Yes, dear reader, this is a chain restaurant and I make no apologies for reviewing a Thai Square. Why do chains become chains? Because they become popular. And why are they popular? Because they’re good. Thai Square has been around for a few years now and they have not dropped their standards one bit. The Thai Square Restaurant Group was founded in 1996 when their first restaurant opened in The Strand. They have won two awards at the British Restaurant Awards 2017!
Fulham is one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in London. It wasn’t always like that. My mum was born there and at the turn of the 20th century it was rather down-at-heel. Now its streets are fringed with smart shops, cafés and restaurants. Thai Square is at the centre of this vibrant community and just yards from Fulham Broadway Underground station.
Marriage of traditional and contemporary
This is a convenient spot for lunch or dinner, with staff who are both friendly and attentive. The walls are decorated with Thai terracotta friezes, paintings and silverwork. The bar area sports shelves of not only the expected bottles but Buddhas too! This restaurant is a marriage of the traditional and the eclectic contemporary. The floor is strewn with gold leaf to add another exotic and shimmering dimension.
There is seating for 130 here and a menu to cater for almost every taste. Aromatic Duck was our starter and it was a generous one, offered for a minimum of two hungry diners. This is a classic and found in many Chinese restaurants. The Thai Square version was the usual pancakes (and lots of them) served in a bamboo steamer along with dishes of spring onions and cucumber cut into manageable batons. The garnish was a sweet and flavourful Hoisin sauce. It’s a DIY construction where one piles both vegetables and duck onto the delicate pancakes and smears the lot with sauce, then rolls and eats. Great fun and a wonderful starter for a group!
Addictive
Massaman Curry is a signature dish here. Massaman is not a Thai word. It is thought to refer to Muslims. Writers in the mid-19th century called the dish “Mussulman curry”. Or it is perhaps a southern Thai dish with its name derived from the Malay word masam, which means “sour”. So we can safely say that the origin is unclear but the addictive nature of this mild curry is unmistakable. The chicken in our version was moist and the sauce was creamy and flavourful.
Spicy Aubergine was my vegetarian main course. The aubergine was melting – a real comfort dish. This isn’t over-spiced but deliciously aromatic. It is a stir-fry of skinless aubergine with basil, long beans and fresh chillies in yellow bean sauce. This is a must try for any vegetarian diner; although this carnivore would order it again …and again!
Crispy Banana Fritters was our dessert. This was somewhat superior to others I have tried. The batter surrounding the creamy and hot fruit was crunchy rather than being doughy. Served with a scoop of ice cream this was a cool and refreshing end to a rather good meal. This chain deserves its accolades.
Opening times
Monday to Friday:
Lunch: 12.00 noon till 15.00
Dinner: 18.00 till 23.00
Saturday: 12.00 noon till 23.00
Sunday: 12.00 noon till 22.30
Phone: 020 7386 9900
Fax: 020 7386 9900
Thai Square Fulham
563 Fulham Rd
London
SW6 1ES
Email: fulham@thaisq.com
Restaurant review by Chrissie Walker © 2018