Siam Cafe Soho, 5 Walkers Court, Soho, London, W1F 0BT *Siam Cafe is now closed*

The last place you’d expect to find a Thai cafe. A Thai bride maybe, but not a Thai cafe… Photograph © www.skyscrapercity.com

Up until our honeymoon in Thailand, a Thai green curry was my all-time favourite dish, I would even go as far as saying it would have been my death row meal. But due to a OD’ing on them in Thailand, and experiencing some of the worst I’ve ever had, I kind of went off them a bit. But now and then I get an overwhelming pang, and just have to have one.

My old regular in Tufnell Park. Miss it more than words can say.

I’ve said countless times that my all-time favourite green curry was at the Thai Cafe on Fortess Road, Tufnell Park, I would get a takeaway almost every Friday night for the four years I lived there. Nothing has matched the one they do, despite it being a pretty grimy establishment, I once ate there with ants crawling around me, but still returned. That’s how good it was.

Red, green or Massaman – it’s as simple as that!

Anyway, we heard about the Siam Cafe in Soho and that overwhelming pang hit me, especially when we saw the prices. I thought this might be a match for my beloved north London dive.

Situated half way down ‘Sex Shop Alley’, you’d miss it unless you knew it was there, and it’s not somewhere we walk down slowly, despite Ade’s curiosity… This is not a cook to order place, there are three curries ready-made – red curry, green curry and Massaman served with rice for £4. If you add a drink it’s £5, which they call a Meal Deal but isn’t much of a deal seeing as they charge £1 for a drink anyway, but hey.

Celebrity status had gone the stalls’ heads… Especially now they have a big fan…

We sat downstairs in one of the most disconcerting rooms ever, I don’t think I’d want to eat down there on my own, but then I wouldn’t want to sit upstairs facing the sex shops either. As we ordered our food the guy said ‘Men lose protein from across the road and then come in here to replace it’. I get the feeling he uses that line often, not the most hunger-inducing words a girl can hear.

Top marks for the green curry…

… although Ade’s Massaman didn’t float his boat

Perched alone on stalls downstairs, we hurriedly ate our curries, my green chicken curry was actually really good, and huge. Fresh vegetables, suspected frozen at first but surprisingly not. The sauce ticked all my boxes, thick like gravy, not a watery thin sauce, one of the best green curries I’ve had in a long time, and great value. Ade’s Massaman, which is his favourite Thai dish, didn’t meet his standards, but I thought it was pretty good. Not nearly enough peanut and too much potato for Ade’s liking. Despite the food left simmering away for god knows how long, the chicken wasn’t tough.

Unfortunately they were all out of the sides such as spring rolls, crackers and spare ribs so we missed out on those, typical as we’d heard good things about them.

If I was to work nearby I’d be in here often, although most likely as a takeaway option, despite it being great for people watching (or should that be pervert watching) I would rather eat it elsewhere.

*Siam Cafe is now closed*

www.siamcafesoho.com
5 Walkers Court, Soho, London, W1F 0BT
Tel: 020 3384 0580
Enquires: info@siamcafesoho.com

Opening Hours 10:00- 21:00 Monday – Saturday

Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus.