Kin Khao (1 Michelin Star restaurant) Reviews

Be sure to book a reservation. Delicious, but not as spicy as expected. Affordable for such quality food!

Food and service were great! When I'm in the area, I will definitely go back.

Service was terrific, but the food did not live up to the reviews I read. Chicken wings were plump, but the sauce was too sweet, and the batter was not crispy enough. The ribs were meaty and tender, but again the sauce was too sweet. I had heard that everything was very spicy, but I did not feel the heat so much. Also, the pok choy dish was slightly overcooked. Maybe I should have stuck to rice/noodle dishes and curries. I enjoyed the space and the staff, so I would give them another try.

Terrible service and the food was mediocre. Kinda wish we went to the old school Thai place across the street instead.

I was craving something hot and soupy the other day, and found this place on google. I ended up getting the Pho Tai (noodle soup with beef). The soup is nice and hearty full of flavor, the noodles are fresh and chewy, and the beef is nice and tender. I definitely would go back again when I get my next soup craving.

Everything was delicious! And the attention very nice, too. 100% recommend

Great food, nice location, awesome shrimp sauce and noodles. Considering the location and food variety the price is fine. Only issue - the space between tables, it is too close

The braised beef cheek curry was the best curry I've ever had. Do yourself a favour and check this place out.

The Pork Belly is incredible!! Will definitely come back.

I don t understand how this restaurant has got one star from Michelin. At least the menu I ordered( Laak kua, Massaman curry) were just mediocre. Laak kua was just very salty, spicy pork so you have to order rice ( $4). The curry was okay, but was not worth of $35 at all.

We recently stayed at the Hilton Parc 55 and tried this place out for lunch. Really great atmosphere and the food was beyond amazing. We went back for dinner because it was so fantastic. The wings and Yaowaraj Noodles are a must. The only thing they can do without is the metal straws since they can sometimes be dangerous. Still, this is my top suggestion for anyone visiting San Francisco.

Very good Thai and value for money. I don't think its Michelin star level, but none the less it is definitely worth going for the great food and drinks. The octopus was amazing! We went with the menu, which was more than enough food. Be aware it is on the spicy side.

I had the squid dish and it was so soaked in fish sauce and so salty it was hardly edible. The presentation was nice however. The beef cheek curry dish was phenomenal and what I would expect from a Michelin star restaurant. In general, I wasn't blown away by the experience or the quality, especially for the price.

This place still feels somewhat undiscovered, but will surely continue to gain in popularity. The thai food is really fantastic and the atmosphere is very welcoming. It's got a trendy vibe but is also casual.

The prices are a bit steep, which makes sense since the food is good, but for people who frequent thai restaurants (which are usually fairly cheap), this may be a turn off. I recommend getting the pork bowl or the hot chicken wings depending on your tolerance for spice!

Thai creative cuisine, the taste is still authentic

The curry was amazing, the papaya salad was terrible, and the Khao Min Guy was also pretty bad.

Tried the panang curry which was way too spicy (even compared to Thailand), to a degree where it masked out the other flavors.
extremely overpriced and I did not enjoy my meal
Also, the atmosphere was loud and uncomfortable

I come to this excellent place every couple of days since I enjoy the special atmosphere that is outline this restaurant. The crew is awfuly friendly and qualified. The service is extremely quick. Not to mention, the food they cook is first-rate. I ate there many times and I was always happy. The pay is fair. I highly recommend this restaurant to my friends and family.

Has to be one of the best Thai meals I ever had. The staff were friendly and I didn't have to wait long to get a seat. I would definitely recommend here.

I tried this place. It turned out not what I expected a Thai cuisine would taste like. I am not an expert in Thai food. I am not an expert in Vegan food either, but I am sure the noodle (described as Bangkok Chinatown stir-fried rice noodle ) is definitely over cooked, too soft and too sticky. Service is not friendly either. Served the wrong item and did not correct the check before we caught the mistake. Serve portion is small for the price. No price info in the online menu. Recommend you to check it out by yourself before you consider hosting your guests.

