The Rising Sun Pub, Thame

Reviews

Thame FreeBee 2003 - 'Eating Out With Angela'

Do you know that Thai food is internationally famous. Whether chilli hot or comparatively bland, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai.

Characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked. Dishes can be refined and adjusted to suit all palates. Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plants and herbs were major ingredients.

Are you aware that you can now enjoy Thai food in Thame? The Rising Sun at the lower end of Thame High Street has recently begun serving authentic Thai cuisine, and very popular it's proving to be already. Cooked and served in the surroundings of this olde world pub by very pleasant attentive Thai's assisted by very polite bar staff.

The Thai food is served seven days a week. Lunchtimes 12.00 noon 2.30pm and evenings 6pm-11.30pm. The main menu is available both lunchtimes and evenings, but if you're in a hurry of a lunchtime then choose a meal from the Express Lunch Menu. Starters are £2.95 each, main courses £4.95 and set lunches £6.95 per person - excellent value!

If however you wish to eat in your place of work or in your own home then choose from the take-away menu which features an excellent range of mixed hors d'oeuvres, starters, Pad Thai soups, salad, chicken, beef, pork, duck, seafood and curry dishes. Order over £25 qualify for a 10% discount.

As with the main menu the take-away menu showshow hot a dish is by the number of chillies displayed after it. Very helpful if you like your food mildly spiced and as helpful if you like it fiery!

John and I visited the Rising Sun one lunchtime. As we had plenty of time we chose the Pad Thai Feast for two from the main menu. Our meal consisted of many dishes cooked to order using fresh ingredients. The whole eating experience was both relaxing and satisfying.

Our starters of Satay Gai (grilled marinated pieces of chicken on bamboo skewers), served with spicy peanut sauce and fresh pickled cucumber). Poh Pia Tod (vegetable spring rolls filled with mixed vegetables and clear vermicelli noodles), served with sweet chilli sauce. Tod Man Khao Pohd (sweet corn cake mixed with spicy marinated minced chicken), served with sweet chilli sauce. Keav Grob (crispy fried noodles, mixed with a sweet tomato sauce topped with chopped spring onions and chillies.

Main courses were Kaeng Kiew Wan Gai (Thai green chicken curry cooked with aubergines, bamboo shoots, coconut milk and a green curry paste made with basil, lime leaves, chillies and peppers. Gai Pad Med (stir fried chicken and cashew nuts with soy sauce, onions, peppers and dried chillies). Pad Pak Ruam (stir fried seasonal vegetables in soy sauce. Pad Mee (egg noodles stir fried with beansprouts and soy sauce and Kao Praw (steamed fragrant jasmine rice).

For dessert refreshing Rambutan with ice cream.

All the meals were nicely presented, and the combination of colours made them look a real art form.

And to compliment your meal why not try one of the new world wines available, over fifty varieties in fact, that's the largest selection available in a Thame . Remember, a day without wine is like a day without sunshine.

We really enjoyed our time at The Rising Sun, and were pleased to see that there was a non-smoking area available for dining. The whole meal was exceptional, a real culinary experience, blend of distinctive tastes and aromas-almost intoxicating.

If you've never tried Thai food then I suggest you do, and make sure you make Pad Thai at The Rising Sun, Thame. your, first choice.