KHAAN Thai Fine Dining Restaurant — Restaurant in Lumphini Subdistrict

I had such high hopes based on the stellar reviews. Came here for my brother’s birthday with my parents. We were disappointed.

1. PACE The meal took way too long. In fact, I started writing this review while at the table. The pace needs ALOT of work. If a meal takes too long: the diners get bored, impatient, too full or all of the above. The last courses end up being rushed just to get out of there. Exactly what happened to us.

To illustrate, the times and courses based on the timestamps of our photos. 18:30 - our official reservation time 18:35 - arrive 18:40 - sat down (we took time with photos) 19:03 - the amuse bouche is served (egg and more) 19:21 - 1st course (tiger prawn) 19:36 - 2nd course (rice paddy crab) 19:47 - 3rd course (fermented rice) 20:19 - 4th course (oyster from the USA) 20:37 - palette cleanser (watermelon) 20:52 - 5th course (first main course) fish sometime between these courses, I raised concern to our server that the meal was taking way too long. So you'll see all our next courses, particularly dessert, come in rapid succession. 21:14 - 6th course (2nd main course) duck & rice 21:41 - Palette cleanser 21:42 - dessert 21:49 - Petit Fours 22:00 - Depart Restaurant Total Meal Duration: 3h 25mins On average, 18 minutes per course.

Suggestion to the restaurant here: have fixed time seatings (ex. 6pm and 8pm) so everyone starts and ends at around the same time. More efficient for prep and meal service.

2. FOOD I found the food to be inventive and interesting. Not all of it was good but the effort and skill was appreciated. There were a lot more misses than hits for us. Some dishes lacked flavor, needed salt (rice) and others did not make sense (what's up with the pickle?). What is the narrative? What is the story you are trying to tell with Thai cuisine? Wish we knew.

Our top 3:

1. Egg Amuse Bouche (but only the egg)

2. Duck (but the rice lacked flavor and salt)

3. Watermelon Palette Cleanser (but needs to be served in a more appetizing way)

4. HYGIENE My only point for improvement here is that when they grate stuff over your food, they should not lean in too close. Respect the personal space of the diner.

5. WATER A restaurant of this caliber should at the very least provide complimentary water. Over the course of 3++ hours, we often met sour and spicy dishes. All of which needed to be washed down, which meant we spent a small fortune on water. While it's not unusual for restaurants to have elevated water options, all Michelin starred restaurants I've dined in have had an "opt out" option, meaning free water. After all, no one likes to be held hostage by water prices, especially given how it's not cheap to dine here to begin with. My advise to patrons here is, to drink your water very slowly or ask for lots of ice and have it melt.

6. PRICES Not value for money. As mentioned, it is not cheap to eat here. 3,850THB + 7% tax and 10% service charge. In all we paid 19,185THB for 4px. It would also be nice if they could provide an all-inclusive price upon booking that already factors in the tax and service charge. Just so you know what you are getting into. Although maybe they don't do that because they will try to rob you with water.

7. THOUGHTFULNESS We said we were celebrating a special occasion. But there was no attempt by the staff to acknowledge the occasion. Even verbally or maybe via a candle stuck into one of the dishes. Why bother asking what we are celebrating if you don't give it value? They don't make you feel special at all.

8. THE SPACE I loved the interior and the vibe. We were lucky to snag a whole room to ourselves which gave us much welcomed privacy and comfort. The one thing to note here is that the toilet is on the ground floor so if you have mobility issues, request a table on the ground floor to avoid having to go up/down stairs.

If you've made it all the way to the end thank you for reading. I hope you had a better experience at Khaan than we did. Shoutout to Yana who gave us a warm welcome and did her best despite the challenges...

Visited: 11 January 2025

Khaan BKK is a Michelin Guide restaurant that promises a journey through the diverse flavors of Thailand, led by talented Thai chef Aom Sujira Pongmorn. The creativity and skill behind the menu are undeniable, and the ambiance of the restaurant sets a great tone for the evening. However, despite the amazing food, there were several aspects of the experience that made it difficult to fully appreciate the meal.

Let’s start with the positives. The food at Khaan BKK is truly outstanding. Each dish reflects Chef Aom’s creativity and mastery, showcasing an innovative take on traditional Thai cuisine. The flavors were bold, exciting, and beautifully presented, making each bite a delight. The ambiance also deserves a mention—white and beige tones with deep maroon accents create an elegant yet relaxed setting, enhanced by soft lighting. It’s the kind of space that invites you to linger and enjoy.

