Giggling Squid Confirm New Exeter Restaurant

Asian dining is experiencing a sharp surge in popularity. Japanese-inspired bakeries, Asian-themed restaurants, and Thai establishments, like the Giggling Squid, are quickly taking over while supporting a new and diverse dining scene.

The Rise of Asian Dining In the UK 

As explained by Serious Eats Sichuan and regional Chinese dishes are moving beyond standard chow mein dishes and becoming more popular with people in the UK. Chains like Nong Geng Ji are pioneering new authentic cooking. There’s also been a huge boom in Korean BBQ and street food, including kimchi. Interestingly, bakeries in London, like Rise & Fold, are also experimenting with Japanese salt bread. 

Part of this culture boom is being driven by the media, as shows like Squid Game help to highlight Korean culture. Shogun is another example and helps to highlight traditional Japanese culture. Interestingly, Asian art is also on the rise. 

Major auction houses and galleries are starting to spotlight artists more, as names like Yayoi Kusama become synonymous with the industry. In iGaming, we are also seeing more Asian influences. Online casino games UK like Dragon Jackpot Roulette feature a roulette wheel with a bright gold dragon in the middle, a homage to Chinese culture.

With Asian culture as a whole experiencing a big surge in popularity right now, it makes perfect sense for the chain, Giggling Squid, to go ahead with its plans to open a new restaurant in Exeter’s Cathedral Yard. There were concerns that the new restaurant had been shelved, as no new progress had been made in three years, but now it seems that planning issues have been resolved and that work is going to begin very soon.

New Information Has Been Shed on the Restaurant

A planning document has shed some new light on the restaurant, saying that the customer area is, in fact, going to be spread across the ground floor, extending into the first and second floors. Views are going to be across Cathedral Green. 

The update is a real sign that the revival of the area is going well. The site is right next door to the landmark hotel, Royal Clarence, which was destroyed in 2016 by a fire. There are hopes that this will be restored as well; however, it's not been confirmed whether this will be a hotel or whether it will reopen as something completely different.

According to the latest data, the Giggling Squid is the largest Thai restaurant chain in the UK, and the brand has some very ambitious plans to expand even more as the years go by. They are planning on expanding to 51 different locations with more in the pipeline, showing that the company is undergoing an aggressive growth period in an attempt to capitalise on the boom in Asian cuisine.

On the website, you can find complete menus or you can book a table. It’s also possible for you to find a branch that is close to you by using the dedicated restaurant finder, which highlights the various places across the UK.