Kin Khao (1 Michelin Star restaurant) Reviews

Wow. Seriously good food. We strongly recommend the trout dish. This restaurant goes well beyond the standard thai dishes and applies Thai seasonings and food prep approaches to a variety of dishes. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here.

The best Thai I've ever had and the service deserves its own 5 stars. This place is a destination and gets alot of traffic. Get there early.

Really amazing food, with reasonable prices for the portion size. Highly recommend the pork belly and the mussels curry, I was really surprised by how good nectarines are in a curry

Not an expert, but this was best Thai food I ever ate!

The waitress at the check-in desk was very rude. She put us on the wait list but seated a group of people who came after us. She yelled at us about her "right" to seat in whatever order she wants. Very disgusting experience.

The food, service, and even the pricing was outstanding for a Michelin started restaurant. Great job you guys!

A different take on Thai food while still keeping some traditions. Our waiter was awesome at giving us his recommendations. The menu isn't as vast as most Thai restaurants may have, but it's definitely quality over quantity here. I loved the salad; it was spicy and had bits of fried veggies in it to give the dish a different texture. The crab noodles were insanely delicious. It was similar to Pad Thai, but not too salty or sweet. They also have this "Sriraja" sauce, which sounds a lot like Sriracha. The sauce was amazing. It had the right amount of heat. Although the location is a bit strange, in the lobby of a hotel, it is so worth a try and I will definitely come back!

Pretty terrible food. The curry didn't taste right, none of the food was spicy and they refused to cook the meal as specified. They didn't obey the meaning of Thai spicy.

I'm in love with this place! An affordable, fresh, and delicious meal that reminds me of my mom's cooking, it's not hard to see why Kin Khao has a Michelin star.

First, their drinks are a must-try. Their Thai iced tea is creamy and tarte yet light in all the right ways. It's finished with just a tad of sweetness. Their blue flower limade is also refreshing with a nice floral aftertaste. Great to see them nail both traditional and more creative drinks!

We had their 'Pretty Hot Wings' to start. The chicken was tender, juicy, and had a great crunchy texture. The sauce was slightly tangy for my taste, and not hot enough for me to taste, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The mains were the highlights of the meal. We went with their Khao Soi - a northern Thai noodle dish in curry soup, and the pork bowl. The flavors of this dish were incredible! Slightly tangy, sweet, savory, and rich all at once, the broth is surprisingly refreshing, no sign of grease you'd usually expect with a rich curry. The noodles were thick, chewy, and bouncy. The texture was incredible. The pork bowl had their signature crispy pork belly with thick rice noodles in a delicious pork broth. This was so hearty, so warming, and so SO good! This is comfort food at its finest.

There's nothing flamboyant about this place at all, just quality ingredients prepared humbly to perfection. As soon as I left, I knew I wanted to come back for more!!

Food is excellent. Mushroom har mok, and squash curry were standouts. Service was a bit slow.

Delicious food, quick service, attentive staff. Dropped in for a quick lunch around 11:45 on a Thursday, no wait.

Not the typical Thai food Restaurant, outstanding service and unique regional dishes. Mushroom mouse as a starter is a great choice. Ribs covered in a spicy paste taste so good. Bring a group of friends/family and share as much of the menu as you like.
Alternatively, $55/person offers a wide range of special items to share with table.

The food was good, but on the expensive side given the portions. The ingredients were definitely of high quality.

I was hoping that the waiters would give better suggestions and explanation of the food given that it's a Michelin start restaurant but I would say that service was actually before average.

Not sure if I would come back but it was nice to try once.

horrible service the waitress shout at us looks like a barking dog

OHMYGOODNESS absolutely amazing!! One of the cheapest Michelin rated restaurants I've been to.

Really good Thai food. Best in East county. When I moved to lakeside from north park I couldn't find a good Thai spot then I found this gem.

