I have been living in England now for just under a year and can't believe I haven't had Thai here yet. When I was living in New York it was one of the major food groups for me.
Literally. Most people have meat, veg, fruit, grain, and dairy; I had bagel, pizza, Thai, cheese, and coffee. I've since become a little healthier ;-)
I made mention to my husband how much I missed Thai food and he did some research for restaurants close to us and came up with Thai Basil. So glad we found this place, it's not too far of a drive and offers up some pretty tasty food. Service was a bit sketch as there was a table of 4 next to us that ordered after us, got their starters after we received ours, and yet somehow were served their main courses at least 10 minutes prior to ours. We sat there for quite a while between courses waiting for our mains to come. Luckily we ordered the sharing platter which was more than enough to hold us over and full of tasty little treats like satay, Thai fish cakes, spring rolls, pork toast, spare ribs, and tempura vegetables all with a couple dipping sauces. Very tasty.
As for our mains, I am a pad Thai lover and had to see if I could get what I am so used to from NYC. Thai Basil did not disappoint, it was a very nice dish and authentic tasting. If I had to have one gripe about it is that there are not enough prawns in it, I would gladly pay a quid or two more for more prawns. Regardless, it definitely hit the spot. My husband isn't familiar with Thai and doesn't really like spicy dishes so he was afraid to be daring and went with a Thai fried rice with chicken, which he enjoyed. Next time we go I think he will be a little more adventurous with his choice. Selfishly I'd like him to try the massaman as I think he would like it, plus the couple next to us had it and it looked great.
All in all, a very good meal that took care of my Thai craving. Good to have this little place in the back pocket. read more