Going Industrial Gourmet at Bangkok's Smith

Inspired by the Nose to Tail cooking movement (acclaimed British chef Fergus Henderson's UK restaurant St Johns and subsequent book on using the entire parts of a pig for fine dining, as in offal and marrow), famed Thai Iron Chef (Thailand's top foodie television program) Ian Kittichai and his protege chef extraordinaire Peter Pitakwong have started up this industrial decor diner, where the focus is on fine food.

Menu offerings at Smith include items one certainly won't find on tables anywhere else in Bangkok, with items like foie gras torchon, calf’s tongue with Mexican spice, and even Scottish haggis heading the list! The restaurant even does an entire 1.5-kilo slow-roasted lamb with coffee rub and mint jelly. For those apprehensive about all those strange meat parts, there are other edibles like a good old burger and fries, so fear not.

Smith is housed in an old furniture warehouse and has been designed to resemble a butcher shop. Industrial decor is the motif, with plenty of iron and steel surroundings (indeed, the name of the restaurant comes from the English 'smith' suffix, as in blacksmith or ironsmith), and there is a very relaxed vibe throughout.

In addition to all the food goodies, Smith has an extremely capable bartending team, with master mixologists from the Flow Club coming in to create concoctions such as smoked apple, bourbon, and lemon or the Hoegaarden with lychee and ginger, and other such delicacies to go along with the kegs of Belgian beer they have on tap. Given the popularity of Smith, it is highly advisable to book a table in advance.