Joe’s Oriental Diner revives King’s Road spirit with new Balham opening

Chef Scott Hallsworth is reviving Joe’s Oriental Diner this month, launching the pan-Asian restaurant at 1 Ramsden Road in Balham, on the site that previously housed his restaurant Freak Scene. The eatery, which first opened on the King’s Road in 2015, returns with a menu of Southeast Asian small plates designed for sharing.

The original Joe’s took over the small space in Chelsea where Hallsworth’s Kurobuta had begun a couple of years earlier. The premise then, as now, was big Southeast Asian flavours, small plates, cold drinks and little formality – a neighbourhood diner with pricing intended to work for a midweek meal as well as a weekend one, with food served alongside cocktails, beer and a short wine and sake list.

The latest menu draws on the diners, bars, street stalls and late-night eating spots of Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, with an emphasis on spicy, sweet, sour and smoky dishes intended to be shared. Among the dishes listed are Tuna Sashimi with Pomelo, Hot Miso, Pickled Chillies and Yuzu Soy, a Rare Thai Beef Salad with Roasted Peanuts and Burford Brown Egg Relish and Jungle Curry of Quail with Sticky Rice and Lettuce Cups. Also featuring are the explosively named Singapore Chilli Crab Wonton Bombs.

Hallsworth has more than 35 years’ experience in professional kitchens, including seven with Nobu, where he became head chef at the London venue, later going on to open Kurobuta and then Freak Scene. The Ramsden Road premises are a short walk from the area’s high street and transport links, though quite a way from where the concept began a decade ago. Hallsworth describes the reopening as a return to the spirit of the original King’s Road restaurant, with the food, drinks and atmosphere rooted in its new south London neighbourhood.

Food Desk

For further information or to book a table at Joe’s Oriental Diner, 1 Ramsden Road, London SW12 8QX, visit the restaurant’s Instagram here.