The Open Guide to London: the free London guide

• Nearby tube stops: Hammersmith
• Takeaway: Free local delivery on orders over �15 or 10% discount on collection (in evening only) [2002-04-19]

Food

Over 60 varied dishes on the menu in total; appetisers start at �3.95 for spring rolls (nice), crispy bean curd (very plain and a little over-fried), vegetable tempura (not bad, not as battery and greasy as it can often be), deep-fried leek-stuffed pancakes (the stuffing's really tasty), corn cakes (again a little over-fried). You can get a selection of each of the vegetarian appetisers for two people to share for �8.95, or a selection of meaty starters (such as satay chicken, deep-fried prawns in pancakes, etc), again for two, for �9.95. The Thai soups are pretty good - Tom Yum Hed (spicy soup with mushrooms) and Tom Ka Hed (coconut-milk soup with mushrooms) are both �3.95, and I would say higher quality than the deep-fried starters. All the vegetarian starters are vegan.

Main courses range from �4.10 for vermicelli salad (with peanut, onion, coriander, chilli and lemon) and yum coral (white fungus with chilli, onion, lemon and coriander) up to �7.80 for a steamed pot of king prawns, crab claws, glass noodles and dried mushrooms.

Vegans should try out the Som Tum (raw shredded green papaya and carrot in a lime, peanut and chilli dressing, �4.90), Pad Khing Tao Hoo (fried tofu with ginger, mushrooms, spring onions and soy sauce, �4.20), Pad Kra Prao Tao Hoo (fried tofu with chilli and fresh Thai basil, �4.20), Hed Wine Dang (mushrooms with ginger and red wine in a Thai sweet and sour sauce (not like Chinese sweet and sour), �4.20). On the slightly spicier side (still vegan), try Pad Hed Kee Mao (mushrooms with chilli, garlic, fresh Thai basil and scotch whisky, �4.20). (These are all personal recommendations from Kake.)

Other vegan dishes are the vegetable versions of the green, red, jungle and mussamun curries (all with tofu, �4.50). The mussamun curry has tinned potatoes in, which is slightly odd, but not unpleasant if you're forewarned.

Steamed rice is �1.60, an ample portion of sticky rice is �2.40.

[Prices at 2002-04-19]

Service and Ambience

This is a real local, friendly, little place. Come here two or three times and the manager will remember you and ask you how you're doing. It's not very big, though there is a larger room downstairs that I've never seen anyone in; this might be intended for parties. The service is friendly and discreet. People seem to enjoy themselves here.

Other Reviews

It doesn't seem to be very well-known; there's hardly anything about it on the web. Some of the mentions I found were mis-spelled as "Ruen Thai".

• London Eating review