Drayton Thai restaurant The Pacific celebrates first year in business

The Pacific Thai opened on Havant Road, Drayton on January 6, 2021.

It was scheduled to open for full dining-in, but due to the third UK lockdown, was forced to operate as takeaway-only.

It opened fully in May last year and has been thriving ever since.

Owner, Kaz Miah said it has been a challenging, but rewarding 12 months for the venue.

Kaz previously ran steakhouse, Red Lounge and Indian restaurants Zayn’s and Baba Ganoush at the venue but says The Pacific has been one of the most successful ventures.

He said: ‘We planned to open in late 2020 but pushed back the opening date several times due to uncertainty around lockdowns and restrictions. The local community loved us from the start and told us that we were exactly what they needed. There aren’t many Thai restaurants around, so we were really popular for our cuisine alone.

‘Now we’re fully open, we’re able to give customers the full experience. We’ve got a great atmosphere in the restaurant and we’re also planning more live entertainment this year with local talented musicians. We’re definitely becoming a recognised restaurant in the Portsmouth area.’

The restaurant’s meals are cooked by Thai chefs, who have decades of combined experience in cooking the cuisine.

The kitchen is headed up by head chef Mou Dechphut, who cooks up classic meals such as pad Thai and green and red curries, as well as vegan and gluten-free alternatives.

To say thank you to the community for its support across the last 12 months, Kaz is running a promotion across January and February, offering diners 25 per cent off food.

He said: ‘It’s been a tough couple of years for lots of people, but our shared love of food has kept us going a lot of the time. Despite the challenges people face in their day-to-day lives, they’re still supporting us in any way they can, whether that’s ordering a takeaway or bringing their friends and family in with them time and time again. Giving a little something back is the least we can do.’

To book a table or order food to take away visit pacificthai.co.uk.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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