It’s no secret that Sydney’s Thai food scene is legendary, but Porkfat stands out. In part it’s down to co-founder and chef Narin “Jack” Kulasai’s menu, which is broad but with a Central Thai inflection, drawing on the flavours of Kulasai’s hometown, Saraburi.

Boonyalit “Boon” Boonprakong’s presence on the floor is another factor. And the rest is down to the vibrancy of the dishes: fiery, fatty pork larb heady with smoked chilli set to load into lettuce cups with cucumber and snake beans; or Phuket curry that’s more pleasantly bitter than sweet, featuring bouncy Mooloolaba king prawns.

The crab fried rice (a monthly special) is textbook: fluffy, strewn with sweet hand-picked spanner crab and packing serious wok hei. A small, considered wine list is geared to play well with spice and the namesake lard underscoring many of the dishes, but BYO means the scope is wide. Space is limited, so book ahead.

Good to know: Porkfat is split into two levels, with upstairs more cloistered and calm, and downstairs ringing with the clatter of woks. Specify your preference when booking.

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