Authentic Thai Food in London | Thai Silk Review

Situated a stones throw from Southwark Station tucked away in a romantic side street lined with twinkling fairy lights is the best Thai restaurant I've ever dined in.

Offering so much more than the classically understood Thai green and red curries, Thai Silk is the type of restaurant you return to again and again for comforting yet refined food.

Russell and I knew as soon as we walked through the door we were in for a great night. With authentic décor featuring giant Buddha’s and a lustrous red and gold colour scheme, the 100 cover restaurant and bar has an inviting atmosphere despite its large size.

After being shown to our seats we spent a while flicking through the larger than average menu choosing what to eat. Don't let the pictures on the menu put you off - the food here is good. Thai cuisine offers complex flavours that combine hot, sour, sweet and salty, and the dishes at this restaurant menu showcased this beautiful. 

The chefs here have created a traditional yet innovative menu, and to ensure the food is as authentic as possible around 80% of the ingredients are shipped directly from Thailand. We noticed we were given a fork rather than chopsticks which was a good sign (traditionally food in Thailand is eaten with cutlery, not chopsticks).

 

I played it safe ordering the Chicken Tom Kha, a hot and sour soup made with coconut milk, as it's a dish I know I enjoy. Ordered with sweet coconut rice, I usually put both into one bowl and eat it like a curry. This soup is packed with herbs and spices, blended with coconut milk and stock, and loaded up with mushrooms and chicken. 

 We ordered the Kao Phad Subpraround (Pineapple fried rice) because we saw the show stopping dish featured on Instagram before our visit. Served in half a pineapple the rice is loaded with prawns and fruit. Don't underestimate this dish as a side, it could easily be eaten as a main! 

Our wild card order was the Panaeng Gae (Massaman curry with lamb shank) which turned out to be our favourite! Having never ordered Massaman curry before I learnt it is traditionally made in southern Thailand, with influences from Malay and Indian cooking. Made with dried-spice curry powder of cinnamon, cardamom, peanuts and bay leaves along with curry paste it offers a complex flavour as well as a consistent, gentle heat.

Russell and I couldn't get over just how good this dish was! The lamb shank fell off the bone, the sauce was thick and rich and the addition of peanuts and new potatoes created the perfect meal. After sampling this dish I feel ignorant for not knowing more about Massaman - I'll certainly be ordering this over a Thai Green curry in the future!

We didn't have room for dessert for finished our meal with a side of Koong pao chu Chee, charred grilled tiger prawns with a mild curry sauce. The prawns were HUGE and packed full of flavour! If you're willing to get your hands dirty this dish rewards you with big flavour.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Thai Silk, everything from the service to the food were spot on. It's a place to enjoy good food at reasonable prices mid-week or kick back and relax come Friday with friends. We can't wait to go back for another Panaeng Gae, it honestly is xxxxx.