Food was tasty, service was ok. Expected more but still really enjoyed myself.

Excellent Thai food. The mushroom tartine is excellent and I do not even like mushrooms. We also really enjoyed the noodles. The pork belly flavor was excellent, but it was a little fatty (yes, I know) and not as tender as others I have tried. While I recommend having reservations, we were walk-ins on a Sat night and waited less than 45 minutes.

I am a fan for Thai food and was delighted to find this restaurant on Google. Unfortunately it was a bit disappointing and I would say it is a one-off experience. The pork belly-okish, not what I expected, a bit chewy. The service, one word-rude. I coudn't finish the dish and have it take away. She was not happy that for some reason and gave me a look. Also, it is a pretty prices place. I would not recommend it.

Kin Khao is an awesome spot! I love the simple, but well thought out decor. In general, all the food was solid - good, clean flavors, large portions (for an upscale restaurant!) and super filling.

Of the dishes I had, the Kua Kling ribs were my favorite. Simple succulent and rubbed with so many lovely spices (SO YUMMY!), they had a great kick and I loved them. Next would be the octopus, which had a nice smoke to it and perfectly balanced tender and chewy. My third favorite would be the mushroom Hor Mok. This dish was super unique and very well balanced. If you love curry and mushrooms, it's a must have.

A sad note is that I was a bit disappointed with my Thai Girl cocktail. The lime was very strong and I couldn't taste the banana in it at all. And the noise level is high. I was originally worried about the spice level, but all the dishes had a good kick to them without being overwhelming.

All that said, I'd probably stop by again. The dishes are a bit pricey, but in general, worth the cost and I left feeling super full and satisfied.

As a newbie to the authentic Thai food Mun Gai was delicious and served like an artwork on a plate. You don't get a quality restaurant like this tucked away inside a hotel.

Amazing food, very well seasoned and presented. Reservations are a must!

Great thai food. The crab curry was delicious and pretty spicy. Also really enjoyed the mushroom cream appetizer woth puffed rice cakes

I think this is my favorite Thai restaurant from now on! The curry mushroom with rice crispy were very interesting and tasty! I also really liked the beef cheek curry, it was so tender. Definitely worth checking out!

Superb and inventive with outstanding service. We did the friends & family menu and it is truly an enormous amount of food. I d advise not filling up on the delicious sticky rice as I did.

It's in a 3 star hotel at best, need one say more, no respectable San Francisco residents would go in there

Tried the steamed chicken rice dish. Love it so much went back the next day and tried the pork shoulder noodle soup which was also fantastic. Menu is atypical thai food and reminds me of the dishes I loved to eat at the hawker markets when I was growing up in Malaysia. Highly recommend this place!

Very good food. I got the mushroom with rice cracker dish (mushroom hor mok) which was very tasty. For main dishes we tried the khao mun gai and yaowaraj noodle. Both were great. The chicken in the khao mun gai looked like it would be dry but it was very moist. The yaowaraj noodle with chicken was soft and flavorful. The spiced peanuts were alright.

For dessert we had the black rice pudding which was very tasty with the 3 toppings.

The food here will blow your mind! Never had thai food like this. I can't remember the names of the dishes but there was a pork belly and squid dish from the main courses that were recommended to be combined and to be had with sticky rice. And it is heaven. Also have the vegetables in this amazing dip that i cannot explain. Like a shrimp paste dip. But just so good. Ok i will stop npw, mouth is watering.

It ia a bit steep in price but definitely worth it for a special occasion. We also got to meet one of the chefs, Chef Stan Poon and he was super accomodating.

Had the Pad Kee Mao - really delicious and spicy. Nice place!

I think Kin Khao is miscategorized as a Michelin restaurant it is a casual eatery more suited to the Bib Gourmand rating it originally had before. This place is so unbearably loud, if I go back I ll be sure to wear ear plugs. The Thai cuisine here emphasizes sour and salty rather than sweet and that can be problematic for most American diners. I ve been here numerous times for lunch and found it mostly satisfactory, but service is sometimes off.

