How is Kin Khao restaurant rated?

Name: Kin Khao
Address: 55 Cyril Magnin Street, San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102
Telephone: (415) 362-7456
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.3

Kin Khao

4.3

550 Reviews

$30 and under

Unspecified

Top Tags:

Kin Khao serves delicious Thai food that stays true to its origin, made with seasonal produce and sustainably raised or caught meats and seafood. We make all our curry pastes, sauces, and relishes in-house daily. Other staples we must buy–like Nam Pla fish sauce and Kapi shrimp paste–we source only the best from Thailand. We invite you to taste the difference.Kin = eat; Khao = rice In Thailand, to eat is to eat rice. So, colloquially, when we say “kin khao” we mean “to eat” or “let’s eat”

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Unspecified
Hours of operation
Mon–Fri 11:30 am–11:00 pm Sat, Sun 5:30 pm–11:00 pm
Phone number
(415) 362-7456
Website
http://www.kinkhao.com/?y_source=1_MTU0MDUyMjItODYwLWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU=
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Narciso Salvador
Private party facilities
Please contact events@kinkhao.com for information regarding private parties (half buyouts and full buyouts).

Location
55 Cyril Magnin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Neighborhood
Downtown / Union Square
Cross street
Mason and Ellis
Parking details
2 blocks away from the Powell Bart station. Valet parking is offered by the Parc 55 hotel ($12 for 2 hours after validation).
Additional
Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Mushroom Hor Mok Terrine$14.00
curry mousse in-a-jar with mushrooms, crisp rice cake
Som Tum Papaya Salad$10.00
spicy chili+lime+fish sauce dressing, green beans, cherry tomatoes, dried shrimp, peanuts
Yum Yai Salad$15.00
a mix of raw, cooked, & batter-fried seasonal vegetables, not-so-spicy chili jam dressing
Yum Polamai$15.00
stone Fruit Salad with toasted coconut, shallots, bird's eye chili, Mint, cilantro, shiso
Stir-Fried Baby Choy Sum$9.00
with light soy, garlic
Yum Kai Dao*$10.00
fried duck egg, chili jam dressing, peanuts, shallots, mint, cilantro
Khao Kan Jin$15.00
pim's favorite Chiang mai street food banana leaf-wrapped steamed pork+rice+blood sausage, served with garlic chips, fried & raw shallots, cilantro, lime [it's super good. we dare you to try it!]
Plah Pla Muek$16.00
charred monterey bay squid with a spicy+tangy seafood sauce, peanuts, cilantro
Pretty Hot Wings$12.00
Nam Pla fish sauce+garlic marinade, tamarind+Sriracha glaze
Caramelized Pork Belly$17.00
sweet, savory, voluptuous pork belly cooked in a cast-iron pot
Nam Tok Beans$14.00
ayocote morado beans tossed isaan-style with lime, chili, rice powder, light soy, shallots, scallions, mint, cilantro
Kua Kling Ribs$16.00
spicy, dry-fried pork ribs in Southern-style turmeric curry paste, Kaffir lime leaves
Pad Kee Mao$18.00
spicy stir-fried drunken noodles with ground pork, rice noodles garlic, birds eye chili, onions, bell peppers, holy basil. Vegetarian version made with hodo soy tofu
Namprik Long Rua$27.00
(Boat trip relish) spicy, umami-bomb Kapi shrimp paste relish, caramelized pork jowl, crispy catfish, seasonal vegetables (warning: this is not Thai food for beginners)
Whole Roasted Rock Fish$50.00
seasoned with gaeng kua paste, served with lime, cilantro, fish sauce, thai chili, spicy+tangy seafood sauce (limited availability)
Mussels & Peach Gaeng Kua Curry$35.00
salt spring island mussels, k&j farms' peaches, gaeng kua curry paste, coconut milk, lemon basil
Khun Yai's Rabbit Green Curry$35.00
Kiew Wan curry paste, coconut milk, rabbit leg & saddle, Rabbit meatballs, apple eggplants, Thai basil
Massaman Nuea$35.00
Braised beef cheeks in Massaman curry, coconut milk, burnt shallots, potatoes
Vegetable Panang$29.00
seasonal vegetables Braised in panang curry, coconut milk, kaffir, thai basil

