Khao Soi by Chariya has the vibrant, informal atmosphere and the reasonable price point of your local Thai restaurant, but with a sophistication of spicing that surpasses any of the attempts at Thai that I’ve tasted outside of London. (There are now, sadly, a lot of pubs churning out what they call “Thai” but are deeply average stir fries with commercial packaged sauces poured over them.) It’s also far more than Thai. Chariya’s differentiator on Masterchef was oriental fusion; starting with her Thai heritage and then weaving in elements from Japan, where she lived for a while, and Southeast Asian countries. That’s exactly what she’s serving up in Alton.
I loved the mash-up of traditions. I started with a bao bun (Chinese) stuffed with Korean fried chicken, then moved on to quintessentially Thai khao soi topped with Korean beef. To be honest, I’m not enough of an expert on any of these cuisines to be able to differentiate the origin point of those elements without the help of the menu. All I can tell you is that it was all delicious, with distinct layers of flavour and spice that I found pleasantly hot but not over the top. My husband, who is not fond of spicy food, was game enough to give it a go and thought it was “OK”. Which, given his starting point, equates to a very good from your typical British diner.
He was most impressed by the desserts, where you leave the spice behind and just get the sophisticated flavour profile. We ordered one coconut ice cream and one yuzu cheesecake and shared them. Not only were they both delicious on their own, but they worked surprisingly well together. I am generally not a fan of set cheesecakes, but Chariya manages to get a density and high-fat mouthfeel that I associate with the baked version, without the insubstantial aeration or the gelatinous firming agents than normally turn me against the set varieties.
Chariya was visible on the pass throughout the evening, in complete control. While it’s not a completely open kitchen, you can see enough to realise they’re all working at full capacity to move the food out to a packed dining room. The crowd out front, in fact, was the only negative of the evening. Perfectly understandable for a start-up restaurant, they’ve exploited every inch of space here, and it was good to see every seat filled. But the walls, ceiling and floors are all hard surfaces with nothing to absorb sound and the din was bordering on unpleasant. We needed to raise our voices to talk to each other, but we were only a few inches away from the couple on the next table, so didn’t really want to. You’ll get great food here, but it’s not a place for a quiet, romantic evening out.
If we want Oriental food in than more elegant environment, we can drive the same distance south and go to Kyoto Kitchen in Winchester. Ironically for a couple who rarely eats non-European cuisines out, we were enjoying a Japanese feast the night before Chariya’s Southeast Asian fusion. Kyoto Kitchen has moved premises since the last time we visited, evolving from a small, tightly-packed, informal spot to an entire building with elegant interiors and three times their original covers.
While they deliver fabulous sushi, Kyoto Kitchen’s strongest suit is its chef’s menus. Because all of the dishes are shared, the more people you have, the more food you get to try. We’d loved this option for two people on past visits; it was even better with four. At just £49.94 per person for five courses, with an extra £14 for sake pairings, it’s an absolute steal compared to any Japanese restaurant in London.
You start with some lovely nibbles to fire the appetite: marinated and fried bits of chicken, parchment-thin cured salmon, vegetable gyoza. Next comes a delicate beef tataki (raw, cured) with vegetable and prawn tempura so fresh out of the fryer you need to sit and admire the presentation for a while so they can cool down. Roll on the sushi and sashimi course, displaying the knife skills of the chefs at work at the open sushi counter in back. This is where we usually concentrate our efforts at Japanese restaurants, but a tasting menu means we were building up to the stir fries … chicken teriyaki and salmon miso … with rice.
This is where tastes really vary. As a lover of spice, I’d say that these Japanese stir fries are too mild to be worth my time. Give me Chariya’s explosion of flavours any time! But the gentle delicacy of these dishes is much more to my husband’’s taste. The evening ends with a platter of fruit, dorayaki (sweet pancakes) and mochi (sticky rice parcels). It’s a well-judged balance across the five courses. You emerge full, and completely satisfied, but not stuffed.
When he heard it was our first time in the new place, the manager gave us a little tour and painted his vision for the future. There’s an enhance chef’s table experience to come back at the sushi bar. They’re developing a Japanese courtyard garden with appropriate plants and trees that will serve as a cocktail space, or even dining on warm nights. (If we ever see any of those again.) They’re also planning some hotel rooms upstairs would allow us both to enjoy that sake flight, rather than the designated driver taking a few cheeky sips. The little bit I sampled impressed me with its variety and the way it complemented the food; I’d really like to go back and indulge fully.
So, whether your taste is for spicy Asian fusion in an informal setting, or a more sophisticated take on the subtle flavours of Japan, there are some surprising choices in North Hampshire. We are a lot more than cozy pubs, Sunday lunches and Hampshire Hog roasts.
You start with some lovely nibbles to fire the appetite: marinated and fried bits of chicken, parchment-thin cured salmon, vegetable gyoza. Next comes a delicate beef tataki (raw, cured) with vegetable and prawn tempura so fresh out of the fryer you need to sit and admire the presentation for a while so they can cool down. Roll on the sushi and sashimi course, displaying the knife skills of the chefs at work at the open sushi counter in back. This is where we usually concentrate our efforts at Japanese restaurants, but a tasting menu means we were building up to the stir fries … chicken teriyaki and salmon miso … with rice.
This is where tastes really vary. As a lover of spice, I’d say that these Japanese stir fries are too mild to be worth my time. Give me Chariya’s explosion of flavours any time! But the gentle delicacy of these dishes is much more to my husband’’s taste. The evening ends with a platter of fruit, dorayaki (sweet pancakes) and mochi (sticky rice parcels). It’s a well-judged balance across the five courses. You emerge full, and completely satisfied, but not stuffed.
When he heard it was our first time in the new place, the manager gave us a little tour and painted his vision for the future. There’s an enhance chef’s table experience to come back at the sushi bar. They’re developing a Japanese courtyard garden with appropriate plants and trees that will serve as a cocktail space, or even dining on warm nights. (If we ever see any of those again.) They’re also planning some hotel rooms upstairs would allow us both to enjoy that sake flight, rather than the designated driver taking a few cheeky sips. The little bit I sampled impressed me with its variety and the way it complemented the food; I’d really like to go back and indulge fully.
So, whether your taste is for spicy Asian fusion in an informal setting, or a more sophisticated take on the subtle flavours of Japan, there are some surprising choices in North Hampshire. We are a lot more than cozy pubs, Sunday lunches and Hampshire Hog roasts.
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