Chow Down in Cowtown is an (almost!) weekly account of Calgary’s most awesome eats from Ceci n’est pas un food blog.

I’ve been pretty busy lately, including training for a Muay Thai fight (which I lost), so I’ve been eating in more and blogging less. A couple weeks ago (after my interview with Jeremy, actually), I switched up my routine and went out for dinner (!) with my perennial brunchmate Tiffany. We wanted to try something new, so we decided to hit up Khao San Thai Kitchen, which just opened its doors a few months ago where Jaro Blue on 17th Ave.

I wasn’t sure if an Asian restaurant would fit in with the 17th Ave “scene”, but the dark interior and beautiful golden Thai accents give the restaurant a modern, lounge-y but cozy vibe, and the service is friendly and attentive.

Tiffany and I were eyeing the Khao San Angel Wings – two deep-fried chicken wings stuffed with ground pork, shrimp, water chestnuts, corn and spices… that’s three kinds of meat for $9! – but ultimately decided to split two curry dishes and a couple orders of coconut rice ($2.75)

We kicked things off with the Pork Panang Curry ($16) (also available in chicken or beef… prawn or seafood for $18)

This curry definitely hit the spot. The sauce was rich, peanutty and sweet with a bit of heat. The pork was a little on the dry side, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from the way that Tiffany and I were spooning the sauce on our rice!

We weren’t sure what Khao Soi Gai ($16) was, but it was in the Noodles & Rice section, and we wanted to try something different from Pad Thai.

At first it looked like some deep fried noodles perched on a bowl of soupy curry sauce, but there were actually more noodles hidden in the milky broth! The noodles were nice and chewy, and the little fixings – lime, pickled cabbage, hot sauce – each added their own distinct flavours. The broth itself was warm and flavourful, without the sweetness of the panang curry.

Having only scratched the surface of Khao San’s extensive menu, I would definitely be back to try more of the restaurant’s traditional and fusion dishes – they also have a lengthy vegetarian section; good news for all the herbivores out there!

Khao San Thai Kitchen
1314 17 Ave SW
Calgary AB T2T 0C3
(587) 353-2668
Open for lunch Tues-Fri 11:30 AM-2 PM; for supper Mon-Thu 5-10 PM, Fri-Sat 5-11 PM; all-day Sun 11:30 AM-9 PM.