AT THAI
For those unaccustomed to the long-established Oxford tradition of crewdates, they can seem a daunting prospect. Your most mortifying encounters are relayed through incessant sconces. Inexplicably, your companions develop an implausibly accurate aim with pennies – that bottle of wine you smugly picked up half price in Tescos is less appealing when downing it. Surviving that, you might be stranded in no man’s land – or, the end of the table – with only the boy whose conversational abilities are limited to gash, lash and rugby. Despite this glowing account, crewdating is in fact a very entertaining part of the Oxford experience; At Thai, along with a few other stalwarts, is an establishment that facilitates the crewdate experience no end.
As a crewdate host, it does what it says on the proverbial tin. It provides a lively atmosphere, where shouting, chanting, sconcing and standing on the chairs are accepted, indeed often encouraged. However, those looking for a quality Thai meal should prepare for a somewhat uninspiring and lacklustre offering. The set menu consists of an admittedly abundant quantity of plain rice, alongside a variety of noodle and meat dishes. One dish, with prawns and noodles, I would consider buying outside the context of a crewdate. The rest were merely tolerated, in accordance with the ‘I’ve paid for it so I might as well’ school of thought. Here, bland flavours prevail.
In At Thai’s defence, their efforts far surpass the efforts of the now defunct yet still infamous Jamals; kudos to anyone who completed the latter’s chicken korma, a suspiciously yellow liquid sporadically interrupted with small pieces of rubbery meat. At least in my experience, while At Thai’s food may drift into the realms of the mediocre, it provides a good enough service and atmosphere – particularly when faced with a bunch of rowdy students. Frankly, by the end of your meal, you’ll be too drunk to notice or care anyway.
SHANGHAI 30s
I won’t beat about the bush; this is an absolute hidden gem on St Aldates. Shanghai 30s boldly claims they are ‘Oxfords best Chinese’, and I don’t doubt it. An opulent interior, pleasant atmosphere and – crucially – delicious and genuine food combine to lend weight to that assertion. The décor aims to emulate 1930s Shanghai, and whilst its authenticity might be questioned, its overall sleek and chic feel definitely adds to the ambience.
And now to the food: I am still engaged in an unremitting, nay all-consuming affair with their crispy chicken rolls, wrapped with ham and asparagus in a peanut satay dressing. Whilst my culinary horizons may remain narrow, the menu boasts a wide range of choices; there is plenty of choice for the vegetarian and the meat-eater alike. I can highly recommend the vegetarian platter, a melee of stir-fried beancurd, mange tout, black mushrooms and spring onions. The biggest issue this restaurant presents seems to be selecting the dish, since you are overwhelmed with equally delicious sounding dishes of fish, seafood, chicken, duck, beef and pork, variously fused with rice, noodles and soups.
Granted, you do pay slightly more for the quality – however, the emphasis being on ‘slightly’, as the food here is far from extortionate, and certainly within the reaches of a student budget. Anyone looking for an excellent Oriental meal in the heart of Oxford, look no further.
