Thai restaurants in SW London/Surrey

[MST]

I took Mrs. MST out for a belated Valentine's Day meal on Monday; we avoid going out on the big day itself and she was ill anyway. We went through the list of the usual [local] options when I remembered a little Thai place that I'd passed by in Cheam Village on my commute to Sutton where I've been working on a temporary basis for the last month or so...

Regional Thai Taste

I decided to bite the bullet and give them a call to see if they had a table at Mrs. MST's insistence (there was no chance it was going to be full on a Monday...was there?), the lady that answered sounded a little unsure when I asked, went away to check and then came back with a response that sounded a bit like "we can squeeze you in at 19:30". So the table was booked and we arrived in good time for our booking - good job we did because the [small] place was absolutely heaving and it looked like we'd snagged the last table, much to Mrs. MST's delight.

Anyway, the food was absolutely fantastic and great value for money. In all honesty the service wasn't the friendliest (land of smiles...?) but the rest of our dining experience was SO good that it really didn't matter. I would happily eat there every Monday night from here on in, given half a chance!

I've always enjoyed Thai food but this has really made me want to try other Thai restaurants in the area so if anyone has any recommendations they'd be gratefully received.

[ryanb741]

Thai food of a high quality notoriously difficult to get in Europe. Your best bet is to head to places where Thai people eat. Having lived in Thailand (and being a keen cook and spending many weeks studying Thai cuisine, plus having a Thai wife) the best Thai food in the UK will be found in pubs. The Cocoanut in Kingston is particularly good.

But the best will be cooked at home with proper ingredients (no substituting European equivalents for Thai ingredients or using mass market Pastes from supermarkets or Blue Dragon/Sharwoods etc - at a pinch try the ‘Thai Boy’ Brand which Amazon will stock) and I will give you a tip as to why European cooked Thai food at home never seems to be as good as that served in Thailand. The answer is simple. Europeans tend to serve food piping hot whereas the Thais will let the food cool down a bit first. This is very important - to get the full flavour of all the different spices your tongue needs to do the work and if the food is piping hot it just can’t. So cook Thai food at home, let it Cool a bit so it’s hot but not piping hot and it will taste great. Also NEVER have wine with Thai food, it’s crass stupidity as you are just messing up your tastebuds with strong, contrasting flavours all round. Beer or water go best.

So to recap, let it cool down a bit and it will taste like it does in Thailand.


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[b-rad]

Regional Thai Taste have one in Reigate too.

Fantastic food.

[Dr.f]

We loved Thai Pin in St .Margarets,Richmond but alas now gone.

[MST]

Thai food of a high quality notoriously difficult to get in Europe. Your best bet is to head to places where Thai people eat. Having lived in Thailand (and being a keen cook and spending many weeks studying Thai cuisine, plus having a Thai wife) the best Thai food in the UK will be found in pubs. The Cocoanut in Kingston is particularly good.

But the best will be cooked at home with proper ingredients (no substituting European equivalents for Thai ingredients or using mass market Pastes from supermarkets or Blue Dragon/Sharwoods etc - at a pinch try the ‘Thai Boy’ Brand which Amazon will stock) and I will give you a tip as to why European cooked Thai food at home never seems to be as good as that served in Thailand. The answer is simple. Europeans tend to serve food piping hot whereas the Thais will let the food cool down a bit first. This is very important - to get the full flavour of all the different spices your tongue needs to do the work and if the food is piping hot it just can’t. So cook Thai food at home, let it Cool a bit so it’s hot but not piping hot and it will taste great. Also NEVER have wine with Thai food, it’s crass stupidity as you are just messing up your tastebuds with strong, contrasting flavours all round. Beer or water go best.

So to recap, let it cool down a bit and it will taste like it does in Thailand.


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The Racing Page in Richmond used to have a great little Thai kitchen and was a great place to watch the rugby and wash a plate of Moo Tod (Fried Pork) down with more than a few beers. I seem to remember their Pad Thai was particularly good too. Thanks for the heads up on The Cocoanut, never heard of it before but I've now added it to the list.

I'm a big fan of Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad) but it's not always on the menu, and I was a little disappointed to find that it wasn't on the menu the other night. That said, I appreciate Thailand is a big place with lots of regional styles of cooking and it must be difficult to cater to all of these and everyone's tastes.

I cook a Thai Green Curry at home but it's most certainly not authentic, I use this paste:



It's the best of the bunch that I've found, not too hot & spicy but quite flavourful at the same time so it's ideal for our kids who seem to lap the stuff up. Like I said though, I'm not under any illusions as to the authenticity of my attempt at Thai cooking!

When shall I come over for dinner?

Regional Thai Taste have one in Reigate too.

Fantastic food.

So I see, although I mentioned it to someone at work who seems to think they've been and said it's not as good as Cheam but I'm not convinced.

