We're short of cafe recommendations over here at yACF, so here's one to start: the Boys Cafe at 615 Harrow Road, W10.
Now, this might sound like an establishment of disrepute. It is, however, nothing more than an exceptionally good & reasonably priced Thai restaurant.
Located in the unsalubrious settings of the Harrow Road, this is a simple little den with a few wooden tables, minimalistic decor... and fantastic food.
I was there this evening for a colleague's leaving do, and it's some of the best Thai food I've had in the UK. It's unlicensed, which kept things civilised - nobody told one of the leavers that we all think he's an unmitigated {censored for Kirst} although you can bring your own booze and they'll charge corkage. I sloshed back the jasmine tea (and regretted it on the chilly way home).
I had a red curry with duck, lychee and pineapple, which might sound disgusting but which worked surprisingly well, the heat of the curry being mitigated by the fruit. This was no Thai red paste from a jar effort, either - clearly a proper job home made sauce. The green curry opposite got a thumbs up, and the Pad Thai was food porn on a plate - perfect, plump, moist noodles steaming gently in a nest of al dente veg.
Portions are cyclist-sized
and the fragrant rice was meltingly good.
Thoroughly recommended to any passing cyclists... although one word of warning: it's not even slightly veggie-friendly; the three veg dishes are cooked in oyster sauce, and the spice mixture they use contains ground shrimp. Top marks for telling us... fewer marks for not having an alternative...
