Kiin Imm Thai Restaurant (Vienna) — Restaurant in Merrifield

Upon reading all the 1 star reviews, it seems like everyone is complaining about the same lady. She has always been rude to me and I have always felt judged by her.

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My husband and I order take out and eat in at least 3-4 times a month. We prefer to take out because the service is slow (I understand everyone in this industry is understaffed), but one time I had waited 15-20 minutes by the door and I was ignored by the staff and eventually had to take my business elsewhere (same waiter who was rude to us today).

Today, when we walked in, we were told to seat ourselves. After some time, the waiter was nowhere to be seen, so I shifted my body to look around to get somebody’s attention. When my eyes met one of the servers, she rolled her eyes and had an irritated look on her face. She was not friendly. From that moment on, I was not in a good mood because of the way our server treated me.

I had not said or done anything to provoke her to be so rude.

Our food today was pretty bland- from our curry, chicken satay, to drunken noodle. Our drunken noodles were not only bland, but had a very strange taste and smell to it- it was the smell of old/rotten green beans. I couldn’t eat it- my husband ate a few bites, but he noticed it was off too. I have never sent back food before, but I could not eat it and it was what I was really craving today, so I asked for it to be remade. When we received the second bowl, it still tasted the same, just spicier.

When I had asked the server to take it off our bill- she gave me this weird look. Zero empathy or wanting to make things right - more like “wtf is her problem” kind of facial expression. She brought out the owner or manager and he put the onus on us and said that next time we dislike a dish, to send it back earlier- not after half the portion was eaten. We had not eaten half the portion. I barely ate a bite and my husband did eat a few bites, but certainly we did not eat half the noodles.

It was upsetting for the manager to point fingers at us instead of apologizing for the dish/inconvenience. He eventually did apologize because I was clearly unhappy by his response. He said that they recently changed suppliers for their wider noodles and that might be the reason for the taste. He brought out a smaller portion because he wanted us to try it again- the portion he brought out was definitely more flavorful, but it still had the weird stench/taste underneath the heavier seasoning (my husband couldn’t pick up on it, but I noticed it slightly)- so he might be right that it was because of the new supplier’s noodles.

After this incident, I don’t think I will be coming back. We usually tip 20%+ when we dine in, but today we could not due to the horrible service and bad taste in our mouth (both literally and figuratively) after our interaction with the staff.

In the end, they did take it off our bill and the manager did try to get to the bottom of the problem through trial and error to ensure the dish will taste better for future customers. And the majority of the time when we have ordered from Kiin Imm, we have enjoyed the food, so that is why I am...

Food Quality (5/5): Excellent. I ordered the Yellow Curry Chicken. The chicken is perfectly cooked and practically melts in the mouth. I also had a unique "secret menu" drink made of soy milk and something else. Definitely worth asking about! This place is rather unique as it lists the allergens on its menu. They also wash the cooking equipment after use to prevent allergen cross-contamination between dishes.

Spice Levels (2/5): Spiciness is subjective. This place is fine for those used to Thai or spicy Asian food. The Yellow Curry is rated as a 2/5 on the menu in terms of spiciness; however, I would rank it as a 4/5, despite being used to Indian curry. Be mindful of the spiciness rankings here, it is better to overestimate the spice.

Service and Atmosphere (5/5): The servers are incredibly friendly and welcoming. The banter between them was endearing and made the place feel like home. Despite being indoors, the design of the restaurant feels like being on an Italian outdoor patio in Sorrento. There are cute lemon and bee accents here and there and a pergola above the tables.

3a. Speed of Service (5/5): The food comes out shockingly quick. Wait times are about 10 minutes or so, which is great for a sit-down restaurant.

Value for Money (5/5): It will be exceptionally hard to find something of comparable quality at this price point. For instance, the curry here costs $16, while Samundar Ki Begam curry at my favorite Indian restaurant is $22. The meat here is of a higher quality.

Variety (5/5): If you like going to the same place on a regular basis, then this is the place for you. The menu has countless entree and non-alcoholic drink options (I didn't check the alcoholic menu). The drink options alone tempt me to come back. You could eat here for a month and have something new each time.

Convenience (3/5): This depends on where you live. If you live in nearby homes, then it's a 5/5; however, if you're like me, this place is a bit of a drive away. There is free parking nearby; however, it is slightly limited - busy times may make parking absent. Even so, I didn't encounter trouble parking during prime dinner hours.

Unique Experience: I normally hate green beans, as they taste gross to me, but the fried green beans here have opened my mind to them. It is worth giving them a try if you also are biased...

Walking into Kiin Imm Thai Restaurant, I was ready for a journey into the heart of Thai cuisine. But what unfolded was a series of missteps that would leave even the most forgiving foodie disillusioned.

The service? It was subpar at its best. The QR code menu, an impersonal touch in a world where connection is the essence of dining, was just the start. You'd think with a party of 13 in a nearly empty space, we'd be the center of attention. Instead, we were relegated to the sidelines, ignored and overlooked. A true disservice to the art of hospitality.

Now, let's talk about the food. Seafood is a sacred ingredient in Thai cooking, and what we got was nothing short of sacrilege. Undercooked, underseasoned, and utterly forgettable. The kitchen seemed to have forgotten that Thai cuisine is a delicate balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. Instead, what we got were dishes that were as bland as they were uninspired.

And the spice level? Let's be clear, I'm all for a good kick, but spice without flavor is just a cheap trick. Their level 5 Thai spicy was about as exciting as a spicy KFC - some heat, no depth, no character. When spice becomes a cover-up for a lack of culinary skill, you know you're in trouble.

The ambiance, admittedly Instagram-worthy, was the only thing they seemed to have invested any real thought into. But a pretty setting does not a good restaurant make.

For service that was practically non-existent, having options to add more tips to an already set 20% tip is just annoying.

In a nutshell, Kiin Imm Thai was a lesson in missed opportunities. A place that could have been a culinary hotspot but ended up being an example of how not to run a restaurant. Food is about passion, flavor, and bringing people together. Sadly, this place missed the mark...