I don’t get the hype. My biggest gripe about Kin Khao is that you pay Michelin star prices, but get an average Thai restaurant experience. The dining room is LOUD, poorly ventilated and cramped. Service is rushed and our waitress disappeared at the end. We had to box our own leftovers. It was my birthday but no one wished me a happy birthday nor did they suggest dessert. This is not a place you go for a special event or to be treated well. It’s a place you go to pay a lot extra for hype and slightly better than standard Thai fare. Mushroom appetizer, grilled squid, and pork belly were standouts. The noodles were goopy, burnt, and one note. The beef cheek curry lacked dimension and gave mom’s beef stew vibes. That plus four cocktails and our bill was $270 for two before tip.

Overall an ok experience. I am not sure that I’m a fan of the flavor profile, too salty and sour for my taste. Some dishes came underwhelming (the squid and the stir-fried noodles). Service was good but not excellent. There was a smell (pungent and fishy) in the dining room area where we first got seated, had to ask the host to move us to a different table. Quite loud in the dining room, we could barely hear our server when he presented the food.

It’s nice to experience a Michelin Star Thai restaurant in SF. This place is located at the Parc 55 hotel and if you’re out here for business, give them a try. The menu here is very northern Thai inspired and different from general American Thai restaurants. I really enjoyed the mushroom spread appetizer with rice crackers. The spicy bean appetizer was good but it felt too overpowered by spice to enjoy the dish. The fat chicken broth rice dish is a simple hainan inspired experience but I would recommend ordering their noodles instead. And of course, the Thai ice tea was delicious.

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 was dining on my own so sat at the bar and enjoyed the busy buzz of the bar. Lanna cocktail was citrusy, aromatic and spicy to perfection. I tried the mushroom curry mousse with crispiest lightest rice cakes possible. Yaowaraj noodle was everything I was hoping for. Will come back!

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 just something magical about the bustling and surprisingly casual charm of their original Union Square location. I went on reopening day, and again a few weeks later, and thoroughly enjoyed each dinner. No reopening jitters here, they are back and haven’t missed a beat. One of my favorite dishes is the khao yum, a colorful turmeric rice salad with an incredible mix of flavors and textures. An ideal bite for me has some of the tart grapefruit, crunchy puffed rice and coconut, greens, and tamarind black sesame dressing which ties it all together. The plah pla muek squid and caramelized pork belly are two standouts that remind me of the squid and pork jowl at Chef Pim Techamuanvivit’s other SF restaurant Nari. The tangy brightness of the squid contrasts nicely with the luscious fatty pork belly. Get a side of rice to soak up the sauce from both. For the extra adventurous, the nam prik long rua is a pungent fermented shrimp paste relish served with an assortment of vegetables. The taste was a little intense 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 as much as their other dishes. Do save space for the warm black rice pudding though - a sweet & salty bowl you might need seconds of! Their concise cocktail menu is also a treat. Creative Thai flavors add a fun spin to well-balanced classic cocktails. The Siam Sipper is like a spicy old-fashioned, while the Tom Yum 2.0 alludes to the soup, without actually tasting like soup. A few alcohol-free cocktails are also available, as well as beer and wine.

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 "yes sir", "how is your food sir", etc. Made us uncomfortable that my female partner was ignored.

I went to celebrate a friend's birthday to Kin Khao. Being a Michelin star restaurant, we had very high expectations. However, we were very disappointed, to say the least. Our server was very rude and rushed us into placing the order. The place wouldn't allow any substitutions either. The food was very ordinary and we even had house flies around. The place was cramped and definitely not worth the pricing or the experience. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone, especially if you are looking for a Michelin experience.

Overall the food was very good, however the service was very bad and I’ll never go back. My party of four was seated at a communal table in the middle and we were told that we wouldn’t have to worry about other reservations because it’s a shared table. This older man with a shaved head kept coming to take away a beef dish I was working on. Even though we were in the process of ordering dessert, he said “There are people waiting for this table.” We ignored him and ordered dessert and as we were eating dessert he came by again and said, “We’re going to need this table for another reservation.” We ended up spending close to $400 on the meal even though we didn’t have alcohol and that man was very rude and the service was bad. That’s not how you treat polite, paying costumers, attempting to take away food they are still working on. They need to give their employees a course of customer service. Still giving 3 stars because I enjoyed the food despite the rude man.

