If you want a taste of real Thai food, you don’t need to hop on a plane or go too further afield, as Kin Khao Thai in Maynooth is serving up authentic Isaan style dishes, using local Irish ingredients.
When you walk into the restaurant you literally feel like you have been transported to Bangkok.
Bursting with colour and style, the decor is certainly a feast for the eyes and a must see.
Based on their interpretation of one of their favourite food streets in Bangkok, owners, and husband and wife duo, Jayna and Adam Lyons, carefully chose the pieces for the interior of the restaurant all sourced from Thailand, which pays homage to the shop houses of Bangkok.
Adam says of the decor: “We scoured Bangkok looking for the discards of a disappearing age. Seeing, touching and sensing the life of previous generations of street traders and businesses was very moving.”
Owner Janya hails from a family history steeped in food; with restaurants, food stalls, noodle bars and butchers in her family history.
Born and bred in Bangkok, Janya spent her early years working in the kitchen with her family preparing for a day of selling her family’s famous fish cakes and soups.
She put herself through business school and worked in several five-star hotels in Bangkok before emigrating to Australia.
It was there in Sydney that she met her future husband Adam Lyons, from Raheny, Dublin.
Adam and Janya found love in each other’s shared passion for Thai food and moving back to Ireland, the culinary couple saw a gap in the market to share real authentic Thai food.
They took the plunge and opened the successful Kin Khao Thai in Athlone 16 years ago – and in the last year opened their Maynooth branch.
The food in the restaurant does not disappoint. On the menu you will see all the classic dishes, and if you are brave enough to try something new, Kin Khao Thai is the place to do it, each dish is as authentic as the next.
The Isaan style dishes that Kin Khao Thai Maynooth prepare originate in Northeastern Thailand which is notable for its complex layering of bold ingredients.
The presentation of each dish is Instagram worthy, with a classic bamboo leaf at every opportunity.
The meats, often marinated, are prepared over an open char grill. Kin Khao Maynooth is the only Thai restaurant in Ireland using a char grill imported from Thailand.
The taste it exudes is out of this world and worth going to the restaurant for alone.
Jayna told Dublin Gazette: “In Thailand an open charcoal grill is the standard method of cooking for generations of cooks in Thailand. The taste is the best and it is something that cannot be substituted.
“Authenticity is the benchmark for Kin Khao Thai. Traditional cooking styles and recipes. All made in house.”
Michelin chefs Tong and Bank are preparing these authentic Isaan style dishes at affordable prices, using local ingredients.
Recommended to try at the end the meal, is The Trio desert, which includes, poached pumpkin in coconut milk with cinnamon cream and Tapioca Coconut Cookies, Thai Tea Ice Cream and Pandan Cake with Coconut Ice Cream.
Located in Greenfield Shopping Centre in Maynooth, there is more than enough parking to accommodate Kin Khao Thai’s rapidly growing following. There is also fantastic transport links within short walking distance.
Kin Khao Thai Maynooth is open six nights a week and closed on Tuesdays. There is a pickup and delivery service also.
Janya and Adam Lyons have become a staple of the culinary community and should be applauded for bringing authentic traditional, regional style Thai dishes to Ireland.
