Toi’s Thai and Ceru (two SE1 pop-ups in two days)

Toi’s Thai Kitchen and Pantry – at the Goldsmith

I really wanted to love “Toi’s Thai Takeover” of the kitchen a rather overlooked SE1 local, The Goldsmith. A new Monday night fixture, it sounded charming (she serves food inspired by her Mum’s recipes), low-key and is stumbling distance from my flat.

They did a lovely job of making the pub look cosy yet Thai, but I failed to take a picture

And it did turn out to be charming and low-key. The staff couldn’t have been friendlier, including the chef (I presume Toi) coming over to check on our food not once but twice, concerned that she had put in too much chilli (she hadn’t). And they insisted on packing up the leftovers for us, which is rather un-London  (next people will be talking on the tube, and then where will we be?)

Unfortunately however, despite this charming service and the decor, the food was pleasant but unremarkable.The best two first: the roti canai,which I don’t get to eat nearly enough (and a bit of an impostor from nearby Malaysia) was a little bit thick, but still flaky and slightly greasy and moreish, just as it should be, served with a very good peanut sauce.

Sneaking in from across the border, roti canai

And the gradook moo prik namh jim king (spare ribs) was good: the meat almost fell off the bone, and came with a side of a seriously tasty sour, ginger and chilli-laced dipping sauce.

Spare ribs – no leftovers here

The gai wonton (crispy chicken wontons) made a good bar snack, but so does anything that has been deep-fried once you’re a glass of wine down. The sweet chilli sauce served with them rather drowned out what flavour they had.

Chicken wontons

Sadly, the pad mee gai noodles were a just bit average. There was crunchy veg and plenty of chicken, and a nice enough flavour, but nothing was particularly special. (The leftovers did make a much more interesting lunch than the usual contents-of-my-fridge raid the next day, but that isn’t necessarily a badge of distinction.)

Tasty but a bit average

Fewest points for the som tam (a salad of beef, chilli, garlic, peanuts and lime). While the dish was full of flavour – nicely spiced and very fresh – the beef was way too chewy to be a pleasure. If you’re going to use brisket, it needs to be cooked for longer. There were a few thinner, more tender pieces in there, but overall, a bit of a disappointment.

Way too chewy beef

And, unfortunately, beyond the postcode, chewy meat is the strand binding the two – very different – pop-ups.

Ceru – at More London

What a location – London Riviera

Having made short work of a bottle of prosecco at the amazingly located Riviera London (which would be my  favourite summer drinking spot if they would just hire more staff and speed up the service which is so slow it is painful), we ordered some food from the Levantine pop-up, Ceru, next door. Twitter is full of accolades and I wanted to see how it measured up.

London is so much better in the summer and when it isn’t raining

Firstly, the service is way faster than the Riviera bar. Yay.

The very generous portion of slow roast lamb shoulder with shawarama spices was heaped with pomegranate seeds and pistachios, which looked beautiful, and the tastes complemented the meat really well.

Chewy if tasty lamb shoulder

But… it was really chewy.

Firstly, I just like slow-cooked lamb to be really tender. That’s why you slow cook it. Secondly, wooden knives and forks are no match for meat that isn’t. We had to resort to treating it as finger food, which was rather inelegant and messy as the slices were huge and the pomegranate and pistachios slid about…

Help us! We are no match for the lamb!

In contrast, herbed zucchini and feta fritters were nothing much to look at, but were delicious. The sour yogurt accompaniment and lots of dill and mint in the fritters made this a really fresh tasting dish, with a nice hint of chilli at the end from the cayenne pepper. Nigel Slater has a recipe for very similar fritters in his Kitchen Diaries, which Ceru’s fritters have inspired me to revisit, now the summer appears to have arrived.

We are presentationally-challenged fritters, but taste very good

With views like these, I have a feeling I may be spending quite a few evenings at Riviera London and Ceru. Maybe I’ll just stick to the veg options.

Eva

Toi’s Thai Kitchen and Pantry, Mondays at The Goldsmith, 76 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 http://www.thegoldsmithpubanddiningroom.co.uk/

Ceru, at London Riviera, More London, SE1 http://www.cerurestaurants.com/