Bankside, Thai Restaurant Guide

“A fantastic new addition to London’s Thai food scene, and to the serious places around Borough Market” – this “achingly cool” newcomer (“stripped back to the naked brick”) is “well-located towards the end of the market”. A spin-off from Som Saa (see also), “it puts the emphasis on BBQ dishes” and results are “spot-on: full of flavour, with a good balance across the menu in terms of heat and flavour-profile”. But some dishes (e.g. Pepper Curry) are “hot enough to immobilise your central nervous system, so ask! Sitting at the bar watching these guys work and having the chance to chat to them is also a great treat”. Top Menu Tip – “The mussel skewers are definitely the standout dish. The chef explained that they steam the mussels before marinating them in curry paste, hot smoking them, and finally finishing them over coals with a second sauce. The care and time that goes into the dish really shows in the deep, smokey flavour, which was bursting with vibrancy and all of the delicacy and aromatic spicing that you would expect of a top-class Thai”.

“Hearty Thai fayre in a glorious boozer” – that’s the deal at this “amazing family-run restaurant” which is “tucked away at the back of a pub near Waterloo”. Top Tip – if you like beer, the pub markets itself as a ‘real ale pub’, with eight on tap at any one time. (NB. There is actually more than one King’s Arms in SE1 so make sure you get the right one).