Golden Pearl in County Durham

Terrible food . This is the second time I’ve been to this place for food and both times have left me Ill. The most recent time I’ve gone I ordered the chicken satay and was given the most poor quality “chicken “ I have ever eaten . Parts of it were not white and actually a dark colour . It was crunchy and chewy . The sauce actually was nice once you ate more of it . The worst part was I got a few tiny bits of this chicken for £7.50

Lovely fresh made food, lovely staff. We will return very soon

This used to be my favourite place to go, however it has slowly dropped more and more in quality. - The staff: they’re very blunt and unfriendly, whilst this usually wouldn’t be a problem if there’s a problem with your meal they do not communicate properly with you and overall put you off and the ordering process for food feels awkward. - The food: slowly the food has become less and less quality but remains the same price in fact I believe it’s grown in price since my last enjoyable visit. The food is now flavourless and rushed, it may come out cold, lukewarm or overall just disappointing. - Condiments: they used to have a selection of condiments you could pick up and use for your meal, they have since stopped doing so except for one small pot holder of selective oils mostly all spicy or vinegar (there’s only 4) and more often then not it’s hard to locate since it moves around so much. - The wait: I usually don’t mind waiting around for good food, but 40 minuets for flavourless food is too much for me. Especially given how most the time your order won’t be right or it will be frozen. If the quality changes back to how it used to be I’ll change my review but until then it will remain.

The best tasting Chinese food around! Friendly service !

Nothing like it used to be. Myself and my partner came for dinner, and while the presentation of the food was lovely, both our meals were supremely disappointing. I had the Kra Prow with tofu which only contained one and a half stock-cube sized pieces of tofu for the main meal. Minimal sauce and low on flavour. Had to ask for sriracha for something I might be able to salvage and enjoy. My partner had the Hainanese chicken dish which had half a McDonald's size sauce cup of sauce. Could have done with more as lacked flavour also. Last time we came we raved about quality and value for money, and this just absolutely isn't that anymore. We also had some vegetable dumplings that were pretty tasteless too. Almost £30 for this meal felt not only disappointing, but also an absolutely waste of time and money.

Got some great chopsticks here 🥢

I love their food and everyone is well behaved.

Excellent shop. The staff have always been so friendly and polite at each visit.

I ordered a som tum (only veg, 10gbp). The taste itself was great and authentic, but the quantity was not satisfactory at all.

Delicious food, good portion sizes and friendly staff but can be a bit expensive.

Reasonable selection of Chinese cooking ingredients, without having to travel further afield. Pleasant staff .

Got take away thia green curry flavours gorgeous only thing only 4 pieces of chicken in curry also very thin curry sauce disappointed

Extremely underwhelming & disappointing. It looks like there's a lot of products & items in stock but it's the opposite.

Small casual dining inside a nice Asian supermarket. Quick service and very authentic Thai food served by enthusiastic staff. We thoroughly enjoyed our Tom yum and Tom kha soups. We will definitely be back to try other items on the menu.

We sometimes call in for fantastic authentic Thai food. The Tom Yum soup was delicious and great value Ignore the basic surroundings just try the food 👍👍😋

Perfect place.. the food is absolutely delicious, then buy our bits from the shop and the staff are friendly and helpful

The smell as soon as you walk through the door leaves you unable to leave without eating something - the food is unreal and the staff are always serving with a smile. Definitely a new comfort spot.

Tasty & quick food. Popped in for some shopping and a quick meal before dropping daughter at station. Dumplings were awesome, and massaman and red curry were top notch. A full range of curry pastes & sauces purchased, and four people well fed and watered for £65 - bargain. We love it here

Amazing Food and friendly staff, a real pearl of the Durham City food scene

Great asian supermarket and excellent for a tasty bite to eat as well.

Only popped in for some Chinese cooking wine. Eventually found it.

Friendly staffs and we love the Tai Mike tea 😍

Very authentic, tasty food, sit-down and also takeaway, set in the midst of a shop selling an extensive array of Chinese food products.

Excellent oriental supermarket, staff are nice and the selection on offer is great. I have not tried it yet but there is also a cafe/restaurant and they serve fresh orange juice and bubble tea.

I’ve been here numerous times - the staff have always been wonderful and polite. The food is top quality, and there are generous portions. The food is all prepared fresh and you can ask for alterations from the menu (I don’t eat meat for example, so I had an udon dish without the pork or chicken they offer). This can mean that the food takes a little longer, as it is made fresh to order. It is well worth the wait though, and I’ll keep coming back.

