Image Credits: Jon Wah
“Authentic, in our way, is actually about appreciating what we have and what we can use from the local environment, local market and local suppliers before we have to put our hands into something that we have to import.”
Look, we all knew Soi 38 was good. The Pirie Street institution has spent years building a cult following for its regional Thai cooking, so when the 2026 Restaurant & Catering Australia Hostplus Awards for Excellence rolled around, it felt like a fitting recognition for the restaurant to take home Best Asian Restaurant in South Australia.
The win came at the Hostplus Awards 2026 gala night, with more than 300 hospitality heavyweights descending on the Adelaide Convention Centre to toast South Australia’s best restaurants, cafés and caterers across 25 categories. Big names like Hentley Farm (Restaurant of the Year), Pony & Cole (Casual Dining Venue of the Year) and the National Wine Centre (which took out multiple catering categories) all had their moment in the spotlight. But in a city where the list of great Asian restaurants can feel overwhelming for any foodie wanting to try them all, Soi 38 taking home the Asian Restaurant crown felt well worthy of a Glam shoutout.
Tucked into 74 Pirie Street and named after a famous Bangkok street food market, the restaurant has grown into a showcase of Thailand’s regional dishes, ethnic minority cuisines and food history, with recipes gathered by executive chef Terry Intarakhamhaeng from remote corners of Thailand, hill tribe communities and family lines passed down through generations.
“Food is a culture, so Thai food is an experience of culture. That’s what we try to do,” explains owner and head chef, Terry Intarakhamhaeng.
It’s a philosophy that explains why Soi 38 isn’t content with sticking to the familiar Pad Thai and green curry. Terry wants the restaurant to encourage diners to explore the dishes, flavours and traditions that sit beyond the more familiar corners of Thai cuisine.
“We always want to be different. Even if we are a Thai restaurant, we are a different type of Thai restaurant compared to others. I want people to be able to feel more than one or two things about Thailand,” he says.
“Thailand and Thai cuisine have such phenomenal history, phenomenal flavour, so therefore, I think we should actually share that.”
Terry’s own path to the kitchen is perhaps as unconventional as the menu. A former monk, zoo education officer and Thailand tour guide, he later helped set up Jock Zonfrillo’s Street ADL and Restaurant Orana, picking up a deep knowledge of native Australian ingredients along the way that he now utilises in his own menu. In fact, Terry credits his time working with the late Jock Zonfrillo with fundamentally changing the way he viewed food and his own career.
“I would never have had the idea of opening a restaurant,” he tells.
“Jock taught me the reward of working with others, the reward of working with produce, and the importance of what you put on a plate.”
And he aims to infuse this approach into more than just the menu. His goal is to take patrons through a story when they dine at Soi 38.
“I’m so proud of the team for being able to deliver this experience. I translate [the dishes] to my staff before, so that the stories behind these dishes can actually translate to the customer.”
And it’s clear that this approach is definitely translating to greater Adelaide. It’s a philosophy they’ve been committed to since 2014, an evolution from the restaurant’s original Thai street food roots into a more modern expression of regional Thai cuisine, with Terry now placing greater emphasis on presentation, storytelling and education. The restaurant is increasingly working with more challenging and unfamiliar ingredients, from fermented fish to bone marrow, while training its front-of-house team to help diners understand what they’re eating and why it matters.
Perhaps most pertinent to Soi 38’s philosophy, though, is its connection to authenticity. Despite winning Best Asian Restaurant in SA, Terry has pondered what it means to deliver traditional food and cuisine to a South Australian audience.
“We are different from what the words ‘authentic’ or ‘traditional’ typically mean, because we use different techniques of cooking.”
“Authentic doesn’t mean that we have to bring everything from Thailand. We use some native ingredients, and some local ingredients that are similar in flavour.”
“Authentic, in our way, is actually about appreciating what we have and what we can use from the local environment, local market and local suppliers before we have to put our hands into something that we have to import.”
Soi 38 Named Best Asian Restaurant
Where: 74 Pirie St, Adelaide SA 5000
When: Monday to Thursday 11:30am–2:30pm and 5–9:30pm, Friday 11:30am–2:30pm and 5–10pm, Saturday 5–10pm
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