Sawasdee Krup / Kha (Hello in Thai) – Enough of the language lesson and on to the cooking, today we are continuing on from last month’s hot soup theme to keep you warm during these long winter evenings. This month’s dish is Tom Kha (Coconut soup) a popular choice for customers. A creamy, mild-spiced coconut soup with a delightfully warm smell to it.
Enjoy.
Tom Kha Ingredients:
- 5 Tbl spoons of coconut milk
- Pinch of coriander root
- 2 Slices of galangal
- 2 Sliced red chillies
- Lemongrass
- 1 Tbl spoon of fish sauce
- 1 Tbl spoon of lime juice
- 250g Of chicken
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Button mushrooms
And last of all as usual the photo to convince you that this dish is worth the effort!
First of all from all of us at Rosa’s we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
To celebrate, here’s our next online cooking video. Up next we have the famous Thai dish of Tom Yam Goong , a spicy and sour soup which is extremely popular around the world and a must-have to keep the cold away. Have fun and happy eating – once you’re done please feel free to publish photos of your creations on our Facebook page.
We hope you enjoy the video!
Ingredients:
- 250ml of water
- A pinch of coriander
- 2 slices of red chillies
- Slices of galangal
- Lemongrass
- 1/2 Tbl spoon of chilli paste
- 1 Tbl spoon of fish sauce
- 1 Tbl spoon of lime juice
- Prawns 4-5
- Cherry tomatoes
- Button Mushrooms
And lastly a photo of the dish we made (which I ended up eating) to tingle your taste buds…
Thanks to everyone for their feedback and suggestions on our very first online cooking show last month. It was fun putting it together and we were very grateful for the input afterwards.
This month we’ve decided to share our Pad Thai recipe – another one of our customers’ favourites. The ingredients can be found under the YouTube window. Have fun and happy eating – once you’re done please feel free to publish photos of your creations on our Facebook page.
Pad Thai Prawns Ingredients – serves 1
1. Rice Noodles – 20 grams
2. Prawns – no more than 4 or 5
3. Bean sprouts – 1 hand full
4. Sweet turnip – 1 – tablespoon
5. Shallots – 3
6. Eggs – 1-2
7. Fish sauce – 1 tablespoon
8. Palm sugar – 2 tablespoons
9. Tamarind sauce – 3 tablespoons
10. Dark soya sauce – ½ tablespoon
11. Spring onions – 1
12. Crushed peanuts – 1 tablespoon
13. Crushed dried chilli – ½ teaspoon
14. One slice of lemon or lime
Lastly, here’s what it should look like when you’re finished (mine didn’t the first time I tried it but that’s a story for next time)
Today we launch something a bit different: our very own series of online Thai cooking classes. We plan to shoot twelve episodes in total and this is our first. We hope you like it.
This episode features Saiphin showing everyone how to make a pumpkin / butternut squash curry – one of our most popular dishes.
The ingredients appear on screen but here’s a summary to refer to later:
Butternut squash – 250g
Mixed vegetable (Broccoli, Carrot, Mange tout, courgette) – 4 pieces of each
Coconut milk – 400ml
Red curry paste – 2 table spoons
Lime leaves – 3 leaves
Palm sugar – 1 table spoon
Fish sauce – 1 table spoon
Cooking oil – 2 table spoon
Sweet Basil – 3 leaves
Stock soup – 100ml
Good luck and please do let us know what you think. Dish requests for next month’s class will also be gratefully received.
Lastly, thanks to Geoff, Donna and Khun Tui at Chang for their support.
I’m really proud of the two Rosa’s restaurants that Saiphin and I have set up. It hasn’t been easy but it’s been a fun ride. I have loved doing it with one exception – dealing with local councils.
After 16 years living in Asia it was really interesting to come back to my old home in the UK and find out how London has changed. I’m glad to say most things seemed to have changed for the better. The food scene here is so much more interesting than it was when I left. The city is also safer and probably cleaner too.