Great supermarket and great little restaurant attached to the establishment.

종갓집 김치를 파는 곳. 더럼의 한국인 유학생이나 더럼에 여행을 와서 한국 김치가 그리운 사람은 이곳으로 가자. 종갓집 김치를 통해 고국의 향기를 맡고 즐겁게 식사를 즐길 수 있을것이다. 다만 다른 식재료에 비해서 약간 비싼편이지만 당연히 이해가 가는 수준. 이외에도 여러가지 한국 음식들 라면류를 취급한다

Extensive range of products with a great hot food/drink section. Some things can be a bit pricey but others are really affordable. Staff are always friendly - love going there.

Great supermarket, I visit at least once a month to stock up. Staff are fantastic, couldn’t be more helpful. I enjoy my trips and always come out with new things to try

Have been here many times, always for the shop. There's a good selection of groceries, with fresh foods, canned and dry food, and also frozen food. The people who work in the store are always very kind and helpful, it's very nice atmosphere.

The staff are extremely friendly and approachable. They're super helpful and patient as well. The shop is very spacious and sells a good variety of products. Their takeaway food is also amazing!

I have been here a number of times in the past and it has always been ok. However there are new staff here and the prices have gone through the roof.

My reconnected pal young toddy go's here with he's lady wife when he's having a joe day he swears by it but to be fair he also go's to the hungry horse for stake night so the jury still out on this place until I'm able to sample it myself

Lovely shop, good range of products, reasonable prices. Friendly and helpful staff. Parking nearby is sometimes difficult.

Great shop, with a good choice of products and friendly staff.

We visit this little gem once a week and it never disappoints. However, todays Tom yum soup was absolutely exceptional, so delicious. Highly recommended you give it a go.

Food is really good. So much better than it looks.

I buy rice here.. and instant noodles. Price is okay

We eat here quite a lot, however the past 2 or 3 visits the standard has dropped significantly. The last one today, highly disappointing. The toilets were not great and the Pad Thai was nothing more than a plate of reheated noodles, claggy, tasteless and stuck together with a few pieces of chicken dumped on top. Worst I've ever tasted. They clearly do not prepare the dishes here, they are in huge tubs and all they do is reheat a portion and serve it. We'll not be going back

Good range of chinese/asian food at reasonable prices. Dried packets, jars etc and a freezer section.

Rude staff!! My daughter loves the drinks In there but I'll not go back in because of how the staff are.

We’ve been here twice and we had a amazing dinning experience. Really good little shop. Amazing food. Brilliant prices.

Great local store, friendly staff.

Never been in I don't know where it is so I must have walked past

Nice food, simple and generally homecooked.

Normally this place is amazing food wise & is really authentic, unfortunately on Saturday I requested a Thai Green Chicken Curry & was served one of the worst dishes ever, it even contained sweet corn! The product masquerading as chicken was definitely not chicken but a very light product that was bland with no texture or taste possibly quorn? Unsure as I’ve never had it, the sauce was so spicy, way too hot, not what a Thai Green should taste like, believe me, I’ve been to Thailand plenty of times to know an authentic meal. I didn’t raise it with staff as I was so disappointed just got up & left the meal, not sure I will return now! ☹️

Never been before good selection

Really tasty noodles and the taro milk shake was scrummy! This place is not expensive, the service is efficient and they have plenty of menu items (although I always order a clear wheat noodle soup with pork).

The food was avarage, pre cooked chicken and rice, not freshly made and being a chef I know. Far from the taste of Asian food. I found staff rude and lacking English speaking staff in a English country.

I never leave reviews. Ever. But unfortunately felt compelled to write this one. I love this place for its authentic food, easy location, convenience, the fact it's also a supermarket and even its decor which isnt exactly upmarket. The service is unbelievably terrible. I used to go regularly and brushed off the rude manner one waitress would give me preferring to eat at my favourite place regardless. She refuses to make eye contact, is blunt in her responses, has ignored me completely on many occasions and actually walked away and had her back turned to me, as I was trying to ask what time the kitchen opened, to which the response was I believe "in a bit" rather than simply telling me the actual time. What is the point in going to a place to eat, to choose to spend my money and time in a place where I will not even be spoken to face to face nevermind actually served? I've spoken to who I think is the manager who is very nice, aswell as the other girls. Unfortunately this waitress in particular I cant tolerate. Everything else I would recommend in a heartbeat.

