We’re about three mouthfuls into a brilliant dish of deep-fried barramundi with a mango salad – a tumble of sweet fruit matchsticks intertwined with fresh mint and coriander, lemongrass and crunchy cashews licked with nahm jim dressing sitting on top of crisp, succulent fillets of barramundi. I look up and see my dining companion with his eyes closed, hands at his temples, tiny droplets of sweat forming on his forehead. The truth is my nose has started to run like someone on a Codral commercial and the room is beginning to look hazy. It’s abundantly clear the chefs at Porkfat mean serious business, and I, unlike perhaps my date (who at this point are now onto their fourth glass of water) am absolutely here for it. Another mouthful here I go. (Sidebar – does anyone have any milk?)
Chef Narin 'Jack' Kulasai and Tanya Boon opened Porkfat on Ultimo Road in Haymarket in late 2022. As the name suggests, Kulasai chooses to use pork fat to cook with, as opposed to other commercial cooking oils, and there’s only one item on the menu that doesn’t use it (sorry, veggos). Growing up in Central Thailand, Kulasai spent time perfecting his craft at David Thompson’s distinguished Bangkok restaurant Nahm, before stints at Bennelong and Long Chim here in Sydney. Porkfat is his first restaurant, and since opening, it’s had everyone from Joe Blogs to top Asian chefs talking about it – and for good reason.
A starter of six golden chicken wings comes coated in a sticky, sweet and slightly sour tamarind caramel, topped with chewy roasted garlic bits and fresh coriander. The sauce is so moreish we find ourselves scraping the pretty floral plate with a spoon as if it were ice-cream. (All dishes at Porkfat are served on hand-painted ceramics from Wiang Galon – an ancient city known for its artistic and religious history – to support Thai artists. A nice touch.)
Next, huge tiger prawns lie on vermicelli noodles tossed in a umami-rich sauce of pork fat, oyster sauce and sesame oil; the scarlet crustaceans juicy and tender; the noodles hiding cubes of pork fat as if they’re hidden treasures; and a garlic-driven nahm jim sauce comes on the side for you to double dip as you please. Meanwhile, a green curry of grilled pork jowl is rich, layered and deeply savoury, which is refreshing given the many sugar-laden dishes you'll find at typical Thai takeaways. Speaking of refreshing, plump, sweet lychees in the curry are a welcome reprieve, and similar to the barramundi with mango, this dish is hot. Like really hot. (Best not to come if you can’t handle the heat.) Pops of Thai eggplant are dotted throughout, as are Thai basil leaves and wild ginger, and it’s one of the most delicious curries we’ve ever had.
We um and ah about ordering another dish – papaya salad with salted duck egg; Phuket curry of tiger prawns – but honestly, our buttons are a few spoonfuls away from popping and we've got our eyes on the only dessert on the menu: housemade coconut ice cream with roasted peanuts, white jelly-bean like palm seeds and candied pumpkin. The toppings add a nice textural element to the dessert, though it's the one faultless scoop of the silky, creamy and slightly salty coconut ice cream that brings me straight back to the sands of Koh Toi circa 2013 and we would like a tub to take home, please.
Less is more here at Porkfat, and similar to the food menu, there are only nine wines available including a Prosecco, a Chianti and French chardonnay, as well as one beer – Singha – plus soft drinks, Thai milk tea, juices and hot tea. But in excellent news for fellow booze hounds, Porkfat is BYO with a corkage fee. We recommend bringing a couple of your favourite drops and getting stuck in.
Inside, the slender two-level restaurant is decorated simply with dark wooden furniture, pretty hanging stained glass lights, mezzanine seating and a handful of tables downstairs where you can see the chefs in action and the flames roaring (the best seat in the house, in our opinion). Along with the food, the service is on point with friendly greetings, warmth and swift, instinctive moves (a hand towel would be wonderful, thank you).
If you’re one of those people who loves to check out a restaurant’s bathroom anywhere you go, just a heads up that you will be bitterly disappointed: there is no private restroom here at Porkfat. Instead, a smiling waitress will press serviettes into your hand and send you on your merry way around the corner to a perfectly fine public bathroom (albeit, with limited loo paper). If this is the only strike against Porkfat, and let’s face it, it’s a structural issue rather than one in the kitchen, then it’s fine by us.
With fiery authentic flavours resulting in deeply comforting dishes, there’s no doubt about it, Porkfat is flaming hot. Coupled with outstanding service, reasonable prices and the ability to bring your favourite wines, Porkfat may very well be one of Sydney’s finest Thai restaurants.
Make a booking at Porkfat here.