• About The Hedonist
  • Bar Talk-Where we’re drinking
    • The Polo Bar @ The Westbury
    • Pink Chihuahua
    • 69 Colebrooke Row – Review
    • The Bar at the George V Paris – Review
    • Duke’s Bar – Review
    • Bassoon Bar – Review
    • Banca – Review
    • THE EGERTON HOUSE BAR -Review
    • The Lucky Pig – Review
    • Beagle – Review
    • 214 Bermondsey – Review
  • London Restaurant Reviews
    • Caractère – Review Notting Hill
    • Patri – Review
    • Villa di Geggiano – Review
    • African Volcano @  Great Guns Social  
    • Beso – Review
    • Padella – Review
    • 28°-50° London Wine Workshop and Kitchen – Review
    • The Goring – Review
    • Freakscene – Review
    • CUB – Review
    • Tsukiji Sushi – Review
    • COYA Angel Court – Review
    • Nutbourne – Review
    • Galvin Bistrot de Luxe – Review
    • Palatino – Review
    • Lao Café – Review
    • Galvin at The Athenaeum – Review
    • 7 Park Place – Review
    • QP London – Review
    • Cinnamon Bazaar – Review
    • Chinese New Year @ Hakkasan
    • Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – Review
    • The Ritz @ Xmas – Review
    • Coriander – Review
    • El Parador – Review
    • Inamo – Review
    • Ostuni – Review
    • Chai Wu – Review
    • Shotgun BBQ – Review
    • Ormer Mayfair – Review
    • Review-The Angler
    • The Harcourt – Review
    • Pizzicotto – Review
    • The Painted Heron – Review
    • All Star Lanes – Review
    • Kurobuta Harvey Nichols – Review
    • Bangalore Express – Review
    • Zero Degrees – Review
    • Chakra – Review
    • Cottons Caribbean Restaurant and Salon de Rhum – Review
    • Lotus – Review
    • Charlotte’s W5 – Review
    • Massimo – Review
    • Brasserie Les 110 de Taillevent – Review
    • The Dalloway Terrace @ The Bloomsbury hotel – Review
    • Plum + Spilt Milk – Review
    • Bella Cosa – Review
    • Roka Aldwych – Review (with Bookatable)
    • Brasserie Gustave – Review
    • Muga – Review
    • Barrafina – Review
    • Charlotte’s Place – Review
    • The New St Grill – Review
    • The Lockhart – Review
    • Kêu – Review
    • The Richmond – Review
    • Allan Pickett @ Sanderson – Review
    • Scents of Summer Afternoon Tea @ The InterContinental London
    • Tartufi & Friends @ Harrods – Review
    • The Five Fields – Review
    • West Thirty Six – Review
    • Evoluzione @ Hotel Xenia Kensington – Review
    • Rex & Mariano – Review
    • Kitchen Table @ Bubbledogs – Review
    • John Doe – Review
    • Ceru – Review
    • Kouzu – Review
    • Enoteca Rabezzana – Review
    • Old Tom & English – Review
    • The Wallace – Review
    • Zaika – Review
    • Xmas at Boulestin – Review
    • Crocker’s Folly – Review
    • The Cavendish – Review
    • Laurent-Perrier at The New Angel – Review
    • Assado – Review
    • The Life Goddess – Review
    • Bubba Gump Shrimp Co – Review
    • Ember Yard – Review
    • The Palomar – Review
    • Blanchette – Review
    • Cannizaro House – Review
    • 1901 Restaurant at Andaz – Review
    • Notting Hill Kitchen – Review
    • The Guildford Arms – Review
    • Curry for Change @ Cafe Spice Namaste
    • Chotto Matte – Review
    • Lyle’s – Review
    • The Clove Club – Review
    • Quo Vadis – Review
    • Polpetto – Review
    • Osteria dell Angelo – Review
    • Amsterdam-Johannes Restaurant – Review
    • The Worlds End Market – Chelsea
    • Brigade Bar & Bistro- Review
    • La Polenteria – Review
    • Mele e Pere – Review
    • La Mancha – Review
    • The Well – Review
    • Harrods The Salad Kitchen – Review
    • Layla – Review
    • See Sushi – Review
    • Pescatori Mayfair – Review
    • Flesh & Buns – Review
    • Grain Store – Review
    • Acciuga – Review
    • Pizza Pilgrims – Review
    • Les Trois Garcons – Review
    • Little Social – Review
    • Review-Ametsa with Arzak Instruction
    • Review-Balthazar
    • Reviews-Brasserie Zedel
    • Review-Copita
    • Review-Hawksmoor Air St.
    • The Glasshouse – Review
    • Review-Coya
    • 214 Bermondsey – Review
  • Travel
    • Tuscany
      • Tuscany-A Florentine Feast with Anna Bini
      • Tuscany-Olive Oil Pressing in Pistoia-Olio Nuovo
      • Tuscany-Pecorino and Ricotta from the Pistoia Hills
  • Music
    • When A Gig Goes Wrong – Pop Music’s Hall of Shame

