Farang London — Restaurant in London

We’ve been waiting almost a year to get into Farang (partly because we’re the type that books the week of) and after booking it a month in advance Farang did not disappoint.

Service: Excellent, whilst staff appeared somewhat overwhelmed they were still very personal and attentive. We didn’t have to wait long to order and they brought everything quickly and easily with some great recommendations of what to choose. The only complaint was all of our food came very quickly and all at once so our small table became very cramped very quickly. Allowing some time between the small plates and the mains would have been great and allowed us to make more of the evening. However overall 8/10 with both managers being a particular highlight with their excellent recommendations and being helpful, friendly and attentive.

Food: Having grown up in Asia and spending a lot of time in Thailand growing up the food and smells of the restaurant reminded me a lot of home. The menu was very small which meant that every dish was well thought out and was all seasonal. Every dish was great and the jungle curry, Roti and the coconut chilli Jam are all must haves! Food wise, it’s really hard to fault anything with the only note being it all came at once. As mentioned in the service, if there could be some staggering between dishes, perhaps small plates first then mains after they’ve been cleared that would’ve been great. Solid 9/10.

Atmosphere: a quaint little space, Farang has done a great job of making the space work. It feels very authentic and welcoming, but also well thought out and high-end. Originally we were sat on a table across from the door which felt quite on its own, however the staff were all too happy to accommodate our request to move to the main area. I enjoyed that you could buy a lot of the ingredients used and could see into the kitchen. Great little space that was been built into very well! Only fault is that little table by itself....

First impressions: the place has a busy, happy, crowded, chatty buzz with the background music mercifully low .- and this is only 7-15pm. Always a good sign, one that we recognise because we're both in the restaurant business. We love Thai food- 'proper 'Thai food, not the over-sweet, bland Anglo-Thai high street version- but one of us has a severe peanut allergy and (less common, this) a sesame allergy- not good if you love Thai food! For most allergies including peanuts they have a whole menu page- separate from the main, vegetarian and vegan menus themselves - detailing possible issues (if any) with each dish- brilliant idea. And for the sesame allergy, helpful and friendly waiting staff- and even Chef, who comes out to talk with us- quickly find a workaround and we're soon enjoying wun tun, sea bass, crab and papaya salad -all of them great. They could be a bit more generous with the crab, but I'm not docking a star just for that! To drink- what better, with chilli-hot and ringingly fresh ginger/lime etc flavours, than iced Thai beer (three equally good brands) and tapwater? We're almost always wine drinkers with food, but beer just 'feels' right here. But if the grape calls, there's a Clare Valley riesling and a Kiwi sauvignon- both of them hardy enough to cut through any Asian herbs and chillis- and a Marlborough Pinot if you want a red- which would actually go great with the sea bass and crab as well as the meat and veg dishes (just ask them to pop it in the freezer for 5 minutes before opening, to freshen it a bit). Stuff comes to the table as soon as it's out of the wok, so don't expect everything to arrive at once- again, a good sign that everything's freshly made. There's a two-hour table slot, which is fine and unhurried for casual dining like this. Terrific grub. terrific joint - we'll be back. Might even buy Chef...

TL/DR: Nice atmosphere, inconsistent service, mostly average food with few standout flavours.

As no strangers to east asian food, we had high hopes for this local restaurant. When I arrived I found myself being briefed on the menu before I had removed my coat or even sat down. A little space to sit and greet my companion first would have been nice. Shamefully, we fell into the trap of ordering the small feasting menu, which provides little value for money and way too much food for the average human. However, it does mean that we got to try most of the menu. The 'Gai prik', was so lethally hot (even without the spicy sauce) that it would be inedible and unpleasant for most people. I have a high tolerence for chili and found it to be well cooked but needlessly hot and salty. Either they made a mistake in the preparation or this warrants a warning on the menu. The 'Miang' was quite unmemorable apart from the stickyness. If there were any subtle flavors, I may have missed them after the chili assault of the previous dish. The cured salmon was ok, but small and nothing spectacular. I would recommend the 'Som tam' salad and the chili jam soup. The soup was probably my favorite dish of the evening. The main dishes of beef cheeks and seabass green curry had good quality ingredients and were good if not spectacular. Perhaps we were just suffering from food fatigue at this point. The sticky rice desert was indulgent and worth recommending, but not the cherry granita, which was too sweet for me. At least twice we were interrupted by food arriving and then being quickly removed as it was destined for another table. Also, between courses, it would be nice if someone could clean the table.

For me, Farang didn't deliver on expectations. There were few dishes I really enjoyed and I felt there was a lack of consistency and...