A great One-Star Michelin Thai eatery. The quality isn’t your typical Thai restaurant found in The City. Fresh with a definite California influence - Rabbit Curry, any one? Colorful alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks to choose from beside a great wine and beer selection. Majority of their ingredients comes from small Northern California farmers, ranchers, etc. Decor is very modern casual. Small in size inside the Parc 55 Hotel. Noise level is loud. Be sure to make reservations prior to the day or your will wait for a table. It can be a long wait! Con: If you want to order the prix fixe menu, everyone at your table has to do so. This could be difficult if members of your party have dietary restrictions.

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 to try. We will not be returning. Poor service and inferior ingredients. The pork was too tough to chew. The raw vegetables were fresh and delicious. The ambience was super loud.

I don't normally leave reviews, but I was surprised this place had so many sub-5 star reviews, so I had to do something about it. If you're the type to read reviews, you'll know that a lot of ppl talk about the mushroom, the pork belly, and the beef tongue. No one really mentions the squash, which I felt was a hugely underrated dish, and the squid was also pretty nice. A critic might call the squash dish "extremely balanced". But I'm not a critic, so idk what I'm talking about. A bit of context: I had an 8:45pm reservation and was the last person to leave the restaurant at around 10:30pm. Sometimes I did have a bunch of plates on my table due to me not eating as fast as the chefs were cooking, but I think the staff were just trying to keep up with all the tables. I don't hold that against them, but some of the other reviewers do. Anyway, prix fixe was like 95$. You can pack up all your leftovers before they bring you dessert. If it's too much or too rich just save it for lunch tomorrow. I'm not a photographer, so the best photo I have is that squash salad, which I've added below. You can't really see the squash, but it's in there

I came here with my family for my birthday/graduation and it was an expensive but extremely tasty and fulfilling experience. Would definitely go here again! My recommendations: The Caramelized pork belly and the Massaman Nuea (Braised beef cheek curry). Delicious!! I want to try more…🤤

The saltiness must be a dare. "How much salt can we pour on this and still get these customers to pay us for their suffering". How this place is popular must simply be for status and impressing others through conspicuous consumption. I don't expect authentic Thai food. They're trying to be Avante Garde. Great! But the food needs to be edible. Just not impressed with what they are doing here after several visits (at the behest of friends).

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 is flavorful enough for 2 people. The Gaeng God with braised frog legs was interesting -- tangy and vegetal, but very very spicy if your spice tolerance is on the low end. Service was friendly and quick. Do get the bar seat, there's a small serving window next to it where you can see all the action. The staff here are quick and professional and exciting to watch.

We Really enjoyed our meals especially the squeed dish. It was very flavorful. I loved the drunken noodles dish a lot too. The dishes are great for family style dining. We were able get to in without the reservation on Saturday but we got lucky. I recommend too book ahead of time.

1st time visiting and I was not sure what to expect based on other reviews, but I must say that the 1 Michellin star is what attracted me to it among other things. The al dente noodles and the broth were delicious. The mushroom custard was something I had never eaten before and although it was unusual and tasty, it did not impress me much. The family style eating and casual atmosphere was unexpected but the decor and simplicity was nice to see. I'd go again to try other dishes.

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.

We sat at the bar on a Tuesday night. The service was cordial and efficient. The food was lovely. The squash in particular was remarkable, as were the beef cheeks and black rice pudding.

A very down to earth Michelin, there’s a set menu but you can also order a La cart. My highlights: Caramelized pork belly: this is so so good, it’s so soft the fat part melts in my mouth, and the meat part is also very tender. The dish tastes sweet and mixes super well with sticky rice. Bok choy: I really liked the bok choy, surprisingly. It’s very rich of taste, and the bok choy is very fresh and juicy. The other two are friend’s rec but tastes okay for me. Pretty hot wings is PRETTY HOT so order at discretion. The store itself is pretty cute, but the bathroom is a little far away in the hotel lobby. We had to wait quite often for our server.

Amazing spot for Thai food - their menu options are all unique! Their plates are a definitely on the spicy side, so be cautious if you can’t handle spice.

