Openings this week: Thaikhun, Chakra, Jack's Kitchen and more
A look at the latest restaurants, hotels, pubs and bars to open their doors
Thaikhun
Thai Leisure Group has launched its latest restaurant under the Thaikhun casual-dining brand, this time in Guildford in Surrey. The 3,690 sq ft restaurant offers a traditional and rustic look with an open kitchen and an outdoor dining area. Inspiration for the design has been taken from the famous Maeklong market, a food destination in Thailand with train tracks running down the middle. The opening on Friary Street, which has created 40 full- and part-time jobs, is the eighth Thaikhun site and follows a recent launch in Newcastle's Metro Centre. There are also restaurants in Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Ian Leigh, managing director at Thaikhun, said: "We are so excited to finally open the doors at Thaikhun Guildford and we hope that our new restaurant will offer something a little different for diners in the area. Maeklong Railway Market, the inspiration for this restaurant, is a really buzzing area and we have tried to capture that drama."
Opened 5 May 2016
Operator Thai Leisure Group
Covers 124 covers
Head chef Payung Multhongchoon
Manager Booyarit Khaokong (Bee)
Typical dishes Moo ping (grilled pork skewers); gaeng som (deep-fried bream in sour curry); gai phad med (chicken with cashew nuts); and puk boong fai daeng (morning glory with chilli)
Websitewww.thaikhun.co.uk
Chakra
Indian restaurant Chakra has relocated from Notting Hill Gate in London to Kensington. It opened its doors at the previous site in 2011 and offers refined North Indian cooking.
Head chef Tai Khan
Managing director Arjun Varma
Covers 60
Typical dishes Crispy lotus root, spring onion, tamarind pearls, cress; and crispy avocado spheres, curry leaves, tamarind chutney
Websitewww.chakralondon.com
Jack's Kitchen
Jack's Kitchen has opened in Kingston, Surrey, serving modern international cuisine along with a selection of whiskies.
Head chef Akshay Sabharwal
General manager Gagan Sharma
Typical dishes Smoked scallops in a smokefilled glass dome; 700g T-bone porterhouse steak with fries; chargrilled Nova Scotia lobster; and tandoori guinea fowl served with biryani, celeriac and a spinach croquette
Websitewww.jackskitchenuk.com
The Pheasant Inn
The Pheasant Inn in Shefford Woodlands, Berkshire, has been reopened by its new landlord, Jack Greenall, following a refurbishment.
Bedrooms 11
Head chef Andy Watts
Starting room rate £90 bed and breakfast
Interior designer Flora Soames
Typical dishes St Austell Bay mussels in a garlic and wine cream sauce; and venison Wellington
Websitewww.thepheasant-inn.co.uk
Randy's Wing Bar
Randy's Wing Bar has opened its first permanent site at the new Here East development, close to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Hackney in London. The restaurant was started by friends Richard Thacker and Andy Watts three years ago and appeared at festivals and events across London, including a residency at Dalston Street Feast.
Founders Richard Thacker and Andy Watts
Covers 70
Typical dishes Wings in five styles, including North American Buffalo (with buffalo sauce and truffled blue cheese) and Bombay (marinated in Indian spices and served with raita); chicken burgers; and chicken liver popcorn
Websitewww.randyswingbar.co.uk