Sukho

Sukho is part of a mini-chain of Thai restaurants, its sisters being Suk Saran in Wimbledon and Suksan in Chelsea. The establishment is in a parade of shops on the Fulham Road. A restaurant describing themselves as “speacialists” (sic) on their web site (which looked like it dated from about 1997, complete with tinny music) does not suggest great attention to detail, at least in their marketing. Nonetheless it has been operating for several years and seems popular. The dining room had small, tightly packed tables and a wooden floor, though noise levels were tolerable even on a busy weekend.

The menu was lengthy, with a few unusual dishes as well as the staples that seem obligatory in Thai restaurants in London. The wine list was respectable, starting at £19, with vintages and tasting notes. Example labels were St Clair Sauvignon Blanc 2013 at £30 for a bottle that you can find in the high street for £13, Gerard Millet Sancerre 2012 at £37 compared to a shop price of £16, and Laurent Perrier NV at a reasonable £47 for a bottle that retails at about £36.

Tom yum goong (£7.95) had a suitably complex stock with a good blend of Thai spices, the lemongrass coming through nicely and the mushrooms having reasonable texture (13/20).  Som tam salad (£8.95) was pleasant, the green papaya reasonable, though for me the spicy dressing seemed a bit tentative with the chilli, and also the lime for that matter (12/20)

Steamed sea bass (£14.95) with chilli, lemongrass and lime was properly cooked, the fish doubtless farmed and having limited flavour, but the spicy sauce enlivening the dish (12/20). Monkfish and scallops (£15.95) were stir-fried with garlic, chilli, ginger, peppercorns and basil leaves. This dish was disappointing, the fish distinctly mushy to the point of being barely edible, the scallops slightly overcooked and having little flavour (9/20).

Pad Thai noodles (£11.50) had good texture, the prawns with them properly cooked, garnished with Thai chives (13/20). Also good were broccoli and asparagus (£7.95) stir-fried in garlic and oyster sauce, both vegetables accurately cooked (13/20). Rice was fine. 

Service was very friendly and efficient, with the exception of one waitress that seemed distinctly grumpy; the others were charming. The bill came to £48 a head, with just three beers to drink between two and with no dessert or coffee. This does not seem especially cheap to me given what we ate. Overall, Sukho was a pleasant enough local restaurant, but based on this meal there was nothing to take it beyond that level.