"Hai Cafe’s yellow curries very much fall into the clichéd category labelled ‘hug-like’, but that’s because this tiny Vietnamese spot in Clapton is the genuine kind of homely. There’s only one type of curry on the menu (a yellow one) and it’s full of a soothing range of stodgy vegetables like carrots and pumpkins. You can add tofu, vegetables, chicken, or king prawns but it’s the punchy, rich sauce and Hai Cafe’s thoughtful accoutrements—pickled chillies, homemade deep-fried shallots, pumpkin seeds, and more—that are the stars of the show." - rianne shlebak, jake missing