Salt Smoke

UPDATE: They will now also do meat and seafood on hot lava stones.

The buzz: You know Salt, the ever-popular restaurant in Ari that draws in throngs of affluent 20-somethings, who are as eager to be seen in its raw, modernist decor as to sample the crowd-pleasers on its wide-ranging menu of Franco-Italian comfort food and sushi. You might even have heard of the sister-brother team behind it; Antika Teparrak the business smarts and tasteful decorator, and Ruangrit Teparrak, the chef. Within spitting distance of Salt, on Ari Soi 1, they've just opened a microscopic burger bar, which has all the airs of a pop-up but is here to stay. 

The decor: A barebones space with a raw cement rendering, a bar that seats four and three tiny tables spilling out on the parking lot of the Piyawan Building. If that sounds rough, rest assured that plenty of charming details, from potted palm trees to crates of fresh produce, lend the space oodles of hipster bistro charm.

The food: Contrary to Salt's endless menu, you've got 20 items to choose from here. The WTF burger combines foie gras, bacon,- wagyu beef patty and cheese. You can also get wagyu cheese (B200), wagyu (B180), seabass (B150), or chicken and asparagus (B150) variations. We went three days after the place opened so this isn't a review, but there's great potential from what we've tasted so far. The WTF is a particularly decadent treat, with the fatty foie gras and bacon off-setting the flavorsome (but somewhat dry) bun. Speaking of which, that bun is pretty much a French brioche, making it a surprisingly gourmet presence. It's homemade, as are the beef patties, the sauce (bacon, honey, pomodoro tomatoes, herbs) and the delicious pickles. Minced carrot sprouts and pickled chili complete the picture. Beyond burgers, the "grilled caesar" (B150) is a bit deconstructed, served with a fried egg, a garlic vinaigrette dressing on a big fistful of romaine, a salted anchovy and a strip of bacon. By the time you head there, they'll have rolled out a lamb burger, grilled beef cheeks and muscles marinated in rum.

The drinks: Locals Singha, Heineken and even Phuket Beer are available at B100. Or head overseas with Vedett (B190), Orion (B220), Lieftmans (B180) or a big bottle of Estrella (B590). Two house wines (white B300, red B350) complete the picture. 

The crowd: The same young, upwardly mobile professionals as at Salt.