[jimyu]

The Giggling Squid in Esher and Maisie Thai in Thames Ditton are very nice, but I’m no real expert on Thai food tbh

[mk1974]

The Giggling Squid in Esher and Maisie Thai in Thames Ditton are very nice, but I’m no real expert on Thai food tbh

Giggling squids not bad ,went in there when I was working in blackhills


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[JuanKing]

The Prince Albert just off Twickenham Green is a good shout. Been there lots of times and always had a good meal.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g528819

[Kris]

Thai food of a high quality notoriously difficult to get in Europe. Your best bet is to head to places where Thai people eat. Having lived in Thailand (and being a keen cook and spending many weeks studying Thai cuisine, plus having a Thai wife) the best Thai food in the UK will be found in pubs. The Cocoanut in Kingston is particularly good.

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Cocoanut in Kingston seconded. Great food and not bad beer either

[ru55]

Far more central London but off the beaten track is Sri Suwoon near Victoria station - perhaps handy if heading back from town.

Eddy Izard, I think, lives opposite!

[andy tims]

The Giggling Squid in Esher and Maisie Thai in Thames Ditton are very nice, but I’m no real expert on Thai food tbh

The one in Guildford is also good as are The Lemongrass restaurants in Cranleigh & Compton.

[draftsmann]

I can't make a recommendation but the thread title reminded me of an experience 25 years ago or so when a colleague and I were guest speakers at a financial services breakfast in Richmond. We met and stayed there the night before and went out for something to eat. On the premise that it's a "very nice" part of London I thought we couldn't find anything bad, and we settled on a Thai restaurant that looked fine. As I was devouring my hot and sour soup my colleague leaned over, sniffed and said "mate, that smells like sweaty arseholes- I wouldn't eat it if I were you." Needless to say I continued.

At 0430 the following morning I was grateful for the tiny hotel bathroom as it allowed me to alternate hovering my backside over the porcelain pan which it bejewelled several times with spatter that smelled just like the soup- while my front end could hurl into the adjacent sink.

At 0800, white as a sheet, dehydrated and still trying to control the retching I stood in front of 30 IFAs and accountants all chowing down on cooked breakfast lecturing on some tax planning, while the smell of sausages and bacon wafting in my direction made me want to hurl.

I'm sure the offending restaurant is long-gone.

[Pelicans]

another vote for Regional Taste of Thailand in Reigate. Giggling Squid is not nearly as good.

This is the paste to use when cooking green curry at home (it's spicy!), other key ingredients are kaffir lime leaves and thai basil (both available on Ocado!).

[Rod]

The Barley Mow, West Horsley is excellent. Had a few meals there and rate it highly. Book in advance too.

[rdesouza]

The Racing Page in Richmond used to have a great little Thai kitchen and was a great place to watch the rugby and wash a plate of Moo Tod (Fried Pork) down with more than a few beers. I seem to remember their Pad Thai was particularly good too. Thanks for the heads up on The Cocoanut, never heard of it before but I've now added it to the list.

I'm a big fan of Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad) but it's not always on the menu, and I was a little disappointed to find that it wasn't on the menu the other night. That said, I appreciate Thailand is a big place with lots of regional styles of cooking and it must be difficult to cater to all of these and everyone's tastes.

I cook a Thai Green Curry at home but it's most certainly not authentic, I use this paste:



It's the best of the bunch that I've found, not too hot & spicy but quite flavourful at the same time so it's ideal for our kids who seem to lap the stuff up. Like I said though, I'm not under any illusions as to the authenticity of my attempt at Thai cooking!

When shall I come over for dinner?



So I see, although I mentioned it to someone at work who seems to think they've been and said it's not as good as Cheam but I'm not convinced.

Spent too much time in the Racing Page back in the day. Was a great pub....

[MST]

I can't make a recommendation but the thread title reminded me of an experience 25 years ago or so when a colleague and I were guest speakers at a financial services breakfast in Richmond. We met and stayed there the night before and went out for something to eat. On the premise that it's a "very nice" part of London I thought we couldn't find anything bad, and we settled on a Thai restaurant that looked fine. As I was devouring my hot and sour soup my colleague leaned over, sniffed and said "mate, that smells like sweaty arseholes- I wouldn't eat it if I were you." Needless to say I continued.

At 0430 the following morning I was grateful for the tiny hotel bathroom as it allowed me to alternate hovering my backside over the porcelain pan which it bejewelled several times with spatter that smelled just like the soup- while my front end could hurl into the adjacent sink.

At 0800, white as a sheet, dehydrated and still trying to control the retching I stood in front of 30 IFAs and accountants all chowing down on cooked breakfast lecturing on some tax planning, while the smell of sausages and bacon wafting in my direction made me want to hurl.

I'm sure the offending restaurant is long-gone.

Nice, thanks for that image!

Spent too much time in the Racing Page back in the day. Was a great pub....

