Khao Bird’s year-long residency at The Globe Tavern above Borough Market came to an end in September. But the northern Thai barbeque specialist has made a quick return, with head chef Luke Larsson and restaurateur Mike Palmer opening Khao Bird’s first permanent site last week, in what was Soho’s last adult cinema (the only remnants of its past is the original bathroom floor).
The pair began their restaurant journey with Lucky Khao pop-ups in Brighton in 2016. Since they left East Sussex in 2024 to bring Khao Bird to London, the team’s focus has changed. Where Brighton called for more plant-based menus, London is a meatier affair.
“London loves meat,” Palmer tells Broadsheet. “We sell a lot more meat now. We still have a plant-based menu but it has been really interesting to see the difference – and here, we have better equipment for smoking and grilling, so it’s been really fun.”
The meat is there in a galangal-spiked larb, an onglet steak with white curry and the pork shoulder with a wild ginger curry.
Being in Soho has also brought a dimension of “seriousness” to Luke and Mike’s approach, particularly with some of the city’s best Thai diners in the vicinity, including Super 8’s acclaimed Kiln and Luke Farrell’s buzzy Speedboat Bar, as well as newer openings like Khao-so-i and Platapian.
“Soho forces you to be much better; the expectations are higher, and it’s inspiring being in and amongst so many great restaurants. It makes you feel like you need to keep progressing,” Larsson says.
Khao Bird’s menu never sits still, shifting with the seasons and the whims of Larsson and the team, who “constantly want to try new things”. Much of the menu is also gluten- and dairy-free – a “hangover” from their Brighton days, Palmer says.
Larsson, who trained in the kitchens of well-regarded restaurants in Thailand including Samuay & Sons, 100 Mahaseth and Bo.lan, which are scattered across the country’s north and Bangkok, pays homage to his Thai teachers with his “authentic, but not traditional” take on hyperregional dishes.
On the menu, diners are just as likely to find a classic khao soi, a curry noodle dish common in northern Thai cities like Chiang Mai, as they are to find mutton fries, Khao Bird’s version of chips and curry sauce. Drinks include a tight wine list, as well as frozen cocktails (including a vodka-based number inspired by the flavours of mango sticky rice) and alcohol-free options like a lychee sour and a Thai iced tea.
As a certified B Corporation, Khao Bird sources its fresh produce from UK suppliers, including vegetables and herbs from Shrub Provisions and meat from rewilding project Knepp Estate, while importer Thai Tana is its go-to for Thai produce. And the team doesn’t rest on its laurels, returning to Thailand several times a year to try new dishes, stage with local chefs and reignite their palates.
“Ultimately, my dishes pay tribute to the cooking and communal staff meals I’ve enjoyed in different kitchens across Thailand and Chiang Mai,” Larsson says.
Khao Bird
24 Brewer Street, W1F 0SN
Hours:
Mon to Sat midday–11pm
Sun midday–9pm
