I tried Lucky Khao in Brighton and can see why it is in Michelin Guide

Coiled like it was ready to strike, its glassy-eyed stare was goading me, daring me, to take a bite.

Armed with a knife and fork, I was happy to call its bluff.

And boy, did it not disappoint.

The sam-rod whole sea bass (Image: NQ) This was the zenith of Lucky Khao’s offerings on the night I visited, a plethora of exotic Thai dishes from the north of the country.

Operating out of Redroaster on St James’s Street, the BBQ joint has much to celebrate of late, having been included on the Michelin Guide for 2025.

I’m not claiming to be as knowledgeable as their expert reviewers, but I thought I’d see if it was worth the hype.

As all good meals do, my friend and I started out with a cocktail – which went down so easily it swiftly turned into two.

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The Lucky Khao paloma and cold brew negroni (Image: NQ) Given the connection to Redroaster, it was a nice touch that several of those advertised used their coffee as a base.

But the creations were more ambitious than just an espresso martini.

I tried the Cold Brew Negroni and the Cinnamon Toast White Russian, both made using a coffee liqueur.

The former was imparted with a smokiness that added extra complexity to the fragrant and bitter notes of the classic drink, while the latter indulged my inner child with a cereal milk base and a cinnamon-sugar rim which I licked off impolitely.

It could have done with a bit more of a stir to distribute the syrup, but so far, so good.

They made a pig’s ear of this – literally and in the best way (Image: NQ) Our attentive host suggested a range of starters to share, tapas-style, after talking us through the menu.

As my dining companion pointed out, the menu could have done with some headers to make clearer what were mains, sides and starters – but we couldn’t quibble about the contents.

As we nursed our cocktails, we were brought each dish fresh off the pass, a conveyor belt of deliciousness – including some sneaky samples of contenders for future menus.

The first was one of these: pig’s ear, deep-fried and coated in a salty, spicy and sour seasoning.

The betel wraps were sublime (Image: NQ) I’ve had pig’s ear before and it has either been fried to tooth-chipping brittleness, or has that unpleasant crack of chewing cartilage which is popular in Asian cultures but less so for most Western palates.

This was neither; despite also being deep-fried, it was as puffy and airy as it was crunchy, managing to soak up the dressing without getting soggy.

An elevated bar snack, it set the standard high for what was to come next: the betel wraps, fish sauce wings, cola glazed spicy chicken meatballs and white fish pla with crisps and another new dish, the beef larb.

The meat, minced and highly seasoned, was fried with chillies and mixed with herbs, served as a mound of golden nuggets with lettuce leaves in lieu of cutlery.

With a meat to leaf ratio like that, this is a salad I can get behind.

The beef larb – coming to a menu near you soon (Image: NQ) We were warned it would be a little spicy – but I made the mistake of biting into a whole chilli. Thankfully I had the final few gulps of my milky cocktail to cool it down.

I have to confess, I do have a prejudice against veggie dishes; if there’s meat on the menu, that’s winning every time.

But here was an example where my bias got the better of me, as out of the remaining starters, the betel wraps blew the wings and white fish salad out of the water.

Miso-caramelised cashews and peanuts, dressed with grapefruit segments, chilli and lime, are served with a fan of aesthetically-pleasing betel leaves for wrapping – and the flavour was like a bomb going off in my mouth.

After Thai scratchings and nuts, I could have gone for a beer.

But instead we plumped for a bottle of white before the mains came out.

Kimchi fried rice (Image: NQ) Kimchi fried rice, topped with a perfectly-fried egg (a crisp and bubbling white, crowned with a golden pool of yolk) was the perfect base for a range of curries, including my favourite Thai dish: the beef massaman.

If the meltingly tender meat and sweet, fragrant sauce was like getting a hug from an old friend, the roast potatoes dotted in the sauce were like the excitement of making a new acquaintance; as was the pork hung ley.

A curry hailing from Burma, slow roasted pork is mixed with broth, baby onions, ginger and pickled garlic. While it could have been a fraction warmer, the taste was delicious: rich but also tangy enough to cut through the richness of the pork.

And of the aforementioned fish, I was concerned we might encounter a load of fish bones.

The pork hung ley (Image: NQ) But this proved not to be too much of an issue, flakes of meat sloughing off the bass with the nudge from a spoon and the skin deliciously crisp (I even found myself nibbling on the tail).

It was dressed in a vinegary sauce spiked with herbs and chillies. Utterly delicious.

Feeling suitably full, I asked our host if I could box up the remaining curries for later, to which he happily obliged.

All that was left was to sample the one dessert on the menu: a chocolate mousse.

Chocolate mousse – yummy (Image: NQ) The confidence of this move filled me with a sense of anticipation – and it lived up to expectation.

Sprinkled liberally with glittering flakes of sea salt on an undulating mahogany pool, this was not a mousse of the airy kind, but thick and silky smooth thanks to the tofu base.

Texture is as important as taste here: and it ticked both boxes wholeheartedly.

As I waddled out of there, I could see why Lucky Khao had been so recognised – and for a treat, it would not break the bank either.

While the sea bass did not survive our standoff, I’m just glad that as I write this I have a stash of deliciousness in the fridge to remind me of my Michelin-approved meal.