Kaosarn… authentic Thai food at its best
For 30 years I’ve mostly been turning left out of Clapham Junction railway station and heading to restaurants in the direction of Lavender Hill and Northcote Road.
Last week, I turned right for the first time in a long while and found myself in St John’s Hill, which now seems quite like a village.
Kaosarn is not new but it’s fabulous. This is authentic Thai food at its best, every flavour as fresh and zingy as the next.
I finally made it to the Brixton outpost last year, ages after food critic, Jay Rayner, had sung its praises and thought it couldn’t be beaten but I was wrong.
The Brixton restaurant is bijoux (okay, I mean small. So small that I couldn’t get in years ago, in the days I was still travelling with a pram) but the food is excellent.
It’s a case of bring your own booze here, which always helps the pocket.
Though to be fair, the price point here is among the lowest to be found on the restaurant circuit these days.
At St John’s Hill, you have all of the above but with a brilliantly lively ambience, which was exactly what my school friends and I required on a Friday night.
Kaosarn was full big groups celebrating birthdays and no doubt refuelling before visiting the pub.
Life here is fast-paced but order is kept by the front of house manager, who keeps things moving along quickly from entry to exit.
There’s no chance of being ignored by staff here, which is sadly a pretty common experience when dining out.
The menu includes hit after hit of everyone’s favourite Thai dishes – springs rolls, fish cakes, soups, curries, rice and noodle dishes range, keenly priced.
This is not a leisurely dining experience – more a quick eat but one you’ll be glad to have availed yourself of.
The highest praise any restaurant could receive – Kaosarn has been called the place “where chefs eat”.
KAOSARN, 110 St John’s Hill, SW11 1SJ.
https://www.kaosarnlondon.co.uk/clapham-restaurant
Get fantastic food at Kaosarn, Picture: Kaosarn