Loaded table with thai food. Photos taken with my new HTC Desire. Not entirely happy, not as vibrant colours as my iPhone, more prone to motion blur.
Originally uploaded by Manne.
Excellent after gym lunch this Saturday, based on a quick check with the all knowing Twitterverse which thai place in central London would consistently deliver excellent food.
Siam Central was quickly suggested by two people (thanks @LondonEating and @RenSip) and this small thai restaurant on Charlotte Street did not disappoint.
Also considered Patara, recommended by @HollowLegs, but they close between lunch and dinner unfortunately ruling them out for our late Saturday lunch habits.
As I checked in on Foursquare (proper social media fuelled lunch, this!) I got a tip from @Catty that the tamarind duck is awesome. Two others said the drunken rice and noodles shouldn't be missed, so that became the first dishes we set our sights for.
I really like the Siam Central menu concept: one menu for larger a la carte dishes, and a separate menu for smaller plates of tasty morsels.
True to our usual form, wanting to taste as many dishes as possible whenever we can, with the exception of the drunken noodles we ordered exclusively from the small plate menu. Very good strategy, as it turned out.
Drunken noodles with seafood, amazing scallops
Originally uploaded by Manne.
Drunken noodles were very tasty. Spicy, full of flavour and with seafood perfectly cooked.
Crispy chicken wings went down a treat, dipped in a chilli sauce with a sweet and sour base that I really liked but Wendy felt was a bit on the sweet side. Wings were prepared in such a way that the meat bunched up at one end of the bone, making them real easy to dip in the sauce and devour in two swift bites. Meat on a stick, like a savoury popsicle, brilliant.
Weeping Tiger (which is called Tiger Cry at my favourite Waterloo thai lunch place, The King's Arms on Roupell Street), this classic thai dish, came with the best version of the traditional dipping sauce I have had (which doesn't mean much as I have never been to Thailand...). Fresh, zingy and with a heat building to a really good level without hiding the flavour of the meat.
Nice surprise was the flash fried tofu served with green peppers and chopped chilli, along with the same chilli sauce as the wings. I expected it to be bland and dull compared to the other more spicy dishes, but the texture contrast made it a nice addition on the table.
Tamarind duck, so tasty I hardly had time to snap a photo before it was all gone
Originally uploaded by Manne.
Best dish was the duck in a tamarind sauce though. Full of flavour, beautiful crispy skin, sprinkled with roast onion. We did ponder ordering another one of these but did the sensible thing and went for dessert instead.
Chilled mango mousse with fresh strawberries and mint was a perfect end to the meal. While all it was was probably condensed milk with mango flavour and a mango syrupy sauce, it hit the spot so much better than the runny creme brulee we were served the night before at a Very Large Restaurant recently opened in Camden.
Service was quick and friendly, and if it hadn't been for the extraordinarily crap music being played (I have no time for boy band pop ballads) this had been a perfect Saturday lunch. Hmm. Should email them the link to Hellsongs - Hymns in the Key of 666. Much better.
Noise: most people sat outside, so hard to say. Music selection awful, but let's hope it was a temporary glitch (our server knew every song by heart though...).
Menu: clever concept, separating a la carte and smaller plates. Lots of exciting dishes to try.
Loos: very clean, smelling fresh.
Price: forgot to take the receipt, but it was good value for money...
Will we be back: Yes, if we are in the area and want a safe bet for a good meal.
