The Begging Bowl
Thai
168 Bellenden Rd, Peckham, SE15 4BW
££
Named after the alms pots that Thai Monks carry, the Begging Bowl is an institution in South East London. Originally opening in 2012, rumour has it that Andy Oliver worked here before opening up Som Saa (only my favourite restaurant in London). The venue itself is airy and light, much like the warehouse space Som Saa is housed in, although the Begging Bowl feels less cold-trendy, and more neighbourhood-cosy. The staff are all friendly and young, eager to make sure you’re satisfied with your food and know the right number of dishes to order. There’s even a cocktail bar around the back that has recently opened up, serving fresh Thai flavours nestled amongst classic spirits.
Despite the casual surroundings, this place means business. You won’t find a Thai Green curry or Pad Thai on the menu, instead, it is awash with explorative and flavoursome small plates: everything designed for sharing. Mum had told me she wanted a delicious Thai lunch for her birthday, and instead of trapesing up to Spitalfields, I thought it would be a nice idea to give good old Peckham a shot. We started our meal with a round of cocktails (all around £10), to mark the special occasion, and they were all delicious.
For food, we ordered some Larb Nuts (£3), Garlic chive cakes (£7), Squid & pork longon salad (£13), Mataba minced mutton roti (£9), Fried chicken thighs (£11), Som Tam papaya salad (£9), Geng gari pumpkin and cauliflower curry (£15), and of course a whole Deep Fried Seabass (£18). There were 4 of us, and the staff advised us to get around 2 dishes each. It was the perfect amount – given that the introduction nuts were obviously a considerably smaller portion than the sea bass finale. We also opted for some limitless Jasmine & Sticky rice for £3 per head – of which we had at least 3 refills to make it worth it.
The Chive Cakes arrived first, 4 in a portion which was perfect. They were bouncy and chewy to bite, meaning they must have been combined with some kind of rice mixture to get them that texture. They were flavoursome, and the rice-like based was perfect for mopping up the chilli soy sauce that they were served with. After a promising start, we were served the Thai Fried Chicken, succulent thighs that came with aggressive spikes of batter jutting out of them, you could tell just by looking at these bad boys how crispy they were going to be, yet not at all overdone, as the chicken inside stayed nice and juicy.
Next up was the Mutton Roti, where meat and veg were fried in an incredibly crisp and thin layer of dough and came with a side of onion, coriander, chilli and cucumber: balancing out the grease with the sharp and fresh Thai flavours I love. This was many people’s highlight of the meal, given its unexpected greatness and originality. My favourite was to come next: a stunning Pork and Squid Longon Salad, dressed with coriander, mint, lime and ginger. The salad was swimming in a tangy yellow sauce, which had the saltiness and bitterness of the classics. The pork was melt-in-your-mouth tender, still holding subtle meaty tones despite the strong dressing, whilst the squid was just the right side of chewy and played a perfect counterpart to the pork in mopping up all the external flavours.
Almost last to arrive was the Geng Gari curry, composed of pumpkin, cauliflower and button onions and swimming in an aromatic orange sauce. This one was the closest to a ‘tradition’ that you could get yet didn’t strike me as either a red or a green curry, rather a player in its own game. What’s more, pumpkin and cauliflower are rarely seen to be vegetables used in Thailand, which gave the dish a distinctive British feel to the warm Asian flavours. To finish the adventure was the whole fried Sea Bass: one to rival it’s infamous brother served at Som Saa. Just as good, if not better, it was served on a complementary bed of herbs, chilli, green mango, white turmeric and roasted rice. The rice gave the popping crunchy texture, whilst the palm sugar bit through the bitter green mango. It was nothing short of sublime.
When the meal finished, we didn’t possibly think we could fit anything else in. However, whilst our plates during the dishes were cleared promptly, there was a little lag in wrapping up the end. This was no bother to us, and just hinted to the relaxed feel of the place (it was Sunday after all). What this delay did allow for, however, was us to work up a sweet tooth and agree to ponder the dessert menu. It was short and sweet, comprising only 3 options. We went for the Banana Roti (£7) and the Condensed Milk Ice Cream (£6).
The Roti was crisp and thin, leading way to a warm and mushy banana filling. There was a creamy sauce drizzled over the top, which I can only think to be condensed milk, which brought it all together into one indulgent and sensational whole. For something which is essentially a banana pancake, this dish managed to go above and beyond what I expected and showed how even the most basic ingredients can be made into a marvel. The condensed milk was a similar win: three scoops of the thickest ice cream I’ve ever tasted. It was difficult to cut, not because it was too cold, but because the denseness had made it freeze almost totally solid. A few years ago a shop called Cook discontinued its ice cream, which I still believe to be the best in the world. The Begging Bowl is the only place I have ever known to rival it.
As you can probably guess, I’m a serious fan of this place. It feels homey, unpretentious, yet oozes the style and confidence of Piers Brosnan’s James Bond. The food is definitely top of the list of best Thai’s in London, its only competition being that of my one true love Som Saa, who I’m not quite ready to defeat just yet. Despite the modest appearance, this place is sophisticated beyond belief, and is perfect for any special occasion (with a pretty big bill to match.) Will I be back? Without a doubt. If I was doubting Peckham’s up and coming status before, I’m definitely not now.
OVERALL RATING: *****
https://thebeggingbowl.co.uk/
