"Great intimate Thai dining"
A review of Krua Thai by Local Secrets - Tuesday 27th of April 2004
As we descended the stairs into the restaurant, waiting staff dressed in traditional Thai costumes bowed their heads and made the traditional Thai salutation, clasping their hands in front of their chests. We were shown to our table, which was set out in the standards Western style, though there is also a separate area of the restaurant laid out in the traditional Thai floor-seating style. The restaurant almost has a 'living-room feel' to it, with a calm and relaxed atmosphere created by traditional Thai music being played over the loudspeakers.
We sipped a couple of Singha beers while we perused the menu. It was full of tempting dishes, each of which was rated according to its spiciness; one chilli for the milder offerings, up to four for the 'jungle curry' which, our waitress assured us, was 'really very, very hot'.
We chose a king prawn Tom Yum soup as a starter; a clear, consommé-type dish that was fiery (three chillies!) to say the least. Within roughly three seconds of the first mouthful passing our lips, our eyes began to water. The first few mouthfuls were a struggle, it has to be said, but once the palate had grown used to the heat, the soup was a riot of exotic flavours that tickled the senses in the best possible way.
Our main dish was even better - a Thai green curry made with bite-size chunks of monkfish, cooked to perfection and the perfect foil to the array of spices in the hot, tangy sauce. The green curry is one of the spicier items on the menu - another 'three-chilli' dish - but again, the heat is sharp but not overpowering, and allows the other myriad flavours to come shining through. A bowl of sticky, perfumed rice, along with a side-dish of stir-fried vegetables, was an ideal accompaniment to the dish.
Throughout our meal, the restaurant's attentive waiting staff made sure we were happy; the answer was always in the affirmative. And, judging by comments made in Krua Thai's visitor book, we were the latest in a very long line of satisfied customers - many from Thailand itself - to have descended the restaurant's staircase. As we climbed the stairs on our way out, we vowed that we would return as soon as possible - and we have not stopped recommending it to others to this day.
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