Talad Thai

There are 2 Talad Thai’s on Upper Richmond Road. The restaurant and the supermarket.
The supermarket — This is where I get my asian food fix if I really need it. The prices are a little higher than other places but you pay for the convenience to get it right in Putney instead of trekking down to Chinatown or New Malden. They usually have a good selection of asian vegetables, frozen food (dumplings) and of course instant noodles!
The restaurant — When I first moved to Putney, I thought this place was great. Then a few years ago I think they changed owners because the manager looked different and the food wasn’t nearly as good. I haven’t been back since but thinking to stop by again soon to see if it has improved at all.

We are eating at Talad from years, is not on regular basis, but at least once a month or so.
Every single time we had a delicious meal with an excellent service, and to top it, you can view the kitchen and see how they prepare your meal.
Without a doubt, this is the best Thai in Putney, highly recommend it.

Had a takeaway from here and wasn’t impressed. Everything was far too sweet and not balanced very well, they put large handfuls of crinkle cut carrots in all the stir fry dishes, which was rather strange. I also had the minced pork on toast and it was dry and overcooked. It’s a shame because the supermarket a few doors down sells good fresh ingredients. I’ll be trying somewhere else in future.

From the moment I walked through the door, I had a good feeling about this place. The dining room was light and airy and I loved the pictures and woodcarvings that adorned this homely little restaurant. The service was also good although there were few diners that lunchtime so I’m not sure how they might cope in the heat of battle.
The menu lists the usual suspects like pad thai and curries but I came here for the Thai Noodle Special section at the back of the menu, where eight soup noodle dishes lurk. There’s a distinct trace of Chinese DNA in Thai soup noodle dishes and this is evident in the ingredients used and the fact that they are the only Thai dishes eaten using chopsticks.
My choice of kuay tiew moo tom yum (£4) was no exception with ingredients such as kuay tiew rice noodles, fish balls and fish cake that originate from China. Also in the mix were mince pork, bean sprouts, liver slices and a fried wonton. These were all in a soup topped with dried ground chilli and crushed roasted peanuts.
The soup had sweet undertones and it could be accused of being under-​seasoned but this didn’t matter once you gave it a stir to mix in the chilli and crushed peanuts. This brought the soup alive and whilst the fish balls and fish cake were bought in (they usually are), everything else was fresh. With so many different ingredients, this bowl of noodles could’ve been a car crash but somehow the combination worked and the result was clean, tasty and refreshing lunch.
Portion size wasn’t the world’s largest and on another day, I would’ve needed a second bowl or a side dish. However, it was fine for a light lunch and besides at £4, it cost only a bit more than a boring old sandwich.
I really enjoyed the soup noodles here and as Putney isn’t too far from where I live, I’d like to return to explore more of the menu. There’s also a small supermarket also called Talad Thai, a couple of doors down.

Talad Thai is a very good place to buy prawns for a good price, a lot cheaper than nearby waitrose. The shop is quite samll but stocked with a wide selection of Thai foods, and the staff are always very helpful. I do find that the shop is quite dark, and as well as being overwhelmed by different ingredients the smell is enough to knock you out. Talad thai also sells some fun thai snacks which are great for kids (and adults!) with little pictures of pandas on them (I recommend the chocolate flavours!)

If you’re interested in Thai cooking, then I can highly recommend paying a visit to the Talad Thai supermarket.
Many of the ingredients are imported directly from Thailand, and they really make your Thai dishes taste much more authentic. For example, the Sweet Thai basil has a much more distinctive taste than what we are used to here in the UK. The baby aubergines (which look a bit like peas) add texture to your dishes. Other ingredients are imported from Japan or China, giving you a wide selection to choose from.
In addition to fresh produce, they also sell pre-​made curry pastes (red, green etc.), a range of frozen dishes (such as spring rolls or unusual fish), tinned Thai fruits, bottled sauces and coconut milk.
They helpfully stock a range of Thai cookery books, so buy or browse through one of these if you feel overwhelmed by the range of ingredients.
Supplement your meal with some imported Thai beer!

My second recommendation for an authentic Thai restaurant in London. Sit where you can find a space on the long tables, help yourself to drinks out of the fridge, watch the old Thai woman make mini spring rolls at the front of the seating area, or maybe investigate the kitchen by heading through to the toilet. The food is delicious, and relatively cheap. Don’t expect to find a posh looking restaurant, it is proper Thai food served in a typically Thai way on plastic crockery. There is also a Thai grocery shop next door (well a few doors down); same name.

I love Thai and this Thai restaurant is quite nice. If you like cooking thai yourself try there supermarket a few doors down for all sorts of Thai cooking goodies. Meals in the restaurant range from £4 for an entrée and £5−10 for a main. Service is good it is a family that run it so it has a cost atmosphere and they are eager to please.