First Look: An Ex-Earth Angels Chef’s Charcoal Chicken Shop Is One of the Year’s Coolest New Venues

Charcoal chicken shop Yang Thai, which officially opens this Sunday September 21, has been a long time coming. The idea for a small takeaway spot with a singular focus has been in chef Narit Kimsat’s mind for nearly a decade (curry and noodles were two other contenders).

Kimsat brings experience from a string of Melbourne venues, including the now-closed Earth Angels, La Pinta, Capitano and Clover. He co-owns Yang Thai with Waxflower’s Jimmy Pham, but for the first time Kimsat is the one calling the shots. It was important to balance his dream venue with what he thought would actually resonate with customers.

“[People in the service industry] have this fantasy of doing what they want and hoping people enjoy it," he says. "It’s like, ‘Maybe do what people like and you’ll have a sustainable business where you can pay bills and look after your staff.’”

That mindset led him to charcoal chicken, a simple, universally loved dish – but one he thought could be better. In his view, the downfall of most chicken shops is dryness. He combats that by salt-brining the birds for five hours, then marinating them overnight in black pepper and turmeric sauce before cooking them over charcoal and finishing them in the oven.

From midday to 3pm daily, they’re served as $15 lunch packs with a quarter chicken, sticky rice, som tum (shredded green papaya salad, pounded to order in a large Thai mortar and pestle), and a punchy green sauce made with coriander, green chilli and lime. Diners can also order half or whole chickens, plus chips served with sweet-and-sour tamarind ketchup – Kimsat’s nod to classic Aussie chicken shops. The menu also includes vegan options which may be oyster mushrooms cooked over charcoal.

For him, Yang Thai isn’t about embracing nostalgia but reframing it. “I cook Thai food to reconnect with the 12-year-old me and try to have a better memory of Bangkok because as a kid, I didn’t have a good time there,” he says.

That sentiment extends to the fit-out, which channels his dream childhood bedroom. One wall features a mural of a flying chicken by local artist Nicholas Currie; the other is lined with CDs, vintage Thai cookbooks and WWE magazines (Kimsat is an avid fan). A glowing graphic of a chicken with a head of fire by Bangkok-based illustrator Puck marks the entrance. “I’m trying to create new memories with the things that I wish were in my life; all the things that I didn’t have as a kid,” Kimsat says.

Once a liquor licence is approved, the team plans to expand the food and drink offering. But accessibility will remain front and centre. “I want to present [Thai food] in the best way possible, and I want to cook for everyone,” Kimsat says. “It doesn’t matter how much money you have. You can come here and spend $12.”

Yang Thai
49 Blessington Street, St Kilda
No phone

Hours:
Wed to Sun midday–8pm

yangthai.com.au
@yang.thai__