“Busaba is a Thai flower. Eathai is a fusion of the words eat and Thai.”

A simple enough name for a place with pared back decor and a menu small enough to navigate when hunger is knocking at the door.

Taste 

The dishes however are far from simple. Beautifully presented and full of flavour, Busaba knows which ingredients work together. I’m not usually a huge fan of Thai food but I like the light flavours and the fact that you don’t leave here hungry.

The chilli prawn fried rice is my favourite dish, although be warned, it is very spicy. I usually have a Koh Samui drink to accompany it, which is a creamy blend of coconut, carrot and orange.

Effectiveness 

In my mind, the sign of an ‘effective’ restaurant is one that you do not leave hungry; while the portions here look small on the plate, they are filling .

Convenience 

Busaba has locations all across London, in Shoreditch, The O2, Soho, Bloomsbury, Marylebone, Leicester Square, Hoxton, Westfield London, Covent Garden, Westfield Stratford City and Chelsea.

Price wise, ordering a ‘rice set’ (£8.50) is cheaper than ordering a curry (£8.90 – £10.90) with rice (£3.50). But the prices here are not insane for a nice London restaurant with good service and a great atmosphere.

My only tiny gripe about this place is that the seats are wooden and uncomfortable (similar to Wagamama’s) and they often sit you on a table with other people when other tables are free – so you could end up smack bang in the middle of someone’s date/business meeting/super awkward conversation.

Ingredients

One of Busaba’s many ethos’s is: ‘Gan Gin Gan Yuu’ which means ‘as you eat, so you are’, this means they take special care over the choice of ingredients, preparation and presentation.

The cutlery is also sourced from a small family run business in Bangkok and it’s very clear careful attention is taken over the look and feel of the cutlery and crockery.

‘R factor’

I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a break from the usual dinner places (serial nando-ers I’m looking at you).

There’s something to suit most tastes, but the menu is very seafood heavy – try the calamari if you love squid like me.

Have you been to Busaba Eathai? Let me know what you thought in the comments section.