You might think Thai restaurant Supawan is a kind of layover stop-off point: perfect for a quick bite to / fro King’s Cross St. Pancras. From the outside, Supawan looks unassuming: the sort an unknowing traveller might stumble into fresh off the train, when hunting for something to eat. Supawan doesn’t jump out at you any more so than any other restaurant around Caledonian Road, what must be one of the most understated parts of London. More a thoroughfare than a destination.
Equally, the space inside feels functional rather than stylish: wooden tables and some funky orange seating. It’s certainly bright – sitting within eye-catching florist Aflorum (owned by the same people) – and candy-coloured. But the team let the food do the talking here: it packs a punch. Any unknowing diner will have their mouth taken on a culinary journey made up of a very authentic Southern Thai meal that’s heart-warming and leaves you feeling very grounded.
For Thais, food is such an important part of life that they will often ask you what you’ve had to eat before asking how are you. On the evidence of our visit, chef Wichet Khongphoon puts flavour and texture at the forefront of his cooking, using recipes handed down over generations. As well as offering the familiar pad Thai and green curry, for those more adventurous and some time to play with, the menu offers some very creative options.
This evening, though, late in after a short sojourn to Paris, we went for the Gang Kiew Wan, a Thai green curry with tofu, pea aubergines, fine beans, aubergine and sweet basil (£16.50). This was thrillingly intense. The chilli, ginger, and lime feels like acupuncture for your mouth. The veggies sitting in a thick coconut sauce the colour of lush greenery, it’s glorious. The bowl both soothes and playfully slaps – which seems to be the effect of a lot of the food here. There is heat, emphasised by vivid slices of fresh red chilli, but all is tempered by sweet caramel tones. There is the depth and fragrance of roasted spice. Excellent on every level.
Alongside, we went for the Laab Aubergine (£9): smoked aubergine served with tangy tamarind and palm sugar sauce topped with aromatic rice powder, mints, chilli and crispy shallots. The chef here clearly understands how to delight with contrasting textures and aromatic flavours. A multilayered extravaganza of texture, of sweet and sour and hot and salty. It’s a dish not merely to be eaten, but to be explored. The aubergine has been roasted until soft and almost creamy. It has then been piled under an amalgam of fresh mint, ground crunchy rice, dried chillies and shallots, both fresh and crispy. All of this is dressed with a tamarind and palm sugar sauce. Freshen up after that boom and clash with a knotty tangle of lawn-green morning glory stir-fried with chillies and garlic.
A word of advice: take note of the menu’s dot system for chilli heat. Nothing is as fierce and uncompromising as Thai food when it’s got its big boots on. The “three dot” dishes here really will make the sweat pool beneath your eyes and your tongue vibrate.
A return visit will have to be on the cards, not least to try some of the less familiar options on the menu, including the Tod Mun Khao Food: sweetcorn and Thai herbs fritters served with a tamarind and chili sauce (£9.50) and the Yum Hoa Plee (£15.50): a banana flower salad with roasted coconut, coconut milk and tamarind dressing topped with crispy shallots, cashew nuts and mint.
The Thai motto quote on Supawan’s website is spot on: ‘Kin Dee, Yuu Dee, Mee Suk’. In other words, “Eat Well, Live Well, Be Happy”. In a city where the pursuit of the next new dining experience can feel overheated and performative, it was joyous to be in a noisy room full of people just, y’know, having dinner with their mates, perhaps at the shiny communal table to one side, because that’s a nice way to end the week or a trip. Though once relatively under the radar, it’s name is now widespread so worth booking for authentic southern Thai cookery in homely and comforting atmosphere, with service spot on. If I lived locally, I’d be in danger of becoming a regular.
Supawan, 38 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DT, United Kingdom
Website: https://supawan.co.uk/menu
Rating: ****
Yumtini 