Restaurants

Having created a winning formula, restaurateur Alan Yau has had little reason to tamper with Busaba's shared tables and bench seating, or the oriental mystique created by clever design, dark wood, incense and low lighting. The dishes are consistently interesting, as you might expect of a menu initially created by chef David Thompson of Nahm, though the menu does evolve and changes regularly. Current dishes worth seeking out are the rice served with a generous amount of crab meat, or the delicately textured tofu, lightly fried then served with a spicy yellow bean sauce. Salads, such as the pomelo with water chestnut and chilli, are a strong point; so are the hot drinks (lemongrass and honey). Occasionally the noodle dishes can disappoint: our vegetarian pad thai had flaccid noodles, and had a gloopy sauce coating the baby sweetcorn and shiitake mushrooms. But the disappointments are easily outnumbered by the hits at this popular joint, and the dishes are never dull in either flavour or ingredients.

Phoenix Equity Partners have recently invested in Yau's Busaba Eathai Holdings Limited, signalling a new era for this popular chain as plans for expansion go underway. 20-30 new branches across the UK will be rolled out over the next five years.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008