I'd heard mixed reviews about Sukhothai Palace and so when I finally got around to trying this…read moreplace last night I wasn't sure what to expect.
A group of us had planned to go for dinner elsewhere but our first choice was fully booked, so we wandered a few streets along to this place, to see whether they could squeeze us in. Being a Thursday night, we'd been a little shocked about how packed the first place was but, happily, Sukhothai Palace was completely empty, so fitting us in was no bother at all.
The woman seated us at a lovely table and handed us the menus. The decor in really nice in here - it felt a lot more upmarket than I had been expecting actually and I was impressed by it all. That being said, the atmosphere was a little lacking, with us being the only customers in the place for the majority of the time we were in there.
The menu is great - there is so much choice and variety that I doubt anyone who struggle to find something they liked the sound of. I opted for the sizzling duck with jasmine rice. The food arrived and the portions were hearty, which is always a plus in my book. The rice was done well, though it didn't taste especially different to boiled rice, I must say, and the sizzling duck was tasty! The sauce was delicious, however the duck was a little bit fatty in places, which was a bit of a shame. It came with some crunchy onion and a few leaves, which were nice little garnishes to add something to the dish. I ate it all and enjoyed it very much!
The service in here was pleasant, but it was a little bit slow and relaxed, especially considering we were the only people in the place! However, the staff were very smiley and polite, so other than this, there was nothing to put you off!
As for prices, mine came to £10 (without a drink). I'd say the average main came to around £7-£9, with rice adding another £1.50, so all in all, the prices are pretty decent in here, particularly for the nice portion sizes.
This was a really pleasant experience and I'll probably be back to try more!