Khao Siam 45 Restaurant — Restaurant in Dubai

As an Emirati family with personal ties to Thailand dating back to the late 1970s, finding a truly authentic Thai restaurant in Dubai — in a city full of options but where true authenticity is rare — feels like striking gold. My father has been doing business with Thai companies since the late ’70s, forming bonds so close with Thai friends that he calls them his brothers. Over the decades, we’ve grown up with a profound love for Thailand — its rich history, vibrant culture, breathtaking nature, and of course, its extraordinary cuisine. Every visit to Thailand feels like visiting family.

That’s why dining at Khao Siam 45 is such a rare privilege: it transports us straight to Bangkok.

The chef-owner, Rehana (nicknamed One), grew up helping her mother run a street food stall in Bangkok. You can taste that history — the same balance, speed, and freshness of Bangkok street food — in every dish she serves here in Dubai. Tucked behind Mall of the Emirates in Barsha, her restaurant has been around for years, quietly building a loyal following.

We ordered a feast: Som Tam Thai (green papaya salad without prawns), crisp and tangy with just the right chili kick; Pad Thai Goong (stir-fried rice noodles with prawns, tamarind sauce, egg, tofu, peanuts, and bean sprouts), perfectly balanced between sweet, sour, and savory; Gaeng Keow Wan Goong (green curry with prawns, coconut milk, fresh herbs, and vegetables), fragrant and creamy without heaviness; plus Khao Niao (sticky rice) to soak it up. On the side, we enjoyed Pak Bung Fai Daeng (river spinach stir-fried with garlic and chili), Hoi Tod (crispy Thai seafood pancake with mussels and bean sprouts), and to finish, Khao Niao Mamuang (mango sticky rice) — perfectly ripe mango paired with silky coconut-infused rice.

Every dish was of the highest quality — fresh ingredients, meticulously prepared, beautifully plated, and perfectly balanced in flavor. The food never felt touristy or watered down, but it also avoided the overly salty or oily heaviness that can sometimes come with authentic Thai street food. Even small details — like avoiding artificial food coloring — showed the care in every plate. Portions were generous, and the prices are incredibly fair for the quality.

The staff here are outstanding. Hospitable, patient, and genuinely friendly, they’re always happy to give honest recommendations, answer questions, and accommodate preferences. My wife and daughter prefer milder spice levels while I like mine hot — and they happily adjusted each dish accordingly. When I asked for extra chili, it arrived within seconds with a smile. The preparation is lightning fast, almost like being back at a busy Bangkok street stall, yet every dish still arrives looking and tasting like it was made with the highest attention and care.

The space reflects the same care found in the food — clean, well-kept, organized, and modern, yet still modest and unpretentious. It’s comfortable and welcoming, with an ambiance that reminds me of the calm, inviting spots tucked away on Bangkok side streets.

On our way out, we had the pleasure of meeting Chef Rehana herself. She shared her story and her passion for food, and it was clear she truly loves what she does. She greeted us with warmth, kindness, and a genuine smile — it was a beautiful moment to connect with her. She struck us as someone sincere and dedicated, and we wish her nothing but success.

For us, Khao Siam 45 isn’t just a restaurant — it’s a reminder of family, of friendships across cultures, and of the joy that real hospitality brings. If you love Thai food, you must visit. And if you’ve never been to Thailand, this is the closest you’ll come without boarding a plane — and for us, it’s as close to a taste of home in Thailand as you can...

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Craving for Authentic Thai Food? Khao Siam is as authentic as it can get. They get their ingredients from Thailand, what more can a person ask for?

So for starters I had: Tod Mun Goong Poh Pia Phak Gai Tod Som Tam Thai Tom Yam Goong

Tod Mun Goong is a thai version of a shrimp cake and it was perfectly cooked. The Poh Pia Phak is their version of veg spring roll and for vegetarian's this is a great option. The spice level is just perfect! Gai Tod was one of my fav starters. It is deep fried chicken wings served with sweet chilli sauce. You can let them chef know your spice levels and they will make it accordingly. Som Tam Thai is one of their authetic papaya salads. The roasted peanuts and dried shrimp in it ofcourse just adds to the flavour. The soup was probably the highlight of my lunch. The Ton Tam Goong - also known as Tom Yum Soup is a hot and sour shrimp soup with mushrooms flavoured with lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaves. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

For main course I tried their: Gang Kiew Wan Gai Gang Phed Pad Kaprao Talay Khai Jiaw Gai Khai Pad Gai Pad Thai Gai

Gaind Kiew Wan Gai is a great option of pesketarians. It is a flavourful sea food red curry which is super delish while the Gang Phed is Thai green curry. Mind you, Thai spice level is really high so do yourself a favour and let the chef know of your spice level, only then can you really enjoy this dish, I had this along with their Khai Pad Gai which is their version of Thai style Chicken Fried rice. If you are on a diet and want to have a guilt free lunch opt for the Pad Kaprao Talay which has stir fried mixed seafood, this dish also has chilli, garlic and basil leaves. Flavourful and yum! If you are looking for the perfect street food experience like me then opt for Pad Thai Gai - It is stir fired rice noodles with chicken, tofu, egg and tamarind sauce. I grew up in a home which had a tamarind tree in the backyard so I literally love anything which has the tamarind flavour in it. This dish gets my 10/10. I also tried their Khai Jiaw Gai which is Thai style omelette with minced chicken, again a great dish to have if you are on one of those healthy diets.

Since the ingredients are from Thailand and the chef is also Thai you will really enjoy this place in case you love...

I revisited this place yesterday after moving away from Al Barsha 2 years back. This time round, service and food were very awful! The 2 female service staffs (different from a nice Filipino female service staff in the past) answered very rudely Ya! Ya! Ya! all the time! My hot Tom Yum soup was strangely not served in front of me but rather away from me on the edge of the table, how disrespectful and dangerous that was! And the rice that I ordered to go along with the Tom Yum soup took ages to come. When I reminded one of the rude female staffs about the missing rice, she did not apologize but retorted rudely instead with Ya! Ya! Ya! Gee, and does rice take longer to be prepared than Tom Yum soup?! The soup itself was so diluted and bland, awfully different from what was served in the past. And all other customers who left were addressed as Sir/Madam by the 2 female staffs. But when my family and I left, the Sir and Madam were eaten up, probably the staffs were hungry?! Not to mention we were not addressed politely throughout our entire meal, but only and rudely Ya! Ya! Ya! One thing for sure is that I’ve boycott this place, which once was my favourite place for Thai food. In the past, I used to associate this place with my favourite Thai dish, Tom Yum soup but now I remember this place...