Here’s Why Thai Food Has Taken Over London

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(Bloomberg) — There are more than 2,000 Thai restaurants around the UK; almost all are Thai-owned. But until recently, few offered much more than Chinese-style, deep-fried starters, a couple of soups, the ubiquitous pad thai and “traffic light” curries colored green, red and yellow. Spice levels were dumbed down, coconut came from a can and the décor invariably had more to do with the 1950s Broadway musical The King and I than any nonfictional representation of Thailand.

So it’s about time that London’s Thai food scene has started to make room for regional restaurants and bars that specialize in authentic dishes, alongside inspired Thai-British fusion dining spots.