Patpong Thai Restaurant - (Near Lewisham, london)

1 /5 Olivia Alter: I’ve been eating here for nearly 20 years - the difference on our visit tonight was stark and extremely disappointing. The food had no flavour beyond an overuse of MSG - I have come away feeling really quite nauseous from this and like I’ve eaten a really poor quality takeaway. As you can see from the photo, every dish was smothered in the same salty brown MSG gravy, whether a massaman (no peanut flavour and the driest beef I’ve ever encountered) or Thai chilli and basil chicken (which should be a dry stir-fry). Despite being the last table in the restaurant, one main was forgotten until the others had almost finished. Starters that were once so good we’d make a meal of them have declined badly; even the waiter said they don’t put chilli in the papaya salad and it lacked all the other ingredients that define the dish. The original owners brought something genuinely special to the area, and it’s sad to see how far it has fallen. I won’t be returning.

5 /5 Jihaana Backx: Golden sacks, morning glory, and chocolate balls. Yes, Im an adult child. Two coworkers had recommended Patpong to me as a must try, so when my friend messaged me saying he was down I knew where I was taking him. The restaurant looks like its a family run business and the waitresses were really polite and attentive. The bathroom and dining area were clean and I liked that my plate was warm from having just been taken out of the dishwasher. The food. They say laughter is the best medicine, so when I read Golden sacks on the menu I wasted no time in medicating my friend. The golden sacks are crispy spring rolls (ball shaped), with a side of sweet and sour chilli sauce. They were pretty delicious and perfect for my non spicy eating friend. Over all the food was delicious. I regret not ordering a side of rice to go with my stir fried lamb, but it was delicious nonetheless, so much so I had finished it before I remembered to take a picture. I am a little disappointed we didnt order morning glory, but we have saved it for another day, because, there will be another day.

1 /5 hannah keuls: I ordered a Goong Pad Karee (cream yellow curry) but got a weird sweet stir fry dark sauce thing. I queried it with the waitress, as it was not what I was expecting or described, unfortunately I received a condescending and short tempered patronising attitude back. Very disappointing evening. Cant say Id ever come back to this restaurant.

1 /5 smilie Fontaine: Issues with the service To clarify our waitress was lovely apologetic and transparent. The service was not full or fully booked as it appeared. We arrived at 18:40 left 20:00 pm Very clear we were being treated differently from other patrons. We were told due the fact that we didn’t have a reservation we’d need to sit by the door . Two small parties came after us and recieved all of their food and drinks before we got our main. Although after being in the restaurant for more than an hour the two seater table further in the restaurant wasn’t seated . We were waiting 30 mins for our first drinks and I could see my drink sitting made on the bar for over 15mins while she made my friends drink . Got our starter , ate our starter and then was waiting 40 mins for main (weren’t served at the same time ) waited for my friends to come another 15 minutes. When I finally got to plating my food I found straight black hair in my sauce( I order the chef recommended lamb pad cha) I double checked that it wasn’t mine or my friend I have reddish brown hair she had curly black hair although the manager joy came to the table once I reported to the waitress she didn’t come back didn’t check back. The apologies were brief it was clear they didn’t prepare a new one just warmed it and brought it even I specifically requested that I no longer wanted the lamb dish just the rice dish as it was clear to me it would take another 40 mins but it came back in 15 took chef had his hair out . They took my friends meal aswell under guise of we would want you to eat together but this wasnt a factor when we originally ordered. I ordered a second drink which I never got . They still applied service charge which I had to request to be taken off again not an approached by the manager at all . Let me be clear this place was recommended and it’s severely disappointing to know that we would have received better service if we weren’t who we were . Do better we just wanted to eat and this boring and tiresome