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Some of the best international food I’ve eaten in South Africa has been in unassuming restaurants in Pretoria. The capital city’s concentration of embassies and high commissions helps explain why. People arrive from around the world for work, bring their families and, understandably, want something that tastes like home. My advice is to pay attention to where those communities eat.
Which brings me to Lotus Thai.
Owner Sasipin Somngam-Irsigler comes from central Thailand, where she worked for a Japanese company before settling in South Africa in 2001.
As she explained when I visited, she was used to working and needed something to do when she first arrived in this country. Her brother and niece had hotel experience, and she had the cooking skills she’d learnt from her mother, so why not give it a go?
Her first Pretoria restaurant opened in 2005. Today, those family recipes still guide the cooking. She’s also sent her team for culinary training in Bangkok and grows Thai herbs at home for the restaurant. It’s the sort of detail that makes all the difference.
Before eating, I got a lesson in greeting someone properly in Thai, followed by a turn at the wok. Sasipin made tossing fried rice look effortless. My contribution required a little more supervision.
Then came the dish I’d suggest you order first: pad kra pao with beef.
Garlic, fresh chilli, minced beef and basil come together in the wok before being served with rice and a fried egg. Break into the yolk, let it run into the rice, then get a little of everything onto your spoon. It’s intensely aromatic, savoury and properly punchy, with the richness of the egg bringing the whole mouthful together.
The prawn pad Thai is also next-level delicious. I watched egg, red onion and prawns go into the wok, followed by noodles and sauce, with bean sprouts and chives towards the end. At the table, a squeeze of lime brought everything into focus: the peanuts, the sweetness, the savoury depth and that fresh acidity. There’s a lot going on with Thai cooking, but you can still taste each part.
Then there’s chicken egg-fried rice, a proper authentic classic with chicken, egg, chopped vegetables and the savoury flavour of fish sauce. This is a meal I’d happily eat on its own.
My suggestion? Bring friends and order all three.
I’ve travelled around South Africa looking for good Thai food, and Lotus Thai at 975 Arcadia Street in Hatfield is comfortably among my favourites, so I’d highly recommend you add it to your list!
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