Thai-Austrian Wine Pairing Goes Michelin
Michelin-starred AngloThai is showcasing the marriage of Thai flavors and Austrian wines, highlighting the creative potential of cross-cultural dining. Meanwhile, London chef Kim Ratcharoen shared her top five Thai restaurants in the city, each offering distinct takes on authentic Thai flavors. The pairing experimentation reflects growing sophistication in fusion cuisine.
AngloThai is the creation of husband-and-wife team John and Desiree Chantarasak, a concept they began as a series of pop-ups and supper clubs before opening their permanent Marylebone location in November 2024. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star shortly after opening, a culmination of a journey that began years earlier with a desire to blend Thai flavors with British ingredients. John Chantarasak, who is of British and Thai heritage, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok and worked at the acclaimed Som Saa in London. His approach at AngloThai involves using seasonal British produce, such as Cornish monkfish and Hebridean hogget, to create innovative Thai dishes. This philosophy is summed up in their tagline: "Rooted in Thailand, Uniquely British". The pairing of Thai food with wine presents a unique challenge due to the cuisine's complex balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors. High-tannin red wines can clash with the spice, while aromatic white wines with good acidity often work best to cleanse the palate. Austrian wines, particularly the country's signature white grape, Grüner Veltliner, are well-suited for this task. Known for its racy acidity and notes of white pepper, Grüner Veltliner, along with Austrian Rieslings, can cut through the richness and complement the aromatic herbs in Thai cooking. Other key Austrian varietals include the red grapes Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch. London's love affair with Thai cuisine has deep roots, with the first Thai restaurant, "Bangkok," opening in the city in 1967. The popularity of Thai food surged in the 1990s as more Britons traveled to Thailand, leading to a significant increase in the number of Thai restaurants across the U.K. The Thai government itself has played a role in promoting its cuisine globally through a "gastrodiplomacy" initiative launched in the early 2000s. This program, called "Global Thai," provided support and incentives for Thai entrepreneurs to open restaurants abroad, further embedding the cuisine into international food scenes like London's.
