Viva Brighton Issue #73 March 2019

FOOD
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Lucky Khao
Peanut, rice & spice
To those who enjoy chasing
the spice dragon, Lucky
Khao offers a tempting new
proposition. A new Northern
Thai barbeque restaurant
that has replaced Pike &
Pine, Lucky Khao plumps
for a combination of cocktail
bar (electronic music, a
smattering of patrons sat
up at the bar, cocktail neon
sign) and more traditional
restaurant (bookings available
in advance and waiter service).
The result is harmonious
however – atmospheric but not overbearing – and
we didn’t feel rushed to order or clear off despite it
being their first ever Saturday night.
The ‘Beer Food’ part of the menu is a collection of
small dishes that we chose to treat as starters, but
food is delivered as and when it’s ready rather than
in a set order. There are then Salad, BBQ, Fish, or
Curry sections to pick’n’mix from as one sees fit,
accompanied by sticky rice or stir-fried local greens.
The BBQ organic pork skewer (£1.90) was sticky
and generously coated in a tangy sauce, whereas
the mackerel betel wrap was fresh and enlivening,
which contrasted nicely with the galangel caramel
in its leaf wrap. Our second betel wrap of sweet
mango, rice and toasted coconut (along with the
Thai favourite, peanut (£1.90)) was sweeter and
more fun however. My dining companion enjoyed
her white turmeric & bamboo larb salad, featuring
lime, vegan soy, kefir, sawtooth and salad leaves
(£5.70), enjoying the crunchy texture and diced
approach that ensured that she picked up a lot of
different flavours, even in smaller mouthfuls.
The attentive waiters noticed me quietly
floundering under a cumulative
spice burden, and I feared
that my greenhorn spicebuds
might let down the Viva reader.
Thankfully not! We were offered
both cow and oat milk to sooth
our frenzied palates.
I was tempted by the Northern
Thai charcoal BBQ chicken,
but instead opted for the local
goat chops. A second recurring
element, toasted rice powder, gave
a nice soft crunch to complement
the gorgeously succulent meat off
the bone (£16). Memorably tasty
and perfectly cooked, the chops were neither too
chewy nor too charred. My guest’s sour aubergine
curry (£9.50) drew praise, reminding her of the Tom
yum she enjoyed during her time in Thailand.
The dessert menu further encourages cocktail
drinking, with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic
drinks outnumbering the two food options. I
can happily recommend the coconut ice cream
sandwich, consisting of delicious ice cream on
top of fluffy brioche with a peanut and toasted
rice topping (£5.50). An added bonus of dining in
a venue that is a café by day is that you can have
great coffee for dessert too, a fine sharpener before
braving the elements outside.
Don’t let my spice implosion put you off: it wasn’t
enough to derail my enjoyment. Lucky Khao
offers an enjoyably diverse and affordable menu,
well suited to a punter wanting to try new things.
Furthermore, they clearly have a heartening
understanding of the complementary, joyous
possibilities of peanuts and toasted rice.
Joe Fuller
1d St James’s Street, luckykhao.com
Photo by Nammie Matthews
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