Please note, Charuwan has now closed. Time Out Food editors.
North London lacks good Thai eateries, so this longstanding family-run spot is as refreshing as lemongrass tea on a steamy tropical afternoon. The Lanna pavilion-style wood interior, serene buddhas and angular white leather furniture may not exactly transport you to Chiang Mai, but they do at least feel removed from the Junction Road. Service is confident, but lacked warmth and speed on our latest visit.
The menu offers a greatest hits selection of Thai cooking, plus some intriguing chef’s specialities such as ‘snow prawns’ (stuffed with minced chicken and topped with egg whites). Wine options lack thrills but are keenly priced. Steamed fish with pickles, plum and fresh ginger was exquisitely light yet full of flavour. Correctly fiery yum woon sen (glass noodle salad with pork, shrimp, chilli and lime) continued the good work. Less satisfactory was aubergine stir-fried with black bean sauce: a chewy, bitter letdown thanks to too little time in the wok, but we couldn’t fault the sticky, comforting rice.