This store was ok for what I need and trying something different.

Loved the Tom yam soup - super inexpensive as well, and the shop had a good selection of stuff to buy whilst you wait!

The inside of the restaurant is nice and it looks like they have a lot of items and products. But don't go 30 or 20 minutes before it closes because the people working there will make you feel not welcome. By the way, I ordered dumpling soup I got something completely different and found flies in my soup !!! The woman apologies and laugh with the other staff in the kitchen ! The service is not good and what I got was disgusting I totally not recommand this place !!

Excellent, good, staff. 2nd to none!

Weird earing as ppl shop around u lol but nice food

How wonderful to have an authentic Thai restaurant and supermarket in the centre of Durham. The food is tasty and reasonably priced. You can also buy Thai curry paste, coconut milk and Kaffir lime leaves and make delicious authentic Thai curries at home. There's one lady there in particular who speaks excellent English and is very helpful if you have any questions about the food/produce.

Love this place so much that we make it a weekly treat. Food is fresh, fast and delicious. Inexpensive and good sized portions. Handy little Asian grocer too with lots of dried and frozen goods plus a selection of Thai vegetables and fresh pickles.

Food is lovely and staff are always pleasant. We go again and again

Although Durham is probably the place now with the most Thai restaurants per square mile in the UK, there is always room for quality. The restaurant is actually a dining area inside a Thai supermarket, but the food is as authentic as it gets and the kitchen staff are all Thai. We've had both sit-in and takeaway meals and never been disappointed. The atmosphere is not for a romantic Valentine's dinner, but who cares! Portions are very generous and the prices very moderate, with some very good lunch specials.

Thank God for this store at least I can buy good coconut drinks and milk

You'll need to be open to new experiences for this one, and be able to look past the basic decor. Though the place does not look much, as it also doubles as a mini market, the food itself is superb and extremely tasty. I usually don't handle Thai food very well, however every time I went there I got a different dish, and thouroughly enjoyed it every time. Give it a shot, you won't regret it.

This is a basic place serving good Thai food . It is a Thai food shop with a few tables where you eat it is a bit like being in Thailand itself in fact. All the food is very good and the menu changes daily.

You really can’t fault the food or the service in here, both very good, no airs or graces & nothing special decor wise, the prices are great at £6.95 per large meal, it also doubles up as an Asian food store, so if you’re looking for a special ingredient, you’ll probably find it here, never had a bad meal yet & visit at least once every 2 months.

Had the pork meatball tom yum soup with udon noodles! Was everything I hoped it would be! Full of flavour, fresh ingredients and a very large portion! Well worth the money! Also whilst you wait there are plenty of ingredients from the Asian deli to purchase or just have a browse! Definitely will be going back!

Pad Thai is not amazing at all but tom yam is quite nice. I gave it one star because they secretly increased the price of Kimchi by about 12% BUT have not changed the price label...when I told them in the counter they only said sorry without any sincerity and charged me with the new price...

Had another delicious meal. Grilled pork with spicy sauce.

The Tofu pad Thai was exquisite, can’t account for any other dishes, but I will be back!

This restaurant has a real street food feel to it and delivers authentic dishes at a fair price. The noodle soups are an absolute winner and great value at less than £7. It also sells a large range of Asian ingredients if you want to have a go at home. Well worth a visit.

Best som tam (papaya salad) and bubble tea in town...and you can shop after eating to bring some of the best ingredients home!

This is a small Asian market that doubles as a cafe, serving home made, fresh (I believe all) Thai food. The service was very good. Toilets are clean and atmosphere was also nice. Very busy at times and good for people watching. Seafood Tom Yum soup is TO DIE for. Ah mah gahd! The milky green tea was delicious too. Both my parents also really enjoyed their food and visit here. Thanks to the hard working staff for such a pleasant visit.

Food very good and great value. Basic surroundings as a food supermarket but clean and the staff are friendly.

Healthy food, fast...... simple but very tasty, loved it. First time we've eaten here but it won't be the last

Cheap. Lovely café. The food was really tasty

My family and I eat here all the time. The staff are always pleasant and I think we have worked our way down the menu and haven't had a bad meal yet. It doubles up as a shop so the décor is not up to much, but we go for the food, not the surroundings. There are a lot of Japanese students in Durham and they use the Golden Pearl a lot. It's a thumbs up from me!

