Rosa's Thai Cafe
Thai
26 Earlham St, WC2H 9LN
£
Rosa’s Thai café is actually run by Saiphin: who was born in the East and grew up in the East end. The name came around as Saiphin’s first establishment was previously called Rosa’s: out of respect for the previous owner, and through lack of funds, she didn’t change the exterior of the restaurant. Starting as a market stall in Brick Lane and growing to now having 10 establishments across London, Rosa’s intentions are the same: to serve humble and honest Thai food to warm both hearts and bellies.
A casual vibe, Rosa’s service is quick and easy enough for a lunch break catch up. However, they are extremely popular, so booking is recommended if you want to guarantee yourself a spot! I was first introduced to Rosa’s when I started a new job in Covent Garden, as it was supposed to be the venue for my team welcome lunch. However, after a screw up with the booking, 8 of us left hungry and on the search for somewhere else when they simply couldn’t fit us in. After this, I was determined to get to Rosa’s another lunchtime and managed to do a 45 minute catch up with at the Seven Dials establishment with a friend today, who also works nearby.
We both went for a Pad Thai: Kathleen the Veggie and Tofu (£7.95) and me the Prawn (£9.95). Service was friendly and prompt, with our food arriving around 15 minutes after ordering. The portions were generous and for the central London location a decent price too! The prawns in mine were huge, and cooked perfectly, whilst the noodles had just the right amount of sauce. Overall, a very pleasant Pad Thai experience and definitely the best I’ve had since leaving Thailand.
There’s heaps more favourites on the menu, such as green curry, spring rolls and chicken satay, despite it being perfectly concise. If you have longer than we did I would strongly recommend trying more starters etc as the spring rolls and chicken satay on the table next to us looked fantastic! Overall, a non-fussy, inviting and tasty choice for a casual meal. Well done Rosa’s!
OVERALL RATING: *****
https://www.rosasthaicafe.com/
