Good Thai in Purley

With our friend H staying with us, I suggested that for a change we went to Baan Thai. We used to go quite frequently when they had a very funny and camp waiter who made it a fun evening. He left when the place changed hands and it never seemed quite the same. But this evening we fancy something spicy but not as heavy as a curry – so we give it a go.

It’s a very warm evening, so that also makes it a good choice, as this is the only restaurant with a garden in Purley, and luckily there is an outside table free for us.  The garden is like a temple garden, complete with Buddha. There’s now an outside gazebo thing, presumably for the smokers, which is used as an overflow for high-chairs etc, so it’s not a stylish as it could be – but very pleasant in the heat.

We decide not to have starters, so go straight into the mains – tamarind duck, tiger prawns in chilli oil, crying tiger (steak strips with chilli dip) and Singapore noodles.   The duck is really lovely -  tasty rich sauce on juicy meat. The tiger prawns are also excellent, tasty and juicy with a good kick to them.  The steak is probably the least successful, though still tender and interesting.  Singapore noodles have a good lot of chicken and prawns in them, and also have a kick.

Service is friendly and efficient, though not as much fun as before. With a couple of bottles of a Chilean sauvignon blanc (£15 each), this comes to around £60 (not sure exactly as H pays).  Very good value.

So a couple of weeks later, we make a return visit, just the two of us.  It’s a Saturday night, and pretty busy at 8pm, and not the weather for sitting outside – fortunately a couple are just leaving so we don’t have to wait for a table.  This time we have the Thai fishcakes and Thai dumplings to start. Not so impressive – the dumplings are a bit rubbery and the fishcakes on the leathery side; tasty though. For mains, B chooses the same tiger prawn dish, while I go for the spicy duck. We also have a beef salad and jasmine rice. The prawns are good as before, and the spicy duck pretty spicy. But the best dish is the beef salad – a very fresh tasting dressing which also is spicy.  Another good meal, at £56, so Baan Thai is now added to our list of favourite local haunts.