Oxford Circus
At the time of writing, the Olympics are coming to a close. It’s been a
rollercoaster couple of weeks with unprecedented success for Team GB; Jamaica
has dominated the track, the USA dominated the swimming and China dominated
pretty much everything else. And Thailand? Were they there? I’m pretty sure I
saw a Thai competitor at the weightlifting, but this sighting remains
unconfirmed. Still, sporting prowess is not what impresses us. Oh no. And when
your national cuisine is as good as Thailand’s, then maybe it’s time cooking
became an Olympic event. It’s already more relevant than synchronized swimming…
London is already spoiled for choice with Thai restaurants, with
Fitzrovia’s Bam-Bou and Crazy Bear among some of the best places to eat in this
city. Another venue is now pushing them hard: Ora, situated on Little Portland
Street, is aiming to join the premier league of venues, and, as with sport,
competition pushes everyone forward (great news for hungry customers).An unfortunate side effect of Seb Coe’s big East London sports day however, has been that restaurants in the West End have suffered as tourists and commuters stayed away from town, so Ora was pretty quiet when we visited. (On a normal day, it’s usually far busier, so we used our imagination to create the atmosphere in our minds). Although, fewer customers meant great service, with attentive and knowledgeable staff who made some excellent recommendations. We ordered the sampling platter to start, getting a taste of as many flavours as possible. Beautifully presented in individual dishes, we ate chicken and tofu cooked in a creamy and salty satay sauce and spicy papaya and chilli salad. Our particular favourites were the mini Thai fishcakes and crispy calamari with black pepper dipping sauce. The batter on the squid was exceptionally light and very moreish.
Our second course was soup (we had already made a conscious decision to
skip dessert – we’re not pigs) which included a sweet and spicy Tom Yum soup
with large, chunky prawns and a creamy chicken and mushroom soup with coconut
milk. The Tom Yum was a personal favourite with a spiciness that left the lips
tingling.
Three very different main courses followed and all were absolutely
first class. The duck in red curry sauce was served on the bone, pan seared
with crispy skin. We know we shouldn’t really eat the fatty skin, but it was
just too good to avoid. The sauce is rich and subtly spiced, not too hot but
bursting with flavour. The lamb, stir fried with mini aubergines, chilli and
peppercorns, was more fiery however, and as fans of spice, we loved it. The
meat was soft and tender, and both dishes naturally worked well with sticky
rice. Our final dish was the beef salad – thin strips of supple beef
char-grilled and presented cold with sweet, fruity salad. Sharing a few dishes
between friends is always the best way to enjoy restaurant food and try as many
different things as possible. We definitely recommend this at Ora. The dishes
are too good to keep all to yourself.
Ora doesn’t just pride itself on excellent food, it also has an
excellent wine list of many Thai wines and cocktails made with Thai spirits. We
recommend the Thai whiskey with lemongrass and lemon juice, as well as the
Black Pearl, a fruity little number containing vodka and fresh blackcurrants
and raspberries.
The restaurant looks great too, modernist minimalism with lots of dark
wood and subtle lighting. The only element stopping us from awarding Ora full
marks is the price of the dishes, which can very easily creep up to a sizeable
sum. That aside, the food is excellent and the service is exemplary, so
sometimes it’s worth splashing out a little and treating yourself. Ora
certainly isn’t far away from gold medal standard.
6 Little Portland Street, W1W 7JE
Average price for main course: £15.00
Average price for glass of wine: £5.00
Food/Drink: 5/5
Value: 4/5
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