Jino’s Thai Café, an independent Thai restaurant, opened its doors in Headingley in 2003. It became a popular spot with students and local residents, serving tasty Thai food at an affordable price. Jino’s recently moved to a new location, but staying in Headingley, setting up home on North Lane, within a stones throw of Headingley Stadium.
After a busy week, a relaxed meal in Jino’s Thai Café with a friend was on the cards. Jino’s was quiet when I arrived at just before 6 p.m., but they were almost fully booked for the evening, so I was glad to get a table.
My friend and I had a look over the menu but had already decided what we fancied before doing so. We were both in the mood for sharing, and opted for a Pad Thai, with extra egg and veggies. Alongside that we ordered chicken satay and spring rolls. My friend also ordered a Jasmine tea to go with her meal, whilst I stuck with water.
Our meal arrived within minutes. The Pad Thai came first. It was a generous portion, so I’m glad that we were sharing. I loved the mix of vegetables that were included and was glad that we opted for the extra egg option as it added a delicious savouriness to the dish. The noodles were well cooked and the sauce was just right in terms of its texture and flavour. My only qualm was that I like to have more peanuts on my Pad Thai as I find it adds the crunch that is otherwise lacking. Whilst Jino’s Pad Thai did come with peanuts, they were so finely crushed that it was hard to taste them, and they added no crunch to the plate.
After only a couple of mouthfuls of noodles, our extra side dishes arrived. The chicken satay was as delicious as I remember. The chicken was moist and the satay sauce that was served with it was fab. As always, I could have done with more satay sauce, but seeing as the chicken was so tasty by itself, the slight lack of satay sauce didn’t matter too much.
The spring rolls were obviously freshly deep fried as they were boiling inside and crispy on the outside. In addition to the fab crispiness, I loved the mixed filling and enjoyed dipping the little rolls into the sweet chilli sauce they were served with.
I think we made a good choice with our selection of dishes. Together, they cost approximately £20, so all that for £10 per person was not bad, especially as the portions were generous. Our choices meant that we also had a good balance of flavours and textures. I would recommend all three dishes to others planning on a visit to Jino’s. However, there do look to be lots of other delicious dishes on the menu, well worth a repeat visit.
Call Jino’s on 0113 2788088
Jino’s Thai Café presented us with a lovely meal, made all the better by the friendly and attentive waiting staff who kept our drinks topped up and ensured that we weren’t left waiting at any point. If you’re looking for that combination of affordable and tasty, Jino’s might just be the answer.
