Rosa's Thai Cafe
Carnaby Street branch – 23a Ganton Street, London W1F 9BW; see website for other branches
Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus (Carnaby Street branch)
4.1 Yummy Stars
Price ££ Dinner – starters/salads/soups - £6.25 - £12.45; mains/noodles - £8.50-£13.25 (at time of writing)
☏ 020 7287 9617
Spicy Salmon Salad at Rosa’s Thai Cafe in Carnaby Street, London
Buzz Factor 4.2/5 stars
Food 4/5 stars
Value for money 4.2/5 stars
Eat-in or Take-away
The Carnaby Street site is one out of a 16-strong chain of Rosa’s Thai Café, spread over some key parts of central with some in outer London (with the latest one in Liverpool). I am not usually a fan of restaurant chains but I was intrigued by the story of the founder, Saiphin Moore, who started life in a tiny village in the mountains in northern Thailand, opened a noodle shop in her parents’ house aged just 14 and then moved to Hong Kong as an 18-year old nanny.
Rosa’s Thai Café is plonked in the middle of a number of other popular restaurants in Carnaby Street. The buzz in the street made its way into the restaurant. By 7.30 pm, the restaurant was heaving with mostly people in their 20’s and 30’s.
The décor was simple but effective, with a bar on the right and a row of small tables on the left, snuggled up next to one another, with benches lined up along the wood-clad wall and bright red plastic stools dotted around. The place had a modern feel with clusters of white globe lights dangling over the tables. The ones overhanging the bar had the name: “ROSA” spelt out, letter by letter on each of the light. It made me feel like singing: “Doe a deer a female deer….”.
The menu includes not just the usual Thai dishes such as Thai salads, curries and Pad Thai but many more. Recommended dishes are shown in red on the menu. One of these includes the spicy salmon salad which was the stand-out dish of the evening. The salmon had a thin coating of batter, with crispy bubbles clinging onto its surface, skillfully deep fried so that the salmon retained its moisture. It worked harmoniously with the sweet and sour tangy tamarind sauce tossed into it, festooned with coriander, toasted rice, shallots and carrots. The sauce had the right amount of piquancy without making you scream for the fire extinguisher. It was a well considered combination of tastes and textures.
The grilled pork skewers, having been soaked in honey, soya sauce and roasted coriander seeds, gave you mouthfuls of deliciousness, though the meat on some skewers were not as tender as others. The tamarind sauce was a flavour sensation and was a perfect partner to the skewers. I am still trying to hone the skill of yanking the meat off the skewers elegantly without risking it flying off across the room.
We had to try the usual staples in Thai food – Chicken Thai Green curry and Prawn Pad Thai. The chicken curry, with aubergine, bamboo shoots and Thai basil was pleasant enough but did not blow my mind away. I loved the noodles in the Prawn Pad Thai, which were steeped in the citrousy, tangy and sugary flavours of the tamarind sauce. You can hit me any time with carbs like these.
Just in case that the Carnaby Street site was a fluke, we also tried out the West Hampstead branch. Food was of similar standard. Go for anything with tamarind sauce and Bob’s your uncle. The sauce transformed the fried Tofu into something super delicious like adding luscious clotted cream and zingy jam to a scone. The fried Tofu definitely needed more of the tamarind sauce, as the tofu on its own was rather bland. Don’t be shy and ask for more sauce. I ended up scooping up every bit of the tamarind sauce and scoffing it on its own.
I had to try Saiphin Moore’s famous peanut sauce which came with the chicken satay. The sauce, with bits of peanuts submerged, packed a real punch without being too spicy. The chicken was well marinated, soft and delicious.
The service at both was on point and the staff was friendly and helpful with the menu. Rosa’s Thai Café seems to have the right package - tasty Thai food at just the right prices, judging by the crowds of seemingly happy youngish diners. I needn’t have worried about the consistency of the quality of the food.
Story of Saiphin Moore, the co-founder of Rosa’s Thai Café
Saiphin Moore, raised on a farm in the mountains in Northern Thailand, left the comfort of her home for life as an 18-year old nanny in Hong Kong, not speaking any English or Cantonese. She and her husband, Alex Moore, co-founded Rosa’s Thai Café, launching the first one in London, in 2008. In February 2019, she opened her 16th branch in Liverpool, the first one outside London. Read more →
March 2019
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