A new restaurant in Huddersfield town centre has a fascinating back story which stretches to both Thailand and Las Vegas.

The Thai and Japanese restaurant has replaced the much-loved Discovery Bay in Huddersfield town centre.

Run by celebrity chef Barrington Douglas, the Caribbean-inspired town centre restaurant and cocktail bar closed down in June - because it was too successful.

Now, married couple Jennifer Malasin and Phi Ti Torn have bought it, renovated it and transformed the menu.

The new TJ Thai and Japanese restaurant, 12 Wood Street, Huddersfield.

Simply called TJ Thai and Japanese restaurant, it will officially open on Thursday. (January 18)

Jennifer said: “I knew it might need a lot of work to get it the way I want it but it’s a great location in town.”

The 26-year-old was born in Thailand but grew up in Las Vegas where her grandmother Wilawan Ngarmnet had opened Ocha Thai Cuisine - the first Thai restaurant in the Nevada city.

Located on the strip, it proved so popular that she opened another branch in New Mexico. A stalwart of the Thai community in Vegas, the 65-year-old recently sold the restaurants and retired.

Jennifer and her brother had worked in the original restaurant all their lives and even moved to help launch the second branch. Having moved back to Thailand as an adult, Jennifer dreamed of opening her own restaurant.

But she said: “In Thailand, there is too much competition because you don’t need a permit - it’s so easy to open a restaurant there.

“We wanted to do it the proper way so we came to the UK.

“I moved to Huddersfield and within a week I got a job in a Thai restaurant in Manchester that was bringing in 600 customers per weekend.

“At this stage I’ve worked as a busgirl (waiter’s helper), a waitress and a host - I know how restaurants work on all levels.

“And I’ve tasted food from other Thai restaurants in the UK too so I know that what I like and am used to in Thailand isn’t necessarily what locals like.”

Meanwhile, Barrington is still running Barrington’s Foods, which sells pies, rubs, sauces and chutneys, while working full-time as a chef at Cannon Hall Farm in Barnsley.

And his former head chef Lashaun Pryce is running pREP café, which is nearby in Southgate in the town centre.

TJ Thai and Japanese restaurant, which is in Wood Street, will be closed on Tuesdays and the opening hours for the remainder of the week are noon to 3pm and 5pm to late.