(Image: @kalanighosthunter/Malcolm Warne)
Viral American Tiktoker Kalani Ghost Hunter has praised a "phenomenal" Saltburn Thai restaurant while challenging stereotypes about food in northern England.
Kalani Smith, know as Kalani Ghost Hunter, has over five million followers across his social media pages, first finding fame for paranormal content before moving into food reviews while travelling.
Coco & Rum in Station Square, Saltburn, is the latest North East restaurant visited by the influencer, who shared his thoughts on the Teesside Thai restaurant in a video posted yesterday (October 22).
He opened his video by asking: “Is food in the North of England as bad as they say?”
The Nashville-based creator said he had wanted to visit Coco & Rum the last time he was in Saltburn, adding: “This place is supposed to have some incredible Thai food, let's see how it is.”
Kalani began his visit with a cocktail served inside a whole pineapple, which he described as "dangerous."
He then praised the restaurant's "crunchy" papaya salad, and said it had a “little spice kick to it," before sampling his side order of chicken wings, which he hailed as "delicious."
The mixed seafood Penang came with rice, mussels, fish, king prawn and squid, with Kalani dubbing it “the real deal".
"That's nice, very creamy," he said, later highlighting the curry as "phenomenal."
The American influencer then complimented the king prawn Pad Thai, adding that the noodles were cooked perfectly, and there was "a lot of flavour" in his dish.
His only criticism was the texture of the curry's fish, which he said was slightly tough.
Kalani said: “Everything else tonight has been delicious," and rated his experience 4.7 out of 5 stars.
His post brought praise from viewers who had visited the Saltburn restaurant themselves, with many praising the service and food quality.
One commenter wrote: “Coco & Rum in Saltburn is great, lunchtime specials are always good, fair price too.”
Another commenter added: “Love Coco and Rum. One of our Saltburn go-tos.”
Coco & Rum is just one of several North East businesses featured by the Nashville creator, who has regularly seen his videos go viral among residents and audiences curious about the region's food.
Previous visits have included food spots in Beamish, and reviews of Teesside parmos, Redcar lemon tops and fish and chips.
The viral American creator has also spoken about his connection to the region, which has attracted support from North East residents grateful for the attention.
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One fan wrote: "I love how you're appreciating North East food and not just going down south, all love from a Redcar girl."
He has previously named Newcastle as one of his favourite cities in the UK, saying it “reminds me of home.”
Kalani's videos have also introduced many independent North East businesses to viewers around the world.