Last week we accepted our invitation to review Rosa’s Thai Cafe, which has recently opened at Bluewater. I really enjoy Thai food and have always felt like Bluewater was missing a Thai restaurant, so it’s great that that has now been rectified. Located next door to the cinema and Dinotropolis, it is ideally positioned for a date with dinner and a film or a day out with children. That said, our main concern before putting it to the test was our 2 year old daughter Autumn. She had never eaten Thai food before!

Atmosphere and decor

Even as you approach Rosa’s Thai Cafe, you can feel a chilled out, friendly atmosphere emanating. The decor is simply gorgeous. Adding to the relaxed vibes, it is modern with an Eastern twist.

I loved the plates and bowls too, which complemented the decor nicely.

Food and drink

There are lots of great choices on the menu. As a fussy vegetarian, I am often limited, but there were lots of options available that I would happily eat. Many dishes can even be made vegan, and there is even a coeliac-friendly menu! There are many drinks options too, including some amazing looking cocktails. I had a refreshing mint tea, whilst my husband opted for Lemony Lemonade.

The food is quite moderately priced for eating out; it’s about what I expected.

Starter

My husband and Autumn both had chicken satay as a starter. I didn’t have one, as I wanted to make sure I had room for dessert (priorities!) It didn’t go down well with Autumn, but she was quite distracted by colouring her menu sheet and I think the lemongrass flavour surprised her!

It was very nicely presented and my husband really enjoyed it.

Main

Our mains took a little while to arrive, but we didn’t mind as we weren’t in a rush and it was all being freshly cooked! Besides, Autumn was still enjoying colouring the children’s menu with the crayons she’d been provided with.

Flat Noodles Stir-Fry

We chose Autumn flat noodles stir-fry from the menu. The menu describes these as “Rice noodles stir-fried in Rosa’s soya sauce, eggs, spring greens” and we had chicken in it, although you can go veggie only.

Autumn absolutely loved it. Despite having never had noodles before, she was soon eating them like a pro. She kept smiling and saying “Yummy, yummy!”

My only criticism would be that it could be a good idea to have non-Thai food on the menu for fussy children, such as chicken nuggets and chips, for instance. If Autumn hadn’t have liked the food, it would have been an absolute nightmare because she’d have refused to eat and got angry due to hunger.

Rosa’s Fried Rice

My choice was Rosa’s Fried Rice; stir-fried jasmine rice with soy sauce, eggs, spring greens and mixed veggies with tofu. It might sound boring to some, but it was absolutely delicious. The flavours were wonderful and the quantity of vegetables in there were just right. The tofu had been cooked very nicely, absorbing all of the flavour. As such, I couldn’t fault it at all.

Massaman Curry

Massaman curry was my husband’s choice; his most favourite Thai food. When he ordered it, the waitress said she thoroughly recommended it and it was her favourite too. That’s always a good sign! The menu described this as “Smooth yellow curry with silk road spices, potatoes & cashew nuts” and you can have it with beef or chicken. It certainly was a lovely smooth curry with good flavours, tender chicken and fluffy, flavourful rice. Perhaps needless to say, he cleared his plate!

Dessert

The selection of desserts available at Rosa’s Thai Cafe is quite small, but lovely. I opted for mango with mango sorbet, which I thought was a fantastic, refreshing option for after eating Thai food. The sprig of mint made it extra tasty.

However, my husband and Autumn both had waffle with ice cream and chocolate sauce. They were both very happy with their choice. The waffle had a great texture and had sugar on the outside of it, which was a pleasant surprise.

Staff

The staff at Rosa’s Thai Cafe were very attentive and friendly. When the mains were taking a little while, it was explained why and we were told they’d be coming soon. They were lovely to Autumn too, fussing over her and complimenting her colouring! When you eat out, staff are always a big part of your experience and the atmosphere. The staff who were working the evening we visited Rosa’s Thai Cafe were fantastic and a credit to the company.

Parting Thoughts

Well, considering I was laying in bed at 2am this morning craving Thai food, it’s clear that I held our visit to Rosa’s Thai Cafe in high esteem. I really want to go back and try out more of the menu! It’s very exciting indeed that Bluewater now has delicious Thai food on offer.

Disclosure: We received a complimentary dinner at Rosa’s Thai Cafe in return for this review. As always, all views and opinions are honest and my own.