The Begging Bowl

[kels]

A friend recommended we try this new place out after they went on opening night this week. Well, it was as she said - delicious. A few first week delays, but overall the food was superb. They have a daily special for kids too, a very substantial serving for them. Adult meals were smaller, sharing style ranging from 7.50-9.50. The squid was amazing - so tender. It may not be to everyones taste, but for those who do prefer great, genuine asian - it's definitely worth a visit. http://www.thebeggingbowl.co.uk/

[IJJ1963]

I ate there on Friday the food was the best Thai I have had in this country no wonder the place was so busy. The place was buzzing and as well as the outstanding food - try the gurnard rabbit and sirloin dishes - there was a great selection of beers and wines. Considering the exceptional quality of the food it was really great value get down there before they realise they are underpricing themselves and put their prices up. I thoroughly recommend the place.

[Sue]

Passed on Saturday lunchtime and it was packed.

Good luck to them - to finally have a decent Thai restaurant nearby is very good news.

[lnprett]

Is this the old pizza place opposite the Victoria? It sounds yummy will be popping in soon!

[EatsDulwich]

Yes, it's where the pizza place was. We're going this evening - really looking forward to it!

[Sue]

According to their website, there are no reservations - have people been able to get a table reasonably easily?

Or do they have that system where you go to the pub (luckily the Victoria in this case, I assume) and someone comes to get you when there's a table free? More convenient than waiting in a queue, but less good for alcohol consumption :)

When's the least busy time to go? And what are the prices like? (Nothing up on the website as yet, but I imagine they've got their work cut out with actually running the place at the moment!)

[DulwichFox]

The WEB Site is not finished but is set up for a Mailing List.

Interesting that they have gone to the trouble of Using hivelogic_enkoder

hivelogic_enkoder employs a smart and effective (and quite complicated) method to encode email addresses inmailto: tags in a way that hides them from spammers.

It would seem they have utilised the services of a profesional body to build their WEBsite.

So as to them having work cut out with actually running the place would surely not come into it.

Will keep an eye out on progress and perhaps pop in sometime.

Fox.

[pablogrande]

Great the first thing I ask when a Thai restaurant opens nearby is 'How how to they encode their inmailto: tags' thumbs up from me

[Peckhamrye]

Went there last night with a group of people and we sampled everything on the menu. It was all lovely, great service even though the place was packed - thoroughly recommended.

[symroe]

I went there last night with my girlfriend and her mum. This is now my favoriate Thai restaurant :) Amazing service, friendly staff and I really enjoyed sitting outside ? it wasn't as noisy as I thought it would be.

I'll be looking for an excuse to go there again ??I have a feeling all my guests will get to eat there :)

[EatsDulwich]

Lovely meal there last night. Some dishes better than others and some could have done with a little more spice (although appreciate that wouldn't suit everyone) but over all an enjoyable meal.

Particularly liked the betal leaf with palm sugar, peanuts & pomelo, the salad of deep fried salmon with sour fruits, squid with chives & ginger, Chinese broccoli & garlic, grilled gilt head bream and the tofu with snake beans & cashews.

Good beer & wine lists.

I'd definitely go again for the food, but I'm not a big fab of queueing for a table.

[DulwichFox]

Post withdrawn as content may of been misleading.

Sorry.

Fox.

[Jeremy]

EatsDulwich Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm not a big fab of queueing for a table.

Amen. What is it with all these new restaurants that don't take reservations? Queueing for a table is not my idea of fun or relaxation after a long day at work.

[pilsbury]

we went there on friday night - food was everso yummy, in partic the rabbit and the squid. we got there for opening time 6pm, as we had our little one with us, but i'd estimate that by 7pm all the tables were full already - madness, but maybe it'll calm down in a few weeks. the service was really friendly, a teensy bity slow but i think just normal opening hitches. the only real disappointment was the veggie options - my MiL is veggie and there were really only two choices on each menu, so not great, esp for SE Asian food. Hoping they'll amend that soon. I also found the menus annoying, trying to be too trendy (what happened to just normal three course meals, not "light, slight and robust" like they have). but don't let that put you off, food is dead nice. also worth noting that i'm 99% sure that the place is run by the same folk as the plamerston and the herne.

[Sue]

pilsbury Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>i'm 99% sure that the place

> is run by the same folk as the plamerston and the

> herne.

xxxxxxx

Really? Why do you think that?

How disillusioning, I thought it was an independent restaurant.

[david_carnell]

Why disillusioning?

People with expertise and experience open new restaurant in area of demand.

And it's hardly Pret a Manger is it? Three places.

Sheesh.

[tomy]

Does anyone know if they accept payment by card, or is it cash only?

[EatsDulwich]

Yes they take cards.

[tomy]

Thanks!

[pilsbury]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> pilsbury Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> >i'm 99% sure that the place

> > is run by the same folk as the plamerston and

> the

> > herne.

>

> xxxxxxx

>

> Really? Why do you think that?

>

> How disillusioning, I thought it was an

> independent restaurant.

Because their van was parked outside and a chap who works in the Palmerston (manager?) was working in there + I noticed the Palmerston promoting the launch on their Twitter page.

It doesn't both me to be honest (i'm not huge fans of either places, but for different reasons, but that won't stop me going back to the begging bowl, take each plan on its own merit), I'm just bemused to see them opposite Victoria (Capital Pubs), let battle commence :)

[bobby's bear]

Is it open for lunch? Thanks

[Sue]

david_carnell Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Why disillusioning?

>

> People with expertise and experience open new

> restaurant in area of demand.

>

> And it's hardly Pret a Manger is it? Three

> places.

>

> Sheesh.

xxxxxxxx

Because I don't like the Herne and I only like the Palmerston for a drink .....

But hey, if the food is good and the price is right, good luck to them and I'll be down to try it :)

Just it would have been nice if it had been an independent Thai restaurant ....

[lnprett]

We went for dinner yesterday evening and were told to wait in a local pub for 45mins to an hour for a table. It was super busy! After 30 mins they found us a table for two so we didn't have to hang around for too long but once seated it was really cramped. The food was nice, not the best Thai ever, but definitely good value for money! I think the best way to put it is that you can go to a gastro pub and have a boring same old same old dish for ?8-15 or go here for something vibrant and tasty in a casual environment and it's cheaper too! The staff were so friendly and polite and despite the chaos they were calm and relaxed and took the time to recommend dishes and check on us during meal etc. It would be nice to be able to book as the outdoor tables were highly desirable on such a sticky evening. Or maybe it was just sticky as it was so busy - not sure! Anyway I will return in a couple of weeks and I reckon it will be even nicer once things have quietened down.

[*Bob*]

The food in this place is darned good.

I felt a little sorry for the waitresses though, due to the alarming number of people declaring themselves to be experts in Thai cuisine, having spent a lot of time in Blah Blah, ecktuelly.

Darned decent though.

[*Bob*]

Perhaps a footnote could be added to the menu:

"The Management understands and appreciates that affordable flights to - and accommmodation within - Thailand, Laos etc etc are now within reach of many of its customers. Whilst we appreciate that some of you may have spent weeks combing the backstreets of Patong in search of the ultimate in REAL south-east Asian cuisine, the waitresses do not necessarily require a blow-by-blow account of how each of the dishes on our own menu compare. Especially if we're quite busy."