There’s been an effective Thai cookery feedback loop operating in London for the past decade, with chefs bounding off a training ground that normally starts at Spitalfields’ Som Saa or Peckham’s Begging Bowl. And so it goes with Kruk, with Rob Willcox and Josh Lyons embarking on their own take on fresh and fiery southeast Asian flavours after back-and-front-of-house stints at both, as well as at Farang and Plaza Khao Gaeng.
Fried venison wontons with water chestnut are tidy bombs of meaty majick
Kruk is in a railway arch under Peckham Rye station. It feels not unlike a spruced-up air raid shelter, complete with whitewashed brick roof and a gravel-floored outdoor terrace which at the moment is deserted, but by summer will no doubt heave. What separates Kruk from the glut of other Thai-inspired restaurants across Zone 2? Pleasingly unpolished location aside, not much. But that’s no bad thing. Years after the initial nu-Thai boom, there’s still a ravenous market for punchy papaya salads – a recent midweek trip to Som Saa saw the place as heaving as it ever was, and the opening of Kruk (as well as a second Plaza Khao Gaeng in Borough Market) will only help lighten the load when it comes to the still-rammed scene OGs.
What Kruk does bring to the table is a veggie-friendly take on Thai, with every dish having a vegetarian counterpart. A valiant cause, but we’re faithful to fish and meat tonight, starting with a flawless round of oysters dressed with green nam jim and teeny tiny kalamansi lime. The lemongrass and chilli-spiked sauce didn’t drown out the bold brininess of the oysters, but provided the perfect wallop of complimentary flavour, a bit like when Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham helped turn Fleetwood Mac from a noodley 1970s blues band into a cutting-edge global sensation. Next, comes betel leaves wrapped around poached prawns and chunks of pink pomello, tossed about with crunchy toasted peanut and coconut and dosed liberally with salted caramel fish sauce. Wildly nutty and craftily juicy, we demolish it in two bites, and are gutted to have finished it so soon.
Fried venison wontons with water chestnut are tidy bombs of meaty majick, and pomello pops up again alongside tea-smoked bavette slices. We’re not sure if we can quite taste the assam, but a fleshy salad, studded with cashews and dressed with tamarind, feels like a joyful – and far less bloke-core – way to snack on steak. Chicken thigh skewers with slippery cashew and coconut sauce also go harder than they should, while a creamy duck phaenang buzzes with green banana and pops with sweetness thanks to whole, lychee-esque rambutans bobbing about in the mix. This is serious cooking, and like most dishes we try, nothing is too spicy. These are friendly but intoxicating flavours, that won’t blow your head off but may leave it at a slight angle.
After all that, do we need pudding, let alone a deep bowl of strangely soupy black sticky rice pudding with mango? Not at all, but this Ambrosia-by-way-of-Chiang-Mai end to the meal offers a compelling sort of comfort.
London already has more than its fair share of great Thai restaurants – now there’s another one to add to the pot.
The vibe Casual dining in a fairy-lit Peckham railway arch with an outdoor terrace.
The food Just-spicy-enough Thai with a vegetarian-friendly menu. It’s affordable too, scoring a Michelin Bib Gourmand for great value.
The drink Get stuck into the creative cocktail menu, featuring a Pepto Bismol-coloured dragon fruit daiquiri and a tamarind side car that tastes like fizzy cola bottles.
Time Out tip Wine destination Bar Levan is a mere stumble away, pop in for an after dinner glass of Tempranillo.