Khaosan Lane — Restaurant in Melbourne

Let’s talk about the real MVP of Thai comfort food in Melbourne – the Khao Man Gai Tom from Khaosan Lane. If you know, you know. This isn’t your typical over-glammed, fusion-twisted mess. This is OG Thai chicken rice done right – steamy, aromatic, and absolutely packed with flavour.

First bite in and BAM – that poached chicken is silky soft, like it’s been soaking in a spa of chicken stock and good intentions. The rice? Fluffy, glistening with chicken fat, and infused with this low-key addictive umami that you can’t fake. And that gingery, garlicky, spicy dipping sauce? It's liquid gold. You want to drink it. You want to bottle it. You want it to come with a warning label. Every single element is just so balanced – light but satisfying, clean but not boring. It's giving Bangkok back alley energy, but you’re in a Melbourne laneway and loving every second.

And let’s give it up for the \$10 lunch deal. TEN BUCKS?? In this economy?? For food this legit?? It's criminal, actually. You get the whole set – rice, chicken, broth, pickled veg – and it doesn’t taste like they’re skimping on anything. If anything, it tastes like your Thai grandma snuck into the kitchen and said “no shortcuts, make it proper.”

Now let’s talk vibes. The laneway dining setup? Chef’s kiss. It’s casual but cool, tucked away enough that it feels like a secret, but buzzing enough that you know you’ve found the right spot. Plastic stools, pavement under your feet, the sounds of sizzling woks echoing down the alley – it feels like Sukhumvit just rolled up into the Melbourne CBD.

Only gripe? The surcharges. Look, I love this place, but the card surcharge and weekend fees are a bit of a buzzkill. Like, we’re living in a tap-and-go world – why am I being charged extra just to exist normally? It’s not a deal-breaker, but it does take a little bit of that magic away when your \

10 feed suddenly creeps closer to \\

That said, would I go back tomorrow and the day after? Absolutely. I’d pay the surcharge, wipe the sauce off my chin, and call it a good day. Because this Khao Man Gai Tom is legit, and when you find a spot that delivers this much flavour, this much soul, and that unbeatable laneway charm – you don’t let a few cents stand in your way.

In summary: run, don’t walk. Khaosan Lane’s got...

I recently had the pleasure of visiting this Thai restaurant as Khaosanlane for the first time, accompanied by my wife. We placed two orders during our visit: one for three dishes and rice, and the other for a single dish.

Let me start by saying that the flavors of the dishes we tried were quite impressive. The corn papaya salad had a pleasant sweetness to it, though it could have benefited from a touch of dried shrimp to balance out the sweetness. The grilled pork neck was cooked to perfection and was a clear standout, though the dipping sauce was slightly too sweet for my taste, perhaps due to an over-reliance on sweet roasted rice powder. The Leng sour-hot pot soup, meanwhile, was decent, but not outstanding. It had a slight sourness but was lacking in depth and could have used a bit more spice.

As for the grilled liver dish, it had a distinct aroma, which I couldn't quite identify whether it was chemical or a natural scent. However, the taste was satisfactory and enjoyable.

In terms of service, we had a mixed experience. Our first order arrived promptly, but the second dish took longer than expected, leading us to suspect it had been forgotten. We ended up sharing the corn papaya salad while waiting for the grilled pork neck, which arrived a bit late, and we shared it between us while waiting for the rest of our meal. Additionally, we had to wait a bit longer for the Leng hot pot, but it arrived in due time.

It's worth noting that the restaurant was quite busy during our visit, and it appeared that they were experiencing a high volume of orders. This may have contributed to the delay in service. However, the staff were polite and friendly, and they made every effort to ensure we were comfortable and happy with our food.

Overall, I would rate my experience at this restaurant as very positive. The food was generally delicious and memorable, and while the service could have been a bit more efficient, the staff were warm and welcoming. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a Thai flavorful and...

KHAOSAN LANE ROUND TWO – STILL SLAPS BUT... SOMETHING’S DIFFERENT 👀🐔🍚

Back at Khaosan Lane for a second go at that Khao Man Gai Tom and... ok let’s talk.

First time? Absolute god-tier. Like I was ready to risk it all for that ginger dipping sauce. It was giving Bangkok alleyway realness, full-body chicken-flavoured hug, spiritual awakening, the works.

Second time? Still good. Still tasty. But... idk, something was just off vibes. 😬

First red flag? Chicken hit a little different. Still juicy-ish, still warm, but I swear the texture wasn’t the same. Like... sliced weird?? Looked like someone new was on chopper duty and they went against the grain – criminal. Some pieces had that weird chewy thing going on, and the skin had these lil grey bits of scum that were not there last time. Not enough to freak out about, but enough to go “hmm.”

Rice was still bomb though – soaked in chickeny goodness, fluffy, rich, no notes. And the broth?? Still clears your sinuses in the best way. But I legit think they were having an off day, or maybe the OG auntie with the golden hands wasn’t working the pot this time 😭

Laneway vibes? Immaculate as always. Still felt like a chaotic, delicious secret spot hidden in the city. And yes, the \$10 lunch deal is STILL the best value in town. That price-to-flavour ratio? Unmatched.

BUT. And I say this with love – those card and weekend surcharges still got me side-eyeing the receipt like 🧍‍♀️. They’re not outrageous but also... pls. It’s 2025. We’re not carrying cash. Just bake it into the price and stop playing.

Anyway, even with the slightly suss chicken situation, I’d 100% still pull up again. Cause even on an off day, Khaosan Lane kinda eats. Just praying the OG chicken chopper is back next time 🙏🐓💔

Would still recommend. Would still go again. Just maybe not with sky-high expectations like...