Whitechapel, Thai Restaurant Guide

“Zingy, fiery” flavours (“so good we liked the food better than in Bangkok!”) inspire raves for this “funky Thai restaurant” near Spitalfields Market – “well worth searching out for its authentically spicy (too spicy for some, note) food”, and also “great for veggies and vegans (ingredients are so varied you can get your ‘30 plants a week’ all in one lunch!)”. After eight years, the team has opened a sibling, Kolae in Borough Market. Top Menu Tip – “stand-out whole deep-fried sea bass”.

2022 Review: Originally a stall on Brick Lane (which started in 2009), this 20-seater, a short walk north of Aldgate, is the first permanent home of this experienced Bangkok-style street food vendor. Enjoy dishes (with lots of choice for vegans) on a bed of rice, wrapped tight in a tortilla, or accompanied with salad.

2021 Review: The “lovely Thai food” at these reliable cafés is “impressively authentic given that they are a chain” – “excellent value” and “fast”, if occasionally let down by “iffy service”. Founded in 2008 by Saiphin and Alex Moore, who inherited the name of their first East End site, the group has 18 branches in London and expanded to Liverpool, Manchester, Reading (delivery only) and Leeds following the sale of a majority stake to US investors. The couple also have two spin-offs, Lao Café in Covent Garden and the new Chinese noodle bar Hoh Sek in St Katharine Docks.