Now Open: Celebrated Chef Air Jantrakool Has Brought Top-Notch Northern Thai Cuisine to Sita at the Mountbatten Hotel
The acclaimed culinary figure's new venture serves as a love letter to her childhood, featuring a menu rich in authenticity and innovation.
Taking up residence in Haymarket's historic Mountbatten Hotel, Sita is an impressive Thai restaurant with one of the very best in charge of the pots and pans. That would be chef Air Jantrakool, an eminent star in Sydney's Thai culinary scene, with over 35 years of experience. Most prominently, Jantrakool spent over 15 years as head chef of David Thompson's Sailors Thai – a cherished institution that closed its doors after two decades of service in 2016.
Born in Chiang Mai, Jantrakool is bringing her Northern Thai heritage to Sita with a bold menu that celebrates her homeland and earliest memories with food. Yet there are more than a few innovative ideas too. Highlights include crispy pork belly in sweet and sour sauce, and rich Northern-style coconut curry with soft egg noodles and pickled mustard greens. However, Jantrakool is just getting started.
Working away on a plethora of dishes that combine authentic flavours with a modern touch, in the near future, guests can also expect the menu to feature butterfly pea dumplings, minced pork salad, and bite-sized pork buns served with Jantrakool's signature sauce, perfected over the past 20 years. With these creations and others drawing inspiration from various aspects of everyday life in Thailand, each dish is shaped by Jantrakool's deep connection to the nation's cuisine.
"Sita is more than just a restaurant – it's a love letter to the food of my childhood," says Jantrakool. "Each dish is made from the heart, as if I were cooking for family."
Leading the venue is JDA Hotels (General Gordon Hotel, The Peakhurst, Union Place Hotel), who have set about transforming the 1882 hotel into a space that wouldn't look out of place in a bustling Bangkok nightlife district. While the exterior might say classic Aussie pub, with its bottle-green titles and timber planter boxes, it's a different affair once inside. Styled by Span Design Studio, ornate gold mouldings, mirrored walls and cherry-toned ambient lighting add an upbeat dimension without sacrificing the building's storied history.
Sita's team have also created a series of complementary cocktails for the Mountbatten Hotel's Cherries Bar. Order up a Phuket Calada, a tropical twist on the classic pina colada that blends mango, pandan and dark rum, served in a coconut-polished bowl. Meanwhile, the gin-based Simon's Secret features citrus, watermelon and playful bubble-gum notes.
Sita is open daily at the Mountbatten Hotel from 11.30am–3pm and 4pm–9.30pm at 701 George Street, Haymarket. Head to the website for more information.
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