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Thai Square

There are 17 branches in South East England. Find your nearest Thai Square restaurant.

Review by Abigail Bamsey

I love a bit of Thai food… actually if I'm honest I've never ventured beyond a green curry but that's only because I love them so much I worry that anything else might disappoint me and would bring my original statement into question. So I was on a mission on my visit to Thai Square to try something new.
Me and my sister visited the Islington branch which even on a Monday night was filled to the brim with young professionals and groups of friends who seem not to have heard of the credit crunch! We were greeted at the door by a giant buddha of the gold statue variety and a modern take on Thai style continued throughout with brushed steel, wood and some fairly industrial looking concrete. While waiting to be seated we were initally overlooked in favour of the restaurant regular behind us but we were given a table quickly.
The Thai Square food claims to be 'authentic' with 'traditional and contemporary menus that are low in fat and high in nutrients' but sadly neither me or my sister have ever been to Thailand so we didn't feel qualified to judge it on it's authenticity but low fat promises always cheer us. My vegetarian sister is often relegated to the singular meat-free choice on the menu so she was delighted to discover a range of veggie options as plentiful as the carnivorous.
We chose the mixed vegetarian platter to start with a selection of spring rolls, corn and potato fritters, tofu and vegetable kebabs and tempura. Everything was deep fried and a little greasy so it may have failed on the low fat front but it was delicious and there was loads of it. We tried to hold back from eating every morsel to make sure there was room for our main but it was irresistable and we gobbled it all up.
For our main I actually managed to try something new; the massaman chicken curry; a mild coconutty dish with potatoes and peanuts plus sticky rice. Admittedly not a million miles from my old faithful but still a massive departure for me. I wasn't disappointed, the chicken was tender and had a fantastic nutty taste; it looked like stew but it's flavour was pure Thai. My sister took up the green curry reins with a vegetarian version which I couldn't help but try. It was packed with fresh veg and had a little less kick than green curries I've had in the past but was still very tasty. For people of our diminutive stature the portions were more than generous and we struggled to get more than halfway through our meals!
The staff were very polite and attentive without crowding us and were wonderfully swift to rectify our wobbly table before we managed to spill a drop of wine!
While it's not an intimate or especially plush restaurant it's definitely a chain I would visit again for a meal with friends; it's resonably priced with a brilliant vegetarian selection and lovely food.
The meal cost £49.50 for two including wine.

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