Sit at the bar
Get a Tom Yum cocktail
Get the mushroom terrine over rice cakes
Ingest both of these things
If still hungry consider spiced peanuts
Your life is now better

Great service and delicious food, but not amazing considering the price. The food had nice flavors, but overall was too oily and fatty for my liking. Highlight for us was the pork belly, it was beautifully cooked and the sauce was amazing (but again, the cuts were very fatty). Service staff were super attentive, welcoming, and friendly.

EDIT: The manager followed up and gave me a sincere apology and proper compensation. I could tell they take their business seriously--these people aren't messing around! Well, I guess now I have more of a reason to go back... With a little bit of skepticism but heightened belief in humanity :P

Just wanted to warn people that I got a stapler piece (yes, the steel thing that looks like "[") in my noodles. I actually thought it was a thinly sliced lemongrass piece, but nope. So please watch out for your food when you eat here. I really hope it's a one-time thing, but never hurts to be extra careful.

They did comp the dish, but I don't think I will be returning for the sake of my safety. Bummer, because it was one of my favourite places in the city to the extent that I knew how to get there without a map but I guess this is goodbye Kin Khao :(

Notoriously rude and unaccommodating staff. Avoid this place.

Unique takes on classic tastes. A little on the salty side but delivers.

Fantastic food! I was a bit lost on the menu but the bartender was able to explain everything perfectly to me. Absolutely worth a visit!

Great thai food in a small casual/hip atmosphere. I really enjoyed plah pla muek! The squid had a bright spicy tangy flavor that was delicious. Great service and excellent music play list (old school rap- think wu tang)! Easy location if you are in union square area.

Some of the best food I have ever eaten. I woke up the next morning wanting to go back for more. The rabbit curry was perhaps the most delicious thing I've ever eaten before.

It was good but not great. I ordered the chicken fat rice. It was very bland and wholly uninteresting. I selected this dish expecting the unexpected. What I got was plain old chicken and rice with a $19 price tag, with broth served on the side . I got the black rice pudding for dessert. It was good. But not great.

Nice place, good location. Service is good but one plate took a lot longer than the other to come so I was eating alone most of the time. Not much variety in the menu. Papaya salad was so sour. Thai tea was perfectly made.
Do not go without a reservation on weekends.
The fried chicken sandwich was ok, the pickles were amazing.

Delicious, reasonably priced curry in a comfortable environment.

Fantastic food and very helpful bartending staff. Dined alone and waited about 45 minutes because I didn't have a reservation. Worth the wait!

Came here with my mom for lunch. We shared the kao soi and kao mun gai (chicken rice). We enjoyed the kao soi. Flavorful, fresh noodles, lots of depth. The chicken rice was underwhelming though.

All of my friends have been bothering me forever to go to Kin Khao so I finally did and I was happy with my decision. Kin Khao is a Michelin starred thai restaurant at the bottom of the Parc 55. It's small, and cozy and gets super busy, super fast. I made reservations for 6pm and there was already a line when the doors opened as we arrived.

We opted to order Ala Carte this night. I got the Rabbit curry and my date got the noodle plate, the name of the entree escapes me now. I thought the food was delicious and just the right amount of spicy for me.

The service was fast, friendly and I didn't at all feel rushed nor did I feel like I had to wait forever for anything. The staff was right there.

I will definitely be back for the tasting menu as there are some things there I would really like to try.

Great date night place, definitely a must try. A good solid thai spot if you're looking for a more upscale experience.

We've had the tasting menu of 8 dishes - the beef was the best part, the rest are just OK, too spicy and salty for me

Delicate and overwhelming delicious flavours. Good service.

Had the tasting menu. The food was very salty. Like I could feel my blood pressure increasing. Pork belly was good but not amazing. Squid dish was not cooked consistently. Some bites over cooked and others were under. Rabbit was tough and over cooked and not very easy to split between two people with only chopsticks and spoons. We killed two carafes of water between two of us due to every course being overly salty. Timing of the courses was strange. We would get multiple courses served together then nothing for long periods of time after the table had been cleared. Service was good but definitely not Michelin level. Ambiance is like a slightly upscale cafe. Not worth the money. Will not return.

