Farang Restaurant
72 Highbury Park, Highbury East
London N5 2XE
Nearest Tube: Arsenal
Buzz Factor 4.2/5 stars
Food 4.4/5 stars
Value for money 4.5/5 stars
4.4 Yummy Stars
Price ££ £3.50-£18 (at time of writing)
☏ · 020 7226 1609
Miang Pon La Mai at Farang, salted prawns with foraged fruits on a betel leave
Did you ever think that travelling abroad could transform your life beyond recognition? Sebby Holmes, the chef patron and head chef of Farang went travelling in Asia as a teenager in 2008, having worked as a chef since aged 13. Seduced by the intoxicating Asian flavours, his newly acquired taste for Asian cuisine changed his path forever.
He went on to hone his cooking skills for some years at the Thai restaurant, Begging Bowl in Peckham before heading to another Thai street food restaurant, The Smoking Goat, as head chef (aged 24), lauding rave reviews on its launch. A inventive chef, who is unafraid to experiment, conjured up a 7-course tasting menu, showcasing insects as its star ingredient, in various pop ups. No such ingredient is offered (yet) on the menu of Farang.
Farang started life in food markets in 2016 and opened its doors initially as a pop up at his stepfather’s Italian restaurant site in Highbury. A year on, emboldened by positive reviews, aged 26, he took a 10-year lease on the same site, turning Farang into a permanent residence in February 2018.
On my first visit to Farang a few months after opening, I was blown away by the addictive intense flavours of the dishes. People often say second time round, nothing would seem as impressive as the first time. However, in round two a year later, the food remained on par. The menu has changed somewhat but some signature dishes have remained.
The décor of the restaurant looked pretty much the same, rustic-looking with wooden table and chairs, exposed brick wall and tiled floors. It had the feel of your casual buzzy neighbourhood restaurant. It was jampacked with thirtyplus something and the din of lively conversation reverberated round the dimly lit room.
Service was efficient and our waiter was helpful with the number of dishes to order, given the spread of small and large plates.
For starters, our Gai Prik (crispy chicken) was terrific, lathered in a sweet and salty fish sauce glaze with fresh lime, herbs and burnt chilli sauce. The chicken was tender and juicy all wrapped up in a crispy coat (of beer batter) with a stonkingly delicious sauce. I could have eaten so many of the dinky jewels of Miang Pon La Mai, salted prawns with foraged fruits, pomegranate, tamarind, palm sugar, peanut and coconut caramel served, cocooned in a betel leave. The waiter wisely suggested that we ordered another one to save fighting over the last one between the two of us. Did we listen? Of course not. We ended up ordering another one after we gulped the first lot down.
The beautifully cooked whole seabass with a superb crispy coated skin went harmoniously with its pomelo and sour fruit salad laced in an orange chilli nahm yum dressing. The sweet and sour notes and the heat from the dressing served as a perfect condiment to the fish. I was glad to see that this dish is now a fixture on its menu, whereas it was one of the specials a year ago. On my second visit, the chefs seemed to have got the timing of cooking the fish just right, compared with the lump of overcooked dry fish the first time round.
The Crispy Marinated Aubergine, tossed in fresh seasonal fruits, cashews and herbs, dressed with a roasted coconut and lime dressing was a delight. The soft boiled duck egg added richness to the dish. Not everything worked out on the night. The Pork belly was nothing special and the dressing was far too sour. Perhaps the chefs agree and it is no longer on the menu. I have had better Tumeric roti, which did not taste of much and could have been cooked for a bit longer.
Chef Sebby Holmes have worked wonders on some dishes, belting out some serious flavour sensation. With a young team, consistency in the standard of cooking is yet to come. With a cookbook already published aged 26 and another on its way in 2020, lapping up a Michelin Bib gourmand and other awards, this is a chef to watch. This “foreigner” (being the meaning of “Farang”) is doing great in the kitchen.
Whole sea bass at Farang