Busaba Eathai

mvk0016

The best chain for oriental food in London 18th September 2008

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Busaba Eathai is a very good quality chain of 3 restaurants, and the one in Store Street is in my opinion the best out of the 3. They offer simple food in a Wagamama-style setting (everyone shares a table and you are seating next to other people, sometimes with barely enough space for your plate to fit) although the decor is much nicer than Wagamama and more atmospheric. The dishes on offer vary from the everpresnt Thai curries (the duck curry and the pumpkin one are highly recommended) to more unique dishes of Chicken in Pandan leaf (a favorite for most, as you can see it in almost every table) and Thai calamari (a starter you shouldn't miss!) and some good noodle and stir-fry dishes. The hot and cold tea are all wonderful (hot tea comes in a little pot and is accompanied by coconut cookies) but unfortunately there are no desserts which is a surprise. The food is quite cheap (a tiny bit more expensive than Wagamama prices) and worth every penny of the money you will pay for it.

Snowy

Busaba Eathai 3rd September 2008

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I used to work near here and we'd go a lot for lunch and I really enjoyed it but I went back recently for an evening meal and it was not so good. It was really busy which probably did not help. I ordered a squash curry and it was really spicy and there was loads of liquid but not much content - bit more like a soup really. I had the over all impression that it was expensive for what you got. And my friends were not too keen on being squashed onto the benches with other people. I don't they will be going back which is a shame because the food itself is very nice.

hollowlegs

Disappointing 19th August 2008

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Now I've been to the Wardour Street branch and thought it was fine, if a little unmemorable.

I came to this Store Street branch at lunchtime and ordered the jungle curry with steamed jasmine rice.

The curry was horrible. I had to send it back. Full of woody bits of lemongrass, it was fiery yet tasteless. It also had goose-pimpled pieces of chicken skin floating around in it and it was throroughly off-putting. I know that often cheaper cuts like thigh and leg which have skin on it are used as they have more flavour, but the ratio of the skin and the meat was disproportionate.

When I told the waiter I couldn't eat it, he gave me a withering look and said "Maybe I should have told you that the jungle curry comes with chicken skin and is quite spicy".

Err - yes, perhaps they should have told me that it would be garnished with flabby skin. But they didn't. It annoyed me that he tried to patronise me like that. I have spent many weeks in different parts of Thailand, and I never came across chicken skin curry after all.

Everyone else declared their mains as delicious.

Niamheen at 19/08/08

Wow! Disappointing :-(

bellaphon at 20/08/08

I can well imagine Cha Cha Moon going down the same way as soon as it starts to expand, imagine the dumplings served containing only gristle and fat. Good frank write up.

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Coffeegeek

Reasonable food but too full and noisy 29th March 2008

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This is one of those places people rave about and there’s often a queue to get in. Once you’re in you get to share a table with noisy strangers and order some basic Thai food. The foods reasonable but it’s hardly authentic and the green curry I had tastes like it’s out of a jar. However, it's not expensive and the food is filling and tasty. The décor and layout is stylish enough if a little cramped. If you’ve had a few drinks and there is a crowd of you I think it would be fun.

If you haven’t had a few drinks and there’s only a few of you, it’s noisy, cramped and the service is quick and blunt. You’re in and out before you know who’s been elbowing you and shouting across your table. There’s better Thai food in London and more fun places for a crowd of people.

Doubt I would go back.

gizmogirl

Disgusting 21st November 2007

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I thought the food was Horrible...I just don't understand why my friends recommend this restaurant to me...If u want real thai food, this is not the place to go for...
The curry kinda taste....strange..?

Anna_Chan

Anna Chan 3rd November 2007

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I went to Busaba on a Friday evening for my birthday in a party of 9 people and I was very disappointed that they spoilt it with an awful service. Firstly, they do not take reservations and would not give us a table until absolutely everyone was there which was frustating. When everyone had arrived we still had to queue outside for a while.

The worst part was it was my birthday and I had brought a cake along to celebrate only to be told that we could not eat it there!!! Turns out they have a no desserts policy, how strange. The waiter told me I could go elsewhere and that he didn't want to get sacked over allowing me to have my birthday cake, but he said you can take pictures of it but no eating (?!?!)

The service was very rushed, unfriendly waiters rushed us to order before we've even had a chance to look at the menu and the bill lands on your table before you've even had time to put down your chopsticks. The only good point is the food is delicious and well presented.

When my friend asked him how are the stir fry dishes presented, i.e. do they come with a side dish of rice? He rudely patronised her by demonstrating with his hands what a stir fry looks like to someone who's evidently Chinese (it's like trying to describe what curry is to an Indian person).

Definitely a fast food restaurant only good for casual dining but a bad place to go for birthdays as they really don't care that it's your special day. The only thing they care about is turnover, getting you in and out as quick as possible. I have to say Wagamama which is similar offers a much better service and at least they allow people to celebrate their birthdays happily, which isn't too much to ask for?!

sevs

better than wardour street! 10th October 2007

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i've been going to the wardour branch of busaba ever since it opened, but found that over the past year the portions have got smaller and the staff terser, i was once 'told off' like a small child for sitting at a window by one member of staff because the other had failed to mention we'd requested this and then we were hurried out of our seats before we'd even finished our meal. that was the last time i set foot in there, i was told by a friend goodge street was better and it is. the portions are still of a good size, even though the prices have been hiked up a little not making it the cheap eats place it was. it's quiert and the staf are more friendly and remember you. it's worth it for a quick bite after retail therapy or before going out but not for lingering.

lenalouise

Yummy thai on the go 7th August 2007

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This is thai with a bit of a twist. It's slightly more modern than your usual thai food with some more interesting ingredients thrown in and little things just to make it a bit more funky. For example, the rice comes in a bamboo thing with a lid.

I had sen chan phad thai which is rice noodles with prawn, peanut, egg, green mango and crabmeat. Pretty spicy if you can take it. They were a bit stingy on the ingredients and I wasn't convinced on the green mango...I think it could have been left out. The flavour was pretty good though.

My friend had jungle curry with chicken, aubergine, bamboo shoots and french bean. Very tasty but again, it was lacking in ingredients. I thought the sauce was a bit liquid but he didn't seem to mind.

Generally, I'd come here again if I was looking for a quick lunch but I wouldn't have a full-on dinner here. There's better places to go.

Lemonpie

11th June 2007

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It's good value for good food, but you're not going to get a long lazy lunch here. It's all about a quick turnaround, so if you're hurry it's ideal.

Hak

24th May 2007

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sorry I have to disagree. I can't stand this place. It use to be a great place, but it very clear that the only thing that interest them is your money. I have been quite few time and their were plain rude and stupid. They treat people like cattle. Shame I use to like it. Food quality doesn't seem to have gone down with the service though..