Plaza Khao Gaeng

I am very late in writing this review - almost a month. Oh well, life happens. On 19th August I visited Plaza Khao Gaeng in Oxford Food Hall, right next to Tottenham Court Road station. Plaza Khao Gaeng serves Thai food, and comes with a Michelin Bib Gourmand certification. The Bib Gourmands, for those not already in-the-know, are restaurants that provide quality food for relatively low cost to customers. As such, they are often exceptional value for money. 

We shared three dishes at the restaurant, which is decked out like a typical Thai eatery, with pretty bare furnishings and plastic-looking tables. All of the dishes came out together, those being the Pad Phet Pla (sea bream with chillies, makrut lime leaves and jungle herbs), Gaeng Gati Gai (chicken curry with coconut and betel leaves), and Bai Liang Pad Kai Sai Gung Siap (stir-fried melinjo leaves with crispy dried prawns and egg), along with a side of Jasmine rice and a roti. The sea bream, pictured above, was the best of the bunch, wickedly spicy and cooked to perfection.

The chicken curry was also very good, nice and spicy, but didn't stand out as an exemplary chicken curry in the same way that the sea bream did.

The melinjo leaves were an interesting dish, crunchy greens going well with the shrimp, though this felt like more of a side salad dish than a stand-out to rival the other two we had. The rice was and roti were apt accompaniments go our meal.

On the whole, I really enjoyed the meal, and though I probably won't visit again, I would recommend for the sea bream alone. If spice is an issue, then Plaza Khao Gaeng is a good option. However, if it isn't and you want to try solid Thai cooking, go to Kiln in Soho. 

Value for money? Around £60 for three dishes, two sides, two drinks, and service charge. Not bad for a large meal for two.

Would I return? While I can recommend Plaza Khao Gaeng, now that I've had it I wouldn't return.