Khao Tiew — Restaurant in San Francisco

Khao Tiew is a Thai restuarant located near the West Portal Station.

There was about a 20 minute wait when we went for two, and I recommend calling ahead for reservations for large groups. There is usually a 30 minute or so wait during the evening, but if you go right after they open, there is not really much of a wait. The inside was decorated nicely, and the servers were friendly and nice despite how busy the restuarant was.

We ordered the pad thai bolan with shrimp, pad thai bolan with crispy chicken, kra prow naeur toon, duck panang curry, and thai tea.

The thai tea had a stronger tea flavor and was not as sweet.

The menu recommends ordering the pork crisps with the pad thai, and I think it adds a nice crispy texture to the noodles and definitely agree on adding it to the dish. The pad thai was delicious! I tried the one with shrimp and the one with the chicken. The shrimp was large and fresh, and the chicken was fried and crispy. My favorite was the chicken and it added a nice texture to the noodles. The noodles were flavored well, and it was my favorite dish.

The duck panang curry was coconut-based, and the duck meat was very tender and soft. I ordered a side of jasmine rice to eat with the curry.

The appetizer kra prow naeur toon consisted of beef shank, and they recommended it medium rare. The meat was a a bit chewier than I preferred, but the homemade garlic and chili soy sauce went well with the meat.

The presentation of all the dishes were beautiful and added an extra level of enjoyment to them.

Overall, Khao Tiew is one of my favorite Thai places here! I really enjoy the presentation of the food and the dishes, as well. I will definitely be coming back for the pad thai and to try other dishes...

Great neighborhood addition, with a lot of potential.

Came here with my sister recently and was really excited since there has been a lot written up about this place. So glad to see a Thai restaurant in this neighborhood.

The space felt spacious and the decor was cool and reminiscent of a hip diner you might find in Bangkok. The servers were very nice and we were seated right away.

The menu had the usual suspects, sort of. The Pad Thai was deconstructed but was tasty.

We had the fried fish, Krawpow (pork) with egg, a dry khao soi and crispy papaya salad. The ingredients were good quality and the presentation was thoughtful. We were both disappointed that each dish was lacking a depth of flavor expected from these dishes. There was just something missing, and the flavor profile wasn’t quite there.

The crispy papaya salad was an interesting dish, almost like a Mee Krob. The fried fish was not executed that well, it seemed kind of thrown on the plate (it was bigger than the plate) and the sauce was hard to taste, and overall difficult to enjoy and handle. The other dishes were ok.

For our palate, it lacked the Thai flavors we expect from Thai food. It was almost as if the flavors were muted on purpose.

I think there’s a lot of potential here but for the price and taste, I don’t know if I would come back soon. Perhaps there are other dishes that shine.

It was busy and there was a lot of takeout activity happening. I hope this restaurant can make some adjustments and...

Whatever the chef/owner is doing here, it is great! Loved the fun beer/wine/bev choices (although... being industry, I could make a few recommendations in that department to enhance their already-good-vibes they got going on).

Loved the mix of Northern and Central Thailand cuisine. I could have used a lot more spice but I also know I am not normal when it comes to "heat" tolerance. I also know this neighborhood very well and a majority of its residents find paprika spicy 🤭. I kid. The locals are lovely! Love my people here.

Vibes were a great mix of nostalgia, clean lines, and natural elements. Simple and perfectly stated all the way down to the choice of plateware and silverware. Nothing too away from the food.

Portions were perfect and flavors on point. I actually would have preferred they use soooome MSG and a pinch more salt here and there. The only constructive feedback I have is regarding the Beef Massamun Curry... just wished the beef shank was the whole piece instead of cubed. I get the whole culture of why most curries are traditionally served this way but for such a cool neighborhood spot, there is an opportunity to move that needle of creativity just a smidge.

If Khao Tiew can manage to find or make a Burmese/Thai condiment called balachaung or balachong, preferably the dried version, I would be besides myself and eat here everyday just for that! Lol.

Either way, bravo to Khao Tiew. 10 stars if I...