Bua Thai Caterham Restaurant — Restaurant in Tandridge

Not really to sure about the authenticity of this establishment, I love Thai food, but my experience (which can only be based on my experience on this visit) was that everything came across a bit generic and catering more for face value, over true value. From the decor which was pleasent if anything a bit ott, but not unique or authentic in my eyes, to the menu which had many spelling mistakes (not sure if this was intentional as every page seem to be littered with errors) everything just felt a bit off.

I asked if cranberry juice was available, as it was not on the menu, which the waitress went to check, for the reply to be "we've run out", it's not a major issue but if it's not on the menu, it's not on the menu, so theres no need to be dishonest to save face. It shows respect for your business to stay true to itself.

All starters came well presented, which me and my partner both enjoyed, nice and hot food is always a good thing lol. She was especially raving about how good her soup was. Garnish looked well presentable but didn't look appetising enough to eat, as it looked plastic to me.

Both of us felt let down by our main dishes. The beef dish I choose had a little chilli symbol next to it so I was expecting it to have some form of spice to it......... Zero fire on my tongue, but it did have a nice flavour to it. Pad Thai (Pud Thai on the menu which I've never seen spelt this way) had a very sweet flavouring to it, which is more fitting of a dessert according to my partner, she was unable to finish this as a result. The mixed vegetables we ordered also had a sweetness to them, which I didn't mind, but that and the pud Thai were not a happy combination for my partner. Which leads me on to my steamed rice, this was probably the worst rice I've had in a restaurant, steamed rice should be soft and fluffy, not clumping or have hard grains of rice in it, the only bonus was it came piping hot.

Dessert came, which again I felt a bit disappointed by. Banana fritters with ice cream, the banana came with some form of cream to them, in my experience bananas go soft, sweet, mushy and hot when fried or cooked. The outer batter was nice and crispy but the bananas just didn't work for me. Ice cream was nice but again pretty generic.

Not a very good experience for me or my partner, so I can't see us going back...

I cannot speak highly enough about Bua Thai restaurant. I went with my wife on Valentine's Day, and, from the moment we stepped in, everything was perfect. We received a very warm welcome from the owner, we're promptly shown to our table and our waitress came very quickly for our drinks order. The place is decorated in a typically Thai style and there was a really nice ambience, probably helped by the fact it was fully booked. The food was plentiful and absolutely delicious and the prices were very reasonable. Service was attentive but not over-bearing and there were some very nice little touches relevant to the day. It's all too easy to forget about the smaller restaurants on your doorstep and, in the past, we have certainly travelled miles to a restaurant that hasn't been half as good as this one. There is no question now, when we fancy Thai food, this is where we'll be heading.I cannot speak highly enough about Bua Thai restaurant. I went with my wife on Valentine's Day, and, from the moment we stepped in, everything was perfect. We received a very warm welcome from the owner, we're promptly shown to our table and our waitress came very quickly for our drinks order. The place is decorated in a typically Thai style and there was a really nice ambience, probably helped by the fact it was fully booked. The food was plentiful and absolutely delicious and the prices were very reasonable. Service was attentive but not over-bearing and there were some very nice little touches relevant to the day. It's all too easy to forget about the smaller restaurants on your doorstep and, in the past, we have certainly travelled miles to a restaurant that hasn't been half as good as this one. There is no question now, when we fancy Thai food, this is where...

An Absolute Gem: My New Favorite Thai Restaurant! I finally found it! After living near this restaurant for 15 years, I'm genuinely disappointed I didn't discover it sooner. My visit yesterday was an absolute delight, and I can confidently say this is the most authentic and delicious Thai food I've had in a long time. From the moment we walked in, the staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming, setting the tone for a fantastic meal. We started with the soft shell crab, and it was cooked to perfection – crispy, flavorful, and not at all greasy. For mains, I dove into the spicy pork stir-fry. It had two chili marks on the menu, and while it definitely had a kick, it was perfectly balanced – hot enough to be exciting without being overwhelming. The real showstopper, however, was the papaya salad. It's so incredibly hard to find a truly authentic and delicious papaya salad, but theirs was simply outstanding. I was thrilled to see it on the specials menu, and ordering it was one of the best decisions of the night. The portions across the board were incredibly generous; so much so that I even needed a doggy bag to take some home! I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough to anyone looking for amazing, authentic Thai food. It's a solid 5-star experience, and I'll definitely be a...