We all wept over our porridge when Oli’s Thai announced it was closing back in 2022 READ THE EXCLUSIVE STORY HERE. What would we do without it? Transformed into Elle’s Deli to give Rufus and Ladd Thurston a better work/life balance, it was still a bitter blow.
But come September they announced their return Why Oli’s Thai is reopening and we booked in immediately, still only managing to secure a table for December.
As in demand as ever, its legions of fans have been flocking back to East Oxford, its waiting lists as robust as ever, but it’s worth the wait, hyping up its own petard safe in the knowledge that it can still deliver on every front.
For those of you who haven’t been yet, Oli’s Thai is not only unique but renowned far and wide for its authentic Thai with a contemporary twist – so the food you’ll find in Thailand – a combo of street food and home-cooking, rather than the usual stalwart trad Thai restaurant.
For those of you who haven’t been yet, Oli’s Thai is not only unique but renowned far and wide
With only 22 seats and four walk in stools at the bar, you can see the conundrum in terms of space, but it ensures that the Magdalen Road eatery, between Cowley and Iffley Road, is always packed, even on a cold winter’s night, our table just finishing up when we arrived.
There were six in our party, four Oli’s Thai virgins, and we’d certainly boosted its ego in the taxi on the way there. But would Oli’s Thai continue to live up to its reputation or would it have lost that certain je ne sais quoi?
Not judging by their cocktails, a stunning negroni which certainly hit the spot, alongside a zinging pomegranate fizz and a warming Sang Som rum soda. A cracking start.
A hugely memorable, satisfying and revelatory meal, as expected. If only we could do it all over again!
In fact the only problem we faced throughout the meal, apart from drastic overeating, was what to pick. It’s not an extensive menu – five starters, six mains, extras and puds, which change every month, but we wanted every single dish on there. Throw in the specials and we were in real trouble, meaning our waitress nearly running out of paper when taking our order.
But that’s OK because the dishes arrive as-and-when, allowing everyone to dive in and try a bit of this and that, and from the first bite we were putty in their hands.
from the first bite we were putty in their hands
There are a few absolute musts – the crispy chickpea salad (£9.50) for one, which never disappoints – zesty, crispy and fragrant, but the newer dishes were just as moreish – the chicken thigh skewers with soy, turmeric, and coconut (£11) juicy and succulent.
The mushroom tempura with lemongrass, peanuts and chilli (£10.50), with big wedges of fungi encased in light crispy batter and a zesty dressing scattered with spring onions and chilli, were another must.
the dishes swept out of the kitchen in all their glory and we jumped on them like a pack of hyenas
We were drawn back time and time again to the specials board – notably the belly pork salad with lime and fish sauce (£11), the green curry chicken, the beef brisket massaman curry (£19.95), and the butternut squash, courgette, tofu and coconut relish (£16.50), all of which soon swept out of the kitchen in all their glory and we jumped on them like a pack of hyenas, every dish delivering.
Throw in the confit duck panang curry (£19.50), the acclaimed apple, courgette, tamarind, fish sauce and chilli salad, the aubergine curry (£16.50), the deep-fried seabass with tamarind (£20) and the brussel sprouts with mirin and sesame, and the table soon filled up.
What a feast of flavours and taste, from the tart, crunchy apple salad to the sweetness of the massaman; the beef tender and soft, the sauce thick and rich. The aubergine curry was silky and smooth, the duck resplendent on the plate encircled by its thick, nutty sauce, the seabass vibrant, slowly marinating in its own citrus and tamarind juices.
We gorged unashamedly, juice running down our chins, the the green curry chicken simple but packed with Thai flavours, while the butternut squash, courgette, tofu and coconut relish was more unusual – drier, the veg lathered in a thick, aromatic paste.
How we managed the pastel de nata (hailing from their sister restaurant Arberquina) I’ll never know, but those little custardy Portugese tarts take no prisoners, and we were amply rewarded, perfectly matched by the Pet Gat frangipane mince pie in a pool of custard.
A hugely memorable, satisfying and revelatory meal, as expected. If only we could do it all over again! The joy never diminishes here, the laughter and carolling around us never letting up, the diners themselves demonstrating everything there is to say. So fight tooth and nail for a table because Oli’s Thai is back in business.
Oh, and thanks to Ladd and Rufus for reading the room and re-opening. We’ve missed you.
Oli’s Thai is at 38 Magdalen Rd, Oxford. Book at https://olisthai.com
