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