Ask Rosa's Thai founder for her secrets to feeding a family well - win a £100 Rosa's Thai voucher

[MaddyMumsnet]

Family mealtimes can be one of the best parts of the day... or one of the most chaotic. From juggling busy evenings and different appetites to encouraging children to try new flavours, it's something many parents are navigating every day.

If you've ever wondered how to make family meals feel a little less stressful, now's your chance to ask someone who's built a career around bringing people together over food.

Saiphin Moore, the founder of Rosa's Thai, is here to answer Mumsnetter’s questions on everything from encouraging adventurous eaters and introducing new flavours, to cooking quick midweek meals, getting children involved in the kitchen and creating enjoyable family mealtimes.

About Saiphin:
One of the UK's most-loved Thai chefs, Saiphin Moore is the co-founder of Rosa's Thai and mum of four. She grew up on a vegetable farm in the mountains of Khao Kho, northern Thailand, learning to cook alongside her mother and aunts and opening her first noodle shop aged just 14. That love of good food now lives on through Rosa's Thai and Lao Café. Mum of four, entrepreneur and author of two cookbooks, Saiphin stays true to the family-inspired flavours that started it all.

Everyone who posts a question on this thread by 3/9/26 will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 Rosa's Thai voucher (T&Cs).

any tips for banana fritters ? What ever I do I get them wrong 🫩

Are there any green curry paste brands that you recommend?

How can I get an older tween who has always liked food not touching to start to eat sauces? It’s a sensory thing and I thought they would grow out of it.

What’s a foolproof pad Thai method?

What's the best way to introduce children to spices and chilli?

What are the best shortcuts to a good curry sauce?

What dishes would you suggest an 18 year starting university learns to cook? She loves Thai food, we've visited Thailand twice. She been learning to improve her cooking skills this year.

What's a really quick but tasty meal you can make on school nights?

Which recipe/meal do you think lends itself best to having both a meat and vegetarian option for a family who has both?

What spices would make a salad more enticing for children?

Have you ever made a Thai dish in the instant pot and if so, whats your favourite recipe.

Do you have any plans to release giving sauces/marinades? 😍

I'm here for the pad Thai tips! I also had the most amazing lamb rendang in a restaurant recently and would love a recipe, and/or tips on which cut of lamb would work well.

(I'm not sure using lamb was especially authentic but it was so tasty 😋)

Hi everyone! Saiphin here 👋
Thank you so much for all your brilliant questions so far. I’ve loved reading through them and am excited to start answering! 😊💙

Great question @Secretriver. I can’t live without spice and a lot of Thai food is very quick to make. These are my go-tos:

• A 10-minute Chilli Garlic Basil Stir-fry - in Thailand we call it Pad Kra Pao. Just stir fry chicken or pork mince, with garlic, chillies, holy basil (or regular basil), soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar. One pan, 10 mins, serve with rice and a crispy fried egg.

• Crying Tiger Beef: Thinly sliced steak marinated for 5 mins in soy, oyster sauce, lime. Sear it hot and fast. Serve with a quick dip of toasted rice powder, chilli flakes, lime, fish sauce.

• For something you can prep ahead Massaman Curry is my favourite. It actually gets better after a day. The potatoes soak up all the flavour. Make a big batch on Sunday, it will last 3-4 days in the fridge and freezes beautifully.

I hope you give one of those a try.
Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x

Thanks for the question @fatphalange. I absolutely love cooking for my friends and family. Som Tum with Gai Yang - Papaya Salad with Grilled Chicken is what I make for them most. It’s a perfect all-rounder. The salad is fresh, sour, spicy and crunchy. And the satay is smoky, tender and comforting. Everyone can adjust their own chilli levels to suit, everyone shares and it always makes people happy around the table.

I hope your family will love it.
Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x

Hi @chickenpotnoodle . My kids always loved:

• Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Relish - Sweet, creamy, fun to dip. Ready in 15 minutes if you use chicken thighs.

• Egg Fried Rice (Khao Pad Khai) - Garlic, egg, soy, spring onion. Let the kids add sweetcorn, peas, chicken. Thai flavours but familiar too.

