Each day I walk or bus along Mile End Road, I go past Rusty Bike and look enviously at the signs advertising Thai food and the people sitting outside happily socialising and drinking. Even on a Tuesday night there were no outdoor tables available but luckily the inside is decorated (with bikes too) and has a variety of seating options from couches to tables.
I haven't had much Thai food in London - although Rosa's and Som Saa and the now defunct Nahm set the standard quite high.
There's a few of the menu item classics. It does focus on individual meal plates with some sharing starters rather than the typical banquet-style mains.
- Tom Kha Prawn (Thai coconut soup with lemongrass & fresh herbs) £4.95 - a good version with strong tom yum flavour. I would prefer more coconut cream and to be thicker but this was fine. There was also a generous number of prawns (about 5);
- Salt & Pepper Squid (deepfried squid with garlic, salt & pepper served with sweet chilli sauce) £5.25 - lightly battered and quite salty with good textures between the soft squid, crisp batter and crunchy fried bits;
- Pad Ke-Moo (stirfried flat rice noodles with peppercorn, paprika, chilli, green beans, red peppers, onions, holy basil leaves, fresh chillies) £7.45 - a little bit too plain for me. It was similar to a minimally flavoured version of char kuey teow;
- Duck Curry (slices of roast duck cooked in coconut milk with pineapple, cherry tomatoes, red peppers & Thai basil leaves) £9.95 - a nice flavoured red curry and but I would prefer a little more thickness or spice. There was a reasonable amount of duck too. Some duck curries use lychee and this one uses pineapple with good effect of sweet balance. The rice was a bit too wet and sticky if I'm being particular.
The food is nicely flavoured and quite good. The prices are reasonable and similar to what you would find in Chinatown. For a local neighbourhood place along the main Mile End Road next to the tube station, with an outdoor summer area and televising sports, it's very welcome.
Next time I would try any of the salads (green papaya, duck or sirloin beef) or the Chilli Lamb. Of course the Tom Kha and Duck Curry would be fine options again too.