Hed 11 — Restaurant in San Francisco

Food was good, but the service was poor (to be clear: no one was rude!) very disorganized and untrained staff members. This place has potential to be great in the future.

Dinner took over 3+ hours for a 10 course menu, when I felt like it should have been (and it usually is for other restaurants) no longer than 2. We had to wait so long between dishes (sometimes almost 30 minutes!) sitting there super hungry. Communication between the kitchen & waitstaff was poor, especially for a restaurant as well regarded as this one. They never gave us a heads up or an apology for the delay though. It seemed like they don’t think that impacted any of the guests experience.

The waitstaff’s did not know what’s on the menu (the stuff they brought out, they weren’t sure what was coming next and what they were…?) and our waitstaff person didn’t even explain what’s on each dish, they just put down the dish and walk away. Waitstaff had no idea what was on the menu (they didn’t explain this very well, they said there will be some additions to the prix-fixe menu but it wasn’t an addition; it was a replacement) as we kept getting totally different items or completely out of order items. We were so confused and had 0 idea how many courses in total (we were so hungry waiting and trying to guess what’s left despite constantly asking…) If that was the case, I wish we had were clearly told at the start and fully explained what we were eating.

There was one dish (three colored rice) that i didn’t know we were supposed to keep it and eat with other 4 dishes because they didn’t explain. I got myself stuffed with rice….because we didn’t know.

We had to ask for new chopsticks 3 times before we got new ones (we eventually had to ask for it from the hostess!) — the waitstaff kept saying “i’m gonna. don’t worry.” and kept forgetting.

We were drinking sparkling water the whole night and the waiters nearly poured still water into our glasses multiple times. One waiter shattered a glass on a poor woman next to us.

Overall, the food was good but the experience was just bad, considering how upscale this restaurant is /...

Hed 11, a Michelin guide restaurant, now offers $40 lunch menu with 5 courses! Hed 11 is an Upscale Thai restaurant located in Japan Town.

The lunch includes 4 different menus: beef, pork, seafood, and vegan! All menus include 3 colors of rice. I am especially excited about the vegan menu because I am trying to eat less meat in 2025. It was clear the chef really thought out all of the vegan dishes to ensure traditional Thai flavors were captured.

BEEF Grilled Hokkaido Scallop With Rice Noodle And Coconut Curry Grilled Beef With Spicy Mango Salad Pork Ribs In Spicy And Sour Soup Saute’ed Cabbage With Pork Crackling And Dried Shrimps Thai Style Cheese Cake With Red Onion And Passion Fruit Purée

PORK Grilled Hokkaido Scallop With Rice Noodle And Coconut Curry Grilled Pork Jaw In Spicy Salad Pork Rib In Spicy And Sour Soup Thai Style Papaya Salad With Strawberry Thai Style Cheese Cake With Red Onion And Passion Fruit Purée

SEAFOOD Grilled Hokkaido Scallop With Rice Noodle And Coconut Curry Shrimp Salad With Chili Jam And Lemongrass Poached Grouper Spicy Soup With Mushroom Saute’ed Cabbage With Pork Crackling And Dried Shrimps Thai Style Cheese Cake With Red Onion And Passion Fruit Purée

VEGAN Grilled Tofu With Rice Noodle And Coconut Curry Laarb Vegan Tofu And Mushroom Spicy Mixed Thai Herbal Soup With Mushroom Thai Style Spicy Papaya Salad With Strawberry Coconut Ice-Cream With Seasonal Topping

📍 Hed 11, San Francisco

🏷️ #bayareaeats #sfeats #sffoodie #sfthaifood #sfdateideas #sanfrancisco #sfrestaurants #michelinguidesf...

I’ve been longing to visit Hed 11! Here’s my review after finally making it in for lunch:

Food: The dishes were absolutely delicious, with vibrant, well-balanced flavors that showcased modern Thai cuisine beautifully. That said, most of the dishes were served lukewarm, which detracted from the overall experience. At this level, temperature matters just as much as taste. Portions leaned slightly on the smaller side—enough for me, but they might not be very filling for those with a bigger appetite.

Drinks: Cocktails are on the pricier side at $18 each. The flavors were solid and well-crafted, but the ice quality really missed the mark. Instead of the clear, high-quality ice typically used in craft cocktails, they used cloudy cubes from a standard ice maker—even for whiskey-based drinks. By the time I was halfway through, my cocktail was noticeably watered down.

Service: Our server, Federico, was warm, cheerful, and genuinely made us feel welcome. However, he appeared to be the only staff member working the front—handling hosting, bartending, and serving. During our two-hour lunch visit, there were only four tables total, but even with that light volume, the service felt stretched. For a restaurant offering a $40 lunch menu and Michelin Guide recognition, I would have expected a more refined and supported service experience.

Conclusion: I’d definitely come back—the flavors alone make it worth a revisit—but I do hope to see some positive changes, especially in drink execution and front-of-house staffing to elevate the...