Very tacky Thai Takeaway, but what of the food?
I bumped into a friend, she asked I joined her for a drink in the Wig and Mitre. I have often passed by, but never before ventured inside.
We walked down Steep Hill. My friend then decided to visit a Thai Takeaway. She offered to share her dish. I said no, I would taste. Far far too spicy, ruined the dish.
Thai mushroom and peanut noodles Riverford vegan recipe box.
Ingredients: bunch of spring onions, garlic clove, 200ml can of coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, star anise, Thai red curry power, red pepper, chestnut mushrooms, spring greens, cherry tomatoes, peanut butter, noodles, optional red chilli pepper.
I will often substitute. For the red pepper a Romano red pepper from last week, for the cherry tomatoes overripe cherry tomatoes. I also substituted crunchy peanut butter as already had.
One medium, one large saucepan required.
Slice red pepper, mushrooms, garlic clove, red chilli pepper (deseed if too hot), slice spring onions, (green ends save for decoration of finished dish).
Water set to boil in the medium saucepan, to later add the noodles.
The method I changed. Instead of adding to large saucepan and frying, which I find ruins a saucepan, splosh of extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil, add dollop of coconut milk, half of the spring onions, garlic, Thai curry paste, curry powder, fry for about a minute, add remaining coconut milk.
Empty contents of frying pan into large saucepan.
Add star anise.
Add empty tin full of hot water to frying pan, swill around then empty into large saucepan.
Add large dollop of crunchy peanut butter to the large saucepan, stir.
Add the sliced mushrooms, tomatoes and red pepper to the large saucepan.
Add noodles to boiling water in medium saucepan.
Three minutes later add the spring greens.
After a further three minutes, add contents of medium saucepan to the large saucepan.
Serve, add green of spring onions for decorations.
Very tasty, goes well with a glass of red wine.
If I was to modify, add florets of broccoli instead of spring greens, add half a handful of raw peanuts.
Cautionary note: Despite my precautions, contents stuck and burnt to the bottom of the large saucepan. Essential to stir periodically.
One of two dishes from Riverford
Opening the box, no lemongrass. I decided to go ahead anyway.
More complicated than I anticipated, though by no means difficult. More a case of unfamiliarity.
Prepped everything before cooking.
Basmati rice, about two-thirds of a mug, added a mug and a half of boiling water, brought to the boil and left to simmer for twenty minutes.
Medium hot pan, splash of extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil. Add minced pork, brown.
Slowly add the remainder of ingredients, all finely chopped. But first add the Thai paste. Only one sachet. Two were in the box.
Required only half a tin of coconut milk, but what to do with half a can? Added the whole can.
Slowly simmer.
Drain the rice, add to plate, add everything from the pan.
I expected a disaster, turned out quite well. Very tasty.
The absence of lemongrass? The difference I do not know.
I have to admit, no resemblance to any Thai dish I have eaten.
Walked around The Acropolis to Thissio, then along a road to find Sticky Rice n friends, a Filipino takeaway I had encountered the previous day. They had only opened a couple of weeks before lockdown. Saturday at least half a dozen Filipinos, today two and a not very helpful Greek guy who claimed to be in charge.
I explained what I wanted. I did not want full portion, I would be eating later. No, argued Greek guy. I drew attention to empty street that we were in lockdown.
I talked to the Filipinos. They prepared what I asked for.
Reasonable portion size, tasty, but not great, chicken deep fried, stir fried vegetables and steamed white rice (no brown rice).
Had I realised the vegetables to be stir fried I wold have asked for more.
Excessive if not obscene se of plastic packaging. They wished to use a black plastic tray. I said no. Use a round card bowl (though did have a plastic lid.)
Covid-19 biosecurity reasonable. Open to the street, hand sanitiser, staff wearing masks correctly.
We could find nowhere to eat, eventually settled on Paste Thai Contemporary Cuisine.
The exterior belies the interior, open and airy.
Attentive staff, maybe a little too attentive.
For starter we each had chicken and mushroom soup, though menu said chicken or mushroom, a few vegetables, with added coconut.
Main dishes, sweet and sour chicken and a deep fried crispy chicken with a sauce. I preferred the crispy chicken without the sauce as it changed the texture and taste. Both served with rice.
