Name: SUDA Thai Cafe and Restaurant
Address: 23 Slingsby Pla St Martin‚s Courtyard, London, Covent Garden, WC2E 9AB, UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 2324 2526
Rating: 7

SUDA is in a development so new streetmap.co.uk can’t find it. Because there is a shortage of new shopping precincts in the capital, St. Martin’s Courtyard is the West End’s new “shopping and dining destination” for those who are never affected by recessions. From the outside the two-floor glass fronted SUDA is gleaming, certainly looking upmarket enough to sit side by side with neighbours The White Company and Massimo Dutti. Inside there is lots of wood; the furniture is made of pine, and there are toy-like carved animals on the tables, while the subtle outline of images of rice sacks decorates the walls. The upstairs dining room is spacious and airy, with floor to ceiling windows and a large central bar with stools around it, and with the added bonus of being able to spy on the chefs through the kitchen window.

Billed as a “Siamese Rice Bar”, the menu is a gourmet take on Thai favourites, divided into noodles, curries, rice, som tam - i.e. spicy salads - and a separate menu for veggies. There are cocktails too, like guava daiquiris and a Thai version of a tequila sunrise, as well as a curious Thai Shiraz wine, though we stick to a safe Ondarre Rioja Crianza for £24. Dishes are helpfully marked with a peanut to indicate there are nuts (just as well, as over half the dishes here have them) and one to three chilies denotes the level of spiciness. Heaven knows what three chilies would do to the palate, as the two-chili country style duck with som tam salad makes my eyes water. The slices of marinated duck and onion are tasty, but the interspersed mint leaves are just not serving their cooling purpose, and the salad contains whole red chilies as well as papaya and lettuce leaves. The equally fiery vegetable red curry is a lovely concoction of lemongrass-flavoured vegetables, served with a mound of brown rice. Easier to eat are the fish and prawn lollipops, mini fish and prawn cakes on sticks served in tumblers with a sweet chili dressing, sliced cucumbers and carrots. The tofu and orinji mushroom skewers are coated in a flavoursome satay sauce, but SUDA’s signature rice wraps are boring by comparison, as the raw, crunchy vegetables and tofu lack flavour, even when dipped in sauce. Desserts are excellent – a sticky rice roll is stuffed with dark bitter chocolate, and the taro balls in coconut cream are little rice flour balls and noodles in the Asian equivalent of custard, it’s creamy, gloopy and delicious.

SUDA’s location and sleekness might suggest a meal here would be expensive, but most main dishes are under the £10 mark; a three course meal for two with wine is around £65, leaving you with enough spare change to buy a mulberry silk duvet from over the road.

Monday	Open 11:00 - Closes 22:30
Tuesday	Open 11:00 - Closes 22:30
Wednesday	Open 11:00 - Closes 22:30
Thursday	Open 11:00 - Closes 23:00
Friday	Open 11:00 - Closes 23:00
Saturday	Open 11:00 - Closes 23:00
Sunday	Open 12:00 - Closes 22:30

SUDA Thai Cafe and Restaurant

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