Raitakrai Thai Earl's Court

Authentic Thai Flavors with Charming Service

Ah, Raitakrai—the little Thai enclave ingeniously wedged into the throbbing thoroughfare that is Old Brompton Road. On a drizzly, decidedly un-Tropical Churchillian afternoon, I moseyed my way inside this much-recommended establishment, arms at the ready for whatever flurry of flavour might greet me. The first thing one notices upon crossing the doorway isn't so much the decor—though it's there aplenty with its faded Thai kitsch charm—but rather the staff, seemingly impervious to London gloom, beaming with a customer-centric energy usually reserved for Buddhist retreats. Critics might tut-tut over elements of weariness in upholstery, but isn’t that all part of the cozy nostalgia we breathe a little too excitedly from old Thomas Hardy novels?

Ah, but to the sublime point on which empires rise and fall: the food. That much-debated crisp texture of papaya salad married skillfully with perky spices; a dish that simply crackled with authenticity and possibly ignited some introspective debate among various tastebuds charting well-travelled culinary waters. Yes, there are quirks—a habit, it seems, for a preoccupation with charging extra for every rogue drizzle of sauce steadfastly defying their strategic reserves—but where would the delight in discovery lie without such peculiarities? Despite the faint fog of cynicism hanging around their new vegetarian menu policy—or lack thereof—the flavours still wafted closer to Bangkok than Borders Road. So lend them your lips; they surely will surprise and satiate with that most reaffirming kittenish grace. — Penelope Savory