Rosa’s Thai Cafe, E1

The Halal: It’s definitely worth rechecking every time you go as they tend to use different suppliers. The chicken has always been halal and most recently I was told that all the meat is now halal. I know this is definitely the case for their other branch in Westfield Stratford City.

The Place: This humble Thai cafe is ideally located opposite the All Saints flagship store on Hanbury street in Spitalfields which makes it a good pit stop after shopping, perusing the market on weekends or before a night out in Brick Lane. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it empty but it’s particularly busy on weekends so you can expect a wait. The restaurant is split over two levels and the interior is very basic but the priority here is the food! I also loved the witty t-shirts bearing Cockney rhyming slogans- very fitting given their first restaurant opened in East London.

The Food: I love Thai food and Rosa’s is my absolute favourite Thai in all of London! They even deliver locally if you’re too lazy to go out. The chicken satay is an essential starter. It’s barbecued perfectly every time and the peanut sauce is delicious and addictive. I could eat it with anything.

The prawn tempura is another generous starter. Golden plump and crispy prawns without the greasiness you might expect from a deep fried dish.

In the curried dishes, I think the Pla Chu Chi or salmon red curry and the pumpkin red curry are A-MAZ-ING! There’s a perfect balance of sweet coconut and fiery chilli in the sauce. The green chicken curry is also very good but if you’re deciding between the two go for a Red!

Stir fried sirloin beef with vegetables and mushrooms in oyster sauce was tasty but didn’t stand out from the other dishes. The Pad Thai is always excellent. If you’re in the mood for seafood the spicy spaghetti has an abundance of shellfish and is a flavoursome choice not found in many other Thai establishments.

The Price: Around. £20 per person for a starter and main. Not a cheap takeaway but worth every penny!

The Verdict: I don’t know if you can tell that I adore the food at Rosa’s so in my book it gets 5 stars- let me know what you think!