The West London Thai restaurant that may match Bangkok’s best for £25 a head is revealed by TOM PARKER BOWLES
EATING OUT
Tom lives the Thai life at a little bit West London restaurant to match Bangkok’s best
Phet mak mak. Three phrases to make use of with immense warning. Except, that’s, you’re after thrills of a decidedly incendiary hue. As a result of this seemingly innocuous Thai phrase, that means ‘very, very spicy’, can get one concerned in a complete world of ache.
Only a few weeks again, I returned to my Bangkok lodge, maybe a contact merry, and ordered a som tum salad from room service. ‘Not farang sizzling,’ I chirped. ‘Phet mak mak.’
Had I been a little bit extra on the ball, maybe I might have heard the chef’s delighted cackle from 30 flooring down.
It arrived, and was shovelled down in about three bites. Subsequent factor I knew I used to be on the ground, curled in a ball, moaning softly.
Goong gata: scorching freshwater prawns with garlic, chilli and onion. What makes Fitou’s stand out just isn’t solely the standard of the substances however the truth that they make all their pastes contemporary
My lips have been engorged, my tongue decreased to a throbbing mass of gristle, the ache so intense that even pondering harm. However my god it was good.
And so to Fitou’s, a small, family-run Thai place on the sting of Little Wormwood Scrubs. You convey your personal booze, at no additional value, and gaze out over canine walkers, hikers and an armada of prams.
If the menu appears customary, the cooking is something however.
We order, asking for additional prik nam pla (fish sauce with contemporary chillies). All the pieces ‘phet mak mak’ too, please.
Roasted duck is wealthy, mellow and softly candy
Tom yum is crisp and contemporary, zinging with joyously sprightly acidity – and chillies, plenty of them, sufficient to convey beads of sweat to the forehead. My solely criticism is the shortage of dried shrimp.
Larb gai (minced rooster salad) is as invigorating as you’ll discover wherever, the warmth, which builds slowly, like a relentless move of lava, coming from each frazzled dried chilli and a beneficiant dose of contemporary, too.
There’s crunch from the roasted rice powder, and candy verdancy from the herbs. Sticky rice helps quell a number of the hearth.
What makes Fitou’s stand out, although, just isn’t solely the standard of the substances (goong gata – grilled freshwater prawns – are magnificent), however the truth that they make their pastes contemporary. It’s the all-important understanding of stability – candy, bitter, salty and sizzling.
And it’s not nearly warmth. Ped tekrai – roasted duck, stir-fried with lemongrass and onion – is wealthy, mellow and softly candy.
With loads extra dishes for these much less in thrall to the pungent pod, in brief Fitou’s is a blessed escape from the drab, deep-fried, sickly candy norm: a pulse-quickening style of true Thai delight.
About £25 per head. Fitou’s, 1-3 Dalgarno Gardens, London W10; fitourestaurant.co.uk
DRINKS: Charlotte’s afternoon tea tipples
The very best Pinot Gris Alsace 2021 (12.5%), £11, Morrisons
Egg and cress finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, fruity mini pastries…
However which wines greatest match this basic British ritual? I vote for fizz and fewer dry kinds to enhance all these candy and savoury treats.
The very best Pinot Gris Alsace 2021 (12.5%), £11, Morrisons.
Right here’s a Pinot Grigio all dressed up and fancy. The model is completely different, barely candy, from Alsace in France, with peach, pepper and loads of poise.
Famille Bougrier Rosé d’Anjou 2022 (11%), £8.25, thewinesociety.com.
Do that off-dry French rosé with a sprinkle of sweetness on the end. It’s pleasant with jam- infused pastries.
Famille Bougrier Rosé d’Anjou 2022 (11%), £8.25, thewinesociety.com.
Actual Drinks Peony Blush Glowing Tea (0%), £13, realdrinks.co.
The nostalgic aromas of contemporary berry fruits on this remind me of childhood summers. It’s a classy alcohol-free choice that hits the spot.
From left: Actual Drinks Peony Blush Glowing Tea (0%), £13, realdrinks.co and Maison du Vin Crémant NV (11%), £11.75, Co-op
Maison du Vin Crémant NV (11%), £11.75, Co-op. Contemporary and playful, this high quality bubbly from the Loire Valley, made in the identical means as Champagne, is creamy and citrussy, with a mineral end.