Unfortunately, the service fell far below expectations, which was disappointing for a restaurant of this reputation. Our server seemed disinterested and, at times, gave the impression that we were an inconvenience. The experience lacked the polish and attentiveness that one would expect from a fine-dining establishment. Empty glasses and dishes were left on the table throughout the evening, cluttering the space and disrupting the flow of the meal. There was no effort to clear or reset the table, something that is typically standard in fine dining.

One issue that particularly stood out was the handling of dietary restrictions. One of our guests has allergies, which we made clear at the time of booking and reiterated three times during the evening. Despite this, the server still managed to get it wrong, which could have been a serious issue. Mistakes like this should never happen, especially in a Michelin-recognized restaurant.

The beverage pairings were another letdown. I opted for the tea pairing, which sounded like a unique experience, but the teas were bland and didn’t complement the food. The wine pairing also missed the mark, with our server repeatedly mixing up the sequence and showing little effort to correct the issue when we pointed it out.

Service timing was incredibly slow, to the point where another table voiced their frustration before we even had the chance. Clearing plates while I was still eating was the final straw for me—it felt rushed and dismissive, not what you’d expect in a restaurant of this level.

Finally, while the food was delicious, the way some dishes were served made them unnecessarily difficult to enjoy. For instance, a dish served in an eggshell required careful handling to avoid spilling, and sticky rice served on a bed of grain shells was more of a hassle than a treat. While I appreciate the effort to be creative, these choices sometimes felt more gimmicky than practical.

Conclusion: Khaan BKK offers incredible food and a stunning ambiance, but the overall experience is hindered by poor service, mismanagement of dietary requests, and a few impractical elements. While I truly enjoyed the flavors and creativity of the dishes, these other issues made it hard to fully appreciate the meal. If the service and attention to detail were improved, this could easily be one of Bangkok’s top dining spots. For now, while I’d recommend it for the food alone, I’d also suggest going with tempered expectations about the...

One of the most pleasant fine dining experiences I have had in Bangkok in a while! KHAAN, a Michelin recommended Thai restaurant, was one of those places that everyone traveling to Bangkok or even living here has to try atleast once in their life. Located just 9 minutes away by walking from the Chit Lom BTS, it is in an easily accessible location with a very culturally rich menu that brilliantly features local ingredients from different parts of Thailand that come together beautifully to create dishes that embody Thai culture and highlight their produce.

The modern exterior of this restaurant definitely caught my eye when I first came to KHAAN, it was vastly different from those restaurants around it, with colors that just made me look forward to the food even more. As I walked in I, was greeted by some really friendly staff, well versed in english, which made my entire time there super comfortable! Coming to KHAAN to try Chef Aom’s 11 course menu was one the best decisions I have ever made! Chef Aom’s tasting menu is a brilliant mix of traditional Thai cuisine and modern cooking techniques, with each dish offering a taste of parts of Thailand that are often overlooked these days. While I sat down in their spacious two floored restaurant which offers a comfortable and easy going experience, the staff brought out the dishes one by one while explaining the dishes cooking process, the ingredients, and where they got the inspiration to create the dish. Not many places take time out of their day to actually explain these details which I think makes KHAAN stand out even more.

The 11 course menu (priced at 3,850++) includes an Amuse Bouche, Japanese scallops, Rice paddy crab with sticky rice, Fermented Sang Yod rice with Dry aged Turnip and Thai Borage, a mix of Oyster, Tomato and Fermented Soy bean, Charcoal seasonal catch by local thai fishermen, Lamb Shank with Basmati rice and Bumbai curry ( my personal favorite!), A pineapple cream with basil oil as a palate cleanser, a beautiful pumpkin dessert which is prepared in front of you, and some wonderful petit fours with a unique mix of the North, South, East, and West parts of thailand. Beautiful ambiance and well decorated interiors just added to the whole experience for me.

Overall, the time I spent at KHAAN was irreplaceable from the stunning theatrical presentations and exquisite taste of the dishes, to the friendliness of the staff. It gave me a newfound appreciation for Thai culture and traditions and that is something that made this day even more worthwhile! Would highly recommend visiting Khaan when you’re in Bangkok this year for a truly unique and...