There have been many times I pass Janetira in the past few years. Staring inside the place it always seems empty. Over the summer there was a sudden hype word reaching foodies lips. Janetira is not your average Thai restaurant. Jane hails from her homeland, bringing Thai street food to the heart of Soho.
Since I brought a whole bunch of friends with me, it was perfect to pick a handful of dishes to share.
“Eggs in tamarind syrup” came in with 2 deep fried eggs cut in half. Topped with crispy shallots and toffee brown looking sauce. Jane explained these were made to complement curries and soups well. The outside had a slight crunch to the edges, and a slight pickle after taste, combined with the sweet sensation.
The sweet & deep fried tofus were a delight, perfectly cooked without a drop of extra grease. It was certainly crunchy with the right balance of corn and flour.
The “JFC” came with 5 enormous wings, smothered in the marinade, slightly on the salty side but went down a treat.
My friends ordered the duck noodle in five-spice soup. Tender slices of meat piled neatly in the bowl of brown dark shadows pound. Fragrant, the broth had sweetness to it.
The green curry looked like the usual stuff you get from restaurants. I tasted one spoon and my mouth was on FIYAAAAH!
A lot spicier then the usual curries you find in most places, order with caution.
Khao soi curry chicken came in a rich, thick caramel brown like soup. The soup tasted very rich and coated the noodles.
The pink noodles with fish balls, won me over, the chewy soft noodles soaked in a sour flamingo pink soup. Accompanied with 2 crispy wontons skins, vegetables, topped with seafood goodness. I like anything sour and seafood, the broth was clear with minimum oil floating around.
One of my favourite things to order is a Thai ice tea. A blend of spices mixed with sweet condensed milk.
Janetira is usually quite empty for some odd reason; portions are generous, tasty with various selection of not your average Thai restaurant. Order the curry dishes with caution and a meal should cost you under £30.
