"Esarn Kheaw is one of the OG Thai spots in London. It’s been open since the ‘90s and unlike the cultural zeitgeist surrounding scrunchies and Tammy Girl, this Shepherd's Bush restaurant has remained reliably popular. For the indecisive, prepare yourself for the fact that the menu spans six pages. Our advice is to forego the pad thai and really get stuck in with the bamboo shoot salad, deep-fried whole sea bass, and the aptly named Tiger Cry feisty chilli steak number. Basically, anything with ‘Esarn speciality’ next to it on the menu, you want on your table. " - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing