Khaosan is a recently opened Thai restaurant that specializes in “street food”. The restaurant is fairly small, but the vaulted ceilings make the space look much larger. Upon entering we were warmly greeted, and offered a table.
The Thai Tea Lemonade ($3) is a refreshing change of pace from the usual Thai tea. It is Thai tea mixed with lemonade, which boils down a Thai version of an Arnold Palmer.
The Kaiy Louk Cuuy ($4) are two deep fried hard boiled eggs laced in a tangy tamarind sauce, and finished off with fried shallots. The eggs had a little crunch to it, and the egg yolks remained soft. This was a nice way to start off the meal.
The Gaiy Tohd ($6) was a Thai version of fried chicken. Small, bite sized chunks of chicken were fried to a nice golden brown. There is hardly any batter covering the chicken to mask its flavor. The dish is served with a sweet sauce.
The Soam Thahm ($7) was a salad composed of green papaya, green beans, and tomatoes topped with carrots and peanuts. It was served with a zesty lime dressing. Although we ordered it spicy, the dish was very mild in the heat department. This is a nice and refreshing dish.
The Mussamun Curry is a deep, dark brown bowl of goodness. Large chunks of tender beef were lurking under the surface. Large chunks of potatoes were bobbing above the surface. The dish has its roots in the Middle East/Indian culture with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cumin usually used in flavoring the dish. Peanuts are also added to provide a nice nuttiness.
The Khaosan Noodles ($9) felt like a take on Pad See Ew. Large, flat rice noodles are mixed with thin soy sauce, bean sprouts, eggs, peanuts, and siracha. Despite the use of siracha, this dish bordered on the slightly sweet.
The Oxtail Soup ($12) provided a punch of sourness due to the liberal use of lime juice. It reminded me of Thohm Yuhm without the chili, and substituting oxtail for shrimp and chicken.
The Curry Pouch ($4) were thin wontons filled with chicken, curry and potatoes. The pouches were cooked to a nice golden crisp. It was served with a slightly sweet sauce.
The Curried Crab Stir Fry ($12) is almost a must order dish. Ample snow crab claws, and loose chunks of sweet crab meat are covered in a luscious, finger licking good curry sauce. Onions and green peppers are some textural contrast.
The Loh Tee ($3) pairs normally savory roti with sweetened condensed milk, rolled into bite sized goodness. The sweetness is slightly offset by the acidity of the strawberries.
The Durian & Sticky Rice ($5) is a dish that I did not try as I do not like durian. Lobes of the foul smelling fruit were peeking above the surface of the coconut milk. My wife said that it was among the best durian and sticky rice dishes that she ever had, as the dish was not overly sweet.
Service was friendly and energetic. The owners are very nice people who grew up in Thailand; one of them from Chaing Mai, the food capitol of Thailand. When I am in the area again, I would not hesitate to eat here again.
