Thaikhun

The original in what is now a chain of Thai streetfood venues founded by Sukhothai province-born Kim Kaewkraikhot (also behind the Chaophraya empire), the cavernous Spinningfields Thaikhun comes complete with tuk tuk at the entrance and the promise of a true taste of Bangkok.

Pronounced “tycoon”, Thaikhun offers a spread of stirfries, curries, rice and noodle dishes, plus sharers and small dishes. There’s everything from sweet and sour tofu to a take on Japanese katsu curry, and from pad Thai to a platter featuring the likes of Yaowarat-style dumplings, spring rolls and sweetcorn fritters, inspired by the Phuket vegetarian food festival Ted Sakarn Jay. Interestingly, there’s also the “pinto”: a stack of four metal containers (not unlike the Indian tiffin), used by Thai workers to carry their packed lunches. Here, order for between two and six people: pick a curry and also a stirfry, each from a choice of four, decide which noodles you fancy, and get a helping of jasmine rice to boot. Vegetarian and vegan options are plentiful – in some cases, you just need to specify when ordering.

You’ll probably want to leave room for dessert – although there’s not a vast choice, there is the Thai classic of mango sticky rice, and the likes of the clementine tart with chocolate pastry base and matcha green tea ice cream hasn’t missed our attention.

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