Rosa’s Thai, Victoria

After mass expansion across all of London’s boroughs, there are very few chains that I still like, and choose to visit… Honest Burgers for a meat fix and Rosa’s Thai for a comforting Asian meal. I have eaten in three or four of the Rosa’s Thai establishments and at every restaurant the food upholds a good quality and the service is charming.

Rosa's Thai, Victoria

This season Rosa’s Thai has opened in Victoria, an area which is in desperate need of tasty, genuine restaurants. It is nicely tucked away on Gillingham Street so you won’t have hoards of tourists to fight off for a seat, and inside the restaurant has a relaxed, neighbourhood feel. The space is simply designed with marble and wooden tables and memorabilia from Thailand.

Rosa's Thai, VictoriaRosa's Thai, Victoria

Chang beer and ginger tea arrived to whet our appetites. The menu offers a range of Thai favourites and we kicked off by ordering a couple of starters… usually chicken satay would be my choice, but I decided to branch out with Chicken Wings and Thai Calamari. Both were tasty and fresh, I thought the chicken wings needed a little more seasoning, but the calamari was perfect with a light crispy batter and served with sweet chilli sauce.

Rosa's Thai, Victoria

The main courses were irresistible, both to smell and taste. Stir fried aubergine is a must, the addictive sauce is made with yellow bean, chilli, soya sauce and sweet basil and is lovely contrast of sweet and salty flavours. The aubergine was luxuriously soft so that it practically melted in the mouth. Of the curries, Roasted Duck red curry was my favourite, a rich and creamy coconut sauce with a comforting sweetness from the grapes, pineapple and cherry tomatoes. Prawn crackers were a naughty but necessary snack.

Currently Rosa’s Thai only offer one dessert, mango with sticky rice… but if like us, you feast too much on the mains, you shouldn’t need a pudding at all.

More information and book a table at Rosa’s Thai Victoria here.

Rosa’s Thai, Soho

Rosa’s is the ideal little Soho restaurant, here you can enjoy authentic Thai food while watching the world go by. We sat outside on a warm summer evening and saw eccentric characters stroll by in gold trousers, silly hats and wacky outfits – it was great fun.

We were well looked after by our smiley waitress, she kindly brought us dish after dish of extra peanut satay sauce and topped up our wine instantly when needed.

There is a focus here on fresh Thai favourites and Rosa’s classic dishes which correspond with the cookbook. We tried fresh Summer Rolls and Chicken Satay to start, and Pad Thai, Pumpkin Red Curry, Chilli Stir Fry for main course. The meal was fragrant and addictively tasty: simple familiar recipes prepared with care and affection. Stir-fried Aubergine was a favourite all round the table… with yellow bean, chilli, garlic, soya sauce and basil, it was soft and sweet. The Pad Thai was one of the best I’ve tried, not too sloppy with plenty of crushed peanuts, and the curry was so scrumptious my friend had to request a second helping of sauce.

Rosa’s is the perfect pre or post theatre Thai fix. They don’t “do” desserts but Amorino’s round the corner is ideal for a take-away ice cream.

I can’t wait to get the Rosa’s cookbook so that I can attempt to recreate all these amazing dishes at home.

More information here.

www.rosaslondon.com