One thing that I’ve been really disappointed with however, and where things seem to have got worse, are the rules the government places on businesses. Lots and lots of them in fact.
The ridiculous shackles being placed on us at both restaurants by the local council are nothing short of disgraceful.
Here’s the most recent example. Earlier today I was opening up our post and I was presented with a court summons from Westminster Council for a rates bill that wasn’t due for another two weeks. When I called them to find out why I was told, by someone who clearly couldn’t care less, it was because we’ve been late in the past and this changed our status on their computer systems. When I asked how late I was last month I was told the our payment arrived on 2nd February. A whole one day late – gosh – the computer says, “no” – please just lock me up and throw away the key!
I know I probably shouldn’t talk about this stuff on our blog but then again why not? If something gets up your nose what’s the point in muttering about it to yourself on the sofa? If more entrepreneurs spoke up about this type of thing maybe, just maybe, local councils might start to help rather than hinder those who set up businesses, breathe life in to local communities and create jobs?
Surely Westminster Council’s role is to support small businesses not bully them? If you’re going to pick on business pick on supermarkets.
If anyone from the non-domestic rates department at Westminster Council is reading this, here’s a request: instead of sending summons to people who work hard in order to pay your inflated bills perhaps a phone call or sending a non-threatening letter first might be a better way to communicate?
Ever since we moved back to London from Hong Kong in 2006 I’ve been a regular reader of independent London food blogs.
I’ve never been a fan of review sites because I’ve often come away from sites like Trip Advisor more confused about where to go then when I started.
Food blogs are a far better bet in my opinion because once you’ve found a like-minded blogger there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll enjoy most of the same places they do.
I found these sites particularly useful when I first moved back because I’d been away for over 16 years and literally had no idea about where to go – or even where to start.
Since we set up Rosa’s I’ve found several more because many have ended up reviewing us.
For the past few months, I’ve been indexing them under the tags: food, blog, London with the help of Delicious – my favourite social bookmarking site.
Here’s a list of my 9 favourites but in no particular order. Some have reviewed us in the past but some haven’t.
Style: This guy is serious about food. A couple of years back, Andy visited every single 3 star Michelin rated restaurant in the world and survived to tell the tale. Any man that dedicated – who also still eats out 3-6 times a week – clearly knows his stuff.
Tag line: A journey to the smiley side of London life
Style: Another one of my favourites. Food reviews from the heart but so much more. One woman’s very readable quest to share a few rays of happiness with the world. Good on you Sasha.
If you have any more suggestions please let me know.
Here at Rosa’s we love talking food. But it gets a bit boring if all we talk about is our own.
Once in a while, we thought we would open the blog up a bit and therefore start writing about other people’s businesses. I’ve come across two recently which I really like the sound of.
The first one I read about in Time Out earlier this month. A brilliant idea called The People’s Supermarket in Bloomsbury, Central London. Here’s what they had to say about the place,
“Fighting off Tesco for a site in one of London’s most independently spirited neighbourhoods, The People’s Supermarket is a project close to the heart of celeb chef Arthur Potts-Dawson and ex-Marks & Spencer executive Kate Wickes-Bull.
The duo have rallied the local community into buying into the scheme – literally. Although anyone can shop at the store, full membership (which scores you a 10 per cent discount and a say in how the shop is run) will cost you £25 and four hours per month working in the store.
What you get is fresh, locally sourced (when possible) supermarket fare, dirt cheap and airfreight free; new jobs for locals; and all profits going back into the business”.
If you would like to check it out here’s the address: The People’s Supermarket, 72-78 Lamb’s Conduit St, WC1N 3LP. You can visit their website here.
Interesting food business number 2 is a US-based restaurant chain named Panera. They’ve adopted an honour-based approach to selling food. Once you finish, they will tell you the recommended price for your meal, but it is up to you if you want to pay that, a bit more, or less. According to a recent Economist article,
“About 65% pay the recommended amount. The remainder are roughly divided between over-payers and those who pay less or nothing”.
