28th August 2008 - Epsom Thai, South Street, Epsom

(01372 724333 - www.epsomthairestaurant.co.uk)

*** SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE BY - Allis Rennie

We stared at the menu for quite a while, wondering where to start…

Starters: Chicken Satay, Tod Mun Pla (fish cakes), Crispy Chicken Wings and Moo Ping (barbecued pork).

Mains: Sweet and Sour Chicken, Garlic Beef, Tamarind Duck and Red Curry with Chicken - plus Coconut Rice, Egg Fried Rice and Plain Fried Noodles.

Desserts: 2 x Lemon Sorbet; 1 x Orange Sorbet; 1 x Banana Pudding.

Drinks: 8 x Singha Beer.

Cost: £83.

The atmosphere felt very like some of the restaurants Paul & I used in Thailand. The service was good but discrete.

The food was excellent. The starters were all good; the chicken wings and pork were delicious.

Similarly, the main courses were all delicious and well-balanced - memories of meals in Thailand… The Garlic Beef worked VERY well, the Red Curry was hot (too hot for Lyn, although she acknowledged the underlying flavour was very good) and moreish (one of the best we‘ve ever had). As for the duck - a wild card that turned up trumps (*groan*) - the bst of four very good dishes.

Both rice dishes were tasty - the coconut rice also satisfyingly sticky. We were glad Lyn suggested ordering the noodles; they were tasty and gave another texture to the meal.

The desserts - sorbets fine, but fairly ordinary; the banana pudding (banana in warm coconut milk) was rather nice.

Our rating: FIVE STARS