Thai Upon Thames – With new restaurants opening all the time nowadays, it’s easy to forget about those long-standing stalwarts. A case in point was clearly brought home to me the other day, when I returned to Thai Upon Thames in East Twickenham, somewhere I’d not visited for many years. There was no sinister reason for not visiting – it had just slipped from my mind – but it certainly is back at the forefront – and one of my favourite ‘go-to’ restaurants now.
I was accompanied by my Thai neighbour, Jiew, as it’s always good to have a second opinion from someone who’s very knowledgeable about a particular cuisine. Jiew has a Thai catering business, TW Thai, and runs Thai cookery courses and the occasional supper club.
Thai Upon Thames’s general manager, Mark, welcomed us, and explained that the restaurant is privately owned, by a family that also has Siam Food Gallery in Esher. Head chef Kanjana is a family member and uses the cooking methods of her Thai childhood in the kitchen. The restaurant, through Mark, has long been heavily involved in local community groups, cleaning streets, parks and the rivers, and puts a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability, as well as supporting many charities in the vicinity, including The Victoria Foundation, for which I am an ambassador.
I left the selection of food to Jiew, who briefed Mark that while I’m not averse to spicy food, we wanted to ‘dial down’ the heat slightly, to maximise the flavours. We started with a portion of chicken satay; four generous sticks, served piping hot with a home-made peanut sauce. They were so good, and a great portent for what was to follow. Next, we shared a portion of duck spring rolls that were obviously home-made, as was the delicious sauce. This led Jiew to comment that so many Thai restaurants resort to using frozen spring rolls and ready-made sauces, but the sauce we had was tamarind based, and with a strong hoi sin element.
The next dish was a new one to me: laab spicy chicken salad. This comprised seasoned minced chicken served with lettuce leaves, to be used to wrap the chicken. This was a veritable explosion of flavours: mint, chilli, coriander and red and spring onions, dressed with fish sauce and kefir lime. Despite it being a ‘mild’ version, the heat gradually builds in the mouth, but it was absolutely delicious and declared by Jiew to be an excellent example of the dish.
The idea of Beef Penang Curry appealed greatly, as did that good old favourite, Pad Thai, and neither disappointed us. The beef was incredibly tender – it melted in the mouth – and the sauce had a beautifully delicate sweetness. The Jumbo Prawn Pad Thai had a thinner noodle that one normally finds, and the peanuts had been part of the full cooking process, instead of being sprinkled on top. Two absolutely massive prawns (split in half for ease of eating) sat resplendently on top, but there were still plenty of smaller prawns within the noodles and vegetables. Both dishes were incredibly good and the portions very generous.
So generous in fact that a ‘doggy bag’ fed my husband and me for lunch the next day.
Not that Jiew or I needed any more food, Mark persuaded us to share a delicious dessert. This was Banana Fritters with Pandan custard and Coconut Ice cream. Wow, these were little balls of light deliciousness and the perfect dessert to share. So delicately flavoured and the ice-cream, as expected, was also homemade.
Incidentally, the wines are well priced, from just £3.95 for a 125ml glass and also available by the 500ml carafe from £20.25
I’d forgotten how great the food is in this East Twickenham culinary oasis, but it’s certainly front of mind for me – and for Jiew – from now on.
If you have a Richmond Card, there are a number of special offers, including 20 per cent off the main menu Sunday to Thursday. Other offers include BYO on Tuesdays.
Thai Upon Thames is open for dinner every night and also has a thriving takeaway business that’s available free for local deliveries and also through Deliveroo. To book a table, either visit the website or call the restaurant directly on 020 8892 6808
We’re very lucky to have such a great Thai restaurant in our community, especially one that has the time and wherewithal to have such a strong community spirit as well.
The Seasoned Gastronome