Lovers of spicy Southern soul food in Bangkok have been raving about this hugely popular Southern Thai restaurant group for some time; Khua Kling Pak Sod has certainly played a part in the city’s love of the region’s cuisine in recent years.
It all started in one beloved family run joint in downtown Sukhumvit, using family recipes and a faithful connection to the producers of the south, and the formula worked superbly; it has led to several more in the city. Though there are several branches across the city, Khua Kling Pak Sod keeps things consistent; classic Southern Thai dishes are unapologetically spicy, and fresh seafood is sourced from down south daily
The restaurant’s namesake dish khua kling – a minced pork curry, stir fried with red curry paste and served dry – throbs with local prik kee noo chillis to an almost nuclear level, and is all the better for it.
Their yellow coconut milk curry of crab meat, served with thin kanom jeen fermented rice noodles is another belter; offering less respite from the heat than the name suggests and, though we may be repeating ourselves, is all the better for it.
Perhaps steer clear if spice isn’t your thing. Even with the South’s reputation for chilli addiction, this restaurant does things hot, hot, hot. But if it is, Khua Kling Pak Sod is one of the best restaurants in the city.
Also worth mentioning; Khua Kling’s latest outpost, close to Chong Nonsi BTS, specialises in soothing shaved ice and syrup deserts, which are just perfect for extinguishing the flames burning from all those chillis. Sweet relief, indeed!
Address: 98/1 Sukhumvit 53 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
