The acclaimed Thai restaurant Singburi will open a new site in Shoreditch this year, as chef Sirichai Kularbwong teams up with chef Nick Molyviatis and restaurateur Alex Gkikas for a second coming.
Singburi closed for its usual annual sabbatical before Christmas, but did so for an extended period, leading many to believe the Leytonstone restaurant had shut indefinitely.
In the works was a more central location and Sirichai has now taken full ownership of the restaurant given his parents have retired.
“Call it kismet,” he told the Standard. “Teaming up with Nick and Alex, the announcement on my dad’s birthday…it’s all been a humbling and exciting day. See you soon, London, and welcome to Singburi.”
The trio is something of a hospitality dream team. Nick was the founding head chef of the hit Soho restaurant Kiln and went on to orchestrate the opening of Oma, David Carter’s shrine to Greek dining in Borough. Alex is the co-founder of Catalyst Cafe, which hosts many of the best chefs in London.
An announcement said Singburi 2.0 will be located just moments from Shoreditch Overground station
They are “poised to propel Singburi into a new era,” it read, “at a brand new site. The ethos will remain rooted in the spirit of the original, while embracing a broader, distinctly London perspective”.
Wrongly called a “hidden gem” for many years, Singburi, founded in 1999, has long been a cult hit with London diners.
Today, it occupies 71st place on the UK's Best Restaurants list and has long garnered a reputation for being difficult to visit as it is almost always full.
Singburi 2.0 will open in Shoreditch this spring. @singburi_e1