What 550 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.3

4.3 based on all time ratings

4.4Food
4.1Service
3.7Ambience
3.8Value

Noise • Moderate

550 Reviews

R
Rach
Seattle
4 reviews
1.0
4 reviews
Reviewed on March 2, 2019
overall1foodserviceambience
Brought a good friend here from out of town. Initially put off by the musty foot smell and aroma carried throughout the restaurant. Server was quite stoic. Ordered the Saeng Wah Salad which was the biggest mistake I have ever made when ordering anywhere. I am convinced of this as no one else has written a review about this dish, all too wise to order. This dish is a bowl of room temp. fried crusties with some room temp shrimps and i guess catfish, that tasted like lemongrass. So bad I I had to scrape off my plate back into the bowl which upset our server; I am unsure as to why. Panang quite spicy, pretty good, but overall not worth 30$. No meat and I've had much better for 12$. So many places to eat in SF. I would avoid this one.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
11 reviews
4.0
11 reviews
Dined on November 18, 2016
overall4food4service4ambience3
Some dishes were great while others we didn't love even though quality was great, just wasn't the flavors we enjoyed. Wings were very good and Bangkok noodles amazing! Didn't love the ribs or cod dumplings - overall good but not amazing!
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AN
AziN
New York Area
93 reviews
vip
4.0
93 reviews
Dined on October 30, 2016
overall4food4service3ambience4
Super cute spot and the food was overall great! We had the mushroom starter, papaya salad, wings, bean lettuce wraps and the drunken noodles which were all delicious. We tried the veggie Panang curry which was lacking in spice for me personally. The only thing that the entire table did not like were the pork ribs which seemed like they were slathered in too much of the paste they used to marinate.
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TG
TheGlobalFoodie
San Francisco
14 reviews
vip
4.0
14 reviews
Dined on October 21, 2016
overall4food4service5ambience4
Portions are large and meant for sharing! Keep this in mind especially if you are staying at a hotel. Loved the charred eggplant salad and fried duck egg salad for appetizers. Also liked the sauces for the fried whole rock fish but fish... not as fresh as I would have liked it. For $48 I expect it to taste like it was just caught. Beef cheeks in Massaman Curry was just ok.
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n
njcsf
San Francisco
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on October 18, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience4
delicious, creative and fresh thai cuisine that balances tradition with originality, served by friendly and knowledgable staff in a comfortably casual modern setting. Can't wait to return.
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S
Samsara
San Francisco
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on October 18, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Not your everyday Thai food... This is elevated and special yet keeps with the flavor profiles of Thailand in a modern and new way.
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M
Meatx
Exclusive
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on October 17, 2016
overall4food4service4ambience3
I've been eyeing Kin Khao for a long time. Truly, the food was good, but I was thoroughly unimpressed. It was JUST good, but nothing extraordinary. It was loud, service was appropriate, mediocre value.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on October 17, 2016
overall4food4service3ambience4
Inventive food and fine service but way too loud for conversation.
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F
Foodar
Vancouver
12 reviews
3.0
12 reviews
Dined on October 17, 2016
overall3food5service3ambience2
We were very much looking forward to dining at Kin Khao, given its reputation. While the food was outstanding, the overall experience was seriously marred by the extremely high noise level we experienced in the restaurant (perhaps related to the location of our table?). It was unsettling, and we often had to repeat ourselves to be heard while sitting directly across from one another (about 3 feet apart). The servers varied from warm to disengaged; the overall service experience was not exceptional. A Michelin star raises expectations of excellent food but also the creation of an ambiance to enhance the dining experience. Kin Khao succeeds with regard to the quality of the food, but not otherwise.
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JT
JTLSR
Atlanta Metro
28 reviews
vip
5.0
28 reviews
Dined on October 16, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience4
Spectacular cocktails and food. Not el cheapo Pad Thai but authentic flavorful cuisine fit for foodies. Mushroom mousse on rice cakes is a must.
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LT
LT34
San Francisco
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on October 15, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always a flarvorful time, here. I loved the menu and the service is always on point!
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SB
SomaleeB
St. Louis
7 reviews
2.0
7 reviews
Dined on October 14, 2016
overall2food4service1ambience3
The food was great, but our waitress had too many tables so the service was lacking. They need to invest more in service. Not a one michelin star experience wise.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on October 13, 2016
overall4food4service3ambience3
Fun place, excellent food. If you're. it into spice, not for you. My cocktail wasn't the best but loved every dish that came out. Went in a group of 6 and we shared everything. Highly recommend doing that.
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FE
FrequentEater
San Francisco
47 reviews
vip
4.0
47 reviews
Dined on October 12, 2016
overall4food5service4ambience3
Kin Khao never disappoints. The menu is ambitious but not pretentious, and most importantly it's still recognizable as Thai food. The dinner menu is entirely different from the lunch menu, but it's not heavy food even for dinner. Highlights: the butter beans with lettuce are a must-have, plus the charred eggplant salad and the ling cod dumplings.
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b
blah
San Francisco
68 reviews
vip
1.0
68 reviews
Dined on October 10, 2016
overall1food1service1ambience1
Oh they're just giving away Michelin stars these days… Sigh There used to be a time when a Michelin star meant something and said something about the food the ambience the decor etc. sadly no more and this restaurant will be the primary driver for us to stay away from one star Michelin restaurants hoping that the two and three star properties revisit live up to their credentials. The ambience was worse than a food court in Singapore Jakarta I'll Kuala Lumpur the only good point about the entire experience was the valet which is a lifesaver in any dinner in any large city The eggplant was sour, the squid was stale and sour, The rabbit was creamy sugary and downright loathsome, The cocktails were watery sugary and tasted like melted Popsicles The grilled rock Cod was not too bad but then I could do the same thing in my backyard By my own self it was just one large fish on a platter that has been grilled again not sure where that fits in the Michelin world I'm hoping they will lose the star in 2017 and my faith in the Michelin star system restored
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N
Nicke
San Francisco
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on October 9, 2016
overall4food4service4ambience4
Nice, interesting flavors! I recommend the vegetarian menu.
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V
Vino49
New York Area
5 reviews
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on October 9, 2016
overall4food5service3ambience2
The food is delicious, service good, ambiance consistent with the restaurant being tucked into the corner of a giant corporate hotel. Take the blood sausage challenge!
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AS
AlexisS
San Francisco
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on October 8, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious and unique Thai food with pungent and complex flavors. Cool ambiance, laid back vibe, quiet enough to talk, and great cocktails. What a treat!
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N
Noelb
Melbourne
8 reviews
4.0
8 reviews
Dined on October 7, 2016
overall4food4service5ambience3
