"At the beginning of the 2010s, the indie sleaze scene started to die. Then, towards the end of the 2010s, an Anglo-Thai cooking renaissance began in London. Winklepicker fanaticism turned to laab and a whole swathe of restaurants opened—like Smoking Goat, Kiln, Farang, and Som Saa. A London-style of modern Thai cooking has been popular since then and, unlike indie sleaze, Som Saa is still doing it to a high standard in Spitalfields. In many ways, Som Saa is the same as it’s always been. A pungent mix of lemongrass and fish sauce hits as soon as you walk in and attaches to your clothes from there on out. The buzzing, NYC-ish, industrial space is popping like an early Boiler Room set and snagging a big wooden booth for shots and a sweat-inducing Bangkok papaya salad is a go-to move. But Som Saa hasn’t been without controversy. Back in 2018, it was in the headlines for a multitude of wrong reasons. It emerged that one of the chefs had produced a slew of racist content that was acknowledged by co-founder Andy Oliver. Since then the chef has been sacked and Oliver has spoken of “significant structural changes” behind the scenes. photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch It may be hard to separate the food from Som Saa’s history, though it is among the best Thai restaurants in London. Whether you’re here with colleagues or celebrating so-and-so's birthday, it’s a great meal. The restaurant knows its crowd—mainly big and boisterous—and there are good-value set menus, as well as a vegan-specific one. So if you decide to come, it’s a restaurant to visit en masse. Because when it comes to flavour, Som Saa doesn’t disappoint." - Jake Missing
