EAT THIS NOW! Fish Sauce Chilli Wings
Smoking Goat, Shoreditch
Are these the best chicken wings in London? You tell me.
Fish sauce chilli wings - £3.80 each
The Dish
Crispy, crunchy, spicy, salty, sweet, sour, funky and fresh; these wings have got it ALL going on. More Vietnamese than traditional Thai, but we’ll forgive that when they’re this good. They have a crisp, glass-like coating of a ridiculously moreish sweet/savoury fish sauce caramel that shatters, toffee apple-like, as you bite in.
The Other Dishes
Other recommended dishes include the Kra Pow Smoked Mutton, another regular fixture on the menu, and the Tamworth pork skewers.
The pork skewers receive rave reviews; don’t get me wrong, they’re undeniably good - tender, caramelised and crispy - and fabulous with the craft beers, but they’ve got some heavyweight competition for my menu favourites.
I like to balance out the deep-fried and slow-cooked meat dishes with a fresh salad or ceviche, like this trout belly and Flourish herbs; still spicy, but in a head-clearingly herbal, zingy and crunchy way. Add a side of jasmine rice; it’s the foundation of almost every Thai meal. The portions here are pretty generous, so you might get away with one bowl of rice between two for lunch.
The menu changes depending on available produce but OG dishes like the chicken wings are regulars. Traditional regional dishes focus on the rural area of Northern Thailand and are very ingredient-led, so their relationships with small, independent quality suppliers are key.
The Restaurant
Smoking Goat is on the corner of Shoreditch High Street and Redchurch Street, a four-minute walk from Shoreditch High Street station.
The restaurant is a Thai bar and grill - everything here is cooked or smoked over charcoal. Tables surround the bar and open kitchen, so all of your senses are engaged immediately.
It’s basically a Bangkok drinking den with a barbecue smack in the middle of it: expect dim lights, loud music and conversations, fragrant smoky air, packed tables, punchy cocktails, draft beer and vibrantly flavourful food. The restaurant is larger than it first appears and good for groups; lunchtimes tend to be a little more sedate. They do take reservations (minimum 2 people for lunch and 4 people for dinner) but most of the tables are kept for walk-ins.
My favourite table is either a counter seat by the kitchen to get in on the action or a window table opposite the bar for people-watching.
Any down sides? The food is authentically and unapologetically spicy, so there’s not much on the menu for those who really can’t take the heat.
The People
Smoking Goat is part of the Super8 Restaurants group founded by Ben Chapman and Brian Hannon, along with Kiln, Brat (the Michelin-starred Shoreditch branch of which is just upstairs) and Mountain, also awarded a Michelin star.
As mentioned, fresh herbs are crucial to traditional Thai cuisine. Smoking Goat source theirs partly from top quality suppliers Flourish and from chef and restaurateur Luke Farrell, who cultivates cuttings he and his contacts pick up on their travels in south-east Asia at his ‘living library’, Ryewater Nursery, on his family farm in Dorset.
The Area
Blank Street Coffee is just across the road and has tables and counter seating, plus very good coffee and matcha options while you wait. If you’re after a pub, the recently renovated Knave of Clubs is less than five minutes away and has a lovely relaxed vibe. It’s worth taking note of their food menu for another day, as they are currently serving up some of the best - and best value - rotisserie chicken in town.
Smoking Goat itself has a cocktail list well worth a look, with drinks pleasingly named after albums in their vinyl collection. You could go for a Fire Dance (vodka, raspberry and Thai basil) or a Locked & Loaded (dark rum, almond, mango and makrut) but my favourite is the Most Things Haven’t Worked Out, a mix of coconut rum, Thai basil and lime, which just happens to pair really well with the chicken wings.
Read my article on The Best Chicken Wings in London at London Cheapo.
Smoking Goat: 64 Shoreditch High Street, Shoreditch, London E1 6JJ
A final word: please do comment below if you’ve been anywhere I have mentioned, if you have a dish you think I should try, or you just have something to say. One of the lovely things about Substack is the opportunity for this direct connection with your community, and I’d genuinely love to hear from you. Thank you!