Ice cream with coconut for dessert.
Food was good, though maybe more suited to an evening meal than lunchtime.
Waterloo Station, tired after trek to Dark Mountain Terra book launch, several minutes wait for a train and platform not yet showing on display board.
I decided to walk to Lower Marsh around the back of Waterloo Station and find something to eat in Maria’s Cafe.
It was packed and noisy. I nearly did not stay but a pleasant Thai girl found me a table.
Cashew nuts and pork stir fried served with rice was excellent.
The only problem, a nearby table full of noisy drunken yobs. I relocated to another table to get further away from them.
On leaving the restaurant, I said they had to deal with the problem, otherwise they would lose all their quality customers.
An Asian couple who left at the same time as I did, said they left as soon as they finished their meal because it was impossible to relax.
They were pleased when I said it was not usually like this as they had not been before and enjoyed their meal. They agreed, something had to be done about drunken yobs, either asked to quieten down or asked to leave as disturbing other diners.
Thai green curry
Thai dishes
I popped in this Thai takeaway last week in Guildford and had Thai Green curry. It was excellent,and I decided to repeat the experience today.
I ordered Thai green curry. First in the pot rice, then the Thai green curry, then added a little broccoli and cauliflower, then a couple of spring rolls (though not in the pot).
I walked down to the Castle Grounds and enjoyed my meal.
The Thai green curry seeps down into the rice, adding extra flavour to the rice.
Whilst the weather is fine, this Thai takeaway will be where I will eat, or at least where I will order and take into the Castle Grounds.
Next time I will try one of the other dishes.
Located at the top of Guildford High Street, near Oxfam and Maplin.
My only criticism, plastic forks, brittle and liable to break and not good for the environment. Wooden forks would be better.
preparing food
Lemongrass is a Pan-Asian restaurant. In other words, all of everything and all of nothing.
I was looking for an excellent Chinese restaurant. Lemongrass was anything but.
Soup was passable, the main course cold and barely edible. The steamed rice was lumpy.
Seating was outside. It was cold, with a strong wind blowing through, blankets were eventually brought out. It meant, assuming the food hot, it was stone cold within minutes.
Loud music resulted in a headache.
I am used to eating in an excellent Thai restaurant. Lemongrass came nowhere near.
lunch at Thai restaurant
Excellent lunch at Thai restaurant in Jeffries Passage in Guildford.
Sadly, I was the only one there.
It was then, Harris + Hoole for a cappuccino and a cookie.
Mimosa Westgate Aldershot
Mimosa is one of the chain eateries in the ghastly Westgate (or Wastegate as local retailers call it for the damage it is doing to the town centre) in Aldershot.
It was lunchtime and yet the place was almost empty. Had it not been for a group at one table and a couple at another table, the place would have been deserted.
An empty restaurant at what should be a busy time of day, especially as the price goes up after three o’clock, is never a good sign.
I chose lunchtime, as I thought would be busy, and at least the food fresh, not sitting there for hours.
Thursday lunchtime is the one day Aldershot is busy, as it is market day, although busy should be seen as a relative term, busy compared with other days when Aldershot is dead.
Mimosa is a buffet, help yourself and eat as much as you like.
The food is allegedly Asian, Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, Thai, in other words, all of everything, all of nothing.
I took one look at the food, it looked so unappetising, I turned on my heals and walked out.
The comment of someone who appeared to be in charge either the owner or manager was: Either eat the food or fuck off!
I thought maybe grab something to eat in Morrisons, mid to late afternoon their cafe is usually almost empty. To my surprise, it was very busy.
I changed my mind, grab something in the town, take a look at the market, and head off back home and eat when I got home.
Although the town was busier than most days, the market stalls were not busy. The fruit and vegetable stall at the bottom end of the town which always had a long queue, even late afternoon when the market is closing, was not busy.
If you want a mix of everything, try A&M, in the town centre, not good, but at least it is not a chain.
For real Thai food, try the Thai restaurant in Jeffries Passage in Guildford.
Why, oh why, is there nowhere decent to eat in Aldershot?
Top Story in The China Daily (Friday 29 November 2013).
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