Busaba have been a stalwart of Thai dining in London for over 15 years since their first branch opened in Soho in 1999. That being said, I'd never visited until recently when I was invited down to sample their new summer menu at their site in Chelsea. Why not, I thought, and trundled on down with appetite in hand.
I was happily pleased with what I found: fresh plates bursting with fresh, Thai flavour, considerately priced and….from the surface of it, pretty authentic! We ate our way through their new summer specials menu, beginning with small plates to mains, and all washed down with their signature cocktails.
First up: bang kick prawns – plump and juicy prawns with a crispy batter, coated in a creamy, spicy sauce. These came followed with a Thai slaw with citrus dressing and chilli, and duck wraps with pineapple. Whilst the Thai slaw managed to successfully marry sour and sweet, the duck wraps didn't set my world on fire.
What did impress greatly was Busaba's white fish curry with starfruit and jasmine rice. This was, simply put, delicious. The curry sauce was very light – it's a summer dish after all – but packed a fragrant punch of flavour. If I came back, this would certainly be what I would order.
Also pleasing was their Thai summer beef salad – the beef was moist and tender, the dressing well balanced and lively with more than a small hint of chilli.
We finished the evening with cocktails. They've made a big effort to introduce Asian flavours into their drinks and they do it pretty successfully. I tried a Lychee Martini and a Bangkok Mule shaken with coriander, enjoying both, and even tried my hand at making my own Thai Martini with thai basil and grape juice. They bring something a bit different to the cocktail menu and are standardly priced for London at £8.50.
I enjoyed the Busaba summer menu and the general Busaba experience greatly. I'm pleased to see that they're expanding outside of London, to Manchester and Liverpool, so far. They bring what to my novice tongue seems authentic Thai flavours to the masses, reasonably priced and I think, I think, that I'm a fan! Give it a go and let me know what you think!
http://www.busaba.com
358 King's Road
Chelsea
London, SW3 5UZ
