There’s a little collection of what you’d call “gap yah” Thai places in London. Speedboat fits the bill: pool table, beer towers and colourful plates piled high with noodles. Khao Bird is another: at the original, I enjoyed the Chiang Mai-style hot dog and mutton curry fries there not long ago, with a cocktail amusingly called the “White Lotus”, a spiced margarita with flavours of lemongrass and lychee. Those who once donned a Chang beer vest may apply. None of this is said to be disparaging, by the way. London is London. Getting drunk in Thailand is a rite of passage for so many. It was for me. I had my fair share of Sang Som rum and fresh clementine juice in Bangkok (someone should do the drink here).
Now we have Kruk, a new bar and restaurant under a railway arch in Peckham launched by two south Londoners who have spent years in the industry. Som Saa is on their CV. Kruk opened on a budget and is all the better for it: lots of leafy plants; boxes of spice blends and pastes on shelves at the back for all to see; big speakers perching perilously on a rickety metal frame; old tables and even older chairs.
