Pop-ups are all the rage nowadays. Temporary shops and galleries seem to litter London’s streets but pop-up restaurants on the other hand are a bit less common. So it was with childish glee (and  a desire for a free meal) that I scuttled along to the opening of a new pop-up Thai restaurant in London’s Soho on Thursday night.

Noodles on Dean Street is the brainchild of the team behind Rosa’s Restaurant just off Brick Lane. Rosa’s bucks the Brick Lane trend for dirt cheap and occasionally dodgy Indian cuisine by offering light and flavoursome Thai meals in hearty portions.

Noodles is a very clever idea. Situated slap bang in the middle of Soho, among the hungry after work crowds and busy lunch-time shoppers, it caters for those who don’t have time for a formal sit-down but want tasty and inexpensive food with a touch of refinement. The chicken satay, spring rolls and fresh wraps on offer gave a glimpse into the simple but delicious traditional canteen style food that will be on offer. My only major complaint is that the venue is quite small so a lot of people are going to be left out in the cold.

Noodles will be open until January 1st 2010, but fans of this pop-up restaurant need not fret too much because it will swiftly be replaced with Rosa’s II – a new central London location for a firm Brick Lane favourite.

For information on what sort of food to expect check out the menu at Rosa’s Restaurant or head over to Noodles at 48 Dean Street and find out for yourself!