Cambodian cuisine is a rarity in the UK, but it’s about to get a major boost as chef Tom Geoffrey starts a four-month residency above The Globe Tavern in Borough Market.
Geoffrey launches the residency, named Barang – which loosely translates to “foreigner” in Khmer – following four years of cooking Cambodian food during sold-out pop-ups and residencies around London, including a six-week stint at South London Louie in Peckham, a short spell as a guest chef at Oranj last year and, most recently, a month-long takeover at Carousel on Charlotte Street.
The chef, who grew up in Bristol with an English mother and an American father, first visited Cambodia in 2017 while travelling through Southeast Asia. He became so enamoured by Khmer people and their history and food that he has returned multiple times since to learn how to cook from chefs and street food vendors there. Eventually, he started posting on Instagram under the name Barang, which connected him with Khmer people all over the UK and the US.
His roots may be thousands of miles from Cambodia, but Geoffrey’s cooking honours the country’s culinary heritage and traditions while putting his own twist on dishes with American-esque smoking and barbeque techniques.
Visitors to Barang can expect big, bold sharing dishes with a dash of theatrical flair, including a New York striploin with bone marrow and prahok, a pungent fermented fish paste that’s a staple in Cambodian cuisine, suspended so it drips onto the meat, and a deep-fried whole seabream loaded with lime and kampot pepper, known as the champagne of pepper for its high quality and prestige.
Seasonality and game are key focuses for the chef. Venison from Swaledale butcher and pheasant are on the menu, while longtime fans will find signatures like Orkney diver scallop served with tamarind brown butter, pickled apple and pig’s ear crackling.
Geoffrey also plans to install a pit barrel smoker, akin to a huge Chinese clay roasting oven, in which he will smoke and roast wild mallard, which will be brushed with honey and served with a pepper curry sauce.
The wine list and a short cocktail menu are by Rachel Reid (ex-Bar Swift). Cocktails draw in Cambodian influences – including in a kampot pepper and lemongrass Martini served with a Carlingford oyster with a tangy, spicy koh kong (a chilli, garlic and fish sauce) mignonette.
“I’m really excited,” Geoffrey tells Broadsheet. “I’ve spent so much time doing admin behind a laptop, I’m ready to get cooking now.”
Barang
8 Bedale Street, SE1 9AL
Hours:
Tue 5pm–9.30pm
Wed & Thu midday–9.30pm
Fri & Sat midday–10pm
Sun midday–6.30pm