Authentic Thai restaurant. Food was delicious. A bit pricey but still worth it!

This place really does live up to the hype. The food is tremendously tasty. Let's welcome the next wave of restaurants serving more than the usual Thai fare!

Our favorites from the menu: hor mok, ngop pla, nam tok beans, pork belly.

If you can show up right when it opens, you can usually get a spot right away without a reservation.

I liked the wings but the dishes were just average. They only let you order rice/ noodle dishes for lunch, heard dinner is better so might come back for that

Very good Thai! Fixed menu was delicious, go for it if you are really really hungry :)

They have their own take on Thai food. Nice flavours, pleasant environment. ordered 2 mains to share. 1 hit and 1 miss. Not a huge miss hence still 4 stars.

Thai place ranging around $30-50. There is also a tasting menu for $55 pp. The caramelized pork belly was nothing special, what I expected pork belly to taste like. The noodles are mediocre, flavorful but a bit expensive for the price. The rabbit curry was good, a little spicy but flavorful. The rabbit meat was not that great but the meatballs were. The black rice dessert was good and there s a lot so best if shared

1 star Michelin Thai fusion restaurant. There's usually a long wait if you don't reserve the spots. We had to take the communal table with other people after 45 min wait.

The food was yummy and well presented, staff was cool and explained how to mix the salad. Bit pricey for the amount.

Michelin 1 star since the 2016 Guide and there's no doubt in my mind why they have maintained this status. Not only is the service attentive and friendly, the food is full of surprising bursts of flavors and aromas. Even something as simple as chicken broth is insanely packed with flavour and love. Highlights: rice salad (refreshing, crunchy, "healthy"), beef cheek curry (super tender and rich), Thai ice tea ice cream (gimme a gallon of this simple dessert!). The least memorable dish was the noodles with chicken. It reminded me of drunken noodles and seemed mediocre compared to everything else we ordered. Come hungry, you won't be disappointed!

The food was flavorful and perfectly prepared! The service was outstanding!! An excellent overall experience!

I had a really nice dinner. Great food, friendly service.

Really great food and atmosphere. Even though it's on the pricier side, it's definitely worth it for the delicious food!

I went into this restaurant never have been to a higher end Thai eatery. I have to say that the meal was good, but nothing to write home about. I got the prix fixe option, the cocktail that I had was excellent, as well as the white wine. However I've had better service at places like Kinjo and State Bird. I don't feel like I had a very good experience. The pork belly and the green curry with rabbit were the highlights of the meal. The curry had heat which I really appreciated.

Food was delicious. Lively spot with large communal tables.

Went for lunch. The peanut salad with lettuce is a must have. Ordered khao suey, it seemed over rated and dint really have the authentic flavors. Great service and friendly staff.

The food is amazing. If you want to enjoy Northern Thai food, this is the place. The flavors we're all on point, but fairly spicy. The wine selection is also top. I recommend making a reservation if you have more than 2 people.

Good food, but my partner and I both got a stomach bug after eating there. Not what I would expect from a Michelin star restaurant. Will not be going back.

Michelin 1 star restaurant! The pork belly is the best, super tender and melts in the mouth

Good quality and good service. Wider menu options for dinner than lunch, but yet really good.

The food was really just okay. I've had much better Thai food in the States, but this somehow manages to be among the most expensive Thai restaurants with lunch specials pushing $20.

Truly amazing and unique food. Different flavors in every dish, we had green curry rabbit, massaman beef, a very spicy butternut squash curry and a host of horses d'ouevres. Paying for it the day later though. All in all a great dinner.

Great food, casual setting but top notch quality. Just don't order khao mun gai and everything else is quite delicious!

