So, catching up with G, we agreed on a pre-match drink at Siren Brewery to formulate a plan. 

Over a Pastel Pils and a Broken Dream (nice to add a poetical flair to the article), paid for partially by my crowdfunding credit, we discussed Memories of China opposite - too challenging at this point, Osaka - but we had both recently eaten there and agreed that it was better than the dreadful Coconut Kitchen run by the same company. We then contemplated the new Rosa's Thai in the old Jackson's Corner, but G insisted that we first try Thai Corner, where he is a regular, but I have only eaten once.

So, a short crawl to what is a lovely building on the corner of St Mary's Butts and Friars Street and a friendly, smiley welcome (they seem to know G well) and we settled down.

 



Presented with an a la carte menu, a lunch special and a special of the day (pandan chicken) we decided on the excellent value presented by the two course set menu for £15, which, let's face it, is less than you're likely to pay on a visit to Itsu.

G went for the corn fritters and Phad Thai and I selected the satay and Gai Bai Phrat Kew - stir fried chicken with basil.

Yes, not a green, red, yellow or jungle curry in sight. Now, I know, there are more adventurous dishes on the menu here and at other Thai restaurants, but the regulars are a good way to benchmark. Pepperoni pizza, lasagne, butter chicken, Singapore noodle. The standards are always a good way to rate a restaurant in my view .

But this is where this review gets difficult.

Thai food is, er.., Thai food. I cook it really well myself when I can get ingredients such as gulangal, kafir lime leaves, sweet basil and lemongrass, the key notes of any Thai meal (and this has become increasingly easy even in supermarkets, and the reopening of the Thai supermarket further down Friar Street was a welcome comback after the fire that destroyed their oprevious store). At many pubs and restaurants, even in relatively remote parts of Britain, you can eat good Thai food. It is so consistent that it is a go to meal out for many people (including G and his family, seamingly). Indeed, the wave of Thai restaurants that came to the UK during the 90s and naughties and seemed very exotic at the time have gradually been replaced by Vietnamese and Korean and regional Chinese restaurants and fast food joints.

 



Every dish was great, we agreed on this enthusiastically, yet could not find any particular superlatives or criticisms.

This is sound food. It is safe food, even more consistent than British Indian or Cantonese. Sunday Roasts have degrees whereby you can split a hair, but, honestly, I find Thai food more difficult to rate, so our forthcoming visit to Rosa's will be interesting.

The satay was juicy, the peanut dip perhaps needed a bit more chilli and fish sauce, and the basil chicken was lovely with just the right chilli spicing with the onions and peppers nice and crunchy and the sweet (or holy) basil added a lovely tang. I understand from Thai friends and those who have spent time in the country that things are chillied down for our meagre palettes, which is fine by me.

As is traditional when G and I get together (he was nice and tanned from a couple of weeks in Florida and full of Trumpian horror stories) we went for a nice bottle of wine, a Sancerre for £34, which is a total bargain these days.

At Thai Corner you will, I suspect, always eat well, always be well looked after in the charming way that only Thai people can look after you and then end up with a reasonable bill. It's a great option for a group - apparently you can book the room upstairs.

There are, of course, other Thai restaurants in town - Thai Table in Caversham and The Moderation just over the bridge from it and now Rosa's. As we walked past its large pane glass windows on our way back through town, they seemed to be doing a roaring trade, but G commented that their Phad Thai looked just like the dish he had just eaten.

Thailand has exported a wonderful cuisine to the world that is as consistent as a pint of Guinness in an Irish pub in Bangkok.