A Thai restaurant at a busy location in Cardiff city centre has closed down after little more than a year. Busaba in the Brewery Quarter shut its doors for the final time on December 28.
The Caroline Street restaurant was one of only two remaining Busaba restaurants outside London. The chain — which still has nine branches in the UK capital and one in Oxford — enjoyed years of growth after its launch in 1999 by Wagamama founder Alan Yau, who sold the business for £21.5million in 2018 to private equity firm Phoenix Capital Partners.
Branches opened in Manchester, Liverpool, St Albans and Bicester Village but by 2019 all outside London had shut. Busaba began to expand again with openings in Cardiff in 2021 and Oxford in 2022, but lasted only around 14 months in the Welsh capital.
Read next: 11 of the best places to eat Thai food in Cardiff
Malai, an independent Thai restaurant which opened metres away on Caroline Street at around the same time as Busaba, is still trading. Shortly after their launches, our food critic wrote that it felt like "a case of David versus Goliath" and that the "tiny" Malai — with just three tables inside — had left them more impressed.
"This charming little independent serves food which is generous, flavour-packed and cracking value for money," they wrote. "Across the street, I had a perfectly tasty meal from Busaba but it didn’t wow me. The friendly service and stylish interior were however standout elements.
"But the crucial decider is the price difference between the two venues. My total spend at Malai came to £12.94 whilst my bill at Busaba, including a 10% service charge, was more than twice the price at £26.73. When it comes to which restaurant I recommend there’s no contest. I’ll certainly be heading back to Malai soon."
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