The Hedonist

Executive Menu Launch @ Thai Square – Putney Bridge

July 11, 2017 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Thai Square – Putney Bridge

2-4 Lower Richmond Road, Putney SW15 1LB

Back in the dark days of the late 1990s suburban Putney was home to Putney Bridge, a Michelin starred French restaurant catering to West London yuppies like me in a prize-winning new build. Chef Anthony Demetre went on to open Arbutus, the restaurant that kickstarted the Soho dining revival.IMG_1696Fast-forward to 2011 and the same Putney site became a member of the Thai Square group of restaurants. I’ve been invited to the launch of a new Executive Menu created by recently appointed executive chef Parichat Sanguthai (or Oula as she is known to her friends). IMG_1695Oula was formerly executive chef of the Blue Elephant in Fulham and is known for her skills in blending western and eastern culinary influences to create twists on classic dishes.IMG_1694The restaurant’s exterior is designed to resemble a ship with vaulted steel beams and lots of glass which creates fantastic views across the River Thames from almost every angle. IMG_1683The interiors combine a modernist aesthetic with antique Thai artefacts, including eight Buddha statues who keep a watchful eye on proceedings. For summer eating and drinking the 40-cover riverside terrace offers the perfect spot for al fresco dining.IMG_1662But enough of the PR fluff…What about the cocktails? A refreshing Siam Tra-Kai (£7.50) was a blend of lemongrass, raspberry purée and cranberry juice and the Thai Square full moon (£11) was a sweet and tropical blend of Thai rum, Passai, pineapple and passion fruit juices and fresh passion fruit.IMG_1661A couple of snacks were a foretaste of the meal to come. Compressed watermelon was covered with crisp deep-fried shallots and flavoured with nam pla  (fish sauce) and sugar creating a wonderful layering of flavours combining pungency, crunch and freshness.IMG_1663The delicate sweetness of pomelo was counterpointed with the unfamiliar but delicious flavour of caramelised coconut blended with ginger and chilli for a bit of bite.IMG_1666We moved on to drinking a crisp, lemony Chilean Emiliana Riesling that stood up well to the herbs and spices in the food. Next up we sampled a selection of starters.IMG_1668The centrepiece of a wonderful Seafood Platter was a whole lobster salad infused with chilli and lemongrass. The fragrance of the spicing brought out the delicate lobster flavour perfectly. IMG_1669Luxurious grilled scallops were drenched in butter, garlic and chilli; prawns and chicken dim sum were light and fluffy.IMG_1680Grilled wild tiger prawns came with a sweet basil parfait, rocket salad and radish. I could have eaten twenty of these but I’m greedy…IMG_1664A spicy and fresh tasting duck salad was made up of chargrilled slices of duck breast served with Longan fruit.IMG_1673Baked aubergine with quail egg, sweet pepper, minced chicken breast and prawn, spicy lime dressing and truffle oil was a plate of rich, squishy deliciousness.IMG_1681There was a wide selection of main dishes so we all chose one and tasted some others. A tangy yellow curry had the unmistakable sweet sour flavour of tamarind; the meat from the lamb shank tangy falling off the bone with the inevitability 0f me falling off the wagon.IMG_1676Grilled black cod came wrapped in banana leaf and was sweetened with miso and a chilli jam. It was a good size portion, the flesh was firm but simultaneously melted on your tongue. It tasted fab.IMG_1680Noodles with black truffles and crispy fried prawns with cherry tomatoes, red chilli, garlic, sweet basil and soy had sweet and sour flavours and lots of crunch. The truffles were a little underpowered however.IMG_1679Stir-fried morning glory is a staple in South East Asia, it’s one of my favourite vegetables and always a treat.IMG_1688I always think that having three desserts is a good starting point. A delicate lychee mousse was topped by a wonderfully wobbly jelly, the ginger creme brulée was a perfectly constructed Asian take on the French Brasserie favourite and the coconut flan gave a tropical flavour to the Spanish classic.IMG_1682I didn’t get the meal I expected at Thai Square. Chef Oula is creating a new cuisine blending Thai flavours with western ingredients and techniques to create an expertly delivered original fusion that I haven’t experienced in the UK. There are plenty of Thai classics still on offer but this new Executive Menu is really worth investigating.

 

4.5 / 5 stars     

Filed Under: Restaurants & Bars Tagged With: Putney Bridge, Thai Square

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tags

Acciuga Belgravia Brighton Bruno Loubet Camden Chelsea Chiswick Cocktails Covent Garden Curry D@D Fitzrovia Gallery Mess gin Hackney Harrison's Harrods Hoxton Indian Islington Italian Japanese Kensington King's Rd London London-Unattached Marylebone Mayfair Namaaste Kitchen Negroni Notting Hill pan-asian Peru Peruvian Pizza Restaurant sake Sam's Shoreditch Sloane Square Soho tapas The Hedonist The Saatchi Gallery Tony Conigliaro

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in