Kiln restaurant, Soho Kiln restaurant, Soho Polly Mason

Finally Kiln is here, the latest from Ben Chapman, who runs our favourite Thai restaurant, Smoking Goat . At their outset they had no phone, no website, and no reservations, and yet their authentic street food meant the place was always packed out with joyful (and just a little sozzled) diners. Now Fay Maschler has given the place five stars.





They cook rural Thai food in an open kitchen, using live fire clay pots, hand hammered woks and grilling over wood embers. Inspired by visits to the borders of Thailand, they let the best ingredients available lead the daily menu. After years of work with their suppliers, they've sourced whole animals from Cornwall farms, along with fresh Thai greens, from Cornwall and Dorset.







Founder Ben Chapman explains the heavily researched, authentic menu: "Many of Kiln’s recipes have been developed whilst travelling with the team in the Northern Thai regions, particularly the villages near the Myanmar border where the Chinese influence is most prevalent."







Daily dishes include Isaan-style laaps – fiery, salty, slightly sour minced meat prepared like a salad with spices, herbs, and notes of nuttiness from the ground roasted rice used as a binder – which the chefs learnt to cook on the Laos border, and their beloved aged lamb Szechuan skewers.







Click here to read about other exciting restaurants opening in London this autumn.

