Ram vs Goat - Smoking Goat Shoreditch Review
Since opening, Smoking Goat has arguably been one of London’s best Thai restaurants, alongside the group’s second opening, Kiln. Both found in Soho, if you’re looking for Thai, they should be high on your list of go-to places. The food at each location is inspired from different regions in Thailand, with all the spices, warmth and fragrant flavours you associate with Thai food. The Location Thankfully, they’ve made the move east to set up a new shop in Shoreditch (a lot more convenient for me). The new spot takes up the corner spot on Redchurch street opposite Andina, with the entrance given away by the gold sign either side of a wooden door.
A mere wander from Shoreditch High Street Station, it’s well suited for a mid-week dinner, group catch-up or your Friday/Saturday pre-game. Since I was organising a flatmate dinner, seemed an ideal time to try out the new spot.
The Space The newest Smoking Goat venue models itself on the late night canteens in Bangkok. As you walk in, the bar takes centre stage, which gives away the theme of the food. Seated tables are spaced around it, with standing tables and high tables mixed in to maximise the capacity and allow for a pre or post dinner tipple.
There’s an interesting array of drinks on offer, notably the Odd Liquors section which lists a selection of interesting choices from around the world. The cocktail list provides six options to choose from, each complementing the food (e.g. Fresh Watermelon and Chilli).
Along from the bar is the open kitchen, where the head chef Ali Borer oversees the coal fires and giant woks. Chatting to the chefs on the pass on my visit, they emphasised how all the food is locally sourced, with mussels and oysters from the Welsh straights, all things you want to hear and expect given the standards at the other two locations.
Come Saturday night (when we visited), the place was packed, with both drinkers and diners making up the crowd. This is definitely a casual affair, the more drinks the better. If you’re going at a peak time, book ahead through their website as they turned away a number of groups while we were there. The Food The menu is split into three sections, Drinking Foods, Large Plates and Sides, with inventive Thai creations in each section. Drinking Foods are made up of small plates or snacks that, as the title gives away, goes great with the drinks on offer. If you’re sharing, these are a few mouthfuls each between four of you, so bear that in mind when figuring out numbers of each dish. Large plates are designed to share, with two easily enough for three to four people when you add a side of rice. Time to dig in. Drinks ordered, we obviously had to order the aptly named Drinking Foods to go with them, starting off with a chicken heart skewer (£1) and Northern Thai Beef Sausage (£5.5). The chicken hearts, served four to a skewer, were a great start, each mouthful a burst of flavour from the coal grill and the seasoning on top. For £1, I’d order three more. For those that haven’t tried chicken hearts, they offer up a more intense flavour than chicken thigh from the iron but they’re a must try so don’t recoil when you see them on the menu!
The beef sausage, literally bursting from the seams, was warming from the chilli with a slight heat to it, and aromatic from the Thai spices. If you’re not one for spice, the watermelon juice is great to soothe your taste buds alongside it.
After seeing my flatmate order the oyster (£3.5), I couldn’t resist missing out so added that to the order. Steamed and topped with roasted chilli, there’s the oceany freshness from the oyster and texture and heat from the roasted chilli.
Next, the Northern Duck Laab (£7.1), which comes with a warning from the waitress due to the small green chillis hidden in amongst the duck. I’m pretty good with chilli, but having a drink to hand was definitely needed. Saying that, the dish was delicious, with Thai basil mixed in with the fried duck giving a fragrant taste.
Large plates time. Seems wrong going to Smoking Goat without getting Goat, so Barbecue Goat Turmeric Massaman (£13.5) was first choice, followed by the Smoked Brisket drunken Noodles (£12.5) with a side of steamed rice. The goat, served on the bone coated in think Massaman curry with potatoes and dried lemongrass, was ridiculously good. Parts of the Goat was fall off the bone, after being braised in coconut milk, whilst the rich, sweet Massaman sauce was delicious. If you’re one for clearing your plate, saw into the shoulder to get all the meat off, which I spent a few minutes doing to strip it bare to the disbelief of my flatmates (hence the title of this post). Not sure if this was because Goat is a tougher meat, or if it needed more time to all fall off the bone, the dish was still a must order.
The smoked brisket, a version of a Thai street food classic, was served on top of wide flat rice noodles with birds eye chilli and spring onions. The dish, again, was on the spicy side but addictive. The brisket fatty and comforting, alongside the gelatinous noodles, adding weight to the dish, perfect for the cold winter nights at the moment.
Desserts, well there aren’t any at the moment, though these are in development according to the staff. They’ll definitely come in handy to calm your tastebuds down after the previous courses so you’ll just have to explore Shoreditch for those of you with a sweet tooth. The Verdict Cost £/££ (out of ££££) It’s three for three from the Smoking Goat group. The new site is a welcome addition to the Shoreditch bar and restaurant scene, offering up authentic Thai cooking as well as a Bangkok style drinking den. The Space is set up for drinking, but the food isn’t an afterthought. The Drinking Foods are delicious bites but you’ll need to order a few drinks just to stand the heat, whilst the large plates are filling and great to share.
Downsides, there’s no desserts (at the moment), but given you’ll be in Shoreditch, Soft Serve Society is just round the corner. If you’re looking for a quiet date night, it’s probably not the right fit either, but it is ideal for authentic Thai food in a group setting. Just make sure you order the goat 😉.
64 Shoreditch High St London E1 6JJ