Plaza Khao Gaeng

"Having seen this restaurant all over social media, I decided to finally check it out (totally unaware of the reputation that arcade has gathered for itself being extremely overpriced while service food that is generally disappointing.) The positives: The staff were incredibly friendly, charming and knowledgeable about the food being served. The interior space also reminded me of traditional dai pai dong and hawker centre layouts. I just wished the positive first impressions manifested into the food. The cons (everything else): We ordered 3 curries, rice for 2 and 2 x highballs. Overall this came to £70. This would have been fine, however the portion sizes are an iota of what these humble roadside cafes in Thailand actually serve. There is no exaggeration here. The two aunties on the table next to us mirrored our disappointment at the infinitesimal portion sizes, scowling in ear shot of a server and shaking their heads. The chicken curry probably had half a chicken thigh on the plate in total, and sadly this was our favourite dish. It was spiced well and a great curry to compliment the rice. The other two dishes: prawns and braised pork belly were very average, with the prawns disappointing us the most. As for the highballs, they were good and worked well with the intense heat of the curries. Overall, I expected markedly different experience. It seems that this place is more trendy rather than tasty. I just wish that the initial experience of being slapped in the face with a warm, strong aroma of fish sauce and the intoxicating smiles of the staff would have reflected better in the food."

"Delicious Thai food! Every dish was full of flavour and heat (without overpowering the dish), particularly enjoyed the pork belly which was soft and succulent and both the prawn curry and the mussel, squid and fish curries were unbelievable!"

"Really delicious Thai dishes in the heart of London. With some imagination, you’ll feel like you’re away in SE Asia as the plaza is well themed. Really refreshing to have a restaurant that serves such tasty dishes without conforming to the typical dishes like Pad Thai. Everything was on point including the friendly service. Not sure if they have the fish sauce and chili dipping sauce that came with the fried egg as a side, but I slathered it on everything. My taste buds were literally in heaven and I guess hell too since it was spicy ;) You will wish the dishes were bigger but more reason to try more dishes while you’re here. A single serving of the rice is good for two to start. Absolutely fantastic experience. Thank you!"

"I’m so glad that I tried this place. There are lots of Thai places in London. Some good some indifferent. This place is excellent in my opinion. The style is that of a local backstreet cook shop in Thailand. The food isn’t the standard fare that you find in most Thai places, so don’t expect Pad Thai. What you do get however is food that is very well cooked, with distinctly Thai flavours, with amazing aromatics and a hell of a kick. I’m salivating just thinking of the food and will definitely be back to try the other dishes on the menu."

"Awesome food, some dishes are quite spicy I’m afraid but it’s my own problem. The atmosphere is pretty similar to Bangkok street restaurants. Highly recommend if you love Thai food and spicy stuff!"