Old Pubs Gone Thai- A London Specialty

One of the things that always struck me as a particularly London phenomenon, apart from the amount of beer people drink in the daytime, Gastropubs, the way some English girls have decided it will never be too cold to put on that miniskirt without tights (no less) and so on, was the amount of old English pubs turned into Thai restaurants in this town. I always thought to myself: this has got be the strangest combination of cultural opposites you could possibly imagine. But then it started to make sense. Who wouldn't want to sip on a pint of cold (Thai) beer while enjoying a good ol' plate of Pad Thai? It makes complete sense! No, it's genius! I guess for Thai restaurants, there was something to be said about localising your product. This is as local as it gets. Now in my opinion, there are only 3 Pubs turned Thai worth bringing up:

my favourite: The chicken pad thai

1- The Walmer Castle in Notting Hill- A gem of a pub on the adorable Ledbury Road, offering an eclectic and authentic Thai menu to eat in or to take away. It's definitely up there with my faves. Enjoy your crunchy spring rolls and sweet and vicious Thai Green Curry downstairs at the bar or upstairs in the restaurant's dining room. The summertime is the peak season for this joint as the outside tables lend an open opportunity for Neighborhooders to bask in the sunshine, eat, drink and mingle. What could be better?

2- Two Point in Marylebone- Crawford Street is where it all happens in the restaurant world. Well I'm just a big fan of Marylebone so give me Thai food in a special place like Two Point and I'm game. Chang beer and Singha Beer, both refreshingly exotic tasting beers are a great addition to one the cheapest dinners I've had in London, and one of the best at that.

3- Finally, Pu's Brasserie is the hot business spot for lunch, without the prices and without the lengthy waits. This place is for regulars only and you can tell solely by its extremely secret location. The Lincoln's Inn Fields right off Holborn is the perfect little dark alley for a fantastic Tom Kha Gai, prawn crackers and Pad Thai. The variety of Lunch Menus is a low budget alternative to a more pricey and less satisfying lunch at Pret. 

 

3 Things You Must Try This Holiday Season At Borough Market

There's something quite special and unique about Borough Market. First of all, there's breathing in all the wonderful scents of cheeses, baked breads and freshly roasted coffee and getting your nostrils all confused and perked up. Snacking and picking off sample trays from a random food stand when you're not even hungry. Standing in a mile-long queue for a sandwich containing some mysterious bird meat with lukewarm gravy and chunks of black pepper inside of it. Yeah, there's something quite special about Borough Market. No kidding though. I really love it. It's got some crazy quirks, and that's why it's in my good books.

Let me tell you this, though. Borough Market at Christmas time, is even special-er. Here are 3 things that make Borough Market a must-go-to destination during the Holiday season. So bundle up, time to go on an exotic Holiday field trip!  

Holiday treat # 1: The Thai Green and Red Curries. There's nothing like a little spice to make your Christmas extra exotic. Biiiig buckets o' curry, yummy yummy yummy!

Borough Market Green Curry

Borough Market Red Curry

Holiday treat # 2: The Ostrich Sandwich. The queue takes forever, but this is a delicacy you'll want to try at least once in your lifetime. So be patient, wait for your turn.

Borough Market Ostrich Sandwich

Holiday treat # 3: The mulled wine at BM is sweet and vicious. Again, this heavenly beverage is just the right amount of spices, cinnamon and alcohol. You'll sing hallelujas and hail marys all the way back home. Enjoy it with a brownie from the stand next door. If you're feeling particularly kooky, you might want to go for the good ol' dunk & eat combo. Brownie and warm wine! Yummmmmmy!