Restaurants

The mint-green dining room decorated with false exposed beams, photos of the Thai royal family and an excessive seven no-smoking signs, may not win any design prizes, but the food at Esarn Kheaw is deserving of all the accolades heaped upon it. Adventurous diners will revel in the opportunity to sample the earthy ‘off’ flavours of north-eastern Thai cuisine, and will also appreciate the chance to explore the impressive offal-heavy arsenal of meats available. A papaya salad prepared in the north-eastern style was a fiery medley of firm shredded fruit and carrot, generous chilli and garlic, sharp dried prawns and peanuts smothered in lemon juice and fish sauce; it boldly eschewed the insipid sweetness favoured in versions of this dish at lesser restaurants. The chef’s special chicken was a gloriously rich and pungent medley of vegetables and shredded fowl. Nevertheless, you will still find popular favourites such as fried rice with king prawns and pineapple on the menu. And with most main dishes priced below £8, Esarn Kheaw is well worth a trip to Shepherd’s Bush for the opportunity to sample such authentic Thai cooking.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009