Address: 95 High Street, Esher Surrey KT10 9QE

Telephone number: 01372 477 139

Website: www.siamfoodgallery.co.uk

Date of visit: 20 June 2010

Approximate cost per head: From £20 – £30 plus depending on how many dishes.

Comments on wine list/beer: Normal wine list for this type of restaurant. For example, Pinot Grigio is under £16  a bottle

Summary:

The restaurant is sited on the High Street. Parking could be a problem but you can park in the Waitrose car park if you buy something.

There were four of us. We decided to share dishes.

For starters we had satay kai (chicken sate – £6.50), Tempura Jay (vegetable fritters -

£6.50) and Po Pia Pad (duck spring rolls). We were lucky. The satays  came in 4 skewers, the spring rolls in 4 halves …… so everything shared out equally. The satay were quite tumeric but the sauce were not peanutty. The skewers were quite small – little chicken cubes. The duck spring roll had more noodles than duck, the vegetable fritters were spot on. On the whole, the starters were fine.

For main courses we had: kang kai wan kai (chicken green curry £11.90), moo pad  prik khing (spicy pork £9.50), nuea pad nan mon hoi (beef in oyster sauce £12.95), kung pad nor mai farang (king prawns and asparagus in oyster sauce £12.95). The above dishes were accompanied with several portions of kao kra ti (coconut rice 3.95 per portion) and finally pad thai kung (prawn noodles £9.95). We washed the meal down with tap water and a bottle of pinot grigio.

With regards to the main courses, I thought that the dishes were pretty mild but the pad thai  was too hot for one of my friends. The portions were adequate but then I can’t remember a Thai serving large portions. The green curry was very gingery, The dishes in oyster sauce on the sweet side. But they were fine. The coconut rice was slighly green in colour – what was in it – but it tasted of coconut.

After the meal we had liqueur coffee. We ordered Tai Maria and it was quite a ritual. The glasses were filled with Irish Whisky. It was the sprinkled with brown sugar and the rim rotated round a flame to caramelise the sugar – think margaritas with a salt rim. Hot black coffee was then poured in, the glass then topped up with cream. Next, they flambé the liqueur and poured it on top of the cream so you get a flaming glass.

On the whole – a pleasant meal.

When we got back to the Waitrose car park, it was full of spotless convertrables and range rovers – but then this is Esher

E

Name of restaurant or pub: Thai Corner

Location: 47 West Street, Reading, RG1 1TZ

Web site: http://www.thaicornerreading.co.uk/

Telephone number: 0118 959 5050

Date of visit: 11 December 2009

Approx. cost per head: £25

Comments on wine list/beer: A reasonable Sancerre is perhaps the pick of a rather simplistic wine menu. An ample selection.

Media link:

Review:

A former pub, the building has been tastefully and usefully converted into Reading’s newest Thai restaurant – not something the town has an abudance of.

It’s located in the centre of town, just a 3 minute walk from the train station or the Oracle riverside.

The menu offers an excellent array of traditional Thai dishes, with a starter averaging £4 and a main course between £7-11. The restaurant appears to be very popular with both business people and couples – usually a good sign. It’s rather small, making for an intimate and relaxing meal, so best to book.

The service is not the quickest and a little tricky at times – mainly due to the occasional language barrier.

If you’re looking for well priced, well prepared Thai Food then this is arguably the best Reading has to offer.

Dave Lamont

Name of restaurant or pub: Ty Thai

Location: South John St, New Quay, SA45 9NN

Web site: http://www.ty-thai.com/36105.html

Telephone number: 01545 560400

Date of visit: 18 August

Approx. cost per head: £15 – £20

Comments on wine list/beer: From around £15, reasonable choice

Review:
I would never expect to find a “healthy” Thai in New Quay, Wales. But there it is – its upstairs only!

The menu offers an “artificial sugar” version so its a great boon to diabetes or those that want fewer calories.

The food is  right up there with the top Thais that I have been to outside Thailand but there is no staple like Pad Thai. Apparently, the owners went and lived in Thailand for sometime to “learn” to cook Thai dishes.

Beware of the chillies. When they say its hot, they mean it.

It is not easy to park in New Quay town centre. Park outside town and walk in.

Eddie – eddie@botlesandcooks.com