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
We have always loved Peppy Thai Deli ever since it opened. We have always been addicted to their dry noodles that my tita used to send our driver to their first branch in Sambag just to have this for lunch. Every time we are home, we try to make it a point to visit Peppy Thai.
The new branch in Plazuela Iloilo is a very far image from the simple hut in Sambag when they started years ago. It may no longer feel like the whole-in-the-wall type of restaurant but the food is still comforting and I'm quite surprised that the price increase is of acceptable range despite the more commercialized location.
The set up is similar to a turo-turo and some of the food has been cooked in batches already. There are dishes however that they cook only when you order. After ordering at the counter, we were given these buri hats which will serve as our table number.
I had my staple of Red Beef Curry (89 PHP). It is placed in a very small bowl but you'll be surprised to see that is actually full of beef and not much extenders. The beef was vary tender and the curry paste was well balanced with the coconut milk. The curry was not too strong with just a touch of sweetness and evened out by the lemongrass.
Titit had Pandan Chicken (45 PHP) and Choking opted for the Pork Barbecue (34PHP). These were both served per cut/stick. The pork had a very good kick as well.
Khiao (34 PHP) is another one of out favorites. These are deep fried pork wontons served with sweet chili sauce. The wonton has good crunch as you bite into it. It was richly filled with very taste ground pork. I enjoyed the textures of crunchy and soft on the khiao as well as the flavors of sweet and spicy.
Khao Phat served with egg (75 PHP) is best accompanied by the earlier mentioned dishes. You have an option of ordering this without the fried egg as what we have done in the past. For some reason, I find my meal at Peppy Incomplete without this fried rice.
Our favorite Dry Noodles or Kwi Tien Nam usually arrives last as it is being made as you order. It is rightful indeed that this is the last one as it serves as the great climax of a good meal. There is another version of this dish at Peppy that is served with soup but I prefer the dried one. The bowl is filled with rice noodles with some sugar, sliced pork, liver, veggies, peanuts and a little bit of chili. Each component plays around your mouth with the variety of textures and flavors.
I like Peppy because some of the dishes they serve are not the usual ones we see in Thai restaurants. The food will always be comforting. I hope they can serve the food warm thought but I'm pretty sure that if they do that, prices will get higher.
Peppy will always be on my list on where to eat when in Iloilo.
Peppy Thai Deli is located at the GF Plazuela Iloilo Diversion Road Mandurriao.
P.S. I hope they serve milk tea soon though. Do try their dried squid as well.
My sisters and I enjoy eating out especially if we get to try restaurants that serve Asian food and not too expensive. We tried this whole in the wall restaurant along Vito Cruz extension called Dek A.The place is really small with indoor and outdoor dining. We were seated outside near the grill and right beside the street.
We started with our respective milk teas--Thai Milk Tea for me and Thai Green Milk Tea for the sisters at 65 PHP each. We loved the Thai Green Milk Tea as this has a flowery taste. The Thai milk tea was good but the blend of the green tea stands out.
We decided to split the Green Curry Chiken served with Thai Jasmine rice (150 PHP). The chicken was tender and a good spice level. We loved it.
Next were Spring rolls (120 PHP) fried to a crisp with juicy and tasty fillings of pork, glass noodles, cabbage and carrots in a rice paper roll. I liked that this was not oily either and it stays crispy.
Choking went crazy over their Chicken Noodles (120 PHP). The soup was very flavorful with a good amount of noodles and chicken meatballs.
Of course we needed to have Pad Thai (180 PHP) to complete our thai meal. The rice noodles were cooked just right where it was still firm to the bite yet really soft. I was seasoned just right, not to sweet nor too salty.
We loved Dek A. It was a small and simple restaurant but you really get your money's worth. The servings were just right, service was fast and the food was really good. I would definitely go back for the Thai green milk teas.
Dek A is located at Vito Cruz ext cor Sampaloc st Makati City
I used to see Soms Noodle House in several lifestyle shows in the local channels. As a big fan of Pad Thai, I was lucky that one time, my tito took us to a branch they have in Reposo which was closed already. The original branch is still up and running in Algier street, right beside the gate of Rockwell. People still flock this place and it's great to see how well they're doing since they're having a newly constructed restaurant right beside it.
I believe the have the best tasting curry in the metro. The spiciness of it is just right and even has a slightly sweet and a nutty taste. The beef though is not too tender so I highly recommend chicken. I like it in either green or red curry.
Of course the pad thai is my favorite. The noodles are cooked and seasoned just right. It also have big chunks of chicken which I like.
Here are some of our Soms favorites.
Red Beef Curry
Yellow Curry Crab
Pad Thai
Also a must try are: Chilli beef, Spring Rolls, Pandan Chicken
