Kinkao — Restaurant in Columbia Township

•walked in and 2 people ahead of us hadn't been acknowledged •15 or so minutes after we stood there they came up and told us all it would be 20 minutes. I said that was ok for my husband and I but didn't know about the girls who were there before •The girls asked about multiple open tables and they said they didn't know, they would check •Waited another 10 or so minutes and a lady came up and told us the upstairs AC didn't work but we could go up there - we declined (it's 94°) •Waited more and the first person came back and asked if anyone had helped us - we said no and she left again •Girls ahead of us left •Waited a few more minutes because I was really trying to be understanding of their AC situation and being a bit busy •People come in to pick up a to-go order and told us this was something that happened to them too • They said we could be seated and took us back to a table that had been open the whole time •Right after sitting down they come up and tell us we are being moved and carry a table over to a corner. I expressed concern about there being room and they ignored me •After a second with the drink menu they take my order and I give my husband the menu - instead of waiting the waitress goes to the next table over and then the next table.. then we left because it was so uncomfortable not being treated like a person •Went to a different restaurant where we were acknowledged immediately

Gave food 3/5 to be fair - wish I could have tried it. Photo of my...

This is the best Thai food in Columbia in my opinion! I've loved Kampai for years, but I recently tried Kinkao for the first time, and I've been obsessed ever since. The curries are DELICIOUS. Absolutely explosive with flavor, colors, and textures.

I've also always had amazing customer service experiences here. In fact, I had a particularly great experience a few weekends ago with a server who made it a point to ask me if I had any dietary restrictions or preferences. Very thoughtful!

I don't eat meat, fish, eggs, or dairy by preference, and he was excited to point me to the vegan options. He even had a bit of extra insight as to which meals included shrimp paste, even though it wasn't specifically noted in the menu description. Bonus points for this guy! It's always appreciated when your server knows the menu inside and out.

Lastly, I've always been impressed by the generous portions of tofu. As a vegan, it's not uncommon to order tofu at a restaurant only to be given 3-4 sad cubes. I live a fit and active lifestyle, and so it's been nice to be able to rely on Kinkao for hearty portions of higher-protein plant foods to keep up with my muscle-building goals.

Anyway, this place rules. Price point is also super reasonable, and it's awesome that you can tack on a hot cup of tea for just a few dollars....

I had the fresh salad roll, the tom yum noodle bowl, and the pad Thai. The food was fresh and nicely made, but they need work on some details. They did do a good job avoiding gluten.

In the salad roll, the shrimp were perfectly cooked, but the roll was just shrimp and lettuce. The lettuce was fresh and crunchy, and the rice wrapper was perfectly moist. I think the menu said it had basil, but I didn't taste any.

The tom yum noodle bowl was tasty and had perfectly cooked shrimp and a generous portion, but it was missing key flavors - kefir lime leaves and galangal. It tasted very much like the sauce that was on the pad Thai, but it had a vinegary flavor, almost like they used pickled peppers to make it spicy. I ate my leftovers at home with an added lime leaf.

The tofu pad Thai was pretty good, but it came with whole peanut halves. I'm used to ground and...