Busaba St Christopher's Place — Restaurant in London

Title: A Mixed Experience at Busaba Thai Restaurant - St Christopher’s Place

I recently had the opportunity to dine at Busaba Thai Restaurant in St Christopher’s Place, and I must say, my expectations were both high and hopeful. However, reality hit me like a sudden downpour on a sunny day.

The Ambiance: A Deceptive First Impression

From the outside, Busaba Thai Restaurant exudes an air of sophistication. The sleek exterior promises an elegant dining experience. But as soon as I stepped inside, the illusion shattered. The reception area was warm and inviting, but the transition into the dining hall revealed a different story. Large square tables with long benches dominated the space. While the benches were cushioned, they bore the unmistakable signs of wear and tear—stains that couldn’t be ignored. And to top it off, the bench I was ushered to, was wobbly, making me question the overall quality.

The Culinary Journey: Hits and Misses

I kicked off my meal with Passion Fruit Yogurt—a refreshing choice, though nothing extraordinary. But it was the main course that left a lasting impression. I opted for the Sirloin steak, hoping for a succulent, melt-in-your-mouth experience. Alas, what arrived was a disappointment. The steak was dry and tough, requiring more effort to chew than I’d anticipated. The waiter, however, deserves a nod. He noticed my struggle and promptly offered an alternative. I switched to lamb, which arrived as minced lamb with rice. Unfortunately, lightning didn’t strike twice; it was merely passable.

My sister, an adventurous eater, ordered starters to share. While I can’t recall the specifics of her main dish, I assume she enjoyed it—she tends to relish everything she tries. As for our mysterious “vegan” elderly guest, his plate was a colorful medley of long green beans, noodles, shredded cabbage, and tofu. He cleared it clean! A commendable effort, but not enough to redeem the overall experience.

Final Verdict: Not Fine Dining

In summary, Busaba Thai Restaurant falls short of fine dining expectations. Despite the initial allure, the worn benches, lackluster steak, and hit-or-miss dishes left me yearning for more. If you’re seeking an exquisite culinary journey, I recommend...

It’s safe say this is the Thai equivalent to the Italian chain Vapianos. The food promises fresh, tasty, price accessible meals enjoyed in a typical open Asian dining format. However some promises have definitely fell short of being met.

The Tom Kha soup was solid however it lacked the usual fragrant citrus zing infamously associated with Thai food. If I were to order it again, definitely I’d be asking for a wedge of lime, chillis and lemongrass on the side.

The Sirlion Steak was the star dish for me, I have very little to say on its flavour. However, while medium rare is my normal preference some of the end pieces were over cooked and some of the thinner sliced pieces were on the rarer side in the middle. The inconsistency in the steaks finish weakened the statement made by its bold flavours.

I tasted the Thai Green Curry and would have likened it to a soup however my dining partner did not appear phased by the green liquid and found it really nice rating it a 6/10 when asked.

The polarity in service amongst the four waiters that served us was stark. The manager (assuming this based on the difference in outfit they had vs the rest) greeted us, assisted us throughout dining and always offered a smile upon our connected gaze. Our main server definitely gave the vibe he’s here to get paid and leave…service is not the priority and it was definitely about getting the job done and taking the orders. He did not take the time to engage with us as customers and did not even check to see if we were happy with our food. My advice would be if the job makes you that unhappy you should leave. If this was the only service I received during dining I would not feel compelled to return since the food was not outstanding either. However, with all that being said there was one superstar waiter that stood out amongst the rest, but since I do not know his name to give him the proper shoutout out he deserves he will have to remain a silent hero for the Busaba team.

In short, I would return here again only if I accidentally fancied Thai in Oxford st and there was nothing else i was in the mood for (which means it could be years...

The 1st time I dined in this location was lovely. But the 2nd time I got here oh man it was a very unpleasant and horrifying experience. Got here at 5PM which clearly is not a busy time for a restaurant and it was not very crowded only 5/6 tables occupied Order my classic to gos: classic pad thai, calamari, chilli beef jasmine rice & red jungle curry. right after we were seated when were ready to order; we tried to call the waiter several times by waving & calling the waiters. they all seemed so busy just walking back and forth from kitchen or just chatting with friends. Until one lady i guess she was the manager had to scold them because they were slacking. The food came out and the pad thai, calamari & chili beef rice were incredible. When i first tasted the red curry i was in shock it was very very very salty. The saltiness was like the chef maybe mistakenly drop the whole salt box into it. I ordered this red curry every time i dined at busaba so i know this red curry was wrong. When the waiter came asked how was the food I Replied to him the curry was to salty, the waiter apologised and promised me to get a new one while taking the salty curry with him. Waited for another 15 minutes as our food were almost gone then the red curry came out he said this was new. it was a lie, basically the chef just wait for 10 minutes and add more water to the curry VERY VERY VERY DISSAPOINTED!! Later that night me and my friends were very thirty and the next day my voice was breaking (thanks to the salt) Unbelievable spent 15pounds for a...