Issue 16

Sometimes it seems that London has more Thai restaurants than fish and chip shops, but at Thai Select Nipa Thai one thing you can be assured of is the authenticity of the cuisine.

There are Pad Thais and then again there are Pad Thais. Nipa Thai’s rendition of the Thai classic certainly falls into the latter category. “The best in London,” claims the restaurant’s Manager, Kaseam Jongpitakrat without a trace of arrogance as he guides me through the menu. Fortunately, his confidence is not ill-placed.
Instead of bite-sized prawns, a whole lobster sliced down the middle is served up with the more traditional rice noodle, tofu, spring onion and crushed peanut. It is a magnificent triumph. Despite the somewhat exotic twist, Jongpitakrat is keen to emphasise that the cuisine served up at Nipa Thai is authentically Thai.
The key to any Pad Thai lies in the all important tamarind sauce and palm sugar, and here Jongpitakrat assures the food is strictly kosher. Ingredients are flown in twice a week from Bangkok and then lovingly prepared by the team of six chefs all of whom are Thai. “We have a happy team,” he says.

Head chef Sanguan Parr has worked here for 17 years, joining shortly after the restaurant opened, although she has only recently risen taken charge of the kitchen. Clearly this is a woman who knows the virtue of patience, a trait that goes well with producing the finest in Thai cuisine. She has even had the privilege of catering for Thai royalty on a recent visit. And it comes as no surprise that Nipa Thai is often regarded as one of the finest Thai restaurants in London.

As is so often the caser, it’s the details that make Nipa Thai stand out. Even that standard take-away filler, prawn crackers, is served with a side dish of a tangy sweet chilli sauce.

Jongpitakrat and his team are also more than happy to prepare dishes that are not on the menu, such as goong chae nam pla, raw prawns served with a spicy fish sauce, garlic slices and mint leaves, which is a dish you do not find outside of Thailand. Clearly service as much as the cuisine is traditionally Thai.
The restaurant has recently undergone a major refurbishment led by Bangkok-based designer John Lightbody, who is responsible for the interior design at Nipa Thai’s sister property, The Landmark Bangkok. Aficionados of the Sukhumvit five-star hotel might recognise the heavy use of teak and the clean design. Others might also note the Jim Thompson fabrics on the chairs.

Authentic Thai cuisine with traditional Thai service and ambience in the heart of London, the only thing that is not typically Thai is the weather – but there again you can hardly blame Jongpitakrat and his team for that.

Nipa Thai
Lancaster London Hotel, Lancaster Terrace, London
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7551 6039
www.niparestaurant.co.uk

Words by Mark Bibby Jackson

Food tips:Yard long bean

An Asian green bean which grows to be a yard long and sometimes longer. The green beans are typically cut into small pieces and added to stir-frys. The beans may also be deep fried, steamed or boiled. If not available at the market, green beans can be used as a substitute.

Thai Select

Nipa Thai is endorsed by the DITP under its Thai Select scheme. The Thai SELECT programme was launched to certify and promote authentic Thai cuisine around the world. It is a seal of approval granted to Thai restaurants – both overseas and local Thai eateries that serve authentic food – and processed Thai food products. The objective is to increase the recognition of quality Thai restaurants and processed Thai food products as well as to encourage Thai restaurateurs and food producers to raise quality while maintaining authenticity. For more details of the scheme visit: http://www.thaiselect.com