Weekly Review: Kolae

Another excellent destination spot comes to Borough Market.

Quick hit: Bold Thai flavours that encourage and reward exploration.

Details: Booking advised. Borough Market. £££.
Restaurant website. More on Instagram.
Find it on Google Maps. 6 Park St, SE1 9AB.

Let’s get this out of the way: I have no idea how to pronounce Kolae.

On my most recent visit, I spoke to some of the staff about this, and I think it’s sort of Go-lai, with with that long ‘a-i’ diphthong sound in the second syllable like ‘Thai’, but I truly have no idea.

I can tell you that Kolae is a method of cooking common to southern Thailand. It involves grilling and constantly marinating meat and other tasty morsels, usually on a stick.

It’s strange that it took me so long to visit. I walk past Kolae on my way to the office almost every day. And I know it’s been extraordinarily well reviewed. Tim Hayward said that he was “going back next week.” Jimi Famurewa made plans to return before he had paid his bill (and offered his own take on pronunciation.) Lilly Subbotin was “heading back asap to devour a bowl of pork all to myself. And a mussel skewer. And chicken skin.”

But I confess, I was a little worried about spice. As I drift more and more firmly into middle age (at best), my tolerance for super-spicy has declined. So every time I wandered past Kolae at lunch, I kept going, lacking the courage to take the pain.

A more-or-less required group dinner got me over my hesitation. And I’m incredibly glad that it did.

Dinner started with snacks: Crispy chicken skin with turmeric and garlic plus some biryani rice crackers. These were both genius-level achievements. The chicken skins were so good that we couldn’t stop eating them. A colleague labelled them “more-ish” and begged the servers to take the bowls away before they spoiled the rest of our meal.

Next was a “Kolae scallop with calamansi lime.” Another bit of kitchen mastery. The scallops were grilled — but not overcooked — and served with a wonderful rich sauce that didn’t overpower.

Scallop with lime. Fantastic.

Then a round of skewers, fritters, and salad. Again, ace. And finally, a round of tiger prawns, pork belly, and a salad of fried green and soy beans. All served with “new season” rice, which was an experience I’d not had before, and truly relished.

Even the salads were a new adventure.

Other reviewers have spent a lot of time talking about Kolae’s Thai authenticity. I’ve never been to Thailand, so I can’t really comment on that.

I can say, without reservation, that Kolae’s food is excellent measured against any standard. They offer bold flavours that are fun to explore. Each dish is a conversation point. And there’s huge scope for discovery across the menu. (We didn’t have the prawn heads, for example, which others have loved.)

The opportunity for discovery does beg a comparison with Akara, the west African joint just 75 yards down the street. Obviously, the inspiration and ingredients vary from one to another. But the idea of encouraging exploration is a common theme. But as much as I like Akara — and I really, really do — I think Kolae probably gets the edge.

As importantly, for Professional Lunch purposes, Kolae is a wonderfully comfortable spot for any occasion. There’s a counter with a great view of the cooking, perfect for a cocktail, a snack, and a quiet chat. There is table seating and great service for a small group. And there is a warren of well turned out upstairs room for medium-sized or large groups.

I will certainly be returning to Kolae. I imagine myself sitting at the counter and ordering the whole menu.

Maybe there’s a gap in my diary on Thursday?

Thanks for reading this week’s Professional Lunch review. I hope you get the chance to try Kolae. And if you’ve already been, I’d love to know what you thought of it. Please drop a comment and subscribe if you haven’t already.