Khaosan Thai Tapas Bar Penang – George Town, Malaysia
Words: Alison Christ
Photos: Monica Tindall
If you’ve spent any time in Bangkok, you may be familiar with the illustrious Khaosan Road, which is filled with bars, parties, and amazing street food with so many stalls to choose from. During the Songkran festival, the streets are packed with vibrancy and celebration. In high season, the street sees about 50,000 tourists per day! It’s been said to be a short road with the longest dream in the world.
If you are now dreaming of Thailand but happen to be in Penang, you can slip off the beautifully tiled UNESCO World Heritage Campbell Street in the heart of George Town and into Khaosan Thai Tapas Bar to get your Thai street food fix. Monica and I meet on a weekend packed with reviews and exploring Penang to get a glimpse into Thailand.
Khaosan Thai Tapas Bar Penang
The owner, William, comes over to tell us his inspiration for Khaosan. William is no newbie to Penang, having first arrived in 1998 and then moved to Australia for 12 years to hone his restaurateur skills before returning. He came back to Penang in 2013. Surviving Covid as a restaurant owner was not an easy feat. Early in 2023, William was pondering his next move and just happened to meet not one but three finalists from Master Chef Thailand. Chef Pond, Chef Perth, and Chef Toei all made the finals of season three.
Master Chef Thailand has been running since June 2017 and is very popular with Thai foodies and game show addicts. It’s won many awards, including Best Game Show by The Nataraja Awards, a prestigious award ceremony in the Thai entertainment industry recognising outstanding achievements in television and radio broadcasting. I would have loved to chat with the chefs, but the dining room is filling up, and they are armed and ready in the kitchen. Monica and I have a tight schedule this evening, so we only have time for a quick bite and a couple of cocktails.
Green Papaya Salad & Grilled Chicken Thigh
Menu & Prices
After living in Malaysia for seven years, I always take the pork option when given the rare opportunity. First, we try Kuagling Taco (RM 22) with minced pork, southern Thai chilli paste, and petai bean. Petai beans, interestingly, are high in tryptophan, which might boost your mood. I would consider myself a taco junkie, corn tortilla exclusively. I am in my happy place with these spicy, salty, turmeric-laced tacos. To me, they are a bit reminiscent of larb, which I also love. They tell me they are inspired by Southern Thai cooking. The three tacos are a perfect eating size for not making a mess, so good you might want to order two servings!
In April, I spent one glorious month on Koh Lipe in Thailand. Besides feeding and walking rescue dogs, my favourite thing to do was to try every massaman (RM 38) on the island! I probably missed a few but I sure did fall in love with this curry style. The origins of massaman are always up for debate. With its Indian spice influence, Thailand and Malaysia have embraced it as their own. Indeed, I would have a hard time deciding my favourite, but you definitely see it more often in Thailand. Luckily, now Penang has one more try! So, of course, that was on my request list at Khaosan. One thing I love about massaman is it’s never the same twice. Every chef, mother and aunty have their spin on the dish. It’s most commonly served with chicken or beef; today, the chefs are serving their version of Massaman (RM 38) with pork belly, brown curry, potato, hom mali rice, and pickled cucumber.
It’s only six o’clock. I look around the already full dining room, and everyone besides Mon and I are locals. The locals love some pork belly, Moo Tod (RM 25)! The presentation is pleasurable, served on a small tray with individual bowls of curry, fragrant rice, and pickled veggies.
Fried Pork Belly, Sweet Chilli, Garlic & Lime
Up until recently, I had no idea that Thais loved fried chicken so much. As an American, I understand the feeling. This past month, I spent a good bit of time in Thailand, and now I notice fried chicken everywhere! I am happy today to try the delightful, finger-licking good Gai Tod (RM 25) with Thai fried chicken, sweet chilli, garlic and lime.
Thai Cocktails
To accompany our Thai tapas, we are served a light and refreshing Hua Hin Mojito (RM 39) with Bacardi, lemongrass, coriander, mint, and lime. I envision sitting on the beach in Hau Hin, and within seconds, the drink is gone!
Next, please… a Tom Yum Martini (RM 39) with Absolut, kaffir lime, lemongrass, and ginger flower. Who doesn’t love Tom Yum? They do a nice job with this one; it’s savoury and flavourful, and it reminds me of a good Tom Yum.
Monica dashes out the door for her next appointment, and I poke my nose into the wine fridge. I am a sommelier by trade, and wine is my first love. The menu only has a short list of some everyday drinking wines, so if you want the good stuff, ask the staff to show you the secret stash. Some great producers are represented here, such as Torbreck, Banfi, Joseph Drouhin, and Chapoutier.
After examining the wine selection, I gaze around the room filled with dark brown woods, industrial cement walls, lush green plants, local artwork, and a cozy six-seater bar with quality top-shelf spirits lining the back wall. The design has some sex appeal. I love the almost secret window that looks out onto inspiring views of beautiful heritage buildings. It’s like you’re spying on the world outside, and they have no idea (the window is tinted on the outside).
Reasons to visit Khaosan Thai Tapas Bar Penang: sexy interior, Tom Yum Martini, Massaman, good wine selection, great prices/value.
Khaosan Thai Tapas Bar Penang
56 Lebuh Cambell, George Town
Penang, Malaysia
Link to Khaosan Tapas Bar Penang Google Map
+60 13 457 0218
@khaosanpg
*Serves pork
** Campbell Street Car Park & 156 Jalan Penang Car Parks are 200 – 300 metres away
Khaosan Tapas Bar Penang Opening Hours
Tuesday – Sunday: 6 pm – 12 am
Monday: closed
Find more recommendations for gourmet travel to Penang here and stay updated with the latest gourmet happenings around Malaysia via The Yum List on Instagram here and The Yum List on Facebook here.