A husband and wife team that featured on BBC's Britain's Top Takeaways have launched a gorgeous new Thai fusion restaurant in Uplands in Swansea. 'Bangkok' fills the empty unit previously occupied by The Optimist which closed in July, and is the new venture of talented chefs April and Chris Napier who previously ran 'Bangkok Express' takeaway on Walter Road for more than five years.
Earlier this year, the couple appeared on the BBC programme and showcased their delicious food to the judges and thousands of viewers, having impressed show producers with their "home-style" audition. On the programme, they competed against teams from four other top Asian take-aways from around the UK - and ultimately came in third place! If you haven't seen it, it's still available on BBC iPlayer here.
April, who was born and raised in Bangkok and moved to the UK almost 20 years ago, told WalesOnline previously: "It has been one of the best experiences we've ever had, we were invited to Manchester in an industrial estate that was built for a cook off. We are proud to fly the flag for both Swansea and Wales and immensely proud of what we do and will always go the extra for our customers! Lockdown hit us really hard and we we were closed for three to four months as staff safety was our priority - we're a family business.
"This opportunity came around and it was a once in a lifetime and we couldn't believe it, we still can't when we think about it! We couldn't get over how much we enjoyed it, it still gives me goose bumps to think about and we're opening this new restaurant to celebrate Thai food and give back!"
Read more: The forgotten 80s Swansea bar where DJ Mo would ask people to 'get on the floor and do it some more'
Now, April and her husband Chris, who was born and bred in Swansea, have opened the doors at their new Thai-fusion restaurant and are looking forward to welcoming new and old customers.
"During our time on the BBC show, we met a lot of great people running restaurant businesses and felt very inspired by them - hence the idea of us opening Bangkok hoping to be as successful as them!" April told WalesOnline. "We also believe that Swansea has evolved into a more multi-cultured city as of late, as when we opened Bangkok Express, we were the only Thai takeaway in the city centre offering delivery and takeaway in the evenings - now there are plenty and a new addition of a Thai-fusion restaurant would give people more dining choices for sure!"
The couple, who now live in Mayals, are immensely proud of their food and proud to have won several national awards when they ran Bangkok Express. On the menu at Bangkok, you'll find traditional Thai meals - but many have a "contemporary twist," April said.
Among the most popular dishes, diners can expect stir fries, soups and Thai salads, as well as sharing platters, and starters and snacks like prawn tempura, chicken satay, grilled pork and dim sum. Special dishes are set to be added to the menu in due course.
"It's authentic Thai food, it's food from how I was brought up - but we always try to add fusion [Fusion cuisine is cuisine that combines elements of traditions from different countries and cultures] - we're not completely traditional, we like to make things modern and pretty!" she added.
Welcoming people to the restauarant, April added: "We look forward to welcoming new customers - come and check us out, we hope you'll love what you see! And to our old customers, we look forward to welcoming them back!"
Bangkok can be found at 57-59 Uplands Crescent, Swansea, SA2 0EZ. Its open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 4pm to 9.30pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm to 10pm.
