The staff here are so kind and friendly that really hope this place does well, but something tells me they're catering for a market that's maybe a little too exclusive.
It's a halal restaurant owned and staffed by Muslims, so neither pork dishes or alcohol are available. It's not that big a deal the food's good but non-meat options are extremely limited too, with just four dishes in the menu's vegetarian list. Although almost any SE Asian dish can be prepared with vegetables and/or a meat substitute by their very accommodating chef, this wasn't clear from the menu. Tofu 'wasn't delivered today' so their one Tofu-based dish wasn't available, so the chef made me an off-menu Thai Red curry with vegetables, which was very good, but not spectacular and at £9.50 (inc rice) seemed expensive, for its location the small stretch of nowhere on Hoe St between the Baker's Arms and Walthamstow, opposite a Tesco garage.
Interestingly, a selection of lobster dishes were listed, and I wondered how many customers would shell out £44 to eat crustacea in the E17 hinterland.
Decor is interesting but seating is uncomfortable walls artexed in a sand colour to evoke a desert setting, wooden chairs and tables, with benches/booths at the back where it's not quite possible to sit up to the tables because they're solid.
Walthamstow has become extremely cosmopolitan, so there's something very apt about a restaurant that's owned by a Burmese guy, staffed by young men from Pakistan, and that serves food from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Burma. I was psyched to discover it as only the two other places I know of Chequers pub in the High St. and a greasy spoon near the bottom of Queens Rd on Markhouse Rd serve Thai food, and not all the time.
I rarely drink and I don't eat meat, so at first Thainese seemed like an ideal choice, but its lack of vegetarian choices, uncomfortable seating and high prices for the area wouldn't have me rushing back for dinner. Pad Thai is missing from the menu a plate of this for £6.50 probably would. read more