I’ve become somewhat obsessed with Thai food recently.
A couple of months ago, my best friends from Spain came to visit. They said they fancied Thai food, so I took them down to Busaba Eathai.
I’d never actually been before, but I’d heard really good things about it – and I wasn’t disappointed!
Their Pad Thai is one of my absolute faves in London (I’ve tried several since then!) and I’ve been recommending them to people left, right and centre.
So you can imagine my EXCITEMENT when they invited me down to try their new Specials menu!
I dragged the lovely Vicky DB down to Busaba’s Chelsea branch with me, and we joined a group of foodie/lifestyle bloggers for an evening of spicy food, sour cocktails and lots of laughs.
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DRINKS
We started with Thai cocktails and some nibbles.
My Lemongrass and Thai basil martini was AMAZING. Salty, sour and sweet all at once. A really refreshing summer cocktail!
I also tried the Guava bellini which was lovely, but not as spectacular.
The other pictured cocktail (above) is the Mussaman Sour, which Vicky DB tried and loved. (I’m not a bourbon girl, so I wasn’t a fan!)
SMALL PLATES
OK so my clear favourites in the starter line-up were the Bang-kick Prawns.
If you’ve ever tried Busaba’s amazing Thai squid, you’ll have a bit of an idea of what these prawns were like.
The Thai spices in the crispy batter are absolutely mind-blowing. There’s so much depth of flavour, and the chilli-lime drizzle over the top adds an extra twist which I loved.
Vicky’s favourite was the Thai Slaw: crunchy chow-chow and green beans in ginger and lime dressing. It was light and refreshing, and paired perfectly with the rich battered prawns.
The Duck and Pineapple Lettuce wraps, however, were… forgettable. Not bad. Just nothing special.
MAIN DISHES
The mains were a bit hit and miss. The Fish and Starfruit Curry with Jasmine Rice was insanely good. The fish was perfectly cooked and really meaty and filling. The sauce was warm, spicy and full of flavour. I think this was everyone’s favourite!
The Thai Beef Summer Salad and the Grilled Chicken and Mango Salad were both really light and colorful, perfect for summer lunches or lighter suppers.
I very (very) rarely order salads when I’m out for dinner. Partly because I feel like I can usually make equally good, or even better salads at home, and partly because when I HAVE ordered salads before, they tend to disappoint.
Not this time!
The beef was marinated and carefully slow-cooked, the vegetables were fresh and crunchy, the fruit was juicy, and the dressings were generous and well-seasoned. Plenty of lime and chilli gave it a bit of zing… They were really good salads!
My least favourite dish of the night was easily the Patpong Chicken Noodles. The textures were great, but the flavours were a really awkward mix.
Creamy and a bit bland at first, it builds to a slow burning heat in your mouth that’s I just didn’t enjoy at all. I like heat, but it has to have really strong flavours to accompany it, and this one failed on that account.
Overall: a bit hit and miss!
The Bang-kick Prawns and Fish curry are obvious winners. Both dishes are ones I’d love to see on the main menu and would definitely order again.
The salads are also good, and I’d probably order them if I went to Busaba for lunch.
Everything else… not so much.
However: don’t let that put you off!
These are just the summer specials. I’ve tried several of their classic dishes, including small plates, stir-fries, curries and noddles, and can vouch that they have SO MUCH good stuff on the menu.
Their Chicken Pad Thai is my absolute favourite, and I can vouch for the Thai Squid as well. I promise it’s like no squid you’ve ever tried before.
Busaba Eathai have eleven branches across London, one in Kingston, one in Liverpool and one in Manchester – so get booking!
BUSABA EATHAI
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