Part of JKS Restaurants, the group currently comprises two Speedboat Bar sites in Chinatown and Notting Hill, which serve dishes inspired by Bangkok’s Chinatown, and two Plaza Khao Gaeng locations in Tottenham Court Road and Borough Yards focusing on the flavours of Southern Thailand.
Farrell says the group is planning to launch a restaurant “in a much posher part of London” that will explore royal Thai dishes influenced by trade and the blending of different cultures.
It also plans to open a restaurant highlighting the food of Northern Thailand, and another centred on the cuisine of the north-east.
“The aim of the group is to serve the true form of Thai food without compromise,” Farrell told Restaurant. “Eventually, we want to offer food from every part of the country.”
Farrell says the creation of Chaiyo Restaurants earlier this year marks a slight separation from JKS, but notes that he will “continue to make full use of the incredible expertise and support they bring”.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do this without my partners taking a punt on me,” he added.
Earlier this month, Farrell opened a second Plaza Khao Gaeng site in London, at Borough Yards near Borough Market. The restaurant follows a similar format to the original Plaza Khao Gaeng in Arcade Food Hall Tottenham Court Road, but expands the menu with dishes unfamiliar to anyone who has not spent time exploring Thailand’s deep south.
Options include naem neua tord (picanha beef fermented in-house with rice and then stir-fried with lots of chilli and garlic); curry of Dorset crab with coconut milk and betel leaf; and a dish that riffs on Borough Market’s well-known strawberries and chocolate.
Farrell previously worked at Spanish-Italian restaurant group Salt Yard before cooking at restaurants across Southeast Asia. He began working with JKS Restaurants, the group behind Gymkhana and Trishna, in 2021 opening a number of South Eat food hall concessions including Viet Populaire and Indonesian concept Bebek! Bebek!
Plaza Khao Gaeng Arcade Food Hall Tottenham Court Road - Farrell’s debut full-service restaurant concept - launched in 2022 and was quickly followed by Speedboat Bar Chinatown.