Ekachai is quite a foodie institution, bringing the flavourful dishes of South East Asia’s hawker stalls to five stylish casual restaurants across London.
Its Hong Kong-born founders opened their first outpost inside the Liverpool Street Arcade in 1999 and the independent family-run small chain has developed a loyal following ever since – a real local success story. The latest opening at King’s Cross is conveniently located just behind the train station on up-and-coming York Way and is a cosy spot with an open kitchen.
What makes Ekachai so appealing is its overlapping cuisines – being able to choose authentic street food dishes from Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong all in one place. As such, the well-edited menu is full of the owners’ childhood favourites, offers tempting small plates, noodle soups, wok stir-fries, fried rice and noodles and curries.
We started with a basket of everyone’s favourite dumpling – Xiao Long Bao. These little dumplings were exemplary and some of the best we’ve tasted in London – generously filled with well-seasoned pork and a comforting broth. They are so delicious that you might want to order a whole portion for yourself!
Soft shelled crab was also a treat, with a meaty centre and crunchy legs enrobed in crispy batter and served with a mild sambal dipping sauce.
I can’t resist Pad Thai and Ekachai’s was very substantial with lightly smoked sautéed chicken, a generous amount of plump fresh prawns, silky flat rice noodles with beansprouts and golden egg, covered in a well-balanced, sweet and citrusy sauce. I also liked the meticulously neat garnishes of crushed peanuts, dried red chilli, lime wedge and fresh coriander.
Beef Rendang, a traditional Malay/Indonesian curry, was fragrant and punchy with tender, flaky slow-cooked beef and prominent flavours of roasted coconut, galangal and lemongrass. It went perfectly with the delicate, aromatic jasmine rice with a buttery, griddled roti for scooping up the sauce.
Ekachai doesn’t serve dessert, but really it wasn’t missed, as our dishes were so filling and satisfying. However, if you’re in the mood for something sweet, order a refreshing Mango lassi or a Kaffe Thai lon – the famous Thai white coffee with sweetened with condensed milk.
Every main dish at Ekachai is under £10 (apart from the Crispy duck salad), so you can eat very well for a good price, or make a feast of it. Service is also friendly and efficient and the new King’s Cross restaurant keeps that family-run vibe that keeps people coming back. I’m tempted by another visit soon to work my way through the menu, as well as getting a Xiao Long Bao fix.
For more information and menus, visit: www.ekachai.co.uk
Chérie City was a guest of Ekachai King’s Cross
Photos by Chérie City (interior by Ekachai)
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