When it comes to restaurants it seems as if the JKS Group, pioneers of Gymkhana, Hoppers, Bao and many more, has a Midas touch. Despite their venues representing cuisines from a range of different Asian countries, there is no let up in quality. Each combines great food and ambience; a winning combination for sure, if you can achieve it. Plaza represents their take on Thai. It is very good.
The restaurant is part of Arcade, the new food hall at the base of Centre Point. Traverse through the open market, climb the stairs at the end of the venue and you reach Plaza. Turn the corner and you could almost be in Thailand. It’s always an encouraging sign to see locals dining there, but more than that Plaza pays distinct homage to similar venues that can be found across the country’s coast. Everything from the faded pastel walls to the basic retro-modern furniture, via old school advertising placards and modern Thai hip hop on the speakers helps play to the idea of authenticity. An open kitchen where the chefs can be seen plying their trade also helps.
Onto the menu and it’s kept pleasingly simple. Everything is from the deep south of the country even if the head chef is British (ex-Smoking Goat and Kiln – so he has good Thai pedigree) and the herbs/ spices are organically grown in Dorset. Diners can choose from around a dozen dishes of varying sizes a la carte or opt, as we did, for a tasting menu, priced reasonably at £35/head.
It's a clever move on the part of Plaza Khao Gaeng (the latter two words can be translated literally as ‘curry over rice’) to open with its show-stopper. Pictured, it comprised an edible palm leaf filled with a highly perfumed combination of coconut and cashew. Beyond the aesthetic, the intense mingling of flavours endured for a long time after the dish was over. Subsequent curries did not quite hit the same highs, even if the subtle interplay of spices – never overdone – was pervasive across our selection. Standout in this section were the beef and prawn options. We also liked the finishing touch of ice coffee served in true Thai fashion with condensed milk.
If there were a criticism, then it might be that service was slightly gauche and inconsistent, but this can be easily remedied. Regardless, there is every reason to return. Plaza offers some of the best – and probably most authentic – Thai food to be found in London.