Month: September 2016

Oh Happy Day!!!!! I am over the moon right now having solved one of the biggest food challenges I have faced in London. I am constantly (and unsuccessfully) scouring West London for the best Thai food I can have delivered to accompany me on my Netflix binges, and up until now, I’ve had to trek over to Edgeware Road myself just to bring back my original favorite Thai from the Heron Pub. Now, I have a VERY close and equally delicious option at Market Thai. No, they don’t deliver, but this right on my husband’s commute home and he is very good to me. 

I have been desperate! My guys at my Connecticut Thai place felt like family. They knew my order–Chicken Pad Thai with extra scallions and some of that Satay peanut sauce on the side–and every time it came out to perfection. I have tried so hard to replicate my meals and experiences there. But up until now, most Thai (and Mexican) places have let me down. (Thai and Mexican are tied for my favorite type of cuisine, but a good Pad Thai, that would be my last meal before execution.)

Market Thai inside is MUCH nicer than you would expect from the outside. It’s located on the corner of Lancaster Road and Portobello Road, just above Ukai. It has ratty signs and a dingy entrance that takes you up a dark staircase that faintly smells of cigarette smoke. At the top of the stairs, on the left, a double door leads into a surprisingly clean, pretty, authentic, rustic dining atmosphere. I was seriously blown away. Their sign boasts that it’s newly reopened, so perhaps it’s freshly remodeled? The busser did not speak enough English to make sense of it for me. She said the restaurant has been there thirty years, but then looked at me with a blank stare when I asked about the “Reopened” sign. 

That language barrier did not prevent me from getting a bottle of water and perfect Chicken Pad Thai with a side of Satay peanut sauce. It was presented in front of me in a timely fashion and went down just as quick. I had a lovely little lunch experience at Market Thai and cannot wait to go back (maybe for lunch tomorrow and with my husband this Saturday). 

I just wish, with my whole little heart, that Market Thai would get on the delivery circuit. Nowadays, with services like Deliveroo, restaurants don’t even need the delivery infrastructure (like a car and a high-schooler), they just need the Internet. Until then, I will take my hungover or too-lazy-to-cook self down to Market Thai those days the craving strikes. I suggest you do too. Enjoy!

Market Thai
240 Portobello Road
London W11 1LL

BOOM. It’s Carnival year round over at Notting Hill’s Boom Burger. The Jamaican burger joint under the Westway overpass on Portobello Road is a youthful hangout and takeout hotspot. A visit to Boom Burger is recommended if you want a chill and inexpensive experience, unique food, and a brief escape from the English culture.

There are some serious vibes over at Boom Burger. Picnic tables out front are filled with young kids loitering, smoking joints, and digging in to some intense burgers. Reggae music is blasting, entertaining the street. Inside, you will find casual tables and decor proudly sporting the colors of red, green, yellow. The dining is informal. You order at the register and grab a seat while the open kitchen tirelessly flips burger after burger.

It was actually mesmerizing to watch how on point the staff was at quickly preparing and packaging dozens of to-go orders while simultaneously filling the burger baskets for the waiting diners. It was hot, loud, and sweaty, but that didn’t stop the Boom Burger staff. They were chill. 

After a short wait, we were handed our signature Boom Burgers–cheeseburgers with their own bacon jam–and baskets of fries and (my favorite) fried plantains. The fried plantains satisfy your savory side dish needs and sweet post-meal dessert cravings all in one bite. They are an absolute must at Boom Burger.
It won’t be the best burger experience you’ll ever have, but it will be something different. Do not bring parents that may be hard of hearing or expect to be able to have an in-depth conversation with dinner mates across the table. But do bring your hungover buddy that needs a greasy fix. A quick and easy guilty pleasure is waiting for you both over at Boom Burger. 

Boom Burger
272 Portobello Road
London W10 5TY