Smoking Goat
Thai Barbeque
Denmark St Soho WC2H 8LZ
££
I booked Smoking Goat for our office Christmas meal, following on from some rooftop cocktails and leading to a very peculiar club I can't remember the name of in Soho.
Smoking Goat aims to provide Londoners with the authentic adventurous flavours of Thailand street food. The interior is yet another bare brickwork, wooden tabled trendy number (come on now London, your restaurants all look the same!) It has the feel to it of a dive bar: casual and cool. We were seated in the back room, as there were 18 of us (be aware that you cannot book Smoking Goat unless it is for parties of 6 or more, although arriving on a Wednesday at 9:30pm there was no que). The back room was a good idea, almost like a private dining experience. However, the lighting was so low we couldn't even see the menu - taking the dim button a bit too seriously.
In terms of the food, I believe we ordered almost everything on the menu - Smoking Goat is a place to share and with 18 of us dining it was quite a feast. The meat was cooked to perfection, most of it falling off the bone. Flavours were powerful, the aromas and spices surrounding the food so strong they were almost overpowering. I do think that Smoking Goat overdid it on the spice on a few dishes - despite being cooked extremely well, the actual meaty flavour was lost in a crescendo of sauce and heat.
Another thing to note is that you must be prepared to get messy. Some of the meat dishes arrive whole and the Crab requires not just a certain knack but a true willingness to get completely covered in the red spicy juices which surround it. Luckily, 4 months into the job I had no shame in getting well and truly stuck in in front of my colleagues. Whatsmore, the dim lighting only aids this endeavour - it's not until you're greeted with the pupil-contracting blinding of the toilet lighting that you realise the muck.
The staff were attentive and accommodating, lots of beards, lots of top knots... The prices appealing, mains range from £11-34, sides from £1-£6 and the overall experience a must. Go explore, get stuck in, get mucky and have fun.
OVERALL RATING: ****
http://smokinggoatsoho.com/
