Insiders guide for the best Thai, Korean and Vietnamese food in Merseyside

Pho Vietnamese Street Food restaurant on Castle Street
-Credit:Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo


There is no denying that Merseyside is blessed with a huge selection of Chinese restaurants and takeaways, more than enough some would argue. With Chinese New Year fast approaching, many use it as an excuse to order their favourite takeaway or head out to their treasured restaurant - and rightly so.

However, others like to spice it up and treat their taste buds with Vietnamese, Thai or Korean food - all cultures that also celebrate the Lunar New Year.

With this in mind, the ECHO team has listed their favourite takeaways and restaurants in the regions. This is by no means a definite list as it all comes down to personal preference, so please feel free to leave any other gems in the comments below.

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Etsu - Christopher Megrath

Sushi at Etsu
Sushi at Etsu -Credit:Not Trinity Mirror

If you say you don't like sushi, you've never eaten at Etsu. The authenticity is felt through every bite of handcrafted sushi made right in front of you if you opt to sit at the bar. For anyone who'd like to stick to the classics, ramen bowls and katsu curry are on the menu, but the sushi is where Etsu really shines.

The chef special sees a personal and ever-changing selection presented to you, which may include salmon and tuna or egg and octopus. Anytime I've been here, I've felt full and satisfied.

I wish I could sit for hours trying everything on the menu. There's a reason Etsu has withstood the industry for so long, and it's all down to its phenomenal array of offerings.

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25 The Strand, Liverpool L2 0XJ

Pho - Alice Walker

Pho Vietnamese Street Food restaurant on Castle Street, Liverpool
Pho Vietnamese Street Food restaurant on Castle Street, Liverpool -Credit:Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo

Pho is my favourite restaurant. I was so excited when a second venue opened on Castle Street, following the popularity of the first, which had been on Bold Street for many years.

There is so much choice on the menu, from the titular Pho to curries and noodle dishes, that there really is something for anybody. My go-to is the vermicelli noodles with chicken. It is one of those dishes that feels like a cheat day, even though it's filled with vegetables. But the main thing for me is the starter.

The best thing on the menu by far is the summer rolls with peanut sauce on the side. I don't know how they get that peanut sauce to taste so good, but I genuinely dream about it. Authentic Vietnamese food right in the city centre.

22a Castle St, Liverpool L2 0SU / 79 Bold St, Liverpool L1 4HF

ChaBa ChaBa - Emilia Bona

Grilled stuffed seabass with chilli and lime sauce at ChaBa ChaBa
Grilled stuffed seabass with chilli and lime sauce at ChaBa ChaBa

When I want a takeaway meal that doesn't leave me feeling filled with regret after eating it, I always opt for ChaBa ChaBa Thai restaurant. I've dined in at this venue a number of times, but whenever it's my choice to pick the takeaway in our household, there's only ever one option. The menu is extensive and offers the traditional Thai dishes you'd expect to find, as well as some exciting options customers may not have tried before.

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My go-to order is always the grilled stuffed sea bass, which comes wrapped in a banana leaf. It's packed full of fragrant stuffing, and even when you're getting it delivered, the sea bass always arrives perfectly cooked and somehow doesn't get dry or chewy on the journey.

If I can persuade someone to share an extra dish with me, I'll add the red duck curry to my order - it's a sweet sauce with pineapple, grapes, cherry tomatoes, chilli and sweet basil, and it's a dish I've never found on another menu.

The only thing worth remembering is that the staff takes a well-deserved break every winter, with the restaurant closing between January 1 and February 3 this year—but it's well worth the wait.

179 Allerton Rd, Mossley Hill, Liverpool L18 6HG

Korean Kitchen - Gary Stewart

Home Alone Bowls by Korean Kitchen on Lord Street, Southport
Home Alone Bowls by Korean Kitchen on Lord Street, Southport -Credit:Korean Kitchen

I've been a big fan of this place since it opened in Ainsdale years ago and would regularly drive from Ormskirk just to pick up a takeaway. They have moved to Lord Street in Southport now and have massively expanded their menu now they have more staff and tables.

