Lucky Khao situated at Red Roaster on St James’ Street is a new addition to the Michelin Guide for 2025.
The first thing that hits you is the redolence of fragrant aromas filling the venue from an immaculate open plan kitchen. At the helm is chef Luke Larsson, who creates the authentic Northern Thai food on offer here. To understand his menu, you must first learn his backstory…
He revealed, ‘Over the past seven years, I’ve had the chance to travel around Thailand, working mostly in Bangkok, but also visiting places like Krabi and Udon Thani. My journey kicked off in 2017 when I landed at Bo.lan as an intern. The focus on sustainability and honoring local ingredients left a big impression on me. After that, I spent time at 100 Mahaseth, where I really fell for Northern Thai flavours, especially the way offal like tongue and brain are used in dishes. The kitchen vibe was great, there was a real sense of collaboration and learning, with chefs like Chalee Kader guiding me and a young and passionate team always up for sharing new techniques.
Most recently, I worked at Samuay and Sons in Udon Thani, where I learned a ton about Isan food and the importance of working with local ingredients. Chef Num Samuay’s approach to food, blending creativity with a deep respect for the environment, was inspiring. From making everything in-house, from aged beef to brewing our own booze, to dishes like bitter gaeng om and raw laab, it was all about connecting with the food in a meaningful way.’
On the eve of my visit, chef chose the dishes and to say I embarked on a fresh culinary adventure is an understatement. There was everything from Thai cucumber salad and baby corn ribs with coconut to lightly poached trout wrapped in butter lettuce and stir fried beef and spicy braised beef massaman curry. The flavours were a harmonious range of sweet and spicy and vibrant and dynamic. I am rarely lost for words, suffice to say the authenticity shone and I could well have been in Northern Thailand, not cold Brighton.
