Alan Yau, the brains behind Japanese chain Wagamama has launch a new London-based restaurant in the form of all day dining concept, Naamyaa Café.
Situated on Angel’s St. John Street in the heart of North London’s yuppie ville, we spotted no less than three other Thai restaurants within a one-minute walking distance of Naaymaa. Which led us to think, does Angel really need another Thai?
Well, Naamyaa offers something truly different. Yes, from the outside it looks like all the rest, all lavish golds and jet blacks, mini Buddha’s lined up to greet you and the token elephant symbol thrown in for good measure. Inside however tells a very different story, and a very stylish one at that.
Industrial light bulbs hang from the ceiling, whilst beautiful red and white, traditional Thai tiles cover one wall. There are the typical South East Asian gaudy golds, but there’s also chic, lime green bistro chairs and 60s inspired walnut wood that you’d expect from a Scandi-cool showroom rather than a Thai restaurant. If Wagamama’s was all about minimalist décor and NY style communal benches, Naamyaa offers the complete opposite.
The menu reflects the erratic décor too, and we mean erratic in the nicest possible way. Not only do they serve up the traditional Thai dishes us Brits know and love, from Laksas to Pad Thai, but Naamyaa also offers a selection of Western favourites from the painfully trendy burgers to a vast weekend brunch menu.
As we visited on a Saturday we opted for brunch. The corn fritter is great if you’re after something hearty that’s not a fry-up – a sweet corn patty infused with herbs and chili, topped off with crispy bacon and garlicky aioli. Whilst our guest tucked into an impressive feast of grilled Penang sea bream with Lemongrass and a side of chilli and garlic pak choi – which we had to admit was so large we finished it off too. It was grilled to perfection with a crispy, charcoaled skin and soft, lemony meat inside.
But the most moreish of all the dishes had to be the simple snack of wok toasted cashews. Salty with a kick of chilli spice and a punch of fresh herbs – their a must-order washed down with a cool beer. In fact we’d go back just for a bowl of them.
And that’s the great thing about Naamyaa, their all-day-dining ethos means you can pop in for a quick drink and a side of nuts or the full three courses of Thai. They also have a selection of cakes and teas if you’re after an afternoon refreshment and respite from shopping or a quick burger on a Friday night.
Without sounding too much of cliché, Naamyaa is a cultural culmination of East meets West. And it works.
Naamyaa Café, 407 St. John Street, Islington, London EC1V 4AB Tel. 020 3122 0988 Mon-Fri: 12pm-11pm Sat: Brunch 9am-5pm and Dinner 5pm-11.30pm Sun: Brunch 10am-5pm and Dinner 5pm-10.30pm naamyaa.com
For more brunch ideas, see our roundup of the best brunch places in London.