Pacata

Asian Restaurant in Covent Garden
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7 / 10 from 1 review
Address
4 New Row
Covent Garden
London
WC2N 4LH
Map
Cuisine
Asian
Region
Covent Garden
Nearest Station
Leicester Square
0.08 miles
Opening Summary
Monday - Sunday: 08:00 - 01:00

Owned by the Thai brewery who produce Singha beer, this all day restaurant serves Japanese, Thai and Indian street food. Yasuji Morizumi, the first Michelin starred Ramen chef, designed the menu, dishes include Pacata Pasta - a Thai style squid ink Tagliatelle with spring onion, eggs, bean sprouts, Chinese tofu and prawns; and Seared Sea Bass with a choice of Green curry, Massaman curry or Japanese curry.

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Pacata Picture
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All In London Review

Pacata mixes Asian street food and western comfort food with tasty results

Review Image
The makers of the famous Singha beer already operate several restaurants in their native Thailand, but this is their first European venture. For this Pan-Asian eatery just off St. Martin’s Lane they’ve enlisted a chef called Yasuji Morisumi, who became the first Michelin-starred ramen chef while at his Hong Kong restaurant Mist. There are just a couple of ramen dishes on the menu at Pacata, which is devoted to street food - mostly from south east Asia - fused with western comfort food. So for breakfast and lunch they have bahn mi, hotdogs with wasabi mayo or tonkatsu ketchup, and kai grata, a Vietnamese dish of fried eggs which you can choose to have with bacon and sausage, or Hollandaise and smoked salmon.

The build-your-own theme runs through the whole menu; aptly titled DIY papaya salad (£7.95) has optional soft shell crab for an extra £1, served with a bowl of lime and fish dressing. We’re advised to batter the ingredients together with the large pestle and mortar provided, but we prefer their un-beaten texture. KFC favourite chicken popcorn (£6.50) is more sophisticated than its junk food forebear here thanks to pandan leaves and spices.

Grilled chicken breast (£13.95) is available with Massaman, Japanese or green curry; the Massaman is very mild, and the addition of green beans, mushrooms and rice make this a wholesome, if slightly uninspired dish. The Korean burger (£9.95) is more interesting, with a medium rare beef patty that’s coated in chilli jam, plus a slice of cheese. On the side there’s mayo and red pepper paste, the latter toned down considerably compared to what you’d be given in Korea.

We like the moreish sweet potato fries which are served in a tin as is de rigeur for any pub, barbecue joint or fast food restaurant these days. They also serve water in jam jars, but faddish details aside, Pacata have cleverly combined two food trends and the result is very appetising.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Mar 25, 2014


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