Lucky Khao Brighton – Northern Thai Barberque
Lucky Khao Brighton shares its roof with one of Brighton’s most popular coffee shops, Redroaster, Lucky Khao Brighton (Khao meaning rice in Thai) serves Northern Thai charcoal barbeque, curries and sharing plates.
Nose to Tail, Northern Thai Cuisine
The inspiration for Lucky Khao came from a trip to Miami where owner and chef, Mike Palmer, was introduced to Northern Thai cuisine and the love affair blossomed. The team at Lucky Khao Brighton have trained in top Bangkok restaurant 100 Mahaseth under chef Chalee Kader who is renowned for sustainable, nose to tail Northern Thai barbeque cooking.
A unique offering in the UK
Lucky Khao Brighton is one of the only restaurants to specialise in northern Thai in the UK. The regional cuisine differs from what is usually available in Thailand by being more robust and flavoursome. The northern Thai climate is colder than the south, so the food is more suited to the UK.
The food at Lucky Khao.
The menu at Lucky Khao Brighton serves up barbequed meats, cooked over coal fires, with the open plan kitchen offering diners plenty to watch. Accompanying the barbeque are northern style curries, with smoked meats, fresh, zingy salads and sticky organic rice from a small-batch Thai farm.
While remaining authentic to the traditions of Thai cuisine, Lucky Khao is suited to a modern, relaxed and British dining experience. The menu steers clear of complicated descriptions and names, removing guesswork or Google translate from the equation.
Current favourites amongst the Lucky Khao team are charcoal roasted chicken marinaded with chilli, lemongrass, ginger and coriander served with nam jim pepper sauce and tamarind; and sour aubergine curry with bean sprouts and pickled greens. Oh, and we mustn’t forget the White Corn ribs. (Vegan and delicious.)
Over 40% of the menu is meat and dairy free and almost all dishes can be gluten-free. The dining style is casual, social and family friendly with most dishes suited to sharing.
To accompany the food at Lucky Khao Brighton there is a creative drink selection with cocktails well paired to the menu, local beers and organic, biodynamic wines.
Core values
Sustainability is more than a buzzword for Lucky Khao, who also owns the worlds highest ranking Sustainable Restaurants Award establishment, Lucky Beach, on Brighton Seafront. Meat and vegetables are locally sourced as much as possible, and the more exotic speciality herbs and salads are grown in their nearby hydroponic farm, removing the need to freight ship from Thailand.
The venue itself, which will become decked in bright neon in the evening, is multi award-winning, sustainably built and powered. The Kemptown Projects also give back with social projects in the UK and Rwanda.
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Not just your usual order of pad thai and green curry with sticky rice. This is true authentic cuisine as if you were tasting it in Thailand!
Wow wow wow! I used to live in Northern Thailand and no restaurant in England has ever come close to replicating the true northern flavours that I missed so much! Brave enough to go bold as the cuisine requires, I cannot recommend this place enough if you’re after authentic Thai food. Exceptional service too! Super friendly and show they really care about your dining experience. Can’t wait to go back once lockdown is over!
I love this place. The food is bursting with exciting flavours, the staff are empowered and happy, and it’s a great place to polish off a few glasses of wine – and maybe a cocktail – while chatting with friends and making your taste buds dance.
An evening to remember and a menu packed full of punch.
Think quality barbequed and marinaded meats, corn ribs were unique, some dishes were rather hot but I managed to cope! Good atmosphere and you can certainly see that everyone loves working there.
Excellent addition for Brighton, a refreshing change and much more chilled vibes compared to what the venue was before.
Really love this place and plenty of great dishes to remember.
Oh an try their northern dog! The northern thai take on a hot dog. Well done Lucky Khao!