SUDA, Thai Restaurant, Covent Garden

Suda restaurant arrived in London five months ago, located in the romantically lit St Martin’s Courtyard in Covent Garden. The eatery is casual and comfortable and perfect for a light lunch in between shopping stints. Turning down Slingsby Place I was amazed by this sparkling oasis, lovely independent shops and flower stalls make it a gorgeous area to hang out.

Inside the staff are unassuming and sweet, offering help with the menu when I struggled to choose a Thai inspired cocktail. My dad chose the aromatic Lemongrass Bellini – fresh lemongrass with Thai ginger, a lemon twist, charged with prosecco and I had an eccentric but very pretty Thai Sunrise, a martini cocktail made with Gold tequila shaken with Cointreau, passion fruit puree, lime, sugar and finished with a drop of grenadine. Not a mix of flavours I would usually choose but the drink was surprisingly well balanced.

We decided on a selection of starters to share… an unbelievably yummy portion of chicken satay sticks, perfectly marinated and cooked served with a spicy peanutty sauce. Salty sweet potato crisps & tom yum flavoured rice crackers arrived presented in two glasses. A bowl of light crispy calamari looked so fresh and delectable that even I, a serial non-fish eater tried it, and though I found the texture a little rubbery, can’t deny that they tasted good. The signature SUDA fresh rice wrap with braised duck and Thai herbs was an interesting cold dish that I found surprisingly enjoyable. The only starter we didn’t approve of was the Thai eggplant salad with grilled scallops and chilli, it was an odd combination of ingredients, not very easy on the palate.

The fragrant mains created a wonderfully colourful table, Green Chicken Curry for me, and Red Roast Duck Curry for my dad, and a large bowl of Prawn Pad Thai to share. The curries were delicious with ample ginger and flavoursome vegetables, though still quite spicy considering we asked for milder versions of the menu options. The meat was thinly sliced, beautifully cooked and seasoned appropriately. The Pad Thai noodles were sweet and comforting, the ideal dish for a winter’s lunch.

To satisfy our sugary urges we tried a couple of the Thai desserts, notorious for being odd. Tropical fruit sorbets were a nice palate cleanser though a little boring, the banana fritters were much more exciting, arriving on the plate still hot and served with a dollop of creamy vanilla glace.

Suda offers fresh and tasty Thai food, inspired by a balance of the key five flavours – sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy. We had a lovely meal that reminded me, once again why Thai food is my favourite cuisine.

Visit the Suda website here.

Gilgamesh Restaurant in Camden Town

Gilgamesh is one hell of an experience. As you approach it in edgy Camden Town it looks almost like a temple... glowing against a dark backdrop. After ascending a tall escalator you see that the interior is even more impressive.

Gilgamesh advertises itself as a restaurant, bar and Babylon lounge, although I would say it is almost a club as well. It is a glorious relief from the chaos of the Camden Town markets that surround it.

I have read mixed reviews about Gilgamesh, though few can deny its amazing presence. Many visitors complain that the service is poor; I found quite the opposite to be true and was treated like royalty. Our group visited the bar area first, and joined the buzzing crowds. Luckily the massive space is able to accommodate everyone and we managed to find a table easily. I was treated to a relaxing massage by wandering masseurs; it was so calming I almost fell asleep.

It was 11 o’clock when we dragged our weary bodies to our grand table and received complementary glasses of Champagne from the lovely Gilgamesh girls. The food is good, although pricey. It’s worth watching out for deals on the internet, we got a great set menu deal on Top Table. We shared a variety of veggie and meat dishes between us – the duck and watermelon salad was palate-intriguing but my favourite was the creamy Thai vegetable curry, even though it was a little too spicy for me. After a long and lively supper we were invited to the VIP area to dance and continue our night.

We exited by the awe inspiring staircase - as you descend you follow the intricate hand-carved ‘Tree of Life’, a magnificent work inspired by the friezes at The British Museum. Back on the streets of Camden I reflected on the glittering palace I had just visited.

Busaba Eathai

Situated in the heart of Soho, Busaba Eathai is a canteen-style Thai fusion restaurant. I went prepared to queue, but was pleased to find that we could run straight in (it had begun pouring with rain). Expansive dark shiny wooden tables fill the fragrant space, we were ushered to a long communal table to join another group of eager diners.


We had a strict time schedule, and needed to be in and out within an hour, which was no problem for our friendly and efficient waiter. Choosing a selection of dishes between us seemed like the best plan, and I was particularly proud of my clever choices - Guava collins juice, Mussaman duck curry with jasmine rice and a side dish of Morning glory, all delicious and fresh. The Morning glory with yellow bean, Thai garlic and red chilli tasted far too yummy to be a vegetable, and was definitely my favourite of the day. I previously knew only of the plant that produces beautiful flowers in the morning, and bloom at my grandmother's house in the South of France. However this Morning glory (Ipomoea aquatica), known also as water spinach, water convolvulus, Ong-Choy, Kang-kung or swamp cabbage is quite different and is used in East and South east Asian cuisines. It's actually banned in the US! (See USDA weed factsheet)

The open front restaurant with floating candles had a lovely atmosphere, and was the perfect refuge from the bustling streets of Soho. Busaba is like a glorified Wagamama, and now boasts five branches across the capital. Thai food can be a challenging mix of flavours, but if you're after a reasonably priced, good feed Busaba is a delicious choice and will leave you feeling completely satisfied.

http://www.busaba.com/