What: A ‘new school’ Vietnamese restaurant in Peckham, South London. Lai Rai is a chameleon, of sorts, serving Vietnamese coffee and bánh mì by day and a contemporary small plates menu in the evening.
Who: The restaurant - which has already received a five-star review from The Standard critic David Ellis - is a collaboration between Vietnamese restaurant group Bánh Bánh and a group of South London creatives (some of whom previously worked front of house at Bánh Bánh). While the restaurant is part of the now four-strong group, it is being led by Blair Nguyen and Ivy Vo of Vinaxoa (an events catering outfit that started out on the rave scene); Joseph Losper and Tomio Shota of house of baby (a design studio); and finally artist AP Nguyen. Launched a decade or so ago as a pop-up by Kevin Nguyen and his four siblings (who have now moved onto pastures new), Bánh Bánh has restaurants in Peckham, Brixton and Fleet Street.
The food: Developed by Blair Nguyen, the menu is creative yet casual. Smaller dishes include Viet five-spice beef jerk; fried prawn and young green rice served on sugarcane stalks with peanut and nước chấm–satay sauce; papaya jellyfish salad with pineapple, charred tomatoes, Viet herbs and peanuts; and fermented tofu dip with turmeric oil, dill, spring onions and pine nuts, served with a sesame cracker. Larger dishes, meanwhile, include grilled betel leaf beef; and twice-cooked crispy chicken with a fresh herb sauce. Designed for dipping and soaking up the sweet, sour and salty flavours across the menu, Lai Rai’s mung bean coconut sticky rice is steamed then deep-fried. Bánh mì options include Belly Greens (braised and deep fried pork belly, pickled mustard greens, carrot pickle, cucumber, spring onion and rau ram); and Ryelane Delight (house-made seitan, mushroom cold-cuts and sautéed mushroom layered with whipped tofu pâté and umami miso kho quẹt).
To drink: Lai Rai offers a wide range of Vietnamese coffee including one made with both coffee and jasmine tea (for a ‘double buzz’). In the evening, the focus is on cold beer and cocktails. Options for the latter include Phở Please (whisky, pho spice-infused liquor, sugar syrup); Gái Nhảy (white rum, spiced rum, hibiscus, pineapple and citrus); and an Espresso Martini made with Vietnamese coffee. Lai Rai also offers a small selection of wines supplied by Top Cuvée.
The vibe: Designed by house of baby, Lai Rai takes its design cues from retro Vietnamese canteens. The downstairs has been conceived with all-day dining in mind while the upstairs is more vibe-y with larger communal tables lit by recessed halo lights that emit a warm red glow.
And another thing: The name of the restaurant is a nod to the Vietnamese roots of the core team and their mission to give familiar flavours an experimental, youthful twist (Lai Rai translates as ‘little by little’).
181 Rye Lane, London SE15 4TP