I spent yesterday evening in the Soho Thai on St Anne’s Court, just off Dean Street. I’ve never noticed it before but it’s quite a small, unassuming place, especially given its location in Soho. Apparently it’s part of the Thai Square chain, but chain restaurants have never bothered me as long as the food’s good enough. We had a table booked and, even on a Wednesday night, I think this would be advisable either for a larger group or at peak time.
The interior is quite plain and the wooden tables make it feel more like a cafe than a full restaurant. The air conditioning was a bit over-enthusiastic, even on a very muggy day, but the waiting staff soon turned the vent near our table down. The menu looked pretty good, however, and there was also quite a large drinks selection (including Singha beer, of course).
I decided to share a mixed starter and wasn’t too impressed. There was the usual chicken satay (and, as usual, chicken of dubious origin), spring rolls, and random crispy things, and even the fishcakes weren’t especially good. For the main course, I went for a red curry with sticky rice and this did turn out well. I’ve also read that the massaman is good but I was in the mood for a bit of heat. There was no sign of the tinned vegetables that I often find in Thai restaurants and a good sprinkling of fresh chillies (not too hot) in the food. The rice portions seemed slightly small, although this could be due to it being brought to us in a large bowl to share and my land-grabbing techniques not being up to scratch.
Prices come to around £10 for a main course and starter, with drinks on top. This is where they really make their money, and they’re quite keen that everyone’s well attended to in this respect. Frankly, that doesn’t get any complaints from me.
Although I wouldn’t make a special trip to go to the Soho Thai, it can be hard to find a decent, reasonably priced restaurant so close to Tottenham Court Road and I expect I’ll be eating there again.
Review of Soho Thai on London Eating
Review of Soho Thai on Top Table