Thai Boran, 56 Green Lane, Derby, DE1 1RP

Yet another thai restaurant, is indicative of the cuisine types available in Derby (there's a further two thai/oriental openings planned for this month alone). A vast selection of Indian & oriental restaurants, but still no decent "pub grub" within the city centre. What I'd give for a plate of piping hot smooth buttery mash and some locally produced herby sausages and ladle of rich fruity onion gravy (decent grub)........don't get me going!

Having stayed late at my shop one Monday evening, staining one of the floors. I was ready for a beer and a quick food fix. We were just about to snap the final lock shut when a couple of friends waltzed by, en route to Thai Boran. We didn't need to be asked twice.......in fact we didn't need to be asked. We were coming!
I've always prided myself on knowing most eateries within the city centre, but Thai Boran on Green Lane, was new to me. I hadn't ventured this far up Green Lane since Alf James closed down (how I used to think it was cool to walk around Derby with one of those fake cigarettes, puffing out clouds of talcum powder!).

The Tardis size interior revealed a cluster of rooms, filled with the habitual large wood carved elephants and scenes of Thailand. A table in the main auditorium was selected by your now extremely hungry stain (floor) covered host.

Thai beers already in place, and several bowls of fiery prawn crackers later, it was the Toong Thong (isn't that what Betty Boop wears?) that arrived first (£3.99). A brass stand topped with half a dozen crispy wonton parcels, filled with minced prawn & chicken and a sweet chilli dipping sauce, was equally shared between me and Bec. Charlie Dimmock would have been proud of the accompanying floral arrangement, carefully carved from large oriental radishes and dipped in the chilli sauce, they also tasted half decent.

The extremely nervous waiter swapped our empty beer bottles for full ones and removed the rest of the flower arrangement, ensuring he kept everything at arms length (does he think I've put one of Alf James's exploding detonators in the food remnants?!)

The main event for me was Gai Yang Phoo Khao Fai (or chargrilled chicken) £7.49 and Pad Num Mun Hoi £6.79, for the Bec. Once more served up by the apprehensive looking waiter. I reckon he'd recently been reading the Firework Code. "No 4: Light the firework at arm's length, and stand well back!" I couldn't get over his unusual body language.

The chefs artistic talents had again been put to full use, with my chicken dish served up sizzling in a cleverly created tin foil chicken. It was a perfect combination of thai herbs and grilled chicken, hot, sweet and garlicky. I forgot to order rice but as usual there's always plenty of it kicking around, so I pilfered some of our companions steamed jasmine rice to absorb any remaining juices in the base of my foil bird. Bootiful! Bec's dish was her favourite combination of chicken and mushroom. Well presented again, but padded out with a few too many peppers for her liking.

All in all it was a really good discovery. If we hadn't polished off about 5 beers each the bill would have been around £20-£25, for one starter to share and a couple of mains and drinks.

I do like Thai, but let's hope that sooner than later, someone sees an opening for something different within the city centre. We shouldn't be forced to flee the city in an attempt to find some decent grub, no wonder Pizza Express and Zizzi are always busy.

Food 7/10

Service 6/10

Venue 5/10 (the toilets let it down abit)

Tel: 01332 343933

"Eighties - I'm living in the eighties, Eighties - I have to push, I have to struggle, Eighties" (Eighties, Killing Joke, 1984)

Martin, September, 2007

The Thai Kitchen, 3 Wilne Lane, Shardlow, DE72 2HA

The new Alvaston Bypass can now propel you from Derby to Shardlow in minutes, so mother, sister et moi hit the gas and 10 minutes later we're pulling up outside the old Lady in Grey hotel. Dark and derelict from the outside, the entrance reveals a 'Narnia' esk junk shop interior with old tables, carvings and various brik-a-brak squeezed into every nook and cranny.
Considering it's August, the room felt surprisingly cold (mind you, hasn't this summer been the worst you can remember!?). Then as if by magic the heating suddenly came to life. Things are gonna start warming up!

