After a quick glance at the menu, I was happy to read that it consists of pork BBQ marinated in an oyster sauce on skewers.

There were four of them, and the portion costs £7.20.

I found the meat itself on the tough side, but the sauce was fantastic.

There was a great char on the outside too, adding a warming smokiness.

Ratings:

Andy: 4/5
Karla: 3.5/5

Dish 3: Pork pad Thai

Sticking to the pork theme, I was most excited about our £13.40 pork pad Thai. Customers can opt for seafood (for an additional £1.50), chicken, beef or seafood instead, or request no meat.

For me, the pork was flawless here. Andy agreed.

Soft, succulent and rich, I kept going back for more. Andy had nothing to fear however as the portion was huge.

Also featuring smooth stir-fried rice noodles, pad Thai sauce and vegetables, the dish was superb value for money to say the least.

We sprinkled our side helping of peanuts across the portion, along with a squeeze of lemon juice. They added a crunchy element and slightly sour flavour to the mix.

I may not look happy here, but this dish put a big smile on my face.

Ratings:

Andy: 4/5
Karla: 4.5/5

Dish 4: Chicken satay

Next up, another winner – the chicken satay, priced at £7.20.

Like the moo ping, there were four skewers.

This was some of the softest chicken I’ve tried.

Forget about Larry, let’s start the phrase ‘as happy as Andy’.

The glossy meat was moist and tender. I don’t think I’ve ever had chicken as soft.

Served with satay sauce, Andy was a big fan. The flavour was more subtle than I expected, but had a lovely level of sweetness.

Place your bets, who ate their chicken skewer the quickest?

Ratings:

Andy: 4/5
Karla: 4/5

Dish 5: Papaya salad

The biggest shock of the day was our £7.20 papaya salad.

Some people may read the word “salad” on a menu, avoid it completely and go for something that they assume will have more depth and flavour.

I’d urge you to try this dish at Madame Mew’s.

Our vibrant papaya salad at Madame Mew’s.

The colourful plate comprised shredded carrots and papaya, sliced tomatoes and red chillies, and peanuts.

It was zesty and sweet initially, but then a fiery heat kicked in which I loved. It had everything and was one of my favourite dishes of the day.

Ratings:

Andy: 4/5
Karla: 5/5

Dish 6: Thai red chicken curry

Finally, we returned to the chicken. It came as no surprise to either of us that it was faultless yet again.

For £13.40, our fragrant portion of Thai red chicken curry contained a considerable amount of juicy chicken chunks, tomatoes and sliced red chillies in a silky-smooth sauce.