Chariya's Kitchen — Restaurant in East Hampshire

We visited Khao Soi twice in June. The first time with friends, and we had all been excited at the prospect of sampling some of Chariya's amazing Masterchef creations, being avid fans of the show. We weren't disappointed, in fact, completely hooked so were back again again less than 3wks later for my husband's birthday. The restaurant was fully booked and buzzing, & we were greeted like old friends by the lovely FoH manager, despite never having been before, and settled at our table by a cheerful friendly waitress, who clearly loves working there. The menu is sensibly limited to a smallish selection, to allow all meals to be cooked freshly to order, but with enough choice that nobody would struggle to choose something delicious. With the exception of the several varieties of the fabulous Khao Soi signature dish, the menu changes weekly, so there will always be something new to try when (not if) you return. Between us, we tried the pork wontons, Giant chicken and prawn toast, Korean Style Chicken Bao Bun for starters. Very good sized portions, for all of them. Then the mains arrived, and goodness, the presentation was fantastic. The Chicken Khao Soi and Mixed Seafood version in lovely large ceramic bowls, and all of the dishes standing on bamboo monogrammed boards. The flavours were unbelievable, I remembered that dish from the programme, and having seen the pics again on the website was not disappointed. Absolutely delicious. Another had the Massamam curry, presented in stacking dishes, served with Broccoli, crackers & rice. And then it was time for dessert. Already full up, we looked at the menu anyway, and I knew I had to find room for the Yuzu Mascarpone Cheesecake, which was topped with a citrus layer. It was light and delicious, so much so, that I had it again next time we visited too. The others had Thai Tea Ice Cream, which they loved. The wine is very reasonably priced compared to other good restaurants, as are the drinks. The prices for all dishes are very reasonable too, considering the quality of the dishes, fabulous ingredients and portion size. When you take into account, each main course is the complete meal, unlike going for a Chinese or Indian where rice, bread, poppadoms and sides are extra. When we were finished, Chariya came out of the kitchen and went around the tables, chatting to her customers. She is lovely, and was genuinely delighted that we had followed her through her Masterchef journey and told us about some of the experiences. She was very happy to join us for photos by her Trophy and Apron. There is no need to write a review for the second visit, the food was just as good, different menu choices but same fantastic atmosphere, and service, proving that we weren't just lucky the first time. Altogether, a fantastic dining experience, a lovely atmosphere, a welcoming and friendly front of house team, who keep a close eye to make sure you are having a great time, they are a credit to her. And then Chariya herself, such a lovely lady, who has brought a fantastic restaurant to Alton, a lovely little Hampshire town. We are fortunate to live close enough for this to become our 'Go to' for special occasions. Just love everything...

We went to Khao Soi for my birthday meal last night as a special treat as I’ve been wanting to check it out for a while now. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. The food was pretty average, and in my opinion not worth the hefty price. I honestly think Wagamama’s has more flavourful dishes for way cheaper. The tofu was okay but not anything special. The spring rolls were as good as frozen ones you can cook at home. What’s more, i ordered a violet flower and lychee lemonade … which had ants in it. I wish I’d thought to take a photo, I understand the ants must’ve made their way into the violet flower syrup un the drink before purchasing the bottle but that was a bit crazy as I drank half of it before I realised and I am also vegetarian. There were like 20 ants in it. They were apologetic and replaced my drink with a lemongrass gin (needed to cleanse the pállate of ants) free of charge. Still, not what you expect from a master chef restaurant. Just overall expensive and lacklustre. Additionally, no children’s menu or reduced portion sizes for kids. We ended up just sharing our food with my 4 year old, other than dishing out £20 for a whole adult meal he definitely wouldn’t have been able to finish. I actually prefer my thai cooking made at home! Service was great. Decorations were cosy but again felt a little cheap compared to the price point. When comparing to other high end restaurants at a similar price point you just have higher expectations. Won’t be going again though...

I had my first Khao Soi in 2017. Whilst my lovely wife was doing some essential medical checks in Bangkok I took a flight up to Chiang Mai. Curious about the local cuisine, Google told me to try Khao Soi. Ate it on the first evening of my trip up North, and had it on on the following 5 evenings. It instantly became my most favourite food.

Fast forward...today, 2024. With Khao Soi being a 'local speciality', it is extremely difficult to find it on the usual menus of local Thai restaurants here in England. Even in Bangkok it is hard to come by. So I got really excited when discovering that there is not only a specialized Khao Soi restaurant nearby (I live south of Oxford) but that this eating place got its popularity from an actual MasterChef winner.

But I keep waffling on. We visited the restaurant with some good friends last night and the food was AMAZING. The menu offers a number of traditional and also hybrid (Japanese infused) Khao Soi dishes. Complimented by a nice selection of traditional starters. It brought back many memories.

In all honesty, going to a MasterChef restaurant I was expecting to pay some sort of Celebrity markup but none of that was the case. The prices were absolutely fine. Didn't pay any more than I would pay elsewhere.

The staff was amazing, friendly and super attentive.

Definitely Recommended!!!

BTW, if you arrive after 6pm, parking at the town square...