• Pad See Ew - Flat rice noodles, sweet soy, chicken, broccoli. Not spicy at all, slightly sweet, lovely charred flavour. Ready in 10 mins.

Let me know what they think of them.

Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x

Thanks for your question @MayCottage . Even my kids who are good eaters went through these phases. My tips are:

• Add one new thing at a time, alongside something “safe”. If they love plain rice and chicken, add just a tiny pot of peanut sauce on the side for dipping. Let them touch and smell first.

• Mild starters: Start with Chicken Satay, Pad See Ew, Coconut Rice, Corn Fritters and maybe a Clear Soup. All gentle and slightly sweet, not fishy or spicy.

Good luck
Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x

Thanks for asking @X3naWarri0rPrince55 The Little Rosa’s menu at Rosa’s Thai is so popular with kids. The most popular things are Thai Fried Chicken, our Mild Massaman Curry and Thai Omelette. The kids also go crazy for Rosa’s Bubble Teas - especially the chocolate one and Ube-Taro, which is very Thai.

Why? Familiar textures, mild but interesting flavours and fun to eat with hands or chopsticks. I’m a big believer in giving kids flavourful food - something like massaman has layers of complex spicing (cinnamon, cardamom, bay) and is mild and fragrant, not hot at all. Kids absolutely love it.

I hope you’ll come to Rosa’s soon to try it
Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x

Great question @Giftspread . Thai cuisine is packed with delicious vegetable based dishes. One of my favourites and an absolute classic dish at Rosa’s Thai is Stir-fried Aubergine or as we call it, Pad Makhuea Yao. We’ve served this at Rosa’s since the very beginning at our Spitalfields restaurant and it has a loyal following. It’s crunchy, spicy, deeply savoury and absolutely addictive.

Another Thai classic is Morning Glory, or Pad Pak Boong. Water spinach with garlic, chilli, oyster sauce, stir fried for 2 minutes.

Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x

Hi @HalfasleepChrisintheMorning

Pad Thai is the best-selling dish at Rosa’s Thai and we’ve spent years perfecting it. For us it’s about quality ingredients and we only use tamarind from Petchabun province in Thailand, where I’m from. It’s the sweetest tamarind in the world and gives a really well-balanced dish.

For home cooks, my secrets are:

1. Don't over-soak the noodles, you want them just soft, not mushy.
2. Use a very hot wok and cook in small batches.
3. The sauce MUST be well-balanced. Palm sugar, tamarind, fish sauce
4. Don’t skip the peanuts and lime at the end - they complete the dish.

For kids who don’t like rice I recommend Pad See Ew: wide flat noodles, sweet and charred, or Pad Mee Korat - similar to Pad Thai but sweeter, from my hometown Khao Kho.

I hope you come to Rosa’s soon to try our Pad Thai
Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x

Lovely question @Hgamble !

I could eat Som Tam - Green Papaya Salad - every day for the rest of my life. It’s never boring - you can make it sour, spicy, funky, sweet. It wakes you up. It reminds me of Khao Kho, of my mum pounding it in the mortar.

Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x

I love this @Hearters22 - for you, toast can be Thai too!

Make a Chilli Jam -(Nam Prik Pao) to keep in the fridge. Spread it on toast with cream cheese, or with avocado and a fried egg. Instant Thai!

And for the family: keep a jar of good curry paste and coconut milk. You can turn anything - leftover roast chicken, sausages, veggies - into a quick curry in 15 mins. You cook once, everyone is happy, you still get your toast moment.

I hope your family enjoy it
Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x

Great question @FunFatball. I was taught by my mother - you balance with your mouth, not with measuring spoons. Always taste. Start with salty and sweet (e.g. fish sauce + palm sugar), then sour (lime/tamarind), then spicy, then umami. If one is shouting, the others need to be turned up slightly. The goal is harmony, like music - no one instrument too loud.

Happy cooking
Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x

Thanks for asking @OneCyanEagle Cooking is my passion so I am always writing and collecting recipes. With four children, many are family-style, quick and lunchbox-friendly. I would love to do a dedicated Rosa’s Family book with kids recipes, with lots of dishes my children grew up eating. I can’t announce anything yet, but it’s very close to my heart and I am working on something.

Khob khun ka!
Saiphin x