The Som Saa Founders Are Opening A New Restaurant

Kolae | A Southern Thai Restaurant From The People Behind Som Saa

Kolae is a method of cooking utilised in the South of Thailand where things (usually chicken) are coated in a coconut marinade and grilled over open flames.

Why are we telling you this? Well, aside from being useful information if you were to host a barbecue over there, it’s also going to form the basis for Mark Dobbie and Andy Oliver‘s new restaurant, Kolae. You know, the guys behind som saa.

If you haven’t been to som saa yet, firstly: correct that and do go. Secondly: It has a reputation for being one of the best Thai restaurants in London, thanks to some of the hottest (in both senses) Thai dishes in the city, plus equally spicy cocktails where they rework leftover ingredients into their signatures. som saa started as a popup and became a permanent restaurant through a crowdfunding campaign (achieved while barely breaking a sweat; £700,000 in just three days). Andy was a former Masterchef finalist and Mark worked at the world’s first-ever Michelin-starred Thai restaurant (Nahm), so these guys have a handle on what they’re doing. 

Kolae will be in Borough Market, occupying an 80-cover three-floor space (with an al fresco courtyard and a private dining room) that was once an old London coach house, and it’s scheduled to open later in the year; sometime in autumn if the stars align. For the menu, they’ll be working with the kolae technique (sometimes also referred to as Golae, Galae or Gaw Lae) and some of the headline dishes will include a half kolae chicken marinated in a lemongrass, turmeric and black pepper sauce, as well as seafood and vegetarian specials that’ll also adhere to the technique. Backing them in supporting roles are salads, pounded to order in a pestle and mortar, and nam phrik relishes to spice up some of the mains if that’s how you roll.

And not one to be shunted in the background, the drinks (you will likely need them if som saa’s heat factor is anything to go by) are said to feature around 15 wines, a handful of beers and ciders, and cocktails made with fresh Thai ingredients. 

No doubt, you’ll get a kick out of them…

NOTE: Kolae is set to open sometime in autumn this year. In the meantime, you can watch for updates on their Instagram and book a table at som saa, here.

Kolae | 6 Park Street, London SE1 9AB

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