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For me, the home-alone bowl is and always will be the star of the menu. In one bowl you get chicken stir fry, dumplings, fried chicken, sticky rice and salad, with sticky Yangnyeom sauce and cream sauce (£17). It is both epic and filling.

There is also a beef bowl and pork bowl alternative. I also recommend getting the homemade kimchi - spicy fermented cabbage, except much nicer than that sounds. They do loads more than this including teok-kkochi which is rice dough in a sticky sauce, a huge range of fried chicken in different sauces and loads of noodle dishes as well as some authentic Korean soft drinks. Koreans really know their way around fried chicken.

509-511 Lord St, Southport PR9 0AY

Thai Rice - Ben Haslam

Thai Rice is nestled away on Bold Street in Southport town centre. Almost unknown to those who frequent Lord Street regularly, it is one of the best hidden gems the town has to offer. Amazing and authentic Thai cuisine that leaves you feeling beyond satisfied after demolishing half the menu.

The King Prawn Pad Thai and the starter platter are personal favourites, with a shout-out to the sensational satay chicken. The restaurant offers an exceptional dine-in experience and the option to take it away.

The food is flavourful, and there is a wide variety of traditional Thai dishes on offer. As soon as people try it, it is a favourite. As Chinese New Year approaches and people treat themselves to different culinary experiences, I couldn't recommend the restaurant enough.

20B Bold St, Southport PR9 0DB

Doux Chaton - Ryan Paton & Liam Thorp

Jimmy,  Ko, Nguyet and Jennifer Ly, the family owners of Doux Chaton Vietnamese restaurant on Renshaw St in Liverpool city centre
Jimmy, Ko, Nguyet and Jennifer Ly, the family owners of Doux Chaton Vietnamese restaurant -Credit:Iain Watts

The sign at Doux Chaton promises "a little bowl of Pho", but I can assure you the portion sizes are much more substantial at this family-run Vietnamese restaurant. Doux Chaton opened its doors in 2022 and has immediately fit in on Renshaw Street, which is now home to a thriving hub of Asian restaurants.

This restaurant offers an authentic taste of Vietnam. Its menu includes homemade banh mi sandwiches loaded with roasted meats and pickled vegetables. The big bowl of noodle soup represents amazing value for money, and the lemongrass chicken noodle salad is also a firm favourite of mine at this homely restaurant.

On any day of the week, you can expect to find crowds of diners packing into the venue's mish-mash of tables. The restaurant is owned by Jimmy Ly, whose sister Jennifer works behind the counter, while parents Ko and Nguyet work in the busy kitchen.

The couple came to the UK in the 1970s and have worked all their lives running takeaways and restaurants. Now, they are working with their children to offer something fresh and authentic to the diners of Liverpool and are being rightly recognised for what they are doing.

Unit 1, 89 Renshaw St, Liverpool L1 2SP

Bamboo Thai - Hannah Rees

If you're looking for authentic tasting, delicious Thai food then Bamboo Thai is definitely the place to visit. I've visited the restaurant a few times and left more than impressed after each meal.

Starting out in 2000, the restaurant remains a firm fixture on its ever changing street in Moreton and has a reputation for serving fresh and high quality street food. Even better, it's relatively cheap with main meals starting from £8, depending on what takes your fancy.

I'm personally a big fan of their sharing platter which comes with Thai Fish Cakes, Chicken Satay, Vegetable Spring Rolls and Chicken Shumai with dipping sauces. In terms of main meals, I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spice, so I go for for Thai yellow curry which is packed full of flavour.

272 Hoylake Rd, Moreton, Wirral CH46 6AF

Chop Chop - Paul McAuley

The star of Chop Chop's show, the Mega Chicken
The star of Chop Chop's show, the Mega Chicken

Foodies from all over Merseyside have been returning to this hidden gem of a takeaway for years - particularly for one of its cult favourite dishes, The Mega Chicken. After trying it, it's easy to see why.