Dined here as a group of four friends. Prompt, efficient service. Interesting menu, excellent quality food, although I suspect the chillie quotient has been dialled back significantly to accomodate American palates. Nice balance of salty/ sweet/ sour in the sauces & dressings. The best Asian food we've had in San Francisco.
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m
mimi
San Francisco
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on October 4, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
One of the best and most unique restaurants in San Francisco. A gem!
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J
Jork
San Francisco
57 reviews
vip
3.0
57 reviews
Dined on October 4, 2016
overall3food4service1ambience2
Food is very good but I can't understand how Kin Khao can keep its Michelin star with its poor service.
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P
Paul
London
17 reviews
3.0
17 reviews
Dined on October 3, 2016
overall3food4service3ambience2
Very good thai food! We had the tasting menu/ sharing menu. However, we got very little information during the meal, and when we got some information about what we were eating, we could hardley hear what they were saying, becsuse of the noise level. When the last course came, we were already full. Thus we did not get to enjoy the meal to the full.
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DM
DanMG
Atlanta Metro
29 reviews
vip
5.0
29 reviews
Dined on October 2, 2016
overall5food5service4ambience4
My gf and I took her friend visiting from out of town here and we loved it!! The flavors were so incredible. We look forward to returning!!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on October 2, 2016
overall4food4service5ambience4
By far the best Thai cuisine we've tasted in the Bay Area - almost like being in Thailand. Service was great. Parking is tough being in the city and all. We opted for the tasting menu and were blown away by the super tender and flavorful beef cheek and pork loin dishes. Loved the mushroom terrine and smoky eggplant. The low light of the evening was the dessert - adding toasted coconut to vanilla ice cream in a jar with jam does not make it Thai. Highly recommended.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 1, 2016
overall5food5service4ambience5
The food was so yummy and delicious! The cocktails the server recommended were amazing! Tasty flavors and perfectly balanced! I loved it here and will return for sure.
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CS
CraftySwan
San Francisco
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on September 30, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
AWESOME!!!!! If I had to pick one food to eat forever, it would be the drunken noodles with pork. OMG!!! Love this place!
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CD
CharlesD
San Francisco
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on September 30, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Exceptional food. Incredible overall dining experience. We'll definitely be back.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 25, 2016
overall5food5service4ambience5
It was great!
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d
discerningdiner
Seattle
58 reviews
4.0
58 reviews
Dined on September 23, 2016
overall4food4service4ambience3
Innovative yet authentic. The ribs are to die for, even though my mouth is on fire for at least 15 mins after devouring them. Rich in flavor, tender till the meat falls off the bone, lip smacking good! And the pork belly is delish. So are the wings!
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RW
RumiW
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 23, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Yum! This restaurant is not your standard pad thai -mee grob Thai restaurant. It served delicious unusual local recipes from Thailand. We had a reservation on a Friday and we were glad we did. It was crowded. They have a great beer selection. The food is very flavorful. If you are up for real Thai food, this is it.
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WR
xWRL
San Francisco
20 reviews
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on September 23, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Kin Khao has attracted world-wide attention for its distinctive menu. It's a great place to take guests who are open to trying new kinds of food. Everything I've ever sampled there has been both interesting and delicious. It's a really exciting experience, and the wait staff do a great job of making you feel at home.
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A
Awesome
San Francisco
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on September 20, 2016
overall3food4service3ambience5
It is not a place if you don't like spicy food, like me, although I love Thai food. Menu is very limited. My husband and friends, who like spicy food, really liked it though. We were meeting friends who were in a conference. The reason I didn't give a better overall score is because my friends were late, which happens sometimes, and my husband and I were hungry. I told my friends not to worry as we would start with appetizers and drinks. However they didn't let us sit unless full party showed up, and because they took more than 15 min, they cancelled our reservation altogether (as a non-show), even after I checked in with them so they knew we were there. Once we waited again for another table, besides being very very hungry and having my mouth burning from spicy, everything else was ok. I don't want to be unfair with the restaurant, but my experience that night was not very good.
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UF
UberFoodie
San Francisco
63 reviews
vip
2.0
63 reviews
Dined on September 19, 2016
overall2food2service3ambience3
Just meh. Kin Khao has a Michelin star and has had countless write-ups, but overall fell short of expectations. Biggest disappointment was the food, starting with no pork belly (server said oven was not working properly). We settled for the mushroom curry terraine, which wasn't like a mousse at all, but more runny, like a sauce. Had good flavor and the rice crackers that came with it complimented it well. Next was a Thai "tamale" made w/ground pork, blood sausage and sticky rice. We couldn't taste the meat and even with the toppings of onions, cilantro and peppers, still turned out bland. Last was the Massaman curry - beef cheeks were tender but flavor underwhelmed. We didn't want to risk getting dessert only to be disappointed. Specialty cocktails were also lackluster. Best part was the service. Host was friendly and welcoming, which gave us a great first impression of the restaurant. Server was knowledgeable and attentive. Overall, fair but would probably not go back or recommend, especially with so many other Thai options in the area.
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RT
RajivT
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 18, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Really fast service!
1 person found this helpful
OT
OpenTable Diner
Houston
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on September 17, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious food!!! It was some of the best Thai food I've ever had. We had the pad kee mao and massaman nuea - I would definitely go back next time I'm in San Francisco!
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CN
CaseyN
San Francisco
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on September 16, 2016
overall3food3service4ambience4
Chicken wings were delicious, cocktails were great & beautiful. The vegetable panang curry was extremely disappointing - big, bland, starchy vegetables, way too many lemongrass fibers/hairs, and ridiculously overpriced at $30 for a veggie curry. Service, ambiance, and noise levels were all just ok.
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JD
JaimeD
New York Area
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 14, 2016
overall4food4service4ambience3
Interesting, original. Worth a visit.
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j
jaxsterdam
Washington DC
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on September 12, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great service. And warm and welcoming. 2nd time there and will go back next time I stay nearby again!
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AB
ABSS
New York Area
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on September 11, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food and service! From the appetizers to the desserts top-notch all around.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
1 review
vip
4.0
1 review
Dined on September 10, 2016
overall4food4service3ambience3
Vacation trip to SF
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FAQs