Too salty and high in acidity with two different dishes,v very disappointing

Really great squid and pork belly. Also very reasonably priced for the amazing food!

They had such unique options and amazing tasting food. Service is good. Attention to detail puts the cherry on top.

Several great dishes- Rice salad. Vegetable curry. Cod curry. Soy noodles. Sticky rice. Most distinctive- rice salad and green tea beer.

Starting the year off right with an amazing dinner at Michelin Star Thai restaurant Kin Khao. Nice portions and selections. Home style and authentic, I was a big fan. Just too bad they ran out of dessert.

Best thai restaurant in US for me, surpassing Lotus of Siam. They don't hold back on flavor, which is a very good thing.

This place has decent food. I came here with my boyfriend and we had the pad Thai. It wasn't busy, so we were seated fairly quickly. I would recommend this place if you are craving some pad Thai in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way for this place. Overall, decent food and good service.

Friendly staff and yummy food to usual SF prices. The food came authentic.

Came here a little early for lunch. The place was packed by the time I left. Food was delicious, and not too mild or spicy. Would love to try more things on the menu. Highly recommend the Turmeric Lime soda. Its not super sweet.

The pork bowl was delicious, big pieces of crispy pork belly in it and a nice rich broth. Service was very fast, and everything looked very clean. The baby bok choy was a little bit too oily but still tasted very good.

Wings are delish. not impressed by three other dish.

Amazing Thai restaurant. Pim, originally from Bangkok, brought all of the recipes from Thailand and uses local California ingredients to recreate the dishes. Don't expect to choose a color and a protein when eating here or expect pad thai to be available. However, if you're open to trying dishes that aren't typically served in Americanized Thai restaurants (and don't mind the cost), I think you'll enjoy it.

I recommend making a reservation, unless you want to wait for a while.

Has 1 Michelin star.

Unauthentic Thai food that was noisy and crowded. Of the five dishes we ordered, only the beef stew tasted okay but it definitely was not authentic in any sense.

The service was just okay. Their overall standards have been slowly going down since their opening.

I went here twice and now I can say it s way overrated. I ll just stick with my trusty pork shoulder fried rice at Sai Jai Thai.

The banana leaf wrapped rice and pork blood was so bland. There was essentially no taste except for the lime juice I squeezed on it. The rice was mushy. The thinly sliced red onion was not correctly prepped to remove the harsh biting taste.

The pad khao pod was 70% corn and too smoky. I can barely taste the shrimp paste.

Been there for a dinner with colleagues. It is an excellent Thai restaurant with very good food but it is too expensive for the quality and the atmosphere is not in line with a 1 star rated Michelin restaurant.

Disappointed with the food... the fried chicken/pork are too soft and sour, and the meet on top of noodle dish is normal but the bottom the bowl is toooo salty....

Delicious and spicy food adventure. And really great cocktails by the bon vivants. My favourite is the pak pow.

The pork belly is really well done.
The tasting menu is very heavy.
There are two heavy red meat dish, Which is litte over.
The eggplant salad and squid salad is very refreshing.

Kin Khao has to be one of if not the best local Thai restaurant. If there for a work lunch, make sure you get all your business conversation out of the way before the food arrives, because the silence of everyone fully engaged in their meal will be deafening. Fantastic tea and cocktails as well. Get your reservation in early!

The food takes good, we ordered the hot wings, and noodles. Flavor was rich and curry is very delicious. The only thing is it's a little bit too oily for us. The price is reasonable for Michelin restaurant. And they should have a better service

Absolutely great meal! The pork belly was my favorite of all the dishes! Great flavor combinations and super friendly service.

My friend stepped out for a call, and I finished everything on the table it was absolutely delicious.

Fun, flavorful dishes, but don't go if you can't take the heat! Kind of a small space, so reservations are a good idea.

Very authentic, very rich food. I recommend the noodles! Small site

Amazing food. The portions are bigger and more filling than they appear.