I had been looking forward to visiting the Old Thai House for weeks after being told by work colleagues how good the food was there, so when the opportunity for a works outing there came up I jumped at the chance. The restaurant is situated in a beautiful Tudor(esque) building on the main drag (A30) running through Camberley. Unfortunately it is the last really old, and really beautiful looking building on the street; which is a shame because the council want to knock down this remaining tribute to the past to modernise the street with some new carbuncle development. The restaurant is split on two levels. The ground floor is the Teak Room with panelled walls, large open fire place, beamed ceilings and a mixture of tasteful décor from Thailand and the UK. The first floor is the sumptuous Royal Palace Room recreating the splendour of a Royal Thai Palace, complete with a traditional vaulted ceiling and fine presentation of the rich and exotic culture of Thailand in all its Golden glory. Apparently classical Thai dancers will complete this cultural experience. The menu is not huge so we decided to go for a set menu, of which there are 4: (Little Princess @ £14.95, Princess @ £22.50, Queen @ £35 and the king @ £45 all per person). We decided to savour the delights of the Princess (not for the first time), which included: Starter: Old Thai House Grand Platter mixture of favourite appetisers.
Sea Food Platter Spring Roll, prawn toast, crispy prawn and a bag of gold? Main: Green Chicken Curry (Not as mild as it stated).
Sea Hunter Selection of King Prawns, Scallops, Mussels and calamari served on glass noodles with a tamarind sauce (this was particularly delicious).
Mooh Naman Hoi Stir fried pork fillets with a selection of vegetables in Soy sauce
Jasmine Rice Dessert: Fruit Cocktail (Fresh fruit with a hint of Cointreau) The food was OK, but certainly nothing special (with the exception of the Sea Hunter which was outstanding), and I've tasted far, far better green curries. The dessert was not only meagre but also far from authentic Thai and certainly needs to be addressed by management. Members of our party informed us that apparently the place has recently changed hands and the food was not as good as the last time they visited. The amount of food for the amount of money was also a bit of a let down and I left still feeling a little peckish; which in my opinion is very unusual for a Thai restaurant. With a few drinks and a service charge (which was a little cheeky as they had to come out and apologise for the food being late!) came to £34/head. In hindsight, perhaps the Little Princess may have been better value, but we will never know!! The setting is fantastic and although the food in general is OK, it is nothing special and certainly does not compare with the surroundings in which it is served or warrant the price tag at the end of the meal. There are so many places to eat in Camberley that offer great food at far better value for money, so I don't think I will be trying this restaurant again any time soon. read more
