Brown Rice portobello Restaurant in London

Reviews

1. Win Jirasook ★★★☆☆

   It was quite surprising to know that this buffet joint is not run by Thai. All the staff are Indian; except one lady whom I saw carrying a stack of plates to the front counter who looks Thai. At first I was doubtful about the food taste - how close to Thai food that the food here would be. With the price plus all-you-can-eat option, I shouldn't think too much and I decided to give it a go. Most of the food are good and edible. I tried only a few items and I found almost all of them taste like the real Thai food. Mussaman curry, green curry, spring roll and stir-fried green bean are beautiful. Padthai is good but a bit too sweet for me. Tom kha gai tastes very weird and it is not what it's supposed to be. Another weird item is mussels in coconut milk; it's quite strange really. It is a plus that fish sauce with chillies and the other sauces are provided. A few drops of fish sauce on the food make the difference. For this price, it's worth a try if you happen to be in the area. But it is not worth traveling all the way to Portobello for the food there.

   almost 8 months ago
2. Di ★★★★☆

   The price was good and the food was fresh with a decent variety. Everything was nicely presented and warm. The seating could be a bit more comfortable, especially since it’s a buffet — you want to sit and relax while you eat. There could also be a bit more variety in the dishes, not so focused on vegetables. If you’re going for the chicken, there was only sweet and sour chicken and chicken wings — that’s it. The wings weren’t very tasty, but the variety of rice and noodles was okay-ish. There was just one type of vegetarian spring roll, and we didn’t try the soup since it didn’t look too convincing. Overall, if you’re really hungry and don’t want to spend too much, it’s a good option for the price.

   almost 8 months ago
3. Shame A Name ★★★☆☆

   Tried the Brown Rice Portobello – it was fine, though more of a tummy filler than a standout dining experience. The overall quality of the food didn’t quite meet expectations. Chicken wings were tough, same as sweet and sour veg & chicken. Spring rolls taste good ... but there’s definitely room for improvement. Other noodles - pad thai, singapore noodles were ok. For the price, I would say this is fair, considering its location.

   almost 9 months ago

1. Li Ino ★★★☆☆

   Made a lunch stop on this food hub for 2 reasons. The price is cheap, group is craving for Asian Cuisine and it says Authentic Thai. If you’re real Asian from the East and or a food enthusiast you would know what a real Thai flavors is. I’m going to start with that, you will be disappointed, because this food stop is not authentic Thai cuisine. They don’t serve pork here, and I haven’t seen a single Thai person working inside, saw one Chinese guy. The only proteins served here are your Chicken, another chicken and more chicken, and yes there’s mussels drowning in like coconut milk or something with Indian spices. Their spring rolls are not homemade, these are ready to cook ones, like the one you buy from grocery. Everything taste like the same, for me. Good thing, the vegetarian section is completely separate from all your chickens and stuff. My opinion, if you’re hungry and just wanna fill your belly this is a good one stop. But if you’re craving for authentic Thai food, don’t go here. Brown Rice is a good name, just take out the claimed authentic Thai food on your signage. Oh and the guy on the street having people to try the rolls, he’s kinda nice and friendly.

   almost 10 months ago
2. Noorur Choudhury ★★★★★

   I came here a few days ago, after seeing lots of posts on social media. Thought I'd give this place a try since it's only £12. First impressions, it gets really packed and isn't that particularly big, but having said that, the turnaround of customers is quiet fast, they don't spend more than an hour or so before leaving, so more customers can come and enjoy their food then leave without lingering around for so long. The selection isn't particularly vast, infact there isn't much meat/chicken selection as other buffets, but they do have the main stuff, though it can be argued that it isn't what everyone prefers, they have the minced beef dish (not sure if it's the pad kaprow but did taste good), chicken green curry, sweet & sour chicken, chicken massuman, grilled wings, with a chicken biriyani type of dish. On the other side, there's the rice with chicken , noodles (thick ones) and the pad Thai, then the thin rice noodles. And vegetarian stuff. I noticed the selection of food is the same as what others posted when they visited on different days, whether it be a week or months ago, got me thinking they cook/serve the same dishes everyday, thereby leading me into thinking they're taking the 'tried & trusted' approach, if it's not broke then don't fix it, which is fair play, atleast returning customers would know what to expect, so long as quality remains consistent. You'll see how limited the menu is if you ever came, and most of it is either vegetarian or with chicken with the exception of the beef dish. I'm giving it a 5 Star because to me; it's more to do with quality over quantity (I never got to try everything anyway because I'm only human and my stomach capacity is limited), and it was more than adequate for an overseas no-frills Thai buffet, I get it it's no Blue Elephant (before it closed down) nor Sanguan Sri (in Phloen Chit in Bangkok), but it's definately up there amongst other great Thai buffets I tried in London like Thonglor in Tottenham Court Road (the selection there is much more smaller than this, but their quality is definately a notch or two higher than this place). If you're in the vicinity, do visit. Otherwise don't bother travelling for more than an hour just for this, you may be either disappointed or won't find seating (at busy times, ie weekend). Another reason for my score only is because price is relative, and for £12, you get more than your money's worth. If it were a bit more expensive then I'd probably expect more in terms of beef or prawn selection, otherwise scored it 4/5

   almost 11 months ago
3. Yassine Ait Aabbou ★★★★★

   Limited choice but trust me it’s worth it. The staff is super friendly and polite, the place is splotless clean and the food is freshly made and replaced. Loved the sesame toasts, the spicy chicken wings and the curries selection.

   almost 3 years ago

1. m bah ★★★★★

   Took family to see my son’s graduate show near Portobello market — researched a place to eat nearby online. Brown Rice came up — and it did not disappoint. We ate in. FOOD & STAFF & ENVIRONMENT ARE EXCELLENT! We took lunch out for my son AND returned after the show to get takeaways for home…. Definitely highly recommend! I included a picture of us eating, BUT the images on Brown Rice’s social media are tasty true representations. Eat as much as you like and fill that box!

   almost 4 years ago
2. R H M ★★★★★

   Great buffet, food was good and tasty, great value for money; the restaurant is clean and has 5 star hygiene rating; £8.95 all you can eat (green Thai chicken, mussels, chicken breasts, vegetarian selection, spring rolls, noodles, rice…) I will go back definitely

   almost 4 years ago
3. Sheehy TV ★★★★★

   This meal provided me with a sweet revival from one of the darkest times I’ve ever had. From the vegetable curry to the sweet and sour chicken. I’ve never had love served on a plate quite like this; and at an unbeatable price. It was destiny that I walked by twice. One day I hope to bring my mom over the pond for for Brown Rice Portobello!

   almost 4 years ago

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