Husband and wife team, John and Desiree Chantarasak will open their debut restaurant AngloThai on the 7th of November, in partnership with MJMK Restaurants. The opening draws close to a nearly four-year site search and numerous highly acclaimed pop-ups and residencies. The couple will bring their unique vision for contemporary Thai-British cuisine to Seymour Place in London’s vibrant Marylebone neighbourhood.
The Food
John will draw inspiration from both his Thai and British heritage, offering a la carte and chef’s selection menus that move with the seasons, highlighting the plethora of world-class ingredients available from the British Isles. Dishes will blend the bold flavours of Thailand with contemporary presentation and innovative techniques, while also respecting traditional Thai cooking styles. The kitchen will implement charcoal cooking and coconut smoking throughout the menu, as well as achieving wok-hei (breath of the wok) from the use of turbojet wok burners seen throughout Asian kitchens. Coconut cream will be freshly pressed on-site and showcased in both sweet and savoury dishes, while hand-made pastes will form the backbone of curries seldom seen outside of Thailand.
The menu begins with snacks including Red Flesh Plum, Candied Beetroot & Suffolk Rapeseed, a tribute to an ancient royal snack named Ma Hor in Thai. Traditionally, a morsel of candied pork, prawn and peanut, served upon a slice of fresh pineapple, aimed to invigorate the palate with its sweet, salty, nuVy and sharp flavours. AngloThai’s version sees beetroot candied in its natural sugars and Black Bee Honey. Toasted rapeseeds are folded through the mix to provide a nutty flavour that complements the earthy sweet profile of the beetroot. Served upon a slice of red flesh plum with the addition of elderflower vinegar to give freshness and balance.
Other dishes that encapsulate AngloThai’s cooking philosophy include Lion’s Mane Mushroom & Sunflower Seed Satay, where a traditional peanut-based sauce instead used roasted sunflower seeds, Ryall Farm Hogget Massaman & Black Fig, using black-faced Hebridean Sheep from Ryall Farm in Dorset, owned and farmed by Desiree’s family, and Monkfish Jungle Curry & Holy Basil, a larger plate that celebrates the aromatic spice-driven flavours of Thailand with Suffolk grown holy basil and wild-caught Devon monkfish cooked over coconut husks.
Rice that is found throughout Asian cuisine will be represented at AngloThai by ancient heritage grains, either simply steamed or made into a dish in its own right, such as Wholegrain Farro, Long Peppercorn & Cured Beef, where farro grains are fried in aged beef fat then braised in beef stock and seaweed. The tender grains are glazed in a beef reduction infused with a variety of peppercorns and spices, then finished with a generous grating of cured and coconut-smoked beef heart.
Carrot & Sea Buckthorn Parfait is a dessert inspired by the ubiquitous mango-sticky rice. Carrot juice is reduced to accentuate the vegetable’s natural sugars, while sea buckthorn juice gives acidity and an exotic tropical flavour. This fruit juice forms a parfait that includes a calamansi jelly centre and puffed quinoa and fig leaf base. Tigernut Ganache, Cherry & Hibiscus, pairs an underutilised European tuber with raw cacao from Thailand to form a rich ganache that’s served with cherry and roselle hibiscus sorbet.
The Wine
Desiree’s wine list harnesses relationships with growers, winemakers and importers that have been pivotal to AngloThai’s journey to date. The list will champion thoughtful producers who see excellent craftsmanship at the forefront of grape growing, harvesting and wine products. The wines have a sense of place and time, while being made with love and respect, ensuring each bottle is alive with energy and flavour.
The wine list has been meticulously formed in a way that it is inclusive for all guests. From accessible price points which offer a point of difference in provenance and wine-making methods, including Stajerska KollekIv from Slovenia, to exceptional premium bottles from recognised regions such as Château Le Puy from Bordeaux. While classic pairings of WiVmann Riesling from Germany to cult winemakers such as Charlie Herring, English Sparkling from Hampshire’s New Forest also hold cellar space in the European-focused list.
Back vintages of sweet wines including Hermann Dönnhoff, Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spätlese will be featured in magnum format, while signature house wines have been made in partnership with Nibiru Wines, situated in Austria’s Kamptal region. The wines are affectIonately named Rufus and AubreIa are the the couple’s two children; Rufus is a light-bodied red, bursting with black fruits and tension, while AubreIa is an aromatic white with tropical notes and textured skin contact. As with the food menu, the wine list will move with the seasons, highlighting local wineries such as Blackbook, who are based in the couple’s home borough of Battersea.
The Restaurant
Moonler, a furniture manufacturer situated in Chiang Mai who specialises in working with Indigenous Chamchuri wood, have created bespoke tabletops, chairs and a four-metre-long dining table that will sit proudly in Baan – the restaurant’s private dining room (named after the Thai word for home), opening in early 2025.
Robert Sukachard of Pern Baan will illuminate the restaurant dining room and bathrooms with Ban Pa Ao lighting, named after the last village in Northern Thailand that made wax cast brass items, and the sole preservers of this ancient cra tradition. Bangkok textile designer, Pichatorn Nuladaisri of Yarn Story Studio has created a feature art installation made from woven metals and recycled textiles to dress the dining room, while Archivio Asazak, a painter and reiki healer based in Chiang Mai, has created an abstract art piece that weaves his diverse passions in life with spirituality and art.
Earth and Fire in Northern Thailand’s Lampang region have created ceramic tiles that will feature as wall art for the dining room, and other bespoke items such as wine bottle buckets and crockery, that link the contemporary design of the restaurant to the food and wine. Ceramics will also come from Chiang Mai’s Prempracha and Bangkok’s Lamunlamai studios, whose poverty take on freeform styles with colourful glazes. Closer to home Welsh ceramicist MaVhew Jones has produced the majority of the crockery, made from local clay with glazes specifically inspired by Thai celadon.
Music is a heavy focus for the space, stemming from John’s deep musical passion as a former musician. Working with Audio Gold, the dining room will feature original Tannoy Devon loudspeakers made in Britain in the 1970s, now restored. The couple’s close friend Ben BapIe, who with 15 years’ experience in the music industry working with the likes of The Strokes, Little Simz, Sault, Beck and Lady Gaga, is curating the playlists alongside John that will form the music landscape of the restaurant. The listening experience is eclectIc and varied with tracks from all around the world, from the 1960’s to the 2020’s. The music incorporates modern Thai artists with Western instrumental and vocal pieces for an experience that is familiar, yet intriguing. The constantly changing music program will harmoniously bring vibe and energy to the space without detracting from the food, drink and service of AngloThai.
AngloThai opens on 7th November and reservatIons will be open from 15th
October.