Kin Khao is rated 4.3 stars by 550 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable reservation network.

If you like, we'll notify you by email if this restaurant joins.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

55 Cyril Magnin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Additional information

Cross street
Mason and Ellis
Neighborhood
Downtown / Union Square
Hours of operation
Mon–Fri 11:30 am–11:00 pm Sat, Sun 5:30 pm–11:00 pm
Cuisines
Unspecified
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
2 blocks away from the Powell Bart station. Valet parking is offered by the Parc 55 hotel ($12 for 2 hours after validation).
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Narciso Salvador
Additional
Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.kinkhao.com/?y_source=1_MTU0MDUyMjItODYwLWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU=
Phone number
(415) 362-7456
Private party facilities
Please contact events@kinkhao.com for information regarding private parties (half buyouts and full buyouts).

Kin Khao

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information

Menu

Main

Mushroom Hor Mok Terrine$14.00

Som Tum Papaya Salad$10.00

Yum Yai Salad$15.00

Yum Polamai$15.00

Stir-Fried Baby Choy Sum$9.00

Yum Kai Dao*$10.00

Khao Kan Jin$15.00

Plah Pla Muek$16.00

Pretty Hot Wings$12.00

Caramelized Pork Belly$17.00

Nam Tok Beans$14.00

Kua Kling Ribs$16.00

Pad Kee Mao$18.00

Namprik Long Rua$27.00

Whole Roasted Rock Fish$50.00

Mussels & Peach Gaeng Kua Curry$35.00

Khun Yai's Rabbit Green Curry$35.00

Massaman Nuea$35.00

Vegetable Panang$29.00

Featured Items

Chicken Broth$4.00

Spiced Peanuts$4.00

House Pickles$4.00

Pork Cracklings$7.00

Salted Duck Egg$4.00

Sticky Rice$4.00

White Jasmine Rice$4.00

Brown Jasmine Rice$4.00

What 550 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Kin Khao restaurant rated?

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information