Sukhothai: excellent Thai restaurant in Hornchurch

Sukhothai is an excellent Thai restaurant in Hornchurch, Essex.  The food is great, the staff are friendly, the restaurant is busy (always a good sign) and the interior has a clean feel. 

Tom Yum soup.  Sorry for the shadow >_< 

There's a good selection of food on the menu.  There are soups, curries, salads, rice, noodles - the usual you'd expect from a Thai restaurant.  But the great thing about +Sukhothai Restaurant is that - from two separate visits - every dish I've tried is excellent.

Moo Ping - grilled pork skewers.

Tiger Cry - grilled beef sirloin (medium) with mint and coriander. 

Thai curries are always popular and a visit to Sukhothai wouldn't be right without trying one.  There are various meat curries available - beef, chicken, duck, pork, prawn - with different degrees of spiciness; this means there's a good chance you'll find the right dish for you.

I believe the restaurant is family-run and I had the same waitress on both of my visits that were five months apart.  Either way, the staff are really friendly and are knowledgeable about their menu and were keen to advise on what to order.  I'll definitely be heading back to Sukhothai next time I'm in the Hornchurch area.

Nearest Tube: Upminster Bridge or Hornchurch

The Magic Mushroom

The Magic Mushroom is a restaurant that serves contemporary European food in Billericay, Essex. 

From what I had heard, it has a reputation for providing decent food at reasonable prices and several of my family members had been several times before. So naturally I was eager to try it out for myself for the first time. 

Soft shell crab.

If soft shell crab is on the menu, then I am almost certain to order it - and this is exactly what I did. Presented with a wedge of lemon, mixed salad leaves and tartare sauce, this was the perfect start to a meal. The crab was crispy yet soft and moist - and I wouldn't have minded having another.

Steak.

I opted for a rare steak for my mains. I had no complaints about the steak - it certainly was rare when I cut into it and the meat was soft and tender enough.

I was really looking forward to my dessert - the bavarois, or 'Bavarian cream'. This was because - quite frankly - I had no idea what it was and I quite like trying new foods. It's a like a thickened cream - much thicker than meets the eye.  Served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, strawberries and sauce, it was a fresh yet very filling dessert. I definitely didn't need more food afterwards.

Bavarois - standard edition.

And best of all, the kind +Magic Mushroom Restaurant staff made a special birthday edition for our table, as we were out celebrating a birthday that night. It came complete with edible chocolate balloons and writing - lovely!

Bavarois - birthday edition.

I had a decent evening at Magic Mushroom and would go back again. The restaurant was packed even on a week night (always a good sign) so it is probably a good idea to call ahead if you decide to go.