Say hello to ChaoBaby, Meadowhall

While I'm on the subject of food.. which is pretty much all the time.. thought I'd relive our B-E-A-U-tiful Thai experience on Friday.

ChaoBaby, in Meadowhall, is definitely our new favourite place to eat! We've been about three or four times now, after being a bit apprehensive to start with, having never tried Thai food. So glad we did though - it's such a nice place to be.

Upon arrival you're greeted with a bow from the lovely, polite Thai waitresses in authentic silk dresses. Here your Thai experience begins.

Photo: ChaoBaby

The seating is intimate but chilled, and our favourite place to sit is right by the giant jelly fish tank - watching them float and flail around in the flow of the tank. As soon as you've ordered your drinks you make your way up to the buffet, where the Thai chefs are prepping and chopping away, refilling the large lidded pans with fresh, steaming dishes. A hot teppan grill is sizzling away in front of your eyes, as you load your plate with the different dishes.

The selection is wide and varied, including different types of Thai soup, noodles, stir fries, curries, slow cooked meats, steamed and fried rice, tempura prawns and vegetables, and loads more. The beauty of this place is that there is always something different each time you go. You could never get bored.

We usually have a couple of plates of main course, opting for chopsticks over cutlery, in order to try and pace ourselves.

The staff at ChaoBaby are such a credit to the place; waiting staff can definitely make or break a dining experience for me. They're attentive, friendly and helpful. What more could you ask for?

After the main course it's on to dessert, which is set up on the bar area. Loads of fresh fruit cut into lovely shapes and sizes; watermelon, pineapple and juicy fresh melon, along with carrot cake, jellies and freshly made warm scotch pancakes. The perfect end to a lovely fragrant meal.

Photo: ChaoBaby

The standard of pretty much everything at this place is just exceptional; the chilled atmosphere, fresh dishes and willing staff. Not to mention the price. At £12.95 a head for the buffet, it's on a par with several other Asian cuisine buffets price wise, but where other places lack in terms of quality and service, ChaoBaby leaves little to be desired.

So please, if you are at first apprehensive like I was, do yourself a favour and take a chance on ChaoBaby. Guaranteed you won't be disappointed, and if you're anything like me, it will put you in a good mood for the rest of the day.