Time Out says
Tue Jan 31 2012
Ever said to yourself while savouring a delicious bowl of noodles at a street stall in South East Asia, ‘I could make a mint if I sold these in London’ – only to return home with a distinct lack of follow-up? It seems that someone behind Tuk Cho has a stronger resolve.
Wending its way along a backpacker-friendly route, the menu offers stir-fried, deep-fried and grilled delights inspired by the street snacks of Asia, along with noodle soups and curries from Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan. Fresh juices, Asian beers, flower teas (right) and an intelligently chosen wine list dominated by New World bottles are there to accompany the often spicy fare.
Vietnamese-style crisp battered squid with chilli, spring onion and lime was bright, light and satisfyingly spiky. Malaysian daging rendang (beef curry) featured tender meat in a delicious cardamom and star anise-dominated sauce with the texture wonderfully broken up by pieces of toasted coconut. The Vietnamese salad called sa lach dia melded star fruit, mango and pomelo with the crunch of mixed leaves, cucumber and bean sprouts, all dressed in a sour and correctly ‘off’-tasting fish sauce dressing.
While always enjoyable, Tuk Cho’s market-style dishes are ever-so-slightly sanitised; the meat is better quality than in your average market and the food is less oily, both nods to healthier eating and Western tastes.
Desserts are well worth ordering. A chef’s special of Vietnamese-inspired caramelised banana cake with caramel sauce and roasted coconut – essentially banana bread-and-butter pudding – was light and not overly sweet. Ice creams flavoured with basil, star anise and stem ginger were a refreshing end to the meal.
Bearing no resemblance at all to a makeshift street stall, the vast dining room combines clean concrete with wood on the floors and walls, bright lights and cheerful, jewel-coloured silk fabric accents, though its lively open kitchen almost conjures some of the bustle of kerbside dining.
The slick design, speedy service and please-all menu seem to indicate a chain in the offing. Pub operator Mitchells & Butlers is backing Tuk Cho, and there’s a second branch due to open in Chiswick. But with fresh and sometimes adventurous food for reasonable prices, this beats most
of the other Asian chains.
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