Quite pricey but they have some unusual, delicious Thai dishes. Try the black bean lettuce wraps, shared between folks.

Delicious food, more on the expensive side though. The Rock Fish was well prepared, crispy on the outside and tender inside. Noodles were great too.

Really GOOD menu! Everything we tried we complimented!

Delicious. Really friendly staff. Short wait with great non-alcoholic cocktail supplied. Really interesting take yet authentic flavours

Just like there is Northern Indian vs Southern Indian, Northern Vietnamese vs Southern Vietnamese cuisine, there is Northern Thai and Southern Thai food.

Most Thai restaurant in the US tend to be Southern - more sugar, with pineapple, coconut, tamarind and sweet addition. Kin Khao resembles Northern Thai food - more sour and savory, less sugar, more herbal.

And definitely : No Pad Thai. In fact if you ask for it, you will be "invited" to the neighbouring Siam Kitchen.

Here is a detailed breakdown of what to expect at this One Michelin star restaurant.

FOOD: 5/5
Not sweet (yes!) and therefore it allow the herbal taste of Thai cuisine to shine through. You have anything from light, vegan numbers to more filling choices (like curry, noodle). Also a vast array of beer, fun cocktails and Thai tea/coffee for beverages.

Must try: Mushroom terrine (appertizer) and noodles (though it seems water-based noodles are lunch only items).

SERVICE: 4/5
Food comes out very fast. Servers very courteous but also super strict regarding restaurant's rules.

For example, they will not serve you or seat you if your full party isn't present. You cannot cheat by ordering ahead and saving seats with shopping bags. Saw a couple waiting for friends, who after 20 minutes were asked to remove their bags (rather loudly by waitresses) to make room for other diners. I think they should not have seated them, rather than allowing them to sit then make a ruckus later. Hence 4 star for service.

LOCATION: 5/5
Inside a Hilton at Union Square, ample parking around/easy to walk to from public transit stations. However space is TINYYYY and fill up quick.

DECOR: 5/5
Definitely one of the cleanest, most modern Thai places I've been to.

Really hyped up place but sadly didnt blow any of us away. Portions were decent but the food was mostly predictable and not that much different from most other Thai places you could go to in the city. Flavors tended to be unbalanced, dishes were too salty or spicy or sweet, overpowering most of the other flavors in the dish.

Overall a nice place but pricey for what you get and a tad disappointing given the Michelin hype.

I just Google this place.
But the food and personal was great.
Didn't have to ask for anything.
Will come back again.

Fantastic Thai restaurant in SF... Michelin Star. Bring friends so you can try all the delicious dishes. Recommend getting reservation as without one you will be waiting a while as restaurant is popular and medum to small size for seating.

My friend from Thai recommended this place. Food, cocktails and service are all good. Be sure to make a reservation. I ordered Khao Yum and the serving size was good for ordinary Japanese people.
This shop was recommended by a Thai friend. Food, cocktails and service are all good. Don't forget to make a reservation as it is a popular restaurant. I ordered a dish called Khao Yum (pictured), but the amount was perfect. I want to go again when I come to San Francisco.

This is among the tastiest, and certainly the best upscale Thai food I've had. The food is spicy, but won't blow your head off. The noodles were full of flavour and really clean tasting; they didn't leave an oily residue in my mouth.

This isn't the cheapest Thai food but it's definitely worth the money.

The first dish - squid is so good and make me full of expectation,
Then the VERY FAT pork belly came, the one we got is totally different with other pictures that shared on google map, the first bite is good but the second is greasy, more than half of the belly is just fat.
The final one is a totally disaster - the SUPER SALTY fried noodle, I even though it might nee to be eaten with rice....

This restaurant was recommended to us from a local and we were able to make reservations for an early dinner and it did not disappoint. The food is recommended to share family style. My wife and I ended up getting carmalized pork belly, pad kee mao, and a massaman nuea. The pad kee mao stole the show it was perfectly seasoned for flavour and spice, the pork belly was cooked perfectly and brought a nice sweetness to pair with our spicy noodles. The massaman was cooked well, with a good portion of beef, but we really were content with our first two dishes. The Thai tea was just as I remembered and went well with the meal.