We tried this restaurant because its Michelin star during our visit to San Fran and it lived up to it. The restaurant is inside a hotel and it took us a while to find it. Upon entering, we were nicely greeted and seated. Reservation is highly recommended. We sampled their pickle plate, pork belly and dungeonese crab. The pork belly alone is cooked and seasoned to perfection. Not overly sweet like many places do it to cater to certain clientele. The service is very good, great attention to detail, as they provide unlimited hot towel for when we eat the crabs. Be ready to get your hands dirty. Wish we will go back soon and try more!

I would rate my experience somewhere between 4 and 5. First thing you notice is the strong aroma which is also reflected in the food. Wings were absolutely amazing and my favorite dish was Yaowaraj Noodles. I like intense flavors and I thought this place felt very authentic and reminded me of southeast asia travels. The big caveat of this restaurant was the space just felt a little too closed and maybe could do better with additional ventilation. Our servers mixed up couple of orders but I am okay with it given they were superrr busy. Overall I recommend this place and next time I might togo the noodles.

Good food, but not significantly better than any number of everyday-priced Thai restaurants. The amount of meat included with the entrees was quite large, which was a pleasant surprise. The meat in both cases (beef and duck) was well prepared, although some parts of the duck were a bit dry and the duck meatballs were bland. The bok choy side was also quite large, which would be nice at $13, but we weren't able to finish it. The rice is ordered separately and each one is enough for two. The drinks were good and the service was very good, as expected given the rating. The restaurant itself was unremarkable, although the buzz of the patrons lent itself to the ambience. Additionally, the restroom is located in the lobby of the hotel which shares the building and you need a key card to access it. Overall, it was somewhat disappointing for the price.

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: highly recommend 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 not too spicy. loved the sourness from the fish sauce and slightly sweet glaze. unique flavor and must try - gaeng hed(mushroom curry): sooo good! the mushrooms were crispy despite being drowned in curry and the curry was also flavorful and creamy. the pop of juiciness and freshness of the tomato add the extra layer of complexity to keep you wanting more.

Such a great meal here. The papaya salad was so delicious. They had pretty authentic Thai flavours and dishes. They were very cautious on spice level for those who are worried about that. I love everything spicy so the Chiles on the side were a great touch. Fried chicken sandwich was a happy surprise. One of our favourite meals this trip to San Francisco. Would go back in a heartbeat.

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!

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 and the squid. The combination which was recommended to us by the waiter was fantastic. The acidity of the squid cut the fattiness of the pork and together with the sticky rice was a fantastic combination and probably my favorite thing at the restaurant. I would highly recommend this place considering the quality of food and service and the price being very reasonable.

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.

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.

Attracted by the fame and here we were. The restaurant space was intimate and causal - even noisy as you may. The service also made one feel at home. We were cautioned about the level of spiciness regarding some of the items on the menu (that did not turn out to be a problem for us at all) and the portion of the food was more generous than we expected. I personally found the mussels not very appetizing - there's something about the flavor that did not invite you to take another bite. The rabbit green curry tasted nice (not creamy fyi), but the meat was not very tender or juicy. What we really liked turned out to be the stir-fried rice noodles, in particular the texture of the noodle and the refreshing taste of the sauce - no doubt the best of that kinds I've ever had.

Go. For a date, for a group, on your own. This has been on my list for a while, and I deeply regret not trying it earlier. Had a truly amazing meal here. The often suspicious hyperbole of other reviewers was warranted. I hadn't realized they had a Michelin star, but I'm not surprised. It's not budget Thai food certainly, but it's very accessible in SF terms, especially for the quality. I took another reviewer's advice and opted for the friends and family menu, as I was dining on my own. It was a lot of food, but absolutely the right decision. You to try a number of very different and all expertly made dishes. Every dish was uniquely flavourful and a little unexpected. The meat dishes were melt in your mouth, perfectly prepared. I had absolutely no room left for dessert, which I ate all of. The cocktails are not to be overlooked either. Inventive, unusual (a Thai themed cocktail with Genever was excellent), well-crafted drinks. Quentin at the bar was great and gave me an education in local (and some non local) gins.