O's Thai Cafe

If at first sight Crouch End does not strike you as one of the more compelling parts of London, just reconsider your stance. In the first place Deborah Ross, witty writer and self-styled non-domestic goddess, is rumoured to live there. But far more importantly it is home to one of the most renowned and lively Thai restaurants in the country - yes, that's country you read. So why is this? Probably because owner and Head Chef Somchai Kantavanich gives every appearance of having thrown the rule book out of the window and decided that they're going to have a good time and they'd like all their customers to join in with them.

Charles Campion writing in his London guide in 2008 said, 'O brings a youthful zip to Thai cuisine. His café is fast and noisy with current favourite music at high volume', before going on to extol the food.

With main courses at around £7 each there is room for experimentation. If you lack the confidence to do that the cheerful and well informed staff will offer helpful advice if needed. Further more you can knock a few more bahts off the bill (76 bahts = £1) by vacating your table before 8.30pm, their answer to the early bird supper. So one way and another it's a pretty accommodating place.

Décor is minimalist with blond wood furniture, a long narrow room with no pretentions to glamour, everything concentrated on good sound food at even better prices. Amongst the starters and snacks are Thai vegetable spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce, kow keap kung, Thai prawn crackers made with real prawn with sweet and sour, and luk chin tord, deep fried chicken or fish balls, or their special starters for however many there are in your party, chosen from the menu with spicy peanut sauce and yet more sweet and sour. And, of course there's the ever faithful spicy soups, Tom yam and Tom ka made with lime leaves, sour cream, lemon grass and galanga.

Some eleven main courses ring the options between meats, bean curd and king prawn as the main constituent. One of the great things about Thai cuisine is the subtlety with which the dishes are composed, where one apparent minor shift of ingredients can make so much change. Amongst the house recommendations are pad morragode, a spicy dish made with king prawn stir fried in 'morragode' green curry coconut sauce, vegetables, fresh lime and sweet basil leaves, served with a veritable mountain of rice.

Watch out as well for their blackboard specials, which could include steamed salmon with fresh ginger and spring onion and soya sauce or yellow egg noodles with shrimp curry paste and lemongrass.

Despite, to our ears, its unpromising name, khow tom mud makes the most delicious dessert with banana and sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf and served with hot coconut cream. Failing that move your attention to kanom moor gaeng, coconut flavoured sponge made with egg, coconut cream, ground yellow beans and palm sugar, served with warm coconut cream.

A short but thoughtful wine list, starting at £11.95, draws heavily on New World and South Africa, with a Stormy Cape Shiraz from Western Cape amongst the reds, a Cape Coral Rosé from Stellenbosch and a beautiful Montana Reserve Sauvignon from Marlborough NZ, all nearly at or under the £20 mark.

Their special lunch has three choices each of starters and main courses, served between 12 and 3, at an incredible £6.95 per head. Their Website should prove a huge help in guiding you round all the exciting choices available there.