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EATING
OUT
Taste
of Siam
GG
Madden does spicy at Lum Thai
 The
most arresting feature of Lum Thai on initial inspection
is its billing as an 'authentic Siamese' restaurant. Potentially
confusing for the historically challenged, but inviting
for those who can cast their mind back to Yul Brenner boasting
about his empire in The King and I and realise that Thai
Fish Cakes are on the way.
Although
the menu offers the obvious (set meals and the like) it
was good to see plenty of options for the more adventurous.
We went for the selection of mixed starters (£9.95
for two) for reviewing purposes and were rewarded with spring
rolls with al dente vermicelli; prawns in crisp, leafed
pastry; tempura battered vegetables sufficiently fresh and
light to be mildly virtuous and a thick, crunchy, sweet
satay of a quality rarely found in your local eaterie.
All
the sauces turned out to be winners - their own sweet and
sour was a much more subtle affair than expected, providing
a perfect base for king prawns (£7.50). The squid
in basil and chilli (£6.50) was similarly accomplished
although it could have carried more heat, which is a note
to the chilli loving diner rather than the chef. Pudding
selection veered between the traditional and populist, ie
Thai egg custard and Bailey's covered ice cream. My companion
voted for a banana in hot coconut milk, not my kind of thing
at all. To my amazement it was actually very pleasant and
thankfully prevented us quaffing a second bottle of immensely
palatable wine.
Essential
Information
Food: Good quality, freshly cooked, Thai food catering to
every diet and taste.
Drinks: Adequate wine list, ranging from £9.50 to
£17 a bottle. Despite obligatory chardonnay ennui,
a bottle of Chilean Chardonnay (£10.50) proved to
be an ideal accompaniment to this food. Plenty of beers
and spirits.
Atmosphere: Quiet and calm, appealing to a wide range of
clientele, including an unusual mix of families, young and
old, and lads obviously about to hit the town. But somehow
it seemed to work. The service was also particularly noticeable
- five star swift and discrete, but sensibly down to earth.
Lum Thai
196 Church Road
Hove
Tel: 01273 772072
Open seven days a week from 6 until 11 pm (including Bank
Holidays) for eating in,
and take away (with 10% discount on menu prices)
copyright New Insight 2002
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