Khao Pla, Chatswood

As if Thai iced tea wasn't tasty enough, Khao Pla go ahead and turn it into ice cream. It's an even more intense hit of strong tea laced with condensed milk, a distillation that seems to reflect the overall philosophy at Khao Pla. The food here is bold and unapologetic with flavour in a take-no-prisoners fashion.



From its first day of opening in August 2013, Khao Pla has been buzzing with locals. The dining room might tick all the boxes for the hip new Asian restaurant -- wooden benches, metal stools, industrial light fittings and striking artwork on the walls -- but it's all underpinned by some impressive credentials here too. Head chef Pla Rojratanavichai spent five years manning the woks at Spice I Am before racking up stints at Mr Wong and Ms G's.

The menu includes 40-something dishes, enough depth to give you plenty of choices for at least a couple of visits. On your maiden visit, it's a battle trying to work out what to prioritise first.


Isaan steak tartare $13

Isaan steak tartare is a good place to start. Prepared in a northeastern Thai style, the hand chopped beef is cool and slippery, jumbled up with chilli flakes, lime juice and herbs. Ground roasted rice and deep fried shallots give an element of crunch. It's one of my favourite dishes of the night.


Hor mok yang $7 each
Grilled fish curry wrapped in banana leaf

In the "small bite" section you'll find hor mok yang, banana leaf parcels that hold golden pillows of grilled fish curry. Sink your fork through this red curry mousse and you'll find a vibrancy of heat and spices tempered with coconut milk and kaffir lime. It's like a controlled flavour bomb.  Your tastebuds will relish it for hours later.


Nam tok moo grilled pork neck $13
with ground roasted rice, chilli flake and lime juice

There's a whole heap of proteins in the grilled and fried section: soft shell crab, calamari, prawns, wagyu and tofu. We narrow in on the nam tok moo or grilled pork neck, thick slices of char-grilled pork that are even sweeter when dipped in the hot and spicy dressing spiked with chilli flakes and lime juice.


Gai Tord $13
Fried curry marinated chicken wings with Thai basil

The fried curry marinated chicken wings win over plenty of new fans. The emphasis here isn't on the crunch of batter, but the addictive curry marinade that's been slathered into every crevice.


Pork ribs $19

You could try eating the pork ribs with chopsticks, but using your fingers is much more satisfying. The sweet and sour pork ribs are glazed with a sticky marinade of palm sugar and tamarind that's perfect for savouring with a bowl of steamed white rice. 

Gaeng Som $15
Spicy and sour fish curry with squash flowers and Chinese cabbage

They'e got all your Thai classics here, like pad thai, massaman beef, green curry chicken and pad see ew but it's worth hunting out the less obvious dishes. Gaeng som is one of them, a hot and sour fish curry that includes scarlet wisteria flowers (dok khae), an elusive Thai ingredient that sends the G-Man into a homesick frenzy.


Banana blossom salad $17

Liven things up with a couple of salads too. The banana blossom salad is all about texture, tossing together thin slices of banana bell with strips of tender poached chicken, fragrant dried shrimp, crunchy toasted coconut and deep fried shallots. Add fresh coriander, shallots, chilli, tamarind and palm sugar and you've scored a funhouse of salty, savoury, sour, spicy and sweet.


Green mango salad $18

The green mango salad is sweeter than som tum green papaya salad, but it's a tasty treat when it's in season. It's hard to resist the freshness of sweet green mango tossed through with coriander, dried shrimp, fish sauce, palm sugar and roasted peanuts.


Coconut sorbet $6
with palm candy, jackfruit, roasted peanuts 

They make their own ice creams at Khao Pla, meaning desserts are mandatory here. The coconut sorbet is smooth and silky, spiked with a touch of salt that accentuates the coconut flavour.


Thai milk tea ice cream $6
with coconut jelly and jackfruit

Thai milk tea ice cream has the hit of strong vanilla tea mellowed with lashings of condensed milk.  It's crowned with strands of kanom foy tong, a popular Thai treat of sweetened egg yolk threads.


Thai milk coffee ice cream $8
with mochi and Thai wafer

And caffeine addicts will approve of the Thai milk coffee ice cream. There's a wicked bitterness to this one, alleviated by more of that glorious condensed milk. If you weren't already buzzing after dinner, you will be after this finishing this one.




Khao Pla
Shop 7, 370 Victoria Avenue (entrance on Anderson Street), Chatswood, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9412 4978

Opening hours:
Daily 11am-10pm


Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Haymarket - Caysorn
Haymarket - Do Dee Paidang
Haymarket - Rim Tanon
Surry Hills - Surry Hills Eating House
Sydney - Tawandang German-Thai Restaurant