You may have seen the queues before you’d even heard of Khao-Sō-i. Last October, the cult-favourite northern Thai noodle bar ran a pop-up at Patara Restaurant in Oxford Circus, opened to rave reviews, accidentally went viral and ended up serving around 400 diners a day, with two-hour wait times. Now, it’s gone permanent in London with its first international outpost: a 40-seater in Fitzrovia.
It’s been a big year for Thai restaurant openings in London, from Plaza Khao Gaeng to Singburi 2.0. But while Khao-Sō-i made its name with its signature dish, khao soi, a coconut curry noodle soup, chef-owner Win Srinavakool is keen to branch out and show the diversity of Chiang Mai’s cuisine.
“The pop-up only lasted two months and we were blown away by the response,” Srinavakool says. “This time round, we want to go slow, learn how to handle and serve people better and try new things by showing a different side to northern Thai food.”
Srinavakool was born in Los Angeles, where his parents ran a restaurant and he first learned to cook. The family later moved to Texas, where he worked as a sushi chef in a Japanese restaurant, before moving back to Chiang Mai when he was 17. He eventually stepped away from the restaurant world, taking on various roles in a bank and at an electricity company, before running his own travel company and working as a travel guide. Then Covid hit and put a spanner in the works.
“My wife was the one who convinced me to open a restaurant. She’s usually the cook at home, and she made me a bowl of khao soi. It brought back so many memories and led me down a rabbit hole. I kept thinking, ‘Why don’t people eat this more?’,” he says of the dish, whose origins date back centuries to when Chinese traders came down from Yunnan. “It’s a very traditional dish that has largely fallen out [of popularity in] favour of trendier dishes.”
Srinavakool worked from his wife’s original recipes, with plenty of trial, error and tweaks along the way. Khao-Sō-i first opened in Chiang Mai before expanding to Bangkok, and its titular coconut curry noodle soup is what has brought the restaurant acclaim.
Srinavakool’s wife and co-owner, Por Haruethai Noicharoen, designs the interiors of all sites. They nod to the traditional Lanna (a historic northern Thai kingdom) wood houses, which are known for intricate relief carvings, distinctive architecture and classic furniture. Vases, jars and pots sourced by Noicharoen from flea markets and second-hand stalls decorate the shelves and walls, giving each venue a homely yet sleek feel. The space is anchored by an open-plan kitchen with bar seating and a grill.
Khao soi is of course the centrepiece of the menu, with a choice of meat or seafood toppings (including chicken, Wagyu and langoustines) and all the trimmings, including chilli flakes, coconut milk, lime, crispy fried noodles and fresh herbs. It’s served alongside a series of small plates called gub glam, including larb dib (raw minced beef with chilli, coriander and sticky rice), moo ping (pork belly skewers) and pla som (fermented and grilled sea bream), plus sides such as nam prik noom (green chilli dip), sticky rice and kaeb moo (pork crackling).
On the drinks front, the menu leans heavily on Thai ingredients, with pandan Margaritas, a Mae Ping Bloody Mary named after the river that runs through Chiang Mai that’s made with oyster sauce in place of Worcestershire and the same chilli paste used in the curry noodle soup, and a selection of distilled rice wines produced in Chiang Mai exclusively for the restaurant.
“Our main ethos is, ‘How do we bring Thailand to London?’ It’s difficult when you go international and have to import a lot of Thai ingredients, but I want people to feel like they’re in Chiang Mai,” Srinavakool explains. “This restaurant represents my home, my heart and my soul. I don’t want to compromise on spice or flavour. I want to keep it as true as my other sites in Thailand, and I love how open-minded Londoners have been.”
Khao-So-i
9–10 Market Place, W1W 8AQ
Hours:
Mon to Wed midday–2.30pm, 5.30pm–10.30pm
Thu to Sat midday–10.30pm
Sun midday–4pm
