Sunday roast at Jumunjy Thai restaurant in Cornwall

The little restaurant with a big name is rated the number one Thai restaurant in Cornwall on TripAdvisor, thanks to its genuinely authentic food.

Tristan Hunt and his wife Phansa Takun first opened as a takeaway from their home at Ruan Major near The Lizard, having spent years ten running a restaurant in Thailand, where Phansa was born. 

Tristan then returned to Cornwall to the area where his family are from, bringing Phansa with him, and they developed an almost instant reputation for quality food, such that they soon realised they needed a dedicated venue.

That proved to be the Old Post Office at Cury Cross Lanes, on the road between Helston and The Lizard, which gave them a small restaurant for dining in, as well as a more central location for takeaways.

I say small, but last year Tristan and his team extended into the adjacent building next door and tranformed a piece of Cornwall into as near an experience of Thailand as one could hope for without getting on a plane - think a mini waterfall, bamboo hut and even half a real aeroplane 'crashed' into one of the walls.

The table we sat at, inside a bamboo hut (Image: NQ)

However, it is their decision to branch out in an unexpected direction and start serving Sunday roasts that has really got people talking over the past couple of weeks.

We decided to pay an unannounced visit on Sunday to find out whether this very British dish could translate into such a setting.

I really didn't know what to expect before going, to be perfectly frank. Would it be a classic meat and two veg, yorkie on the side, type meal that you picture when thinking of a roast, or would it come with a Thai twist?

I can confirm that it is indeed a traditional roast, although as you might expect from somewhere known for its rich combination of flavours, there is the odd addition here and there.

The red cabbage came with star anise, the carrots were infused with orange and there were sprigs of thyme dotted around.

The roast is generously proportioned (Image: NQ)

My eight-year-old daughter found the flavours a little 'adult' for her taste, but for me they were an interesting variation on a well known meal.

Although on the higher end of the pricing scale for a roast, at £17.95, portions are plentiful - I had a mix of both beef (served well done) and pork, which was a hefty slice of rolled pork, giving a thick layer of meat, flavoursome fat and crispy skin, with additional crackling on the side.

Alongside this were the aforementioned carrots and red cabbage, as well as green cabbage, pak choi, cauliflower cheese, parsnips, root vegetable puree, Yorkshire pudding and crunchy golden roast potatoes - whew!

Inside the restaurant, completed with 'crashed' aeroplane (Image: NQ)

The gravy was served separate in a jug, which I appreciated as someone who likes to taste individual flavours and doesn't want it smothered. The gravy had a nice meaty flavour, although could have been a little thicker for my preference.

The hero of the lunch, however, had to be the sticky toffee pudding, which I shared with my daughter due to the sizeable first course. It was a decision I regretted due to HOW GOOD IT WAS.

Warm and heavy on the dates, just as it should be, with a rich toffee sauce, plus squirty cream and vanilla cream sauce*, it more than justified the £9.50 price tag and I'd have happily found a way to squeeze in a full portion, even if I'd suffered for it later - no regrets here.

Sticky toffee pudding was the hero of the meal (Image: NQ)

(*A side note at this point - the menu states cream and ice cream, but it definitely came 'pouring' consistency so I gave the benefit of the doubt that this was intentional. Maybe the ice cream had simply melted between kitchen and restaurant - it was an unseasonably warm October day after all - but either way this did not bother us in the slightest!)

READ NEXT: Takeaway owner's family at forefront of Thai cave rescue mission

For a relatively new diversification of their menu, the team are smashing it - and this is probably a good time to mention just how friendly all the staff are.

Would I go back? Absolutely. Would I make sure to skip breakfast next time? Also absolutely.