The £7.50 box of deep-fried crispy chicken in homemade sticky soy sauce drooled over white rice and topped with fried vegetables. The box is filled to the brim—not only with food but also with flavour. It had the perfect blend of sweetness and spiciness.

Although it looks bland, it certainly packs a punch and takes you on a culinary adventure. The pipping-hot steam and comforting smell from the brown-paper box dominated the room.

44 Fenwick St, Liverpool L2 7NB

Mays Thai - Christopher Megrath

May's Thai Restaraunt is a small, stylish venue in Childwall
May's Thai Restaraunt is a small, stylish venue in Childwall

Mays Thai restaurant is a hidden gem across the board in terms of flavour, experience and celebrity appeal. The restaurant sits on the outskirts of Childwall, neatly nestled beside several other independent businesses. Due to its location, you could miss it entirely.

The exterior is a chic, all-black aesthetic that makes Mays Thai look like a luxurious experience before you even step foot inside. Its Instagram page often shares pictures of its celebrity customers, so you can expect big things.

I love the prawn tempuras alongside the larb gai and chicken tom yum soup. The food disappeared as quickly as it serve because it is so delicious.

4 Childwall Abbey Rd, Liverpool L16 0JN

Spice Thai - Ellen Kirwin

Whole fried seabass from the Fleet Street venue
Whole fried seabass from the Fleet Street venue

I was looking for a new restaurant to eat at, a hidden gem, one I'd never come across before. Being a foodie, it's hard to come across somewhere unheard of, so I began my search, checking reviews for tasty inconspicuous restaurants.

That's when I came across Spice Thai on Fleet Street. The menu is split into four main sections; curry, grilled meats, main courses (such as whole seabass) and noodles and rice dishes. I try to cover all bases, so order a dish from each section, opting for Thai green curry, ped yang (grilled duck), pad pak with pork and pla tod gra tiam (whole fried seabass with garlic and pepper sauce).

The portions are big enough for two people to share a few dishes between them. Spice Thai is the type of restaurant that makes even veggies taste delicious.

That was certainly the case with the ped yang was a simple dish of 'morning glory' also known as water spinach in a sweet and chili sauce. The vegetables were crunchy yet wilted slightly by the sauce, so they absorbed the perfect amount of flavour. The duck dish was cooked to perfection and the meat was easy to eat, not too chewy and the fat was crispy.

5-7 Fleet Street, Liverpool, L1 4AR

Kokoro - Jada Jones

Kokoro Korean Fried Chicken
I was really surprised by the texture of the chicken -Credit:Jada Jones

I love sushi, I'm constantly going out of my way to eat it and as a result a lot of places that sell it are on my radar. Kokoro has been on my radar for years, with the Pumpkin Katsu Curry being a fast favourite.

Last time I went there, ordering sushi as is often the case, a man in the line sparked up a conversation about the one item on the menu which is 'the only reason' he goes to the Japanese takeaway spot.

He asked if I'd tried the Korean Fried Chicken and as I grabbed my prawn sushi I had to admit that I hadn't. But with him singing its praises so loudly, I had to try it.

I decided it was time to place an order. Interestingly, it specified that the dish did not come with rice or noodles (like majority of the hot food does). This raised the question of what you would even pair it with.

With a salad, side and drink option I hoped for the best as I placed my order and waited (not so patiently.) The meal with seaweed salad, vegetable spring rolls and Aloe Vera came to £19.05 and was at my door within an hour.

The item that brought me here. The fried chicken comes in big chunks and are coated in a sweet and spicy sauce.The sauce takes away some of the crispiness from the chicken, but the taste is quite nice. If you're someone who likes sauce on your chicken then this is the one for you. The pickled vegetables had a nice zing to them although struggled to get though them.

77 Church St, Liverpool L1 1DG