The constantly bowing waitress took our order, nothing for the mother but Tempura Squid (£4.95) for me. Lightly battered, soft fleshed hoops of yummy squid with a choice of three dipping sauces, thai-riffic! Sis had a bash at the Thai Mixed starter (£5.45), a platter of various deep fried morsels and the ubiquitous ornate radish carving (are you supposed to eat this?).
The bowing waitress removed our plates and returned with the three mains. Mother had ordered Pad Prio Wan Gai (£7.15), a modern take on Sweet & Sour Chicken, a bit too sweet for her palate she proclaimed, but it still kept her quiet for some time. I ordered Gai Pad Med Ma-Muang (£7.65). I was intrigued by the description's foot notes proclaiming that this is Andy Roddick's favourite dish (world no.2 tennis player, in case you didn't know). I'd never have guessed he lived in Alvaston!. A classic thai combination of chicken, cashew nuts & chillies was accompanied by a bowl of sticky rice. A bit too fiery for me considering it only had a 1 out of 5 heat rating. Sister ordered Pad Gra Praw Gai hor Kai (I assure you these are the genuine names!) at £8.25 it was the most expensive, and also the most disappointing. The stir fried chicken with holy basil in an omlette, came....without the omlette wrap, resulting in an expensive plate of stir fried chicken & mushrooms. "So solly, fort yoo ask foor diflent dish". Well they never charged for it, which in my opinion is the only thing a restaurant should do in these circumstances. I'm still amazed how a kitchen that isn't busy, get such basic things wrong.

The eclectic interior is fun, but I do draw the line at the amount of cobwebs. I know it adds to the C.S. Lewis experience, but I don't think stir fried chicken with sweet & sour spider would go down well with most people.
Worth a look, but don't go in your Armarni suit or Jimmy Choo's!
Food 5/10
Service 6/10
Venue 6/10 (or 2/10 if you don't like spiders or cobwebs)
Tel: 01332 793311

"Don't tread on an ant he's done nothing to you, there might come a day, when he's treading on you" (Ant Music, Adam & The Ants, 1980)

Martin, August 2007

Unfortunately, despite the fact I thought this was a fun place and the food was acceptable, some friends visited last month and told me the food was very poor, and the restaurant was cold. Probably best avoided.

Martin, February 2009

Little Siam, Friargate, Derby

When looking for somewhere to eat, why do we often look through the window of the restaurant before deciding to go in? What are we afraid of? Does the amount of people dining determine the quality of the food? Are we afraid that if we're sat on our own, other people will look through the window and say "look at that wierd pair"? Or is it just that we Brits like safety in numbers?
Well I was going to dine here on Wednesday night with my mother & sister, but when mother saw it had only 2 diners, she promptly shrugged her shoulders and moved us on to Zizzi. 48 hours later & I'm back, a few more diners were present, but for a Friday night and prime location it was quiet (could be the time of year). I'd booked for 8, but me & the missus didn't turn up till 8.30. I think the complimentary prawn crackers had been waiting for half an hour, and had obviously given up. The place felt like it was stuck in a bit of an 80's 'Phoenix Nights' time warp, and I don't think the pictures of food plates displayed in the window do much to help, to me this lends itself to an air of 'take-away'. Menus hadn't been given much thought, with the customary wipe clean, plastic folder type. The layout was more like someone's cv than a menu (why do chinese restaurants still use the number system "I'll have a number 34, with a number 76" ??) With any restaurant, it's about attention to detail. Of course, no restaurant should be judged solely on it's type of menu, lighting, type of seats or whatever, but all these things are like pieces of a jigsaw, and when put together, they form a whole picture.
Orders for food & drink were promptly taken. First up was the mixed platter to share (£12 for 2 people) I'm a fan of starters in restaurants (I'd take starter over desert any time), but this type of starter is more visual, than taste, with the usual ornate flower carvings made from carrots & raddishes, all perfectly arranged on a brass stand. I reckon we'd paid £5, just for the visuals. Anyway I ate faster than Bec, so I got more. Only a bit of soggy sesame prawn toast remained. Plenty of entertainment was provided during the interval, when a waitress spilt what I assume was a glass of red wine, over a punter on the table opposite, "Panic stations". I'm thinking free meal here and dry cleaning bill !
Sweet and sour chicken for me, chicken with sweetcorn & mushrooms for Bec. Plenty of pineapple, tomatoe and onion, but the chicken was a bit thin on the ground. Bec's chicken was plentyfull, but the sauce didn't want to join in, and where's the chips ? "Sorry for the delay" when they finally turned up (how, when it's quiet, do they manage to do this?) Food eaten, fight over who pays, departure....
I know the owners are new and are obviously carrying the legacy of the previous guys, but it needs more than just a name change (which incidentally sounds too much like Siam Corner in Derby) Look at how indian restaurants like Anoki, Masala Art, etc have dragged them selves into the 21st Century, with modern contemporary dining, attentive service and ultimately good (& at times interestingly different) food. Come on guys, you're in a prime spot, Friargate, it should be rockin here. Give us a reason to come back, you're not the only Thai/Chinese in Deby.
£38 for 2, with drinks.
Food 5/10
Service 6/10 (I think the table opposite would disagree tho!!)
Venue 4/10
Tel: 01332 344828
www.littlesiam.co.uk

"Would you like number 23?" (Hong Kong Garden, Siouxsie and the Banshees, 1978)
Martin, Saturday 13th January 2007