Lifestyle – Under The Cypress Tree

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Giggling Squid is making a name for itself across the UK. With 2022 marking its 20th year, the Thai Tapas restaurant is slowly ‘spreading its tentacles’ – to quote co-founder, Andy – with 44 restaurants nationwide and counting. Giggling Squid brings Thai cuisine to the high street, with locations that combine old architecture with modern interior design. A family run business, they aim to render the richness of Thai flavour combinations and the variety of Thai dishes accessible to the British public in a fun, fresh and delicious way.

I was recently invited to dine at their restaurant in Oxford. Located on Walton Street, this Giggling Squid is at home amongst cobbled streets, literature-inspired pubs and Victorian terraces. It shares a road with the impressive neoclassical building housing Oxford University Press as well as the indie Phoenix Picturehouse cinema. The Jericho neighbourhood is locally known for being ‘cool’, with cocktail bars, independent cafés and vintage shops, and this Giggling Squid slots right in with its grey facade and the brand’s overarching aim to juxtapose new with traditional.

Inside, we are greeted by the familiar colour scheme of green and grey, along with tiled inserts on walls and floors, and floral pops of pink. It feels eclectic but contemporary. The large windows and vaulted ceilings lift the downstairs space, making it inviting as we descend to our table. No music is playing, which on the one hand allows for audible conversation, but on the other, it makes it slightly more difficult to create an ambience, especially in a larger, heightened space such as this.

Once settled in our circular booth, we order cocktails: a Silky Pink for myself, and a Mango/Chilli Mocktail for Ed. Suitably sweet, the Silky Pink is a lychee martini, satisfyingly decorated with a purple pansy flower. Meanwhile, the Mango/Chilli Mocktail is refreshing with a hint spice inherent in elements of ginger, but lacking in the heat associated with chilli itself. For their full range of Thai inspired cocktails, see here.

Our waiter is swift to take our food order, and is attentive and knowledgable in answering questions pertaining to ingredients and portion size, offering recommendations on dishes that compliment each other well. Giggling Squid offers a lunch, vegan and all day menu, which you can see here, as well as a wide takeaway menu available for delivery and click & collect takeaway.

This time, we opt for Pork Dumplings and the Grilled Squid and Thai Garlic to start. The dumplings are aromatic and well-cooked, perfectly accompanied with a sweet and spicy soy sauce dip that rounds out the plate. The grilled squid is well-executed with the flavours of the griddle adding depth to the squid which is nicely seasoned with the crispy garlic.

Our main course arrives soon after our starters are cleared. Before us is placed: the Royal Fishing Boat Curry, the Chicken Chilli and Basil Gra Pao, the Chicken Pad Thai and a side of Jasmine Rice. We quickly realise that this is a lot of food, and that the portions are particularly generous. The Fishing Boat Curry offers two mussels, two prawns, two pieces of squid and a fillet of salmon in creamy, spicy, massaman-style sauce. Despite the considerable quantity of seafood in this dish, it is the salmon which is surprisingly the star. The crispy coating and melt-in-the-mouth texture is impressive, while the subtle flavour of the fish itself is enhanced by the coconut and spices in the sauce. Ashamedly, this dish is probably on the edge of my spice threshold, but it was soothed by the fragrant Jasmine Rice (and plenty of water!).

The Gra Pao is a popular street dish in Thailand, filled with peppers, onions and chillies. The basil ran nicely throughout this dish and the spice was also apparent in the seasoning of the beef itself. Finally, A Pad Thai dish is always popular in our household, and this chicken version ticked all the boxes with the salty flavours in the tofu and soy sauce, the meatiness of the chicken, the crunch of the beansprouts, and the sweetness from the red onions.

We round off the meal with ice cream. Ed settles on Giggling Squid‘s more obscure signature flavours of Jasmine and Toasted Rice and Black Sesame, while I choose more safely with two scoops of the Lychee Yoghurt. The Lychee Yoghurt is creamy, fruity and sweet – as expected – but it is the Black Sesame which I surprisingly enjoy the most. The nuttiness of the sesame works well with the underlying sweetness, and the speckled grey colour is striking and hints to aspects of nouveau cuisine. Giggling Squid offers a lunch vegan

It is exciting that a taste of Thailand is accessible outside of food markets and individual restaurants in the UK. While the restaurants feel slightly anglicanised in decor and presentation, the food itself nods to the authenticity of Thailand’s rich flavours. Adding a range of cocktails to the menu makes the experience feel luxurious and the food speaks for itself. It’s a restaurant I’m happy to go back to time and time again.

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All pictures are my own unless otherwise credited. Permission must be obtained before any reproduction and credit must be issued in any reproduction

It’s officially autumn. Already the skies are greyer, the mornings are crisper and thoughts of turning on the heating drift forward. The muggy sleeps, salads for dinner and sounds of Bob Marley floating between gardens have come to a close. It’s like clockwork: as soon as 1st September rolls around, and witches and wizards around the country head back to Hogwarts, the universe knows it’s time to shift seasonal gears.

Perhaps this year, more than others, the change of season is very welcome. After months of lockdown, children are heading back into school and parents can realistically consider returning to the office, if Covid allows. September marks the end of the semi-chaotic comings and goings of August; a routine returns, a new schedule is in place and it no longer feels like we’re staring into a never-ending abyss of sun-soaked, socially-distanced garden activities. The virus is still here, but the pressure has slightly abated. The temperature is cooler, temperaments are calmer and rational decisions can be made.

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall”
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

September will forever be associated with the start of the school year. New stationary, new uniforms, a step-up in work and a concrete progression in moving onwards and upwards. Maybe it is because this fresh start happened consistently every year from the ages of 5 to to 21, or maybe because I (not-so) secretly loved the start of term, or maybe it is because I am actually going ‘back to school’ to start a PhD this year, but the elements of school starting have permanently infiltrated my adult life.

My diary runs from September to August, my yearly subscriptions all seem to renew in September and various tedious bits need checking and servicing every autumn. It’s a boring, and expensive, admin month but it is essentially a new year in the school of adulthood. Summer dresses are packed away and autumnal workwear (AKA adult school uniform) is prepped and ready to go. Hello, tartan-check skirts, long sleeve roll-necks, chunky knits and Chelsea boots. New folders are bought and the pen stash is stocked. It’s no coincidence that this is my most organised time of year.

It’s also my most organised time of year mentally. My mind feels clear and tidy: I’m aware of things I’ve achieved since January and I’ve established goals that I’m ready to go for. September, more than January, is a manageable time to make new resolutions and to set new goals. As Elizabeth Rosenberg explains, “in January we have an entire 12 months to look back on and another 12 months to plan for and this is simply overwhelming. Resolutions just seem more do-able whilst it’s still light outside”. September is a natural new start: healthy habits can be established before the evenings get too dark, post-holiday routines can be launched with renewed positivity and workloads can be planned and organised for an ultimate feeling of accomplishment.

September is a time to hit refresh. It’s a new month, it’s a new season and it’s a new year – whether you’re in the school of academics, or the school of adulthood, you can leave the sweaty, summer limbo behind you and move forward with purpose. But beyond the excitement of new stationary, goal setting and fresh starts, it’s the season of leaf-crunching walks, hazelnut cappuccinos, movie nights, butternut squash soups and curling up with a good book. What’s not to love?

All pictures are my own unless otherwise credited. Permission must be obtained before any reproduction and credit must be issued in any reproduction.

Tag: Lifestyle

Gloriously Giggling Squid

September: Refresh and Renew