Last week Jake and I made the massive trek (lol) to Church Road and dined at Cafe Chilli. Formally Green Mango, Cafe Chilli is situated opposite Blind Busker and is an authentic Thai restaurant. If you like Thai food, you’re in for a treat. If you like Thai food but you’re bored of seeing all the same things on the menu then you’re in for an even BETTER treat.
To start I went with a G&T. I was pleased to see they offered double shots of gin with mint, lime, basil and ice for only £6.95- I thought this was great. Hendricks costs no more than Beefeater so you can go with whatever you fancy. I do usually go for cucumber in my Hendricks but it was yummy nonetheless. Jake had a Singha beer. One thing I would say about most Asian restaurants, they never have MUCH choice for beer and wine. The drinks were lovely and they even had my fave wines on the menu but a few craft beers never hurt anyone. Later on, Jake had a G&T and I had a glass of prosecco.
Not going to lie, it took me ages to choose a starter. I literally liked the sound of everything. I went for the golden crab in the end, which was flavoursome and delicious. I was expecting more of a crab shell stuffed with crab meat but it was actually a deep fried crab. It was still really nice, I just expected something different. Something I noticed about all the food here was that it was so colourful and vibrant! Jake had the special calamari, which was also really delicious. They managed to get the batter on both dishes perfect, not greasy. If i’m honest, I feel you could go for any of the starters and be happy.
So I know I just said that I struggled to choose for my starter but the main course was even harder. I knew I wanted something fish based, possibly with a peanut or coconut sauce! I ended up going for the dish called I love Salmon which was ‘Crispy fillet of salmon topped with a special peanut curry sauce. Served on a bed of morning glory and topped with our special crispy rolls. £12.95’. The salmon fillets were small and cooked well and the peanut sauce was so nice I could have eaten it as a soup. I loved the crispy rolls on top, think spring rolls without the filling. The garnishes were perfect and I enjoyed it SO MUCH. The best meal I’ve had in a while. I’m a sucker for a peanut-based sauce and this was one of the best. Jake went for the special duck dish which was ‘Slender slices of duck with a lime sauce. Served with crispy seaweed £12.95’, which looked delicious also.
All I can say is that if you’re in the Hove area looking for a BANGING meal, this is your answer. The menu is amazing and you’ll have endless options of vibrant, fragrant and delicious food. The service was so lovely and the owner, Seb, has such passion for the food and the venue. Go for a drink at libation then head to Cafe Chilli for a slap up meal- you’ll be so happy you did. Thanks so much to Cafe Chilli for having us for the evening. We loved sitting next to the open windows and people watching as we tucked into our meals. We’ll 100% be back!