Khao San Road review

In Bangkok, Khao San Road is a bustling, touristy area overflowing with guesthouses. In York, Khao San Road delivers a more culinary experience, though still with the lively atmosphere one could enjoy in Bangkok.

On a Friday night, my dining companion and I got the last free table in the restaurant. A large party had occupied several tables, raising the decibel levels. It wasn’t so noisy though that we couldn’t overhear the conversation going on at the table next to ours. Being sat so close to another couple was uncomfortable, but once we were settled in and our food ordered, we relaxed.

For starters we went for the prawn and pork on crispy seaweed and the Thai fish cakes. The dishes were satisfying but not perfect. The prawn and pork came with a lovely plum sauce and all the flavours worked well together. The seaweed was overcooked somewhat, but still lay closer to ‘crispy’ on the ‘crispy to burnt to a crisp’ scale. The fish cakes were slightly more disappointing. Again, all the flavours were there, with the taste of herbs strongly coming through. The disappointment came from the cakes’ texture. Despite being deep-fried, the cakes were soft on the outside, instead of having a satisfying crispness to them. Ironic, given the seaweed was too crisp.

These minor criticisms were quickly forgotten when our main courses arrived. Both accompanied by fragrant coconut rice topped with toasted almonds, we were served Mussamun Neua and Pad Prik King. Ordered as an afterthought, we also plumped for a side order of spicy potatoes. On the menu, the Mussamun Neua had promised to be braised pieces of tender beef in a mild, thick curry sauce; it certainly delivered. The pieces of meet simply tore apart and melted in the mouth. The sauce was flavoursome enough, but with the coconut rice, it was a double whammy and the crunchy peanuts in the dish added another dimension to the texture. My companion wolfed down his hot and spicy Pad Prik King with king prawns and, though full by this point, we did manage most of the potatoes. Although described as ‘spicy’ on the menu, they weren’t hot, a plus-point for me.

Our drinks were enjoyed just as much as the food. My white wine, an Argentinean Torrontes Finca la Colonia, was probably not designed to be drunk as an accompaniment to beef but it was nonetheless delicious. The Thai beers were also just as appreciated by my fellow diner. Instead of dessert, we both indulged in one of Khao San’s specialty cocktails. With names referring to the famous full moon parties - a traveler’s paradise - Khao San continues the theme of the restaurant’s name. At £5.95 a cocktail, we had expected slightly larger drinks than the martini glass size portions we were given. However, the drinks were good quality cocktails with fresh lychees and glacé cherries and, once finished, we weren’t sure we could have handled much more.

Our bill came to just under £60. The food itself was very reasonably priced, but as always, the drinks raised the price level. Would I go back to Khao San Road? Definitely. And that, I think, indicates that Khao San Road is worth a visit. Given how busy the restaurant was when I was there, many other York residents agree.

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