Khao San - Gulshan — Restaurant in Dhaka Metropolitan

My recent visit to #KhaoSan Thai Restaurant in gulshan left me deeply disappointed. Despite their promise of reinventing the Thai culinary experience, the reality fell short of expectations. Upon perusing the menu, I was hopeful for an authentic Thai dining experience, especially with their tagline promising to reinvent the Thai way. However, the Morning Glory dish they served left me stunned – crispy spinach? It was perplexing, to say the least. The pad thai, supposedly a house specialty, was a letdown. The noodles seemed reheated, lacking in texture, and the sauce failed to deliver any discernible flavor. Opting for the Beef Basil in hopes of redeeming the meal, I was met with further disappointment. The beef tasted homemade, lacking the aromatic spices and basil that define this classic dish. Adding to the frustration, the waiter's response to my inquiry about rice with the meal was dismissive – apparently, rice was an additional order. My patience wore thin as my brother's Thai chicken rice bowl arrived resembling nothing of the sort, featuring yellow sticky rice and Bangkok fried chicken. Seeking clarification, I approached the manager regarding the lackluster Beef Basil. Despite acknowledging the shortage of basil, they insisted it was indeed Beef Basil. Additionally, when I questioned the chef about the Morning Glory's supposed crispiness, I received an adamant affirmation – a bewildering revelation. To compound matters, the service left much to be desired. The waitstaff appeared disinterested and inattentive, further souring the dining experience. In conclusion, #KhaoSan Thai Restaurant #failed to deliver on its promise of reinventing the Thai culinary experience. From the #disappointing food to the lackluster service, it fell short on all fronts. Regrettably, this falls far from being a true Thai culinary experience and warrants a dismal score of...

Update as of September 2025

Still pretty damn good. The food is so satisfying. Also we have developed an emotional connection with this place since me and my pregnant wife used visit there and now we are coming with our daughter regularly.

Our first visit to Khao San was pretty damn good.

The other day, me and my wife want to Khao San, Gulshan Branch. I saw a bit of a mixed review earlier to decided not to go for too many things. But I actually loves most of the stuffs we tried.

Tom Yum Soup: Adulthood when you realise Tom Yum is better than the regular Thai soup . This was a really really good soup. It had enough of those shrimp, chicken and mushroom with a rich creamy feeling that I really enjoyed. Had that perfect balanced ingredients.

Rating: 8/10

Fried Chicken Bowl: If you consider it from a value point of view, it's great considering you will be getting 6 decently sizes fried chicken for just 450+ BDT. The thing that I didn't like about it is that the lack of saltiness and spicy flavour. I felt like the marination was uneven.

Rating: 6.5/10

Chicken Siu Mai : This was too good. So good that we had to order another portion. They are pretty large than normal ones served in other joints. The dough wasn't too thick or thin. The filling was adequate and was juicy in every bite. I had a fulfilling experience.

Rating: 8.5/10

Coconut Milkshake: Easily my new favourite beverage. Not too sweet and left a nice taste on the mouth

Rating: 8/10.

My wife normally don't like outside foods. But this is the one few few times she praised the foods at Khao San. I am an omnivorous person but she is pretty selective and when she says something is good , it is. Eould be...

Not sure how this place has a 4.2 rating, because the food was honestly below average.

We started with the Tom Yum Goong soup, which was a total letdown, it didn’t taste anything like real tom yum. They even replaced it once, but unfortunately, the second try wasn’t any better. The cashew nut salad was also a miss, completely bland. The prawn tempura was okay-ish; not terrible, but not great either. It had a thick batter, which is unusual since prawn tempura usually has a lighter, crispier coating. The only starter we actually liked was the Bangkok fried chicken with their house special dip. That was genuinely good, and honestly, the only reason I’m giving 2 stars instead of 1.

For mains, we had Pad Thai noodles, Tom Yum rice with prawns, Thai egg fried rice, chicken in holy basil, and wok-charred beef. The Pad Thai tasted like reheated alu bhaji. Both rice dishes were chewy, didn't taste good either. The chicken with holy basil had a weird taste, definitely not what we expected, and not in a good way. The wok charred beef had decent flavor.

The place itself is nice—quiet and clean. Prices seemed fair. But based on the food alone, it was a disappointing experience. Sadly, we won’t be...