Lamb ribs that are 'all but inedible' and 'drab and watery' spinach – TOM PARKER BOWLES thinks this vibey new East London Thai joint needs time to settle in

Daily Mail​

10 hours ago

Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire is one of the country's finest cheeses, made on the outskirts of Goosnargh. In 2008 Ruth Kirkham's son, Graham, decided to move the dairy from an old stone piggery to a modern, state-of-the-art dairy. But there was a problem. The first batch didn't taste quite right, nor the second, despite using exactly the same milk and traditional cheesemaking process. All those lovely bacteria and yeasts that had built up over the years had yet to develop in their new home, and it took a little time for Mrs Kirkham's to return to its former glory.
The same can be said of the new Singburi in Shoreditch, because the Leytonstone original was one of the country's great Thai restaurants, tiny, unadorned, perennially packed and making no concession whatsoever to timid Western palates. I loved it. But now Singburi has moved to a large, exposed-ducts and-concrete industrial space beneath a railway arch. There's much to love. Their watermelon salad now comes with strawberries and is as fierily refreshing as ever, with pork floss adding texture and depth.
Charred chicken thighs are astonishingly good, with crisp skin and succulent flesh all gently scented with wild ginger. Smoked pork belly is another cracker, and their take on nam tok, the chunks of soft flesh mixed in a herb salad that's sharp, sweet and hot. Roasted sticky rice powder adds nutty crunch. There's a punchy ka prow, the street-food classic, minced beef topped with a frazzled fried egg. And a beautifully cooked lozenge of halibut with a lake of verdant nam jim, heavy on the lime and coriander. Best of all is a southern prawn curry, the sauce rich, complex and languorously spiced.
Raw beef larb has a decent heat, and the meat is excellent quality. But there's not enough acidity, and it feels more like tartare. Stir-fried Malabar spinach is drab and watery. Lamb ribs are chopped into bite-sized bones, but the fat hasn't rendered enough. They're all but inedible, and are rightly removed from the bill. Strangest of all, we're refused prik nam pla (fish sauce, lime juice and chillies) that comes as standard in any Thai restaurant on earth. The chef simply refuses to send any out. Singburi, then, is still a work in progress, but there's brilliance behind the burners. Have faith, and watch this space.