Small inside but has a good range in the shop. Food in the cafe looked (and smelled) good so we'll be back to try at some point!

Curries are weak, watery and have no vegetables, fresh spices or decoration. Staff seem harried and don’t smile. This is strictly for people who’ve never been to Thailand.

Great value supermarket that also serves lovely Thai food. Casual, cheap dining, ideal for students.

Went to Durham for a little visit with my two boys and decided to give them another chance becase last time the dumplings tasted abit sour and they had great reviews and thought it must be a one off?!?

Delicious food, great price. Choice of menu left me wanting to try more. Delicious!

Love this place! Pretty inexpensive for a meal out and fast service. Wish they did take away though </3

Passing by last week & decided to grab a take away, I adore Thai food & this place provides great food at reasonable prices. I took a large Green Curry home, it was £6.95 & plentiful, really pleased with the meal, restaurant looks a bit run down outside don’t let that put you off, great food, lovely staff.

I say it’s unusual because there’s seating with tables amongst an Asian supermarket. The menu is traditionally Thai with various other Asian dishes. They have a chalkboard with dishes including special offers and vegetarian options.The service is like a canteen as you order, pay and pick up cutlery at the counter. The food is brought over to you. It was hot and tasty but not outstandingly so.

Not too fancy but good meals. You might spend for 1 person 8 pounds aprox. Try the curry!!!

I had lunch there today with my best friend.. only £10 for dim sum, chicken satay, beef dumplings and coke. It was amazing! The lady at the till even gave me some of the satay sauce to take home when i said how delicious it was. Im massively impressed and will be eating here again frequently!

Visited here due to the positive reviews on here. Ordering was very quick and we found a table. Didn't have to wait long at all for the food to be served. There was 2 of us and we ordered chicken satay and spicy pork with a sticky rice. The portion sizes were small. I had 4 strips of chicken a bit lettuce and carrot and the sticky rice, well I had to cut it with a knife and fork!! Ya put ya fork in it for a scoop and the whole block of rice lifted up. Was like concrete. Satay chicken had an awful perfume taste. Both meals came to £16. We wish we went to the all you can eat buffet for more choice and always know it's going to be nice. You have to pay for your meal at the counter when placing the order otherwise I would not of paid for the disgusting food which we were served. Terrible

Awesome little place, pop up tables, very, very tasty food. Extremely reasonable prices, friendly staff, great drinks and has a little asian supermarket attached. Many of the local Asian community also eat here as well as the students so you know it is good. Food is better tasting than Wagamama's and better priced. Fairly traditional noodle bowls and similar plus sides on offer. Open Mon-Sat 9am - 7pm, Sun 10am - 6pm Happy hour is 2pm - 4pm Monday to Thursday during this time you get a free non-alcoholic drink with your food.

A very good place to eat for students providing affordable Thai menus

The food was lovely I love the papaya salad the taste was amazing.

Excellent Thai food served by friendly and polite staff. Easy access for bus and train stations

Popped in for lunch with a Singaporean friend who was visiting. She loved the food, and said it reminded her of home! Decent veggie options too, which is a bonus! Definitely recommend.

The best Thai food in Durham for me. Yes the decor is very basic but that's how it is in Thailand. I had Tom Yum with pork dumplings and Udon Noodles. Loved it, I'll be back for sure.

I lived in Thailand for three years and this is the real thing, loved it, no frills authentic Far East food, brilliant.

Excellent home cooked style Thai food good size portions fab taste - best Tom Yum Noodles since my days of living in North Malaysia well worth a visit

Happy with the Pad Thai not the Best but ok and the service good and the price was ok.

Nice food and a good oriental supermarket.

Convenient place to shop for some authentic Asian ingredients. Food from the store's kitchen is not particularly tasty, but average.

Plain and simple, no frills, but food was excellent! I had Hainanese chicken which was steamed chicken, polain rice but with 2 very tasty sauces. Loved it.

Vi este lugar en sábado, y que estaba lleno de gente comiendo. Tenía un brunch de pad Thai y pollo al curry massaman y ambos lo disfrutamos. Puede que no sea un restaurante fino, pero pensé que era una buena relación calidad-precio y muy sabroso.

Absolutely bangin'. Lovely food and nice staff a hidden gem

Beautiful food at a reasonable price.