What I found most interesting about the article is that they don’t offer this honour-based system at all their restaurants. They will not, for example, be offering it at their new New York City location. They obviously don’t think New Yorkers would end up paying much. Wonder if they would offer it to Londoners? Something to chew on perhaps?
Lastly, if you come across any interesting food-related businesses please let us know about them and I’ll do my best to feature them here on our blog.
If you read our blog regularly you might have noticed that we posted something about the London Restaurant Festival a couple of weeks ago. It’s a great idea that lasts for just two weeks.
There’s over 250 restaurants throughout London offering great value Festival Menus so if you’ve been thinking about trying out a new place for dinner anytime soon, this is your chance to pick up a bargain.
Glad to say it kicked off on Monday and that Rosa’s Soho is pleased to be a part of it – so pleased in fact that we’ve put together our own special £15 Festival Menu.
Here’s what you’ll get…
Set Dinner Menu
£15 for 2 courses with jasmine rice
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Choose any one of the following starters
Gai Satay
Grilled marinated chicken satay served with peanut sauce
Fresh Spring Rolls
Fresh vegetable summer rolls served with peanut sauce
Fried Spring Rolls
Deep-fried vegetable spring rolls served with sweet chilli sauce
Thod Mun Pla
Deep-fried curry fish cakes served with sweet chilli sauce
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And any one of the following main dishes
Gai Pad Cashew Nuts
Stir-fried chicken and cashew nuts with mixed peppers in oyster sauce
Massaman Nuar
Beef massaman curry with shallots, potatoes, cashew nuts and coconut milk
Pumpkin Gaeng Dang (V)
Aromatic pumpkin Thai red curry with coconut milk, vegetables and sweet basil leaves
Gaeng Ped
Roast duck breast in Thai red curry with peppers, pineapple, cherry tomatoes and sweet basil leaves
Chu Chi Salmon
Pan-fried salmon fillet in Thai red curry with Thai herbs
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£15 includes VAT. Service is not included and is optional.
This menu is available for tables of 6 people or less during the Festival on weekdays from 6.00pm to close of business everyday except for Friday. It’s available all day from Lunch to close on weekends. Offer ends at midnight on 18th October 2010.
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Lastly, as an extra special treat, all Festival participants will receive Green and Black’s chocolates at the end of the meal along with a chance to win a free dinner every month for a year.
If you’d like to try the menu out, please ring Rosa’s Soho (020 7494 1638) to book a table. Remember to mention Restaurant Festival Menu when you call.
A public relations person I met recently told me that we should put a press release on our website about the history of Rosa’s. I thought it was good idea.
I wrote something yesterday but wasn’t that happy with it and decided to send it to Bjorn Turmann, an author friend of mine, for an edit. He turned my dull and listless press release in to a story.
Although he’s included some horrible lies about my wardrobe it made me laugh so I decided to post it here. I hope you enjoy it.
Rosa’s – A short story about Thai food & love in London
When Alex Moore first met Saiphin, the first words out of his mouth were, “Will you marry me?” Being the far more sensible and practical one, Saiphin proceeded to lecture Alex (who, incidentally, was wearing leather trousers) for 20 minutes on not saying things unless he meant it. Despite shaky beginnings, they set out to build a relationship, a marriage and a thriving Thai restaurant in London.
This is the story of Saiphin and Alex Moore. From Rosa’s with love.
***
Alex and Saiphin met on neutral ground in 2001. Hong Kong. Saiphin had arrived years before from her native, Thailand and Alex from several other parts of Asia via his native, England.
A union of two adventurers deserves a memorable wedding ceremony – and indeed Saiphin and Alex delivered just that. In October 2005, in the rolling hills of Northern Thailand, a Lao-style ceremony was drummed up involving globetrotting friends, family and a travelling troupe of gregarious lady boys, all eager to celebrate this exciting day. Though they are indeed now considered his “lucky trousers”, Alex chose traditional attire versus rugged black leather.
