"Paolina Thai Cuisine is like the faded jumper you gravitate to—there are fancier options in your wardrobe, but time and time again you find yourself throwing on that dependable knit. Tucked down a side road, close to the chaos of St Pancras International, it’s a spot where dependability is valued. There’s better Thai food in London, but this is a go-to for a reliably good solo lunch or to have a quiet date night over solid pad thai. photo credit: Koray Firat photo credit: Koray Firat photo credit: Koray Firat photo credit: Koray Firat Inside, there are sauna-amounts of wood covering the walls, floors, and chairs, but the hiss you can hear is from vegetables hitting a shimmering-hot wok. There are a couple of seats upstairs but we prefer the cosiness of the sunken, lower level. Tucked away in the dim light down here, are other people who value familiarity and duck spring rolls stuffed to the brim like mini bolster cushions. photo credit: Koray Firat Servers place plates down with a smile but then leave you to it, disappearing back upstairs for chats with the chef. There’s no need for conversation though. Once the food arrives, you’ll likely forget the hard wooden seats have left you with no feeling in both butt cheeks, and stop wondering about the framed photos of the owners’ family members and Queen Lizzy. Really, you won’t notice the sparsely decorated dining room at all. You’ll be too busy taking comfort from the dishes—excellent crispy sweetcorn cakes dredged through sticky sweet chilli sauce and deep-fried tofu nuggets with salty peanut dipping sauce. Food Rundown photo credit: Koray Firat Tao Hoo Tord These triangular nuggets of meaty tofu are deep-fried and perfectly crispy, with a slightly spicy peanut sauce that only really lasts for two pieces when you slather it on like we do. A moreish snack for the table. photo credit: Koray Firat Tord Mun Kao Pord We’ve ordered these sweetcorn cakes on multiple occasions. Sometimes they come flat like a patty and other times they are slightly round like a ball. The inconsistency of shape doesn’t matter because these snacks—a moreish mix of sweet and sticky with craggy fried bits—will always live on in your heart and the gaps between your teeth long after your meal is finished. photo credit: Koray Firat Duck Spring Rolls These thick crispy rolls resemble a plumped-up cushion, and that is the only defence we have for wanting to nestle into them. Stuffed full of well-seasoned duck and soft vegetables, they can be a bit dry so be liberal with the hoisin sauce. photo credit: Koray Firat Tofu Pad Thai There’s a good balance of vegetables and noodles, and the scattering of spring onion and crunchy peanuts. photo credit: Koray Firat Pad Med Mamuang Simple but effective—this stir-fry comes with juicy slices of chicken and toasted cashews on a fluffy cloud of white rice. It’s creamy and mild, and ideal for days when you need a sweet sauce rather than a slap of spice." - Sinéad Cranna
