POMEGRANATE
Cuisine: Thai
Nearest tube: Willesden Green
Address: 35e Walm Lane, Willesden Green, London NW2 5SH
Tel: 020 8830 2111
An unassuming yet charming little eatery.
This place has gone straight to the top of the Thai premier league of restaurants. Cosy, delicious, and unlicensed - bring your own booze, people!
I'd been driving past this inauspicious-looking restaurant for years - compared to all the other gaudy-looking places in Willesden, Pomegranate does tend to be invisible to the untrained eye, located around a dark little corner next to Willesden Green station. The most notable thing about this place is just how tiny it is - four tables that seat four people each, so with a maximum occupancy of 16, booking a table is advised as it fills up with locals pretty quickly.
The interior is warm, snug and homely, a bit like being in someone's dining room for a private dinner party. The chairs are a little uncomfortable and it's very small inside, but it has a certain comforting charm that seems perfect for a romantic evening out.
The menu contains the usual Thai fare - the chicken satay is tender and tasty, the tom yam het is fragrant and spicy. The som tam is fresh and crisp, with a light hint of chilli that doesn't overpower the dish, although it's a little too sour for my liking. For our mains, the pork pad kaprow is well-spiced with a bold savoury sauce that errs on the side of salty, and the prawn tord kratiem is garlicky and peppery, with huge juicy prawns that possibly could've done with a few more vegetables, but I'm nitpicking - the food is good. The coconut rice is creamy and fluffy, offsetting the savoury dishes perfectly.
Pork pad kaprow and prawn kratiem |
The service is good, with a pretty smiling Thai girl only a few feet away should you need assistance. However, it's cash only, which I wish I'd known ealier - it would've saved me a breathless dash to the cashpoint. It's reasonably priced, costing us about £35, and anyone wishing to have a glass of wine need only pop to the Sainsburies over the road - the bring-your-own-booze is definitely one of the big plus points for the locals (mostly Australians, so expect to see groups of squawking women sinking bottle after bottle of cheap plonk).
All in all, the food is decent, well-priced, and it was a lovely little evening out.
Service 3/5
Food 3/5
Value 3/5
Ambience 4/5
Total: 13/20
Why you should go there: For a cosy and intimate evening out.
Don’t leave without trying: Tord kratiem
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