Want a taste of Khao Soi Cowboy, the forthcoming Northern Thai concept slated to open next spring in the former Turn space (3224 Locust) in Grand Center?
Nick Bognar, the James Beard Award–nominated chef-owner behind indo, Sado, and Pavilion, is testing recipes at a new weekly pop-up at indo (1641-D Tower Grove) in Botanical Heights.
Here’s what to know before you go.
The Concept
Beginning August 19, Indo will launch Cowboy Night Market, a weekly outdoor grilling experience that takes over the restaurant’s patio each Wednesday evening. The pop-up will feature a rotating selection of dishes inspired by Bognar’s recent trip to Thailand and the charcoal-grilled flavors of Northern Thailand.
Cowboy Night Market will be available until dishes sell out to anyone dining at Indo. Guests can order from the pop-up menu alongside Indo’s regular offerings, with the patio reserved for walk-in diners.
The idea for Cowboy Night Market grew directly out of Bognar’s recent trip to Thailand and his desire to share some of those experiences before Khao Soi Cowboy opens. “When I was in Thailand,” he says, “you have all these street vendors cooking outdoors, and all of these lovely Thai grilled foods do really well in this season. They’re dishes I want to do at Khao Soi Cowboy, but I thought it was a great, timely thing to cook outside and get in front of the guests again.”
The Menu
The menu highlights the bold, layered flavors of Northern Thailand. Although the menu will evolve over time, it currently includes such items as:
- Som Tum Watermelon: A twist on the traditional green papaya salad with watermelon, fermented fish sauce, peanuts, herbs and crispy onions
- Goong Pao: Featuring head-on prawns paired with a bright pomelo salad and seafood naam jim, a spicy, tangy dipping sauce
- Satay Gai: Grilled marinated chicken thigh served with peanut sauce and an apple-cucumber salad
- Kor Moo Yang: A smoky grilled pork jowl dish served with sticky rice and traditional Thai dipping sauces
Cooking over charcoal will be central to the concept, he explained. “A ton of stuff gets cooked over charcoal in Northern Thailand. It’s a really Thai thing, and it’s deeply rooted in that cuisine.”
The Experience
Each Wednesday, Bognar will cook outside on Indo’s patio using a large-format grill and charcoal grill. The concept draws inspiration from Thailand’s night markets, where vendors often specialize in a small number of dishes and diners sample from multiple stalls.
Bognar also hopes to capture the atmosphere he experienced while traveling. “The energy of all the night marketplaces and street vendors is intense,” he says. “You go out walking and stumble upon all these awesome places. There’s a social aspect; you hang out with everyone around you, you’re outside. It was such a fun and amazing energy, and I want to recreate that on the patio.”
Recently profiled on SLM‘s list of most anticipated restaurants, Khao Soi Cowboy will serve lunch and dinner, featuring what Bognar calls “purposeful inauthentic” dishes inspired by his grandmother’s cooking.
Until then, Cowboy Night Market offers diners a preview of the flavors and techniques that will shape Bognar’s next restaurant.
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