What a place, usually full of Aussies & Zaffers - great crowd, great atmosphere! Sadly, I can't think of anywhere else these days that's nearly as good. The food was just the icing on the cake.

Keep the suggestions coming, The Cocoanut and the Barley Mow are now on my list, as are a couple of others mentioned.

More W than SW London I know but my Sister always raves about a small understated cafe on the Hounslow/Isleworth border just down from West Thames College called The Coffee Pot. She said that she wouldn't go out of her way to have breakfast there but the Thai food is out of this world, apparently. Looking at some of the reviews on Google and TripAdvisor she's not the only one that seems to think so!

[noTAGlove]

Golden Fleece -Elstead.

On the Surrey/Hampshire border


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[andy tims]

Golden Fleece -Elstead.

On the Surrey/Hampshire border

You could certainly do worse, but we go to the Lemongrass in preference.

[MST]

The Prince Albert just off Twickenham Green is a good shout. Been there lots of times and always had a good meal.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g528819

My Sister went here last night and has been singing its praises since, she said her party struggled to get a table for 5pm and even then was told they could only have it for 2 hours which wasn't an issue - she said it was absolutely packed.

Having grown up in the Twickenham area I can't believe this one has passed me by, definitely now on my to do list.

[JuanKing]

Grand, good to hear it's still good. I've been there more times than I care to remember. Unfortunately moved to Scotland now but is always worth a visit when I'm down.

[VDG]

Can't help with restaurants but if you in Thai food/culture have a look at the list of the upcoming events aka 'festivals' http://www.tasteofthai.co.uk/page/thaievent.html

Weather permitting it is as close to street food experience it can get, always cheers us no end and great way to spend a day.

Re cooking, I'm great fan of Nittaya curry pastes, still always top them up with fresh ingredients to 'lift up' the dish, they are available from Amazon btw. Try to find local(ish) Thai/Oriental shop selling fresh Thai herbs, veg and ingredients, great source of inspiration and guarantee to improve taste of your dishes dramatically.

[MST]

Can't help with restaurants but if you in Thai food/culture have a look at the list of the upcoming events aka 'festivals' http://www.tasteofthai.co.uk/page/thaievent.html

Weather permitting it is as close to street food experience it can get, always cheers us no end and great way to spend a day.

Re cooking, I'm great fan of Nittaya curry pastes, still always top them up with fresh ingredients to 'lift up' the dish, they are available from Amazon btw. Try to find local(ish) Thai/Oriental shop selling fresh Thai herbs, veg and ingredients, great source of inspiration and guarantee to improve taste of your dishes dramatically.

The UK Thai festivals are a cracking idea, never thought of that before - should keep the kids occupied and my belly full!

I have to be very careful about what pastes I use, too hot and I get moaned at so it's not really worth the hassle. Hence why I'm so keen on the Waitrose paste I mentioned earlier on in this thread, whilst not authentic it's tried & tested and keeps me in the good books.

[VDG]

The UK Thai festivals are a cracking idea, never thought of that before - should keep the kids occupied and my belly full!

I have to be very careful about what pastes I use, too hot and I get moaned at so it's not really worth the hassle. Hence why I'm so keen on the Waitrose paste I mentioned earlier on in this thread, whilst not authentic it's tried & tested and keeps me in the good books.

I know what you mean, wife can take some heat so we both good with 100g 'pod' of paste between two of us, however when I cook for in-laws I use just 1/2 of it and put extra veg and coconut milk. Being keen on some capsaicin (read addicted), I normally top it up with prik nam pla on the side, funnily enough a good friend of mine who grew up in Thailand thinks that my curries are too mild, then again, when he cooks I have to have an extra tissue to wipe up tears and drink a pint of ice cold milk after the meal, not that it helps much the day after

[MST]

I know what you mean, wife can take some heat so we both good with 100g 'pod' of paste between two of us, however when I cook for in-laws I use just 1/2 of it and put extra veg and coconut milk. Being keen on some capsaicin (read addicted), I normally top it up with prik nam pla on the side, funnily enough a good friend of mine who grew up in Thailand thinks that my curries are too mild, then again, when he cooks I have to have an extra tissue to wipe up tears and drink a pint of ice cold milk after the meal, not that it helps much the day after

We went to a cracking little Thai place in downtown El Gouna near Hurghada, Egypt of all places!

The White Elephant is, or at least was, famed for creating dishes that were so hot & spicy that the sizzling plates were often taken through the restaurant from the kitchen and out into the street before being served at your table. Fortunately we sat outside although that didn't stop the low lighting conditions being responsible for a mix-up with Mrs. MST and I's main courses, cue panic, pain and tears!

P.S. The mix-up was actually my fault and she's never let me forget it...

[VDG]

Wimmin eh

[Claret67]

Just slightly off the track, there’s a lovely Thai in Central London, Thai Metro in Charlotte Street.( Fitzrovia/Tottenham Court Rd area)
Delicious food, reasonably priced, always busy, highly recommended.