London: Bangkok Restaurant

I can't say enough wonderful things about the Aster House, the B & B where I stayed with LaShauna. It was a 3 minute walk from the tube, a 5 minute walk from the Albert & Victoria Museum (which is free!!!), and just down the same street was a bevy of food and drink options. We stopped one night at Bangkok restaurant for a Thai dinner. Bangkok touts itself as one of the oldest Thai places in London, having opened its doors back in the 1960s.

First things first--I ordered a glass of the house white. I think it was a Chardonnay, but not an overly oaky one. It was light, refreshing, and a generous pour (my favorite kind).

LaShauna went with the spring water--every time I visit a country outside the US I get a renewed appreciation for the abundance of free, readily-available tap water. Sigh.

For food, I started with the mushroom soup (similar to what we'd call Tom Yum soup in the US). This was citrusy and delicious, with soft, perfectly-cooked shrimp--prawns--and loads of mushrooms. The cilantro was tasty, but there was a lot of the stem, whcih normally we'd discard. It got stuck in my throat a lot, not conducive to a nice dining experience. The heat was a steady, slow-building heat--I loved it.

LaShauna ordered spring rolls and said they were quite tasty!

I ordered another appetizer, chicken satay, for my main course. This kind of threw off our waitress, but I wasn't super hungry. I just wanted a little nosh, nu? These were succulent--they didn't even need the peanut dipping sauce! It was just enough to tide me over without feeling too full...as I planned to get dessert soon (that post is here!)

Also accompanying the peanut sauce: a cucumber/red onion salad dressed in vinegar--this was a bit sweet, but perfect for cooling off the tastebuds!

LaShauna ordered the steak and peppers/onions, as well as some rice noodles. I shared more than a bite or two (how lucky am I that she's a sharer???) and zomg I think I ate all of her leftover onions, and I had a few bites of the rice noodles. Normally I'm meh on noodles, but these were delicious. And I could have eaten the sauteed onions all night long.

Like most service in London, it was polite but took forever to get the check. They're not as dependent on tips there, so "we'll take the check" usually translates to "in 30 minutes, come back so we can ask again for the check." Sigh. So it took a while to get out of there, but I'd still go back! It was delicious--and reasonably priced!

Bangkok Restaurant
9 Bute Street
South Kensington, London
SW7 3EY
0871 971 7207

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