[Penang, Malaysia] Modern-Thai at Khaosan Tapas Bar, Campbell Street

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Just had a good Modern-Thai dinner at 𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝗮𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗿 on Campbell Street this evening. It’s fronted by prolific Medan-born restaurateur, William Choong, who’d also previously conceptualised Patio Bar de Tapas @ Weld Quay, and Anak Padang @ Kimberley Street.

Khaosan Tapas Bar is the present incarnation of what was previously the very popular Hanjan Eatery Soju Bar (opened early-2019), which then converted from Korean to Modern Thai back in March 2024. Its current menu is designed by two Masterchef Thailand Season 3 finalists, Sahadol “Pond” Tantrapin and Patcha “Toei” Kalyanamitr.

We opted for the 𝘒𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘛𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘶:

1. Trio of appetisers:
   
   

1a) 𝙉𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙖𝙞 - 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 | 𝘢𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘪 | 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘪 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘢.

1b) 𝙃𝙤𝙞 𝙡𝙖𝙞 - 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘪 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦 | 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘮 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘵 | 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘪.

1c) 𝙆𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙠𝙖𝙢 - 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘧 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱 | 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘳 | 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴.

2. 𝙋𝙡𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙚𝙠 - 𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘴 | 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦 | 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘪 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩.
   
   

3. 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙖 (𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙣 𝙘𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙚) - 𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘯𝘴 | 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 | 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪.
   

   

4. 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙞 - 𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘬𝘩𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥 | 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘴. My fave dish for the evening. Love chawanmushi, and the introduction of Thai spices was a revelation.
   

   

5. 𝙏𝙤𝙙 𝙢𝙪𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙜 - 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘣 & 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘬𝘦 | 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘺 | 𝘤𝘶𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 & 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘸. The only “fail” here as the croquettes turned out heavy and stodgy.
   

   

6. 𝙔𝙖𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙢 𝙤 - 𝘱𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘥 | 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘯𝘴. My fave Thai salad, although the version here is milder than I’d expected.
   

   

7. Extra a la carte order: 𝙆𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙤 𝙗𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙥 - 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭-𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦 | 𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘦𝘨𝘨 | 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘪 𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦.
   

   

8. 𝙂𝙖𝙚𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙖𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙖𝙣 - 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘪 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘺 | 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 | 𝘰𝘳𝘻𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢 | 𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘢.
   

   

Dessert:
9) 𝘾𝙝𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙚 - 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘪 𝘵𝘦𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘢 | 𝘵𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴. My other fave item for this dinner.

Very good meal all round. William Choong maintains a very good relationship with the Thai Masterchef personalities - last week, Masterchef Thailand’s Season 3 Champion, Nuntawat “Max” Chanyalikit, also participated in a 6-hands collaborative event with Chef Pond and Chef Toei at 𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝗮𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗿. It’ll be interesting to see how this place progresses.

Address
Khaosan Tapas Bar
56, Lebuh Campbell (Campbell Street), 10200 George Town, Penang , Malaysia
Tel: +6010-918 2378
Opening hours: 6pm to midnight, Tue to Sat.
12pm to 2.30pm, 6pm to midnight Sun.
Closed on Mondays.