And relax. AngloThai is finally here. What seemed like the culinary equivalent of Guns N’Roses’ Chinese Democracy album – which took 15 years to create – has quietly arrived on one of those quaint straight-out-of-Paddington sidestreets that American tourists assume all of London looks like. Run by dynamic duo John and Desiree Chantarasak, this husband-and-wife team hosted acclaimed pop-ups, followed by heroic residencies, followed by venues falling through, followed by deals gone bad. But what was supposed to officially open way back in 2021 has now found a forever home in a room decked out like a Connecticut beach house with white clapperboard walls and a subtle seaside energy. Like the folk who end up walking, rather than running, the London Marathon, the pair might be a little drained, but they’re certainly no less enthused about crossing the finish line.
A postcard-pretty snack of comice pear with candied beetroot is equally whimsical, like something made by a Herefordshire forager with a penchant for needlepoint
John – who honed his craft in the kitchen at Som Saa – is half Thai and half British, and AngloThai shares the same DNA. In reimagining some of Thailand’s most celebrated dishes via the lens of fastidious fine dining, he uses mystical-sounding, Tolkien-adjacent UK ingredients to mimic Thai food’s puckering sour notes. Hence the pleasingly tart seabuckthorn margarita which comes alongside an amuse bouche of creamy, crabby broth. It’s the colour of Fanta, but offers the sweet and salty taste of seawater straight off the sands of Cromer. A postcard-pretty snack of comice pear with candied beetroot is equally whimsical, like something made by a Herefordshire forager with a penchant for needlepoint. Truly formidable however was a single Carlingford oyster swimming in a vivid pool of fermented chilli and galangal, resulting in a euphorically numb mouth and full body sweats. Who needs raving until 5am when one of these yields the same result?
A grilled flatbread slathered with shrimp butter, Cornish shellfish, a cloud of coriander and a hearty drizzle of lime, is both bouncy and butch, and comes with the only knife of the meal – suggesting that everything else is tender enough to be demolished with a fork or a spoon (which it is). We’re encouraged, in fact, to eat raw venison with our hands, scooping up visceral mounds of flesh with curls of radicchio. Visually, it’s a touch Silence of the Lambs, but hunks of scallop roe chilli jam add a zingy freshness to this otherwise goryl affair. With its subtle spicing, chalk stream trout with green chilli and tomatillo is rather more elegant, and less like body horror on a plate. That said, a visit to the subterranean bathrooms via a corridor with walls and floors decorated in a way that’s redolent of the infamous wave of blood from The Shining suggests that a touch of strange is part of what makes AngloThai unique.
A main of Hebridean hogget in warm and fiery massaman curry topped with discs of gleaming black fig is perhaps the perfect encapsulation of AngloThai’s mission. Huge hunks of home-grown, exceedingly tender lamb are lifted by seasonal, stupidly ripe fruit. If anything, a bowl of fish balls in orange curry isn’t fishy enough, but, largely, AngloThai has very much been worth the wait.
The vibe A cute, costal-feeling room in Marylebone full of foodies ready to splash the cash (it’s not cheap).
The food Thai flavours crafted with British, seasonal produce.
The drink Desiree Chantarasak is in charge of a deft, well-curated wine list. Try Aubretia, the aromatic house white, made in partnership with Nibiru in Austria. Cocktails span a pear martini and fig leaf negroni.
Time Out tip Don’t think twice: order a shrimp flatbread for the table.