Reviews for Kin Khao in San Francisco, CA
so glad they finally reopened and just as good as i remember!! top tier drinks and dishes, a great place to bring out of town... friends or for special occasions. on the pricier side, but worth it and michelin star well deserved! - tom yum 2.0: highlyrecommend if you like gin cocktails - mushroom hor mok: top tier dip and interesting combo with the rice krispies that worked.similar to the mushroom curry though so probably wouldn?t get both - pretty hot wings: exactly as described - pretty hot but nottoo spicy. loved the sourness from the fish sauce and slightly sweet glaze. unique flavor and must try - gaeng hed(mushroomcurry): sooo good! the mushrooms were crispy despite being drowned in curry and the curry was also flavorful and creamy. the popof juiciness and freshness of the tomato add the extra layer of complexity to keep you wanting more. Read more
The food was extremely salty, too sour, unbalanced, using cheap fish sauce. The female server has an attitude. When asked what... was the signature dish, her response was ?it depends? and walked away. No recommendation given. Hence, we chose four dishes totry. We will not be returning. Poor service and inferior ingredients. The pork was too tough to chew. The raw vegetables werefresh and delicious. The ambience was super loud. Read more
Strange first experience dining here. Food was ok, kind of simple presentation with decent flavors. Pork belly was... tough/overcooked. The oddest thing was that the waiter basically ignored my female partner and only addressed me directly "yessir", "how is your food sir", etc. Made us uncomfortable that my female partner was ignored. Read more
The food was intensely delicious and full of flavors. The Namprik Long Rua was a umami, funky flavor bomb that is at once salty... & sweet with nice kicks of acidity and spice. A little goes a long way, and if you're a fan of eating rice this dish alone isflavorful enough for 2 people. The Gaeng God with braised frog legs was interesting -- tangy and vegetal, but very very spicy ifyour spice tolerance is on the low end. Service was friendly and quick. Do get the bar seat, there's a small serving window nextto it where you can see all the action. The staff here are quick and professional and exciting to watch. Read more
It has been a long and rough few years, but luckily for us, it?s finally over. No, not the pandemic, I?m talking about waiting... for Michelin-starred Kin Khao to reopen. I got some of my fix at Kin Khao?s temporary spot in the Dogpatch, but there?s justsomething magical about the bustling and surprisingly casual charm of their original Union Square location. I went on reopeningday, and again a few weeks later, and thoroughly enjoyed each dinner. No reopening jitters here, they are back and haven?tmissed a beat. One of my favorite dishes is the khao yum, a colorful turmeric rice salad with an incredible mix of flavors andtextures. An ideal bite for me has some of the tart grapefruit, crunchy puffed rice and coconut, greens, and tamarind blacksesame dressing which ties it all together. The plah pla muek squid and caramelized pork belly are two standouts that remind meof the squid and pork jowl at Chef Pim Techamuanvivit?s other SF restaurant Nari. The tangy brightness of the squid contrastsnicely with the luscious fatty pork belly. Get a side of rice to soak up the sauce from both. For the extra adventurous, thenam prik long rua is a pungent fermented shrimp paste relish served with an assortment of vegetables. The taste was a littleintense for even my palate, but it did come with a warning on the menu. The curries here, while good, don?t call out to me asmuch as their other dishes. Do save space for the warm black rice pudding though - a sweet & salty bowl you might need secondsof! Their concise cocktail menu is also a treat. Creative Thai flavors add a fun spin to well-balanced classic cocktails. TheSiam Sipper is like a spicy old-fashioned, while the Tom Yum 2.0 alludes to the soup, without actually tasting like soup. A fewalcohol-free cocktails are also available, as well as beer and wine. Read more
The mushroom appetizer which comes out kind of like a parfait was also delicious. It was airy but creamy at the same time with... great flavor and had the essence of a Thai curry mixed with the rich mushroom-y flavor. I highly recommend the pork belly andthe squid. The combination which was recommended to us by the waiter was fantastic. The acidity of the squid cut the fattinessof the pork and together with the sticky rice was a fantastic combination and probably my favorite thing at the restaurant. Iwould highly recommend this place considering the quality of food and service and the price being very reasonable. Read more
Great quality food with amazing flavors. Portions pricey and on the small side but justified with it being in the city and how... delicious everything was. Pork belly was to die for! Read more
Loved everything about this Thai restaurant! They deserve the Michelin star and then some. Don?t let the size or location... (connected to Hilton hotel?s lobby) fool you. It is one of the most sophisticated Thai restaurants you?ll experience. I wasdining on my own so sat at the bar and enjoyed the busy buzz of the bar. Lanna cocktail was citrusy, aromatic and spicy toperfection. I tried the mushroom curry mousse with crispiest lightest rice cakes possible. Yaowaraj noodle was everything I washoping for. Will come back! Read more