Firstly, a caveat, Sabai Sabai is not particularly high. The restaurant can be found, humorously, 69 metres above sea level. But that is as high as it goes, there are no stairs (unless you want to go to the toilets downstairs). I was merely searching for an alliterative title which conveyed the quality of their consumables.
Now, to business. Sabai Sabai has always been a solid choice for lunch in Leamington. They have a lunch menu: two courses for £10.95. Or £12.95 if you go for one of the more luxurious mains. The portion sizes are correct, making it perfect for students.
Being house mother; I often need to interweave my plan with the needs of my children. One such child, Bhaskar, 16 years my senior, needed to view some houses. I combined our final visit with a much needed catch up with another friend: Sattish. We ate and were merry.
For our starters we ate the chicken satay skewers (Kanom Pang Na Gai). This is always a winning dish. The flavours are wonderfully well imbued that I believe the dish was marinated overnight. The sweet & sour sauce paired well. I’m a fan of the explosively cut carrot.
The Squid Tempura (Pla Muek Tempura) was a little salty for me. But I don’t often eat sea fish, so maybe my perspective is skewed.
My spring rolls (Poh Pia Jay) were a treat, though I found the sauce more appetising than the rolls. Perhaps a bit more salt would allay my concerns.
I was too occupied devouring my own main dish to photograph everyone else’s. And that is the sign of a good restaurant, I think. Ped Pad Prik Pow, an alliterative masterpiece made with roasted duck; peppers; rice and everything nice. Simply superb dish. The duck was cooked to perfection, as was the rice. Fluffy but not too sweet. the bamboo shoots were just crunchy enough.
My friends had the Thai herb curry (Pad Kra Prao) and chicken in garlic & pepper sauce (Kra Tiem Prik Thai) and assured me they were both delicious. Bhaskar looked particularly ecstatic.
In all, Sabai Sabai is a restaurant where one will invariably find quality and value. Family owned and service with a smile. This is the place to come when you want a filling lunch but don’t want to spend over £13, as is often the case.
Make sure you take time to look at the selection of drinks available. They are beautifully arranged and feature some bottles in exotic shapes.
Equally, the waiting section (pictured above) and full-wall-fountain behind the stairs are impressive and tastefully arranged.
