New on Vesterbro: Ambitious Thai restaurant set to open
Now it is finally happening.
On Monday, August 31, the doors will open to a new and distinctive addition to Aalborg’s restaurant scene.
Experienced chef Kid Khamhomkul – after eight years as Head Chef at Nam – will open the doors to TYGA on Vesterbro.
A personal and ambitious Thai restaurant with authentic flavours, plenty of edge, and an interior that radiates Thailand.
When you step inside TYGA, there is no doubt where the inspiration comes from.
Distinctive colours, neon signs, football shirts, souvenirs, authentic toilets, and a gigantic 7-Eleven sign have taken over the former Nam restaurant.
Even the sound that greets guests when they walk through the door comes from 7-Eleven, which is a huge part of the street scene in Thailand.
MigogAalborg stopped by shortly before the opening, and although Kid Khamhomkul is still putting the finishing touches to the restaurant, his long-held dream has now become very real.
“I wanted to create a Thai restaurant that stands out a little when it comes to the interior, food, style, and atmosphere. I have wanted to put my own stamp on what a Thai restaurant should look like in 2026,” says an excited Kid.
His own Thailand has moved in
Kid Khamhomkul previously worked as Head Chef at Nam for almost eight years.
Now, for the first time, he is in charge of his very own restaurant.
Tyga – named after his son – has been on the drawing board since 2021, and the restaurant has become at least as personal as Kid imagined back then.
Much of what is displayed on the shelves comes directly from his own home.
Here, you will find everything from waving cats and souvenirs from trips to Thailand to football shirts and various quirky objects he has collected over the years.
And there is more to come.
“These are things from my personal collection at home. I want there to be a story and personality behind it,” he says.
The football shirts will even become part of the Tyga universe and will be sold as merchandise.
The restaurant will have room for 66 guests, an additional four in a small lounge area, as well as 22 outside on the cosy terrace.
Things are allowed to take time
The personal touch does not stop with the interior.
For Kid, one of the most important ambitions is to show just how much Thai cuisine can offer.
That is why the menu at Tyga has deliberately been kept relatively focused.
Fewer dishes will give the kitchen the opportunity to spend more time perfecting what is being served.
When MigogAalborg visits him, he has, among other things, spent around an hour that same morning chopping ingredients for the restaurant’s panang curry paste.
Because things are allowed to take time.
“I believe Thai food can become more than what it is in many places today. That is why I have made the menu very focused, so we can really immerse ourselves in the dishes,” he explains.
The menu includes classics such as pad thai, tom yum, and panang, but also dishes with more of a Tyga signature.
For example, there is Crying Tyga with grilled sashi beef and jaew sauce, several versions of papaya salad, as well as smaller dishes such as hot wings, spring rolls, oysters, and crispy pork.
No Thai restaurant in Denmark would be complete without the famous Pad Thai, and although the flavour will be as familiar as you know (and love) it, the sauce will of course be Kid’s own.
The same dish – every single time
Another key word at Tyga will be consistency.
Kid says that at some Thai restaurants, he has experienced regular customers actually asking which chef is working, because the flavour can vary from day to day.
That will not be the case here.
The ambition is for guests to have the same experience and quality every single time – regardless of who is standing at the stove.
And when it comes to the spiciness of the food, the communication will also be relatively simple.
There is spicy. And then there is Thai-spicy … for those who really mean it.
A very special Saturday tradition
One dish holds a special place in Kid’s heart.
Every Saturday, authentic Thai noodle soup will be prepared for lunch.
Not because noodle soup is necessarily the easiest dish to put on the menu. Quite the opposite.
The soup takes up to two days to prepare.
But the tradition is about much more than food.
When Kid was a child, he and his older sister would eat noodle soup every Saturday.
“It is such a core memory for me that I would really like to pass on. It would be really cosy if it also became a tradition here,” he says.
A large batch will be prepared every Saturday and served until the pot is empty.
Bangkok meets Aalborg
Kid himself describes TYGA as a modern Thai restaurant inspired by both Bangkok and London’s more informal Asian restaurants.
In short: street food meets bistro.
It is meant to be a place where you can stop by for a classic pad thai, sit down for a longer dinner, or simply enjoy a cocktail or beer.
For those who would like to explore more of the cuisine, there will also be the option of a Tyga Tasting.
Here, guests will receive eight servings with jasmine rice, served over three rounds, for DKK 350 per person, and the tasting menu is intended to give Kid and the kitchen a little more freedom.
The menu can change with the season and the mood, and dishes that are not available on the regular menu may appear.
“There needs to be room to play around with things,” he says.
The youngest guests have also been considered, with a small children’s menu including egg fried rice and chicken wings with sticky rice.
Later on, the ambition is also to host events and live music at the restaurant.
Takeaway will likewise become part of Tyga, but only once the restaurant is properly up and running.
Growing up in a Thai kitchen
Although the restaurant is new, its story goes back a long way.
Kid grew up on Vesterbro in Copenhagen with a Thai mother and Danish father – in a family where food has always played a huge role.
His mother was a chef and had her own restaurant, while both his aunt and older sister have worked with Thai food.
As he previously told MigogAalborg, he was practically sitting in the pots as a child.
After many years as Head Chef at Nam, he is now taking all of that experience with him to his very own restaurant.
On Monday, the people of Aalborg will finally get the chance to step inside.
Tyga Thai Bistro opens on Monday, August 31, and will be open every day of the week.