A POPULAR Thai restaurant is set to re-open under new management as regulars express their delight over the returning establishment.

Sar La Thai, formerly Simply Thai, will open in Station Road, Manningtree under new management.

The restaurant was closed for six weeks before the new landlord took over on March 6 and renovations have been ongoing leading up to its reopening.

Brad Watts, landlord of the restaurant, said: “The name Sar La Thai is based on my wife’s name, Sar, who will be running the restaurant.

“Sar knows the main chef at the restaurant, chef Nong, who contacted us when she  found out the restaurant could potentially close as she was very upset.

“We stepped in and acquired the restaurant as we are hoping to keep it running for many years to come.”

Sar La Thai will be reopening with all the usual staples that customers have come to love over the years.

Chef Nong will remain in the kitchen to whip up some traditional Thai meals.

The new management has signed a ten-year lease for the restaurant with the menu remaining the same for the first year at least.

Brad added: “There has been lots of interest and buzz on social media which we’re very excited about.

“With Sar being Thai I believe we’ll be able to bring the same ambiance from before but with our improvements.

“We’d like to provide even better customer service and Sar’s heritage should help her communicate and connect with the staff better.

“In terms of preparation, there was a seamless transition between the previous lease owners.

“We had to buy all the equipment off the liquidators then we started cleaning and reservicing everything but we’re getting there.”

Sar La Thai has several vegetarian and vegan options with gluten-free offerings on the menu as well.

The restaurant has a four-and-a-half-star rating on trip advisor considering factors like food and value.

Sar La Thai will re-open on Saturday, March 25, from 5pm until 10pm.

For more information call 01206 396060.