Ceremony complete, travelling transvestite minstrel show gone home, Saiphin and Alex returned to Hong Kong to continue developing a successful Thai restaurant they’d started early on in their relationship. Famous for attracting a strong mix of local and foreign clientele, this eatery had a loyal Hong Kong following. But could it grow? Alas, the stage was set for something bigger. In 2006 the couple sold their popular Hong Kong restaurant and moved to London.
It didn’t take long for the Thai food professional in the marriage to sort out a plan for her new surroundings. Seeing the activity in Brick Lane on weekends quickly showed Saiphin the way. Within a few weeks, she had her own market stall at Brick Lane up and running. Never mind the several gas stoves on the floor of their small London flat preparing food at 5am on Sundays, this business took off. So quickly in fact, that a second Brick Lane stall soon followed.
Success brought with it the same question they’d encountered in Hong Kong. Could this business grow?
Out on a casual stroll one day and the couple spotted a sign on the door of a former English “Caff” named Rosa’s. The place had been gutted but like a burst of Thai spice to her nose, Saphin smelled a delicious opportunity and gave the landlords a ring. In 2008, with the help of London interior designers Gundry & Ducker, they set to work on building a Thai restaurant at Rosa’s.
Their inspiration? Modern Thailand blended with a nice dash of local London charm. Something the couple hadn’t seen done before. Saiphin’s clarity of vision was based on decades of experience seeing Thai restaurants in numerous countries throughout the world. She knew the time was right for something different.
“I wanted to get away from the wooden veneer panelling and photos of floating markets that were often found in Thai restaurants in the UK and create something new,” said Saiphin. “We wanted an exciting atmosphere that showcased the best modern Thai food in a contemporary London setting.”
Out of respect for the old “Caff” and for the historical area in which it’s located, Saiphin and Alex decided to keep the name Rosa’s. Saiphin explains: “Although the word Rosa’s has no connection to anything Thai it made sense to keep the name as a statement about what we were trying to build – a new dining concept that marries modern Thailand to contemporary Britain: our two favourite countries in the world!”
Rosa’s Spitalfields opened its doors as a Thai restaurant in June 2008. Although things started slowly business soon picked up, boosted nicely by a review from Time Out. The power of word-of-mouth: Rosa’s was quickly feeding returnees and new customers alike, including some famous fans – Keira Knightley and Rupert Friend.
Excess demand and limited Rosa’s seating meant one thing to Saiphin and Alex: a new location – and soon. Thus, Rosa’s Soho was born in March 2010. Like its older sister, Rosa’s is known for tasty food and charming Thai-London surroundings.
Once again the question: Can it grow? Saiphin and Alex Moore are experienced international restaurateurs. Stay tuned for more Rosa’s growth news as it happens (and Alex may even showcase his leathers and lady boys at the next opening).
Here at Rosa’s we love food, we love eating and we love going out. That’s why we’re very excited about next month’s eating-out extravaganza: The London Restaurant Festival.
The Festival was created last year by restaurant critic FayMaschler and was a great success. More than 450 restaurants took part along with several celebrity chefs.
Festival Event at Leadenhall Market 2009
This year’s event should be even bigger and will happen between 4th – 18th October; Rosa’s Soho will be taking part too. We’ll be offering our very own special £15 Festival Menu which we’ll announce on our Facebook Page shortly before the Festival Kicks off. So if you’re on Facebook and you want more information you should, “Fan” our Page here to receive a copy of the menu and an invitation to attend.
The idea behind the event is for the city’s restaurateurs to work together to offer food lovers the chance to explore some of the capital’s finest cooking – from its high-profile Michelin-starred restaurants to coveted neighbourhood bistros (and everything in between).
In addition to the Festival Menus on offer there will be several events taking place around the place too. Lots more information about all this is available on the Festival’s website. It’s well worth a peak.
