A much-hyped new restaurant on George Street lives up to its novelty reputation but is so much more, says Katherine MacAlister

There's been so much hype surrounding the opening of Thaikhun (pronounced Tycoon) in George Street that it was never going to be able to live up to its reputation.

And besides, the last two restaurants there, Fire & Stone and Cleaver, sank without a trace, Cleaver within a year, so how long would a novelty Thai last?

No amount of funky decor, tuktuks and neon lighting can disguise a dud restaurant, even if it is serving Thai street food and once the fuss has died down what chance does it have?

Lots as it turns out. Buckets full. Not only is Thaikhun enormously fun but the food is really good. So why was that a surprise?

Perhaps because George Street favours style over substance, catering to the masses, preferring chains and big names. Perhaps because Thaikhun’s decor suggested that it has a novelty value, all fur coat and no knickers, and yet the food turned out to be the star of the show.

Sitting at a window table that used to be an enamel bath, you can see the attraction. It’s fun in there, really fun, and heaving to within an inch of its life, despite the size of the venue.

The staff are so welcoming, bowing when you arrive and really looking after you – birthdays for example come complete with a drum banging procession up the stairs.

A lethal-looking cocktail with red chillis attached to the glass then emerged which was absolutely delicious. Once we’d finished that and asked for a Singha beer, they brought it in a funnel with its own tap which they placed on the table.

All we needed was some dancing girls and a white sandy beach, because we were on holiday already.

Sharing the platters and expecting the usual dry, oily, tasteless, rubbery offerings that you usually get in these kind of places, we were instantly silenced, because each dish was so good. Tiny fish balls seasoned with coriander and lemongrass, perfectly cooked squid, corncakes so sticky they stuck to your teeth, spring rolls and chicken sticks, zingy chilli sauce and satay that I ate with a spoon. Throw in some tofu rolls served in see-through vermicelli sheets and stuffed with fresh vegetables which was so good we ordered seconds, and we had a banquet fit for a king, something we all realised as soon as we took our first bite.

This is no Harvester equivalent, or a Marco Pierre White fob-off, this is fantastically flavoured, fun, interesting food.

A bowl of tom yum gai soup, confirmed this, my all time favourite dish as creamy and fragrant as expected.

Encouraged we became more experimental with our mains, taking a punt on the seabass which came with a Thai crust of lemongrass, fresh herbs and chillis and beautifully cooked, a really original dish. The pad thai dek was a really traditional Thai chicken dish, delicious in its simplicity, while the khao ka moo came with a thick rich garlic and chilli sauce covering the stewed pork on rice, served with a boiled egg. The green Thai curry, a classic, was as good as ever, and yet almost a waste with so many other novel, experimental and original dishes on the menu.

How we managed the banana fritters and ice cream I have no idea, but manage we did and emerged laughing and full of praise at the end of the night.

In fact, Thaikhun was so good I sent my son there to celebrate the end of his exams and he loved it, and rebooked myself in at the weekend when my meal was equally as memorable. So go, Thaikun will trample on all your preconceptions and provides a proper night out.

Thaikhun, 
36 George Street, Oxford
01865 591960 thaikhun.co.uk