John Chantarasak is the chef-owner of AngloThai in London’s Marylebone, which he runs alongside his wife Desiree, the restaurant’s sommelier. Chantarasak trained at Le Cordon Bleu Bangkok and worked under celebrated chefs, including David Thompson at Nahm, before continuing his career at the acclaimed London restaurant Som Saa. In late 2024, John and Desiree opened AngloThai, a restaurant that reflects the two sides of John’s heritage, combining inspiration from Thai cuisine with a predominantly seasonal and local British larder. Within just three months of opening, AngloThai was awarded its first Michelin star.
Could you please tell our community a bit about yourself and what you do?
I’m John Chantarasak, the chef owner of AngloThai situated in London’s historic Marylebone neighbourhood. I run the restaurant alongside my wife Desiree, who is a sommelier and manages the wine and beverage programme. AngloThai is centred around the two sides of my heritage, where the cooking takes heavy inspiration from the cuisine of Thailand (my father’s heritage) but uses a predominantly seasonal and local British larder to cook with (my mother’s heritage). I grew up spending time in both Britain and Thailand and those experiences have not only influenced the style of food I cook but also how I view the world as a mixed race individual. Desiree and I have two children, our son Rufus is 4 years old and our daughter Aubretia is nearly 2 years old. We joke that AngloThai is our third child in the family.
What are you currently working on or excited about right now?
Right now the focus is on making AngloThai 1% better each and every day. I’m a firm believer that if you’re not moving forward then you're falling backwards, even standing still isn’t good enough anymore in this highly competitive and difficult industry. Despite AngloThai being a nearly ten year journey for me in my career, the physical bricks and mortar site is still relatively young. We opened the doors in November 2024 so the journey with this restaurant and team has only really just begun. In the immediate future, I’m excited to implement and develop some of the dish ideas I have for our spring menu. Many of the ideas are directly influenced by experiences in the last month when I was traveling around Thailand, particularly Chathanaburi and Trat in the eastern province of the kingdom.
How would you describe the restaurant scene in London at the moment?
Rampant! It’s highly competitive with new restaurants popping up all the time, and a few closures of old guards that really shows how fragile the industry can be at times. It was super sad to see the end of Lyle’s and Black Axe Mangal last year, but I know it won’t be the last we’ve seen of James Lowe and Lee Tiernan. That being said, it’s a super positive city and industry to be a part of. Desiree and I always knew we wanted to open AngloThai in London so we could pitch ourselves against some of the best restaurants in the world right now. It’s definitely competitive but with that there is a lot of support for each other, and to be honest I like the healthy competition it breeds. I feel it makes AngloThai better and better each day being amongst so many of our peers.
What are three restaurants in London you particularly enjoy, and why?
Wildflowers – Mediterranean(ish) inspired food using peak seasonal produce. Aaron Potter is a super natural cook and has a way of extracting maximum flavour from ingredients in what feels like very simple dishes, which I’m sure none of them are. His partner Laura Copp is in charge of front-of-house and her calming and generous character comes across in the hospitality. I find myself going back to Wildflowers over and over again.
Plates – London’s first Michelin star plant based restaurant. Kirk Haworth is a flavour genius and his cooking is genuine, inventive and delicious. It’s amazing to see how he creates such bold plates of food using only plants. Nothing is stuffy about Plates and the whole dining experience is playful and relaxed for a restaurant cooking at such high levels. Alex Price in charge of the wine list, is a darling and has put together one of the best wine lists in London right now.
St. Barts – just incredible cooking from the super talented Johnnie Crowe and his team. The ethos is anything goes in terms of dish inspiration, but all ingredients are sourced solely from the British Isles. The kitchen uses preservation to create flavour combinations that mimic foreign flavours you would commonly find overseas, such as coffee and cacao. The food is very impressive, and St. Barts’ mission for sustainability has earned them a Michelin Green Star, alongside one Michelin star for the cooking.
Is there a newer restaurant in London that you think is doing especially interesting things?
If I’m honest I’m pretty out of touch with new openings since starting a family and opening AngloThai. I’ve read some good things about Aces Foodcraft and have eaten Alex Craciun’s food back when he used to run Sosharu for Jason Atherton. I’d like to visit when I get some free time.
Are there any hidden gems in London you would like to highlight – and what would you order there?
Ploussard – a modern French bistro and wine bar within walking distance of where we live in Battersea. The cooking is inventive, fun and delicious. I’ve rarely eaten the same dish twice there as the team works with peak seasonal produce and constantly moves the menu with the seasons. They have a great wine list and the vibe is relaxed and welcoming. The menu is short and constantly evolving; as a table of two you can order most things or be guided by their set menu, which is great value.
Which food cities around the world inspire you the most, and where do you like to eat when you’re there? What do you enjoy most about those places?
Bangkok for sure. The dining scene in Bangkok right now is completely off the charts, especially for modern Thai cuisine.
Samrub Samrub Thai – run by husband and wife team Prin Polsuk and Mint Jarukittikun. Prin was head chef when I spent time in the kitchen at Nahm in Bangkok. He’s probably the most natural and creative Thai chef on the planet right now. The team changes the menu every two months based on their research of old cookbooks and travels in little known regions of Thailand. I visit every time I’m in Bangkok as every meal is an education in Thai cuisine.
100 Mahaseth – a modern take on regional Isaan food using local ingredients and a nose-to-tail ethos, with a generous focus on offal and traditional dishes of the region. Chef Chalee Kader is a bit of a powerhouse when it comes to opening and running successful restaurants, with two others in his portfolio, Wana Yook and Soma, both worth visiting in Bangkok.
Thai Tham – not for everyone, but this century-old shop house specialises in a single dish of pig’s brain and offal soup in a light but fragrant pepper broth. It’s a unique dish that hinges on very few ingredients being cooked at peak freshness. It’s the sort of place that can only exist in Asia, and when I’m in the old part of Chinatown I often pop in for a 50 baht (£1.20) bowl of soup.
What is your favourite dish and where is your favourite restaurant to have it?
It’s impossible to pinpoint a favourite dish, but I do love eating dim sum and Chinese food. If I were to treat myself to this style of food it would be at A. Wong in Pimlico.
Is there an up-and-coming chef you think is doing great things?
I’m a big fan of Christian Faulkner’s food. I’ve been fortunate to try his cooking when he does a rare pop-up in London. Christian is the head chef of Ikoyi and uses his knowledge of hyper-seasonal produce and two Michelin star techniques when cooking his own style of food that takes inspiration from North American comfort food, mixed with fresh seafood, as he’s originally from Jersey. His food is straight up delicious and really imaginative – he’s definitely one to watch.
Is there a food expert or curator whose restaurant recommendations you would particularly want to hear?
In London I’d be interested to hear recommendations from the likes of Adam Byatt at Trinity and Ben Chapman of Super 8, who runs sites such as Brat, Kiln, Mountain and Smoking Goat. Outside of London I’d like to hear from Gareth Ward of Ynyshir and Michael O’Hare, formerly of The Man Behind The Curtain.
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