The dish that put Smoking Goat on the map and has stayed on the menu since day one. Chicken wings fried until the skin blisters and crisps, then coated in a sticky chilli fish sauce glaze that hits salty, sweet, sour, and spicy all at once. Multiple food blogs and reviewers call these 'some of the best wings in London.' The fish sauce funk is forward — if you are not a fish sauce person, these are not for you. If you are, order two portions.
Tips from diners
Order these first because everyone at the table will want more and the kitchen can take time. Two portions for two people is not excessive.
The fish sauce is strong and deliberately funky. If you dislike fish sauce, skip these and go for the skewers instead.
Beef shin braised low and slow until it collapses, served in a massaman curry that balances sweetness from palm sugar, sourness from tamarind, and heat from dried chillies. Topped with fried lemongrass for crunch. The massaman curries (also available with smoked goat shoulder) are the main-course standouts that reviewers say justify the trip. The beef shin version is the most popular because the long braise renders the meat soft enough to eat with a spoon.
Tips from diners
One curry is enough for two people if you also order wings and skewers. The portion is generous and the sauce is very rich. Order rice separately.
Small charcoal-grilled pork skewers using Tamworth heritage breed pork, which has more fat marbling than standard pork. Cooked directly over the custom charcoal burner, the fat renders and the edges char. Reviewers call these the perfect thing to nibble while looking at the rest of the menu. Cheap enough to order several and share around the table.
Tips from diners
These are priced per skewer and they are small — order three or four per person as a starter while you wait for the bigger dishes.
Sai oua is a Northern Thai spiced sausage filled with red curry paste, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and fresh herbs. At Smoking Goat, it is grilled over charcoal which gives it an extra layer of smokiness that deepens the already complex flavour. Served sliced with fresh herbs and dipping sauce. Reviewers who have eaten sai oua in Chiang Mai say this version stands up well.
Tips from diners
This is not a mild sausage — the red curry paste and chillies make it properly spicy. Good with a cold beer to cut through the heat.
Chicken livers flash-seared in a hot wok with a jungle curry paste that is thinner and fiercer than most Thai curries (no coconut milk to soften it). Fresh and dried chillies add layers of heat, and beansprouts give crunch. This dish separates the adventurous eaters from the cautious — the offal flavour is front and centre. Reviewers who love it call the livers smoky and well-executed.
Tips from diners
This is genuinely spicy and the liver flavour is not hidden. If you do not like offal, skip it. If you do, this might be the best liver dish you eat in East London.
Fried rice made with lardo (cured pork back fat) that melts into the rice as it hits the wok, giving everything a porky richness you do not get from oil-based fried rice. Thai basil and chillies provide the classic Thai aromatic base. Multiple food bloggers and reviewers list this alongside the wings and massaman as the must-order trio. The lardo is the key difference — it coats each grain of rice with savoury fat.
Tips from diners
Order this as your rice side instead of plain steamed rice. The lardo makes it significantly better. Works perfectly alongside the massaman curry.
Smoking Goat started as a pop-up in a Denmark Street basement in 2014, cooking Northern Thai barbecue over charcoal. The Shoreditch location on the High Street opened as the permanent home, built around custom charcoal burners, smokers, and steamers. The concept is 'aharn glam lao' — Thai drinking food, small plates designed to eat with beer and cocktails. Open until 11pm most nights, later on weekends.
Most seats are kept for walk-ins but it fills up quickly after 7pm on weekends. Arrive before 6:30pm or after 9:30pm for the best chance at a table without waiting.
For two people, order the fish sauce wings, two or three skewers each, one main curry, and the lardo fried rice. That covers the best of the menu without over-ordering.
The kitchen serves until 11pm Monday through Saturday, which makes this one of the better late-night proper dining options in Shoreditch. Sunday closes at 10pm.
The cocktail and beer list is designed to match the food — this is 'drinking food' after all. The Thai-inspired cocktails and cold lagers work better here than wine.
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