The truth is we’ve never been able to bag a table at Bellenden Road’s Thai streetfood haunt, a familiar corner sight for just over four years.
Maybe we’ve been unlucky. But it hasn’t been for want of trying: on a rainy Tuesday, a cold Thursday, and probably at least a Friday and Saturday too.
The other (rainy) midweek night, however, after the Souls album launch at the excellent 139 Copeland Road venue, we were finally successful. And quite excited. Although a clutch of new openings around the Rye may be more on-trend now (y’know, places like Bánh Bánh and Mr Bao), this was one of those SE15 institutions we still had to get our own take on.
And yet our gut feelings upon sitting down ultimately proved right: things weren’t very encouraging from the outset.
The quirky interior, with its conservatory-style covered verandah and wooden sharing tables, is attractive, and we gamely perched on the end of a bench that could seat six. Luckily we had it to ourselves, but on a busy night we weren’t sure how we’d navigate the proximity of fellow diners if we needed to, say, use the conveniences. Yup, it’s that tight.
The waiter – friendly enough – explained the no-surprises sharing plate set-up, recommending we choose two from the first half of the menu and two from the second half (on the website they suggest five plates between two). We did just that – at which point he wondered if we may have ordered too much? We grimaced and replied it should be fine, double-checking with another waiter who assured us that four plates between two was how to do it.
A wrong bottle of wine was then brought over, and swiftly exchanged. And so we begun our wait.
Forty-five minutes, as it turned out, before even a single plate was brought out. During this time the first waiter smashed some glasses he was clearing from the table behind us and had to get the dustpan and brush out of the cupboard. Fair enough, accidents happen: but it was right next to our bench, which involved a semi-complicated manoeuvre involving us standing, clutching wine bottle and glasses, while the cupboard door could be accessed.
After nearly an hour, the first waiter then came over and said our order hadn’t been put through at all, but not to worry as it had now. We were by now eeking out the wine (not wanting to buy any more on a midweek night, with no suggestion of a complimentary glass on the house).
Finally, some food arrived. But inexplicably it was a larger plate – the baby chicken special – rather than one of the delicate, smaller ones we’d also ordered, such as the cold cured mackerel, which surely should have been first out. The smoky charcoal breast and thigh, and tamarind dressing, were fine, despite it being a rather small, mangy bird, but it wasn’t the most tender meat we’ve tried: a disappointment at £15.50.
The crab came next. This was the best thing we ate by far. A ‘one bite’ wrap, it’s popped in whole to let the fishy, nutty, tip-of-the-tongue spiciness melt in the mouth. Fantastic.
Another longish wait. Then the other large plate, a bowl of Chiang Mai slow-cooked pork belly, made a tardy appearance. The sauce was moreish – rich hits of pickled garlic, ginger, shallot – but there were only a couple of matchbox-sized hunks of belly.
Sides of sticky and jasmine rice were petite: they’re advertised on the restaurant website as free with all dishes, whereas on the actual menu they’re a fiver for a bowl of each and billed as ‘unlimited’ – although no-one offered to refill the bowls at any time.
Yet another wait. Eventually we asked if our final small plate – a delicious sounding relish of cured mackerel with hen’s egg and raw seasonal vegetables – was normally served at the end of the meal. The waiter apologised and said it hadn’t been put through, but would we like a dessert on the house instead?
As it turned out we wouldn’t, and asked for the bill, a hefty £67.25 including a £7 gratuity. The mackerel was disingenuously listed as “100% discounted”, as if it was a freebie rather than a no-show – and the manager (tactically) sent the most junior member of staff over with a card machine. Weary of the place, we paid in full and left.
The learning? This is a local that needs to put the work in. As is widely reported these days, Peckham has a raft of superior places to eat – and yet our experience here was embarrassing.
And while it may have been one-off bad luck on our part, that’s not really good enough either – on a rainy October Wednesday, the restaurant half full.
What have your experiences been? Let us know below.
