Porkfat Haymarket

Porkfat Haymarket – Punchy Thai Cooking with a One-Hat Pedigree

Porkfat opened in Haymarket in 2022 when chef Narin "Jack" Kulasai decided he'd had enough of missing the flavours of his hometown, Saraburi in central Thailand. Kulasai's resume reads like a who's who of fine Thai cooking, having worked under David Thompson at Nahm in Bangkok before stints at Bennelong and as chef de cuisine at Long Chim Sydney. That pedigree shows.

True to its name, the kitchen leans into pork fat as a cooking medium, a nod to how Thai food was made before commercial oils took over. The small plates set the tone: tamarind chicken wings finished with crispy garlic and coriander, crispy pork belly with a chilli lime nahm jim, and a papaya salad topped with salted duck egg. Porkfat's larb, built on smoked chilli and roasted rice powder, is one of the more talked-about dishes on the menu. Larger plates push further into regional Thai territory, including a green curry of grilled pork jowl and a jungle curry built on fermented fish and wild ginger. Baked Mooloolaba king prawns with vermicelli round out the seafood side of things.

The room itself is compact and considered, with dishes served on hand-painted ceramics from Wiang Kalong in Chiang Rai and a mezzanine that lets diners watch the kitchen at work. Porkfat only takes à la carte orders for groups of up to four, with anything larger required to book one of the set menus, so it's worth checking group size before you book. Bookings are essential given the restaurant's size.