A friend had been raving about this small Thai restaurant in Market Row, shortly after which I read a review on Eat In Brixton and noticed it had been shortlisted in their top four restaurants in Brixton. Time to check it out then. Luckily I had the foresight to book as four of us went along on a Friday night and it’s pretty tiny. We were sat inside but there is also extra seating out the front of the restaurant, although still within the cover of market row.
Yum-d is appropriate for a quick lunch if you are in the area. Although you are not bothered by their need for the table, it feels not feel right to hog their table for too long. After all, the prices are reasonable for a generous amount of food. The food took a while to be served and comes out as and when they it is ready.
The first thing that hit me was a bout of claustrophobia. Floor space is tiny (with just around five tables and the kitchen), and the random Thai pantry stock and trinkets floating about for sale made it even tinier. Whilst it gave me the ambience of an actual Thai market stall, it made me want to call in some troops for a massive de-clutter project.
We ordered the pork and prawn dumplings (£4.50) as a safe starter. Not particularly Thai in origin but this is actually the closest I've had to delicious siu mai I've had in Southeast Asia. The dumpling was plump with filling and the wrapper was thin enough for one to savour the juicy pork and prawn flavour.
I thought the Thai BBQ prawns (£4.95) would come de-shelled and skewered, served with some dipping sauce or something but they arrived in their shells, blackened off the grill with some vegetables atop. The sauce resembled some sweet chilli marinade. Quite alright.
I wanted to order lots of viands for mains to eat with rice but T and I ended up ordering two variants of pad thai. At £7.50 each, the portions were very generous.
My pad thai tom yum with mixed seafood was easily the best pad thai I've had in yonks (possibly in London). The prominent fragrance of lemongrass and galangal made my mouth water so much that I almost forgot to get rid of the egg. The tom yum flavour was very distinct in the tamarind sauce. I thought it was outstanding - so much so that I had pad thai craze for about two weeks. It was all I craved and wanted to eat!!!
The coconut pad thai with mixed seafood wasn't so bad either. The coconut milk added a slight creaminess to the noodles but it was still distinctively pad thai. It's a new flavour profile in my palate and I can't wait to try recreating it at home.
Bellies full to the brim, I thought about ordering some more noodles to take home for next day's lunch but I stopped myself else I'd end up having it for midnight snack. So I distracted myself with the writings on the wall... lots of sticky notes with affirmation of how they've been transported back to Bangkok, Krabi, etc because of the authenticity of the food.
I went to Yum-D thinking it was going to be just an average Thai dinner (or actually, the type you get from local takeaways) but I left feeling 100% satisfied, with a view to wanting more. Sure, the smell of stir-fried chillies, lemongrass and holy basil may have stuck in our hair, coats, and canvas totes (they should really work on their ventilation/exhaust)... but for the best Thai I've had in London, I'd gladly visit again and again.
awesome little thai place in brixton market, great home-cooked food and friendly atmosphere.
Great food at reasonable prices. Chicken satay starters and pad Thai highly recommended. Staff were happy to alter dishes for vegan customers.
We were checking out somewhere to eat and were bowled over by the enthusiasm of a family who had just left. So, on their recommendation, we popped just round the corner and bought a bottle of Riesling and went in. It's tiny and atmospheric and the food is seriously good. We had chicken starter and a fab guava salad and coconut pad thai with prawn and chicken massamun. Good it was. Service great. Came to £30.
A small cash only, thai cafe. i call it cafe as its a casual type of place and is open during the day for lunch and closes around 21:30. When I visited there were three thai ladies there who were friendly and surprised when I tried my little bit of thai language with them ! The meal I had was excellent, with a good portion size though i was a little disappointed with the rice which i don't think was Jasmine rice as it should have been or if it was it was over cooked. That all said though it is worth a visit and you won't leave hungry.
Fantastic coconut pad thai! Really glad that I found this little gem.
Nice staff and really good food! It is also quite cheap! I have been few times and seems to be pretty consistent with their quality! Definitely a hidden gem (it doesn't look particularly appealing but give it a chance)
Ordered whole sea bass which was a mistake on my part because I hate de-boning fish! Otherwise the taste was good. Jasmine tea in a pot is served using a tea bag, not loose leaves so that's a minus. Costs 15.45 total. Above average I'd say.
Prices are generally much lower than elsewhere in Brixton for dinner, for example most mains are in the region of £8.50 at Yum-D. Water and glasses are provided before the meal which is nice and the food tasted great! Hence I'm giving Yum-D a 5 star review.
Good food and value for money. I had the Coconut Pad Thai noodles with veggies and tofu and the quantity was more than I could eat so I had to take away. Cash only, so be prepared. Overall, good experience.
The curry rice was very tasty. Price is affordable.
Very tasty meal here. Staff were very friendly and happy to give suggestions and make changes to orders. Busy little place, but it's not hard to see why. Well worth a visit for dinner.
Oh so much better than Rosa's and the Chef just happens to be Thai aswel what is a must when your eating Thai food :) ! The staff are really nice and very atentive but i sugest phoning and booking first if its the weekend . Because it seems im not the only foodie that knows .
Tasty Thai food in Brixton. Popped in on a Saturday afternoon - authentic tasting pad see ew and drunken noodles. Friendly staff. Cosy atmosphere. Definitely worth popping in for!
Cannot emphasise enough on how delicious, cosy, fairly priced and friendly that place is. I go there about once a week. Prawn toast, moo ping, drunken noodles and chicken Lakhsi are my picks. For all this you'll pay about £25.
Amazing, good quality food at really cheap prices! Much more friendly staff than kaosarn round the corner and they let you eat your meal in piece without rushing you to clear the table, oh and you can book big groups!!
Amazing food !!!, been to Thailand a few times in my life and I can say it's very authentic taste . Loved the place will go again in the near future
One of my favourite places to eat in the Village... Don't expect anything fancy - just reasonably priced and good quality food, friendly staff and BYOB.
Delicious.
Proper Thai Food.
Good service.
Generous portions.
Authentic and great value for money.
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