As has been documented previously, I'm no fan of Thai food. Such barefaced criticism stirred a couple of readers into sarcastic feedback, so what better way to try and drum up some 'any publicity is good publicity' than to recant a trip to one of the busiest Thai places in the west end from last July?
This was another experience altogether from some of my previous Thai outings. We met two friends (one of whom is from Thailand) for some midweek dinner and I was as skeptical as ever. That said, our Thai friend actually knows the owner. Certainly something to make the evening more interesting...
The place itself has the look and feel (and definitely the name) of a very modern restaurant. Simply furnished without pandering to the kind of fake opulence that damns so many Asian restaurants in London, it absolutely is the kind of place you can wander in off the streets and enjoy a stress-free evening. The waiters wear shorts, the patter is friendly and you feel right at home as soon as you sit down.
Our friend ordered for the table which was a no-brainer. She was reminded that I cannot physically deal with anything too spicy but more or less everything else was fair game. There's something both reassuring and terrifying when you're left in the hands of an expert on a cuisine you've previously written off ordering for you in a language you can't understand.
The food was a mixed bag but in a far more positive light than I've considered Thai food before. We started with a gorgeous-looking sea bass which had been boned out and half-butterflied on the plate but with the head still attached and the body more or less intact. The array of green and red vegetable dressing added to the visual impact and the fish itself was perfectly moist and juicy. But it was just too spicy for me. I'm sure most people with an interest in tangy Asian food would love this but I couldn't hold more than two mouthfuls.
Some seafood soup was up next and this really is the kind of thing I quiver at the thought of. Thin Asian broths aren't something I enjoy and this looked essentially like a bowl of water with mussels and greens floating around in it. Sadly it wasn't one for me again but the wife loved it and the rest of the table got stuck in. I have to say, having tried some of the seafood itself, it wasn't half bad. It's just that seawater-esque broth that left a bad taste.
At this point, our friend mentioned to the owner that I was a "food critic". Cue embarrassed floor-gazing as I explained that I was merely a blogger-among-thousands and my outreach was negligible at best... But it didn't seem to matter. The rest of the meal was a thoroughly entertaining and engaging chit-chat with the owner which certainly helped relax me. Fortunately I wasn't quizzed on what I thought of Thai food in general but questions like "which is your favourite restaurant" did come up. That said, I did not lie when I said I was enjoying the meal.
The rest of the food was really rather lovely. Some rich, dark noodles with prawns were eaten mostly by me as the rest of the table enjoyed a pleasant-looking curry and the soup and fish which wasn't for me. Even better was some delicately-fried soft shell crab: a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness from the seasoning in the crisp coating. Essentially I ate the lot which meant we had to order a second bowlful.
I felt myself warming to the idea of Thai food. Maybe it was the owner or the friendly bill, or the genuine bustling bonhomie of the place, but something was clicking. Desserts came in the form of some mango and sticky rice which was so fermented (and served with a vile coconut sauce) that it made me recoil. Fortunately ice cream saved the day. Some green tea was okay, some sesame tasted of sesame (so not good at all) but two delicious scoops of mango and raspberry were a perfect end to what had been a very nice meal.
I don't write this review as a wholly-converted fan of Thai eating, but as a convert in the making (which I was). There will be more to follow, but for now, take my inexperienced but convicted advice: relaxed Thai food in Soho for reasonable money is a good thing. @Siam is a good thing. Thai cuisine is not a bad thing.
@Siam
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