Khao Bird Exceeds All Expectations With The Most Unexpected Dish

Great news for Thai food lovers (everyone) — Khao Bird has finally picked up a permanent residency. If you didn’t know, get to know. Their new flagship, which was once an adult cinema, specialises in northern Thai food with a focus on live fire barbecue with influences from all around East Asia. While reading the menu may feel like some sort of acid trip, I can say confidently that this joint should get bumped to the top of your list. Flying colours.

Their one-year residency in Borough Market proved them worthy of being a fixture of the London gastronomic scene; the people wanted more, they keep wanting more… What the people want, this team will deliver.
Mallory, Junior Food & Drink Editor

What sets it apart

While Khao Bird positions itself as an Asian-fusion-Northern-Thai-barbecue-Soho-smallplate-bar, they are far from confused. The interiors are everything you want out of a central Soho Thai in an old adult cinema, tacky in an aesthetic way, neon signs with a bit of an 80s hole-in-the-wall appeal. If anything, it’s fun, almost unserious (though you’ll find the food is anything but).

What’s special is that, despite having only been open for a minute, Khao Bird already had a cult following. Their one-year residency in Borough Market proved them worthy of being a fixture of the London gastronomic scene; the people wanted more, and they keep wanting more. If the hospitality of our visit proved anything, it’s this: what the people want — what they like — this team will deliver. The people wanted a permanent Khao Bird. They also wanted mutton chips.

The starters paint a pretty good picture of the calibre at which the mains might sit.

What we ordered

There’s an understanding at Khao Bird that some dishes are non-negotiable; the meatballs and the mutton chips are two of them. The Shan BBQ Meatballs — chicken wrapped in pork caul fat and glazed with cola (genius) — are an experience in themselves. The moment cutlery punctures their seared, glossy surface, they gently collapse, not losing their meatball shape but more so revealing a juicy, glistening, extraordinarily tender interior. In a world of dry, uninteresting, over-sauced, missable meatballs, do not miss them here.

On the topic of what you should not miss, it will come as no surprise that I advise you to order their most popular dish: the mutton fries. These are chips fried “many times” topped with braised Burmese mutton curry, sour cream, and crispy leaves. An homage to Chiang Mai, they are Bravas style.

In a world of dry, uninteresting, over-sauced, missable meatballs, do not miss them here.

While I had heard of this dish before arriving, it is always very exciting to me to see mutton on a menu. Having had experience with farming and eating sheep, I’ve learned a lot about the differences between lamb, hogget, and mutton. What I know is that the longer the life of the sheep, the more flavour it presents in the meat: “no fat, no finish, no flavour”, I was taught.

Why Western restaurants have opted for lamb as the go-to? I’m not sure. But my respect for Khao Bird multiplied upon the use of mutton, and it multiplied further upon tasting. This may be one of my favourite bites in 2026 — a true jaw dropper. It is a reason to go. It is fat, finish, and flavour.

It’s important to balance out those very strong, rich flavours with something a bit fresh. The pomelo and prawn salad is an easy order; refreshing, gingery, minty, with big prawns cooked simply and well. Toss in a tea leaf salad, which should act as a bright cushion for the rest of your meal, like a lighter slaw to cleanse the palate as you go along.

The real kicker for me, though, was that my favourite dishes were none of those. It surprised me, too, that despite all of my glowing praise, the most unexpected dish stole their thrones.

The starters paint a pretty good picture of the calibre at which the mains might sit. I had the special: whole fried sea bass with beetroot, som yam, paddy herbs, and lemongrass. I can confirm, it is, in fact, very special. And I have a sneaking suspicion it might be just special enough to keep itself in the house. The fish was flaky and light with some of the crispiest skin I’ve ever had on a fish, ripping itself off the bones and into the most strikingly pink near-vinaigrette of a sauce. In a word, this dish is impressive.

The real kicker for me, though, was that my favourite dishes were none of those. It surprised me, too, that despite all of my glowing praise, the most unexpected dish stole their thrones. The sheer idea that tofu might land higher on my rankings than the famed mutton chips: impossible. But the impossible may be possible here, because the Golden Shan Tofu swept. This silky Burmese tofu produced a dish that I have never come close to tasting before. The fry was light and thin, and gave way to a tofu that practically melted into a rich sauce as you ate. To me, there is a true sense of mastery present in a room if tofu takes the cake. I will think of this for years to come. I will revisit just to have it. I will tell vegetarians to travel for it. Khao Bird Golden Shan Tofu — welcome to my list of desert island dishes.

To me, there is a true sense of mastery present in a room if tofu takes the cake.

Verdict

Khao Bird is not a place you should visit once; it’s a place you should continue visiting. They are reliable in their ability to make dishes not only good but also outstandingly unique. The menu, as I referenced, is a trip. It is an indication of the kind of expertise that the team cultivates in crafting flavour combinations that may not have been done anywhere else in London. It is overwhelmingly impressive, and I would be equally as impressed if someone were to have taken me here… on any occasion. I’ll be seeing you, Khao Bird.