Busaba Eathai

My friend from high school, April took me out for a day to see the tourist spots in London. After seeing Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and Tower Bridge we finally had to take a break and headed to West End for some lunch.

We took the bus and headed over to Leicester Square which is the nearest landmark. April missed Rice a lot hence we ended up with Thai food instead of going for the rice toppings at Camden Town.

We were lucky as there were maps near the tube stations and we quickly found our way to Panton street. As we entered of what looked like a small shop outside, I then saw how big the place when they seated us right away near the window.

I was happy to see all the condiments were from fish sauce to my favorite Sriracha Hot sauce.

I loved the big windows and the candle at our table which gave us a nice view of the street and at the same time we were in a corner where we can freely talk in Ilonggo without bothering any other diners.

I ordered the Iced Ginger and Honey Tea (GBP 2.80) to quench my thirst from all the walking. This was not too sweet (just about right for my taste) and the ginger was very mild only. Very refreshing before our food arrived and I had to make sure not to gulp the glass down.

I was not in the mood to eat rice so I opted to go with my Thai food staple, Pad Thai (GBP 7.40). The rice was tender with a good balance of sweet and salty where both flavors were hugging tightly to the soft noodles as to who will dominate this dish. Textures were well balanced from tofu that's crispy on the outside and soft inside, tender chicken and shrimp. The peanuts completed the play of textures and flavors for each bite.

April ordered the Jungle Curry (GBP 7.90), a red curry with grilled chicken, eggplant, bamboo shoots and fresh beans. The curry had a good kick with the tender and juicy chicken. I didn't eat much of this as this is paired best with rice indeed. April enjoyed this very much with an order of Jasmine Rice (GBP 2.20) on the side.

We had Pandan Chicken (GBP 5.50) and Por-pia jay (GBP 3.90) for our appetizers but we actually ate them along with the curry and noodles. The flavors of the pandan chicken were just right and I liked how crispy and light the spring rolls were. These spring rolls were vegetarian by the way.

The staff was very friendly and attentive. We did not wait long to get our food as well.

If trying to watch plays at West End or enjoying the shops, Busaba Eathai is a good pit stop for lunch. I was surprised that the food was not so expensive as well. I loved the warm and cozy ambiance of this place as well as the views from the street from big windows that light up the whole place.

Thank you for a great tour and lunch April!

Busaba Eathai has several branches. You may visit their website at http://busaba.com/. We visited their branch near Leicester Square.--35 Panton St London SW1Y 4EA