Pork belly was fantastic and the squid was spicy. Excellent!

Came because of a friend s recommendation and this restaurant even exceeded my already high expectations. The flavors are complex and with layers of texture. Highly recommend thai street food as an appetizer and stir fried noodles (in the picture). It can get busy. I came at around 1 pm on a Saturday and waited for half an hour for a party of 3.

Excellent modern Thai food and warm service combines with very reasonable prices to make Kin Khao an upscale hidden delight in the middle of San Francisco's downtown shopping district.

Look if you know your thai food this is not the one for you.

The food was atypical Thai food an awesome at it. We had a mushroom/curry based dip, a duck egg based omelet, a bowl of very flavourful (not too salty) pork broth noodles and the catfish salad which has shrimp ceviche that had me convinced I was going to be peeing out of my butt. Their cocktail menu is also particularly good; it is $12 a pop which is the going rate, but the flavours are awesome.

Went with a large group of friends. Did prefix menu. Food and drinks were great. Service was good too.

Delicious Thai food. The whole fish is incredible, though I've never been disappointed by any of their dishes.

Very spicy as it is in Thailand. Also authentic, like som tum papaya salad, ngop pla, khao soi, and the pork bowl.

Food was very consistent. It was spicy as all Thai food is. The soup was incredibly spicy, but I loved the presentation of the tea. It is comfortable and one of those mom-and- pop restaurants.

The 2-Star rating is not so much of the fact I am from SE Asia and travel to Thailand 3-4x a year and have plenty of Thai food. It s a case of abuse of fish sauce. The 2 dishes I had was so salty that they are hard to put in my mouth. The Yaowaraj Noodle, a popular street side food, at that price, I was having a hard time trying to fish out a piece of chicken from the plate. Basically you pay $20 for a salty plate of (almost plain) stir fried rice noodles.

Awesome and authentic. If I lived in SF I would be here every week

Well it is a decent restaurant. However, I called this restaurant total 8 times, never had anyone answer the phone. I'm wondering is it really that busy or you guys actually did that on purpose? It is really annoying I mean it's kind of drive me crazy cuz I just want to make appointment.

Undersalted, overfried, painfully mediocre cuisine with a wait. Case study in overrated restaurant well past it's decline.

Wow. Everything was amazing. Good for four or less people. Get a reservation for dinner time!

Different to your normal Thai, superb pork belly amd beef cheeks. No noodles available the night we were there. Service ex cellent best to book in advance and don't expect the usual stuff.

Inventive modern Thai dishes, super friendly & helpful staff

Pretty fast service, delicious (yet spicy) food. Attached pictures are the bean appetizer (recommended by the server), the Tiger Woods tea (thai tea and lemonade), and the blue limeade.

Everything is great, you really can't go wrong. Curried beef cheek is fantastic

Creative Thai food. Make sure to make a reservation in advance.

Everything we've tried here has been very spicy, but delicious.

Update: Oct 2019. We tried lunch there and were underwhelmed with all 3 items we had there: The mushroom terrine, the Yuowaraj noodles, and the Khao Soi.

This is not your standard Thai place there is no Pad Thai here. The food is heavily spiced with traditional Thai spices, the curries are made in house from scratch and the prices reflect that. The portions are generous and the food and wines by the glass are good but probably the prices are holding back from greatness. I d definitely come back, but maybe I d try to bring a few more people next time to help share the cost of a meal ; )

Slow service, average thai food for the price. We ordered rice, and it came out almost cold :(

Great restaurant. Food and service was excellent. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because during lunch they only serve a partial menu and the prices were a bit higher than comparable Thai restaurants within walking distance. I will say this is the only one I've found around Union Square that's air conditioned. It's definitely worth checking out.

Watched this place grow and it has definitely improved. The best infgredients you will find in a Thai restaurant and authentic, raw and spicy preparations of traditional dishes. some good cocktails too.

Great Thai food. The curry noodles was excellent.
Low cost Michelin star restaurant.