We think it’s fair to say that London has gone gaga for all things veggie – nowhere more so than Soho which was home to the first Veggie Pret (SO successful they’ve rolled out more across London!)
Well now Rosa’s Thai Cafe is getting in on the action and have converted their Soho branch into a totally vegetarian restaurant for the next three months.
The menu features some brand spanking new dishes such as tofu satay and tom kha mushroom soup. These will sit alongside old veggie favourites that have proved popular across all sites and classics – like the good ol’ green curry – with plants replacing meat.
So why the switch? Apparently they were being inundated with veggie requests, and owner Saiphin Moore has always been great at listening to her customers. Not only that but the group has always been dedicated to showcasing the diversity of Thai food across its many regions. Whether that’s with their northern Thai menu at Seven Dials or the noodle specials in Carnaby.
Dishes are all designed to share (in true Thai style!) and you’ll need about 4 between you. We opted for the long bean salad with mint, shallots and seasame which was hot hot hot and garnished with peanuts and chilli paste dressing.
The Penang curry was one of our faves, with crispy chunks of tofu (not the slimy kind!) – it’s served in a thick red sauce with a hint of lime. Feeling virtuous? Forget your regular jasmine and opt for the stir-fried brown rice Basil sauce fried brown rice laced with holy basil, spring greens, egg and cherry tomatoes. An excellent accompaniment to the saucier dishes. We also liked the cheeky drunken noodles – 0% ABV but 100% full flavour. Best eaten before/after a big night out (hence the name!) they’ve got a good kick to them with mixed veggies and fragrant Thai herbs.
Wash it all down with a bottle of chang, a thai whisky or one of Rosa’s signature cocktails – we the banana tree old fashioned should do the trick.
Proving very popular the queues were out the doors whilst we were there – so book ahead or take the chance – it’s a pretty fast paced placed so chances are you won’t be hanging around long.
