Kinn Niyom — Restaurant in Sydney

Ate from the branch at Wollongong, so was thrilled to know they had one at Castle Hill.

Service- since we didn't have reservations and we were rather underdressed to sit outside in the cold, rainy weather we requested to sit inside. (We were a party of 2)

The staff asked us to come back after 15mins but let the next couple in without a reservation. So be sure to make a reservation or they can be quite alarmingly difficult to deal with as they can get busy especially after 7pm.

Atmosphere: To be honest, since it was an unplanned visit, we walked in just after 7pm. It can get noisy and busy, but it hasn't reached the overwhelming point yet. However I'd rather head in earlier next time as I prefer a less rushed, as well as quieter time to truly appreciate the atmosphere.

Food:

Mango Mojito 🥤: 0/10 They ran out of glasses so they served it in a different glass than advertised (making it not very photographable). The mango flavor was overpowered by the lemon flavor and it was really hard to drink. My friend had it on her previous visit and it was really good back then, so she was rather disappointed.

Crab Prawns Roll 🥐: 8/10 This dish is sweet from the plum sauce, it tasted really good. Can taste the crab and the prawn. And I loved the crunch to bite into. (2 points deduction as the crab didn't feel fresh and I could see some black filling when cutting into the dish, I am super curious as to what it was.)

Soft Shell Crab Papaya Salad 🥗: 5/10 All 5 points go to the Papaya Salad. The crab has black and grey things on it and smelt off. The Salad looked questionable but tasted refreshingly nice. It was sweet with a kick of spicy, we enjoyed pairing it with different dishes throughout the meal. I would definitely buy the Papaya salad as a side dish.

Satay Chicken: 🐔 7.5/10 It was okay, the sauces were really nice, personally didn't feel like it was a game changer.

Masman Beef Curry and steamed Rice: 🍛 8.5/10 ✨ The star of the night ✨ Taste was on point. 1.5 deduction as the meat sizes varied so the big pieces needed a knife to pull them apart and was chewy, whereas the small pieces were cooked to perfection and fell apart with a spoon and melted in the mouth. Also the mashed potatoes greatly complimented this dish, but I wouldn't be mad if they added in a little more.

Overall: I think this place has potential so I will be returning on a day and time that is quiet to give it another try. Busy Days seems to be rushed which compromises on plating up, cooking time and overall taste. Hope they can get up to speed with the Wollongong branch.

And please don't discriminate between guests. I am not white, and I am not going to bring up racial matters but it could be anyone in my shoes, doesn't cost a penny to have basic courtesy to patrons who are eager to eat...

WE LEFT STRESSED, UNSATISFIED, AND DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED!!!!!

We booked a long table at Kinn Niyom for 10 people at 5:30 PM to celebrate a special occasion last Friday night. We got there a little early, around 5:25 PM, and were shown to our reserved table. That’s when things got confusing. A staff member suddenly told us we only had 1.5 hours to eat because another group was coming at 7:00 PM. They offered us another table where we could stay longer, but it was too small for 10 adults. They tried adding more chairs, but it felt tight and uncomfortable. In the end, we stayed at our original table but felt rushed because of the time limit, which made the whole experience less enjoyable.

The service from then on was completely disorganized. No one bothered to come and update us about the set menus. I had to get up myself and approach the staff just to ask the menus

When the food finally started arriving at around 6:30 PM, it was incomplete and staggered. And just when we thought we could finally eat and enjoy our celebration, the manager walked over, not to check how we were doing, but to remind us we needed to leave by 7:00 PM. We had barely started eating. The pressure was unreal.

To make matters worse, there was even a piece of plastic found in the lamb dish, which we had to send back. Instead of an apology or some form of compensation, we had to wait again, all while the manager was hovering, reminding us of the clock.

She showed zero empathy, and her only concern seemed to be flipping the table for the next booking. The MANAGER, had cold, poker faces, and seemed annoyed rather than apologetic or accommodating. Not once did anyone genuinely check in or try to improve the experience. We ended up having to pack most of our food to go, and shockingly, they charged us for the takeaway containers even though we had no choice but to leave because of their poor planning.

To be fair, the food itself was actually nice, but we didn’t get to enjoy it at all. What should have been a joyful dinner celebration was completely ruined by poor communication, rigid time policies, and unprofessional management.

We left stressed, unsatisfied, and deeply disappointed. I wouldn’t recommend Kinn Niyom to anyone who values customer service, proper booking management, or just the basic ability to sit and enjoy a meal without being rushed...

We booked a long table for 10 people at Kinn Niyom for 5:30 PM. We arrived a bit early around 5:25, and the staff assisted us to the original long table. However, we were told that the maximum dining time for that table was 1.5 hours due to another booking. They offered us another table where we could stay for 2 hours, but it clearly couldn’t fit 10 people comfortably. They tried adding chairs, but it was too cramped, so we decided to stay at the original long table.

Once seated, we looked through the menu and even made a list of our orders to make things easier. Unfortunately, no one came to check if we were ready. We tried calling for attention, and eventually one of our family members had to get up and approach the staff so we could place our order.

Since we were a group of 10, we ordered set menus, which meant a lot of dishes. The food only started coming out at 6:25 PM. At 6:45, the manager came to our table in a non-accommodating tone, reminding us that there was another booking at 7 PM. She claimed she didn’t want to upset us, but her manner of speaking had the opposite effect. We tried to explain that the food had come late and that we hadn’t even had enough time to enjoy it.

To make things worse, one of our family members found a piece of plastic in their lamb chops. The dish had to be replaced, which delayed things further. Despite this, the manager seemed more concerned about the next booking than about our experience.

Overall, it turned into a stressful dinner. For a long table booking with a big group, they should have allowed more time. The whole process—from ordering to serving—takes longer than a small table, and expecting 10 people to order and eat within 1.5 hours is unrealistic. While a shorter time limit may be reasonable for smaller groups, it doesn’t work for large parties.

The manager’s attitude also made things worse. Instead of showing understanding or flexibility, her tone made it clear she was only focused on moving us out quickly.

We all ended up rushing through dinner just to leave on time. Unfortunately, this ruined what should have been a pleasant...