Kin Khao Thai and Sushi — Restaurant in Valparaiso

TL/DR: You Can Teleport to Thailand from Valpo (review of Kin Khao) ——

Craving authentic Thai food, but don’t want to head to the airport? Look no further and head over to Kin Khao.

After doing some errands locally, we had a need for some bright flavors to counteract the gloomy moods that winter brings. Since moving to sleepier NW Indiana from downtown Chicago, I’ve always had a void of good Thai and general Asian food.

I didn’t look at the reviews beforehand, due to this being my friend’s turn to pick a lunch spot, and she frequented their former location a few years back.

After we were seated, we ask the server a few general questions, specifically about their ‘heat scale’, which was on a 1-5 scale. One of his first responses was that they use authentic chillies that are grown in the owner’s garden, and that the owner/chef is from Thailand, and the Spice Scale is reflective of actual Thai standards, which is too spicy for the average American. My initial skepticism started to quickly unravel, as my Thai extended family members in Chicago always complain how Thai food is too ‘sugary’ stateside.

We order a Shrimp Shumai to start, and both order the Green Curry lunch specials.

I anticipated getting the conventional well-known premade/frozen shumai, but was throughly impressed when the server brought out fresh ones. At first bite, the flavors hit like a firecracker. These were actually made from scratch. This was REAL Thai food. 95% of any Asian restaurants that we’ve eaten at don’t even bother with making their own dumplings, due to the frozen ones actually being ‘good enough’.

I also wanted to add more heat, and asked for some Sriracha or chili sauce. I expected a bottle of sriracha to come out as they typically do, but the server brought a small cup of chili sauce. The color was brighter, which made me think ‘oh good, freshly opened bottle’. After tasting it, I was shocked again- the sauce was homemade. Again, most restaurants do NOT go this length, as Sriracha is to Chili Sauce as Kleenex is to Tissues. Run-of-the-mill Asian restaurants in the Midwest don’t need to go this extra length, but they once again over-delivered on another small detail.

The server confirms to me that nearly everything is made in-house, and I finally believe him.

Next, we both were served our Green Curries, one at heat scale of 3 and the other at 4 (2 is their baseline). The presentation, size, ingredient quality, and flavor were immaculate. My friend was shocked to see the portion size and the amount of protein on her dish, and I was delighted with the virdant colors of the curry and vibrancy of the vegetables. The spice level was perfect for us, but it’s certainly not for the faint of heart. This is not-your-average Thai, this is the real deal.

After being blown away for the 3rd time, the chef/owner came out and asked us how everything was. The only thing that I could say was Thank You, but in Thai, as I knew that she would appreciate it so much more. She thanked me back in Thai without skipping a beat, and chatted with us for a good while, about some turmoils regarding their relocation. This woman is a marvel, and needs to be protected at all costs. Her restaurant is a cozy culinary portal to Thailand, which makes these miserable Midwest winters manageable.

We ended our journey with a Thai Iced Tea and Thai Iced Coffee, both home-brewed and oh-so-good. Truly a bittersweet way to start our journey back home.

✨Final verdict: 4.9/5✨

We’ll be coming back at least weekly now, and would love to see some type of Liquor License here (especially BYOB) in the foreseeable future. An ice-cold Singha would have made this a true 5/5 for me.

P.S. to all who disregard their spice level, order something too spicy, and ask for a refund/remake- get a grip. The customer is NOT...

Disappointing Experience at Kin Khao Thai and Sushi Bar

As a longtime patron of Kin Khao Thai and Sushi Bar, I am deeply disappointed by the decline in quality since their move to a new location.

Previously, Kin Khao was a standout among Thai restaurants in the area, rivaling even those in Chicago. However, recent visits have left much to be desired.

Upon revisiting after the move, I immediately noticed a decrease in portion sizes. What was once generous servings of Chicken Satay and Red Curry now seemed sparse, signaling a concerning trend of shrinkflation. Despite this, I was willing to overlook it if the flavors remained intact.

Unfortunately, my most recent visit shattered any remaining hope. The Chicken Satay, once grilled to perfection, now seemed hastily fried and lacked the distinctive flavor I had come to expect. Moreover, the temperature of the dishes upon arrival was concerning, with some items arriving cold despite a short commute home.

The Red Curry, previously a highlight of the menu, now bore a disconcerting sweetness reminiscent of a Chinese buffet rather than the authentic Thai flavors I cherished. Disappointed, I found myself discarding the entire dish.

Similarly, the Pad Thai, ordered with extra vegetables and egg, arrived lacking in both quantity and flavor. With minimal toppings and a noticeable absence of key ingredients like fish sauce, it fell far short of expectations.

Even the Panang Curry with tofu, once a reliable favorite, suffered from limp tofu and lackluster presentation. The dish seemed hastily prepared and lacked the depth of flavor that had once made it a standout choice.

To add insult to injury, the bill for this disappointing experience amounted to $125.07, a significant investment for a meal that ultimately ended up in the trash.

As a longtime supporter of Kin Khao Thai and Sushi Bar, it pains me to write this review. However, I hope that by sharing my experience, the restaurant can take steps to address these issues and reclaim its former glory. I may give it one last chance in the hopes of improvement, but until then, I cannot recommend it as I once did.

Here is my former post: The most authentic Thai in the area. I always get the red curry with pork and have never been disappointed. Pad Thai is outstanding and enough for two. Thanks Kim Khao for opening up here!

2020-12-19. Placed an online order, great and intuitive interface. BUT the real story is, again, truly outstanding food period, and...

Food was average as compared to other Thai restaurants in bigger, more diverse cities but the customer service was horrible. Ordered an appetizer of shrimp dumplings that the menu said included 8 dumplings but only 7 came on the plate. When I asked about the eighth, the waiter went back to talk to the owner, then returned to tell me that they forgot to change the number on the menu and it was a mistake on their part but I would only get 7. I asked for the 8th one because it was their mistake and when I ordered them I expected 8 but the waiter just said "no, sorry. It's 7". At this point it was a matter of principle, so I said, take them back because I thought I was getting 8 and if I only get 7, I don't want them. A few minutes later the lady who owns the place comes out with a little plate. On it is one of the kind of dumplings I ordered and one different kind of smaller dumpling-like appetizer. She proceeds to raise her voice at me while getting visibly upset and tells me that the dumplings I ordered are larger than the other kind and therefore I only get 7. I asked if if the menu said 8 and she said yes. So I said please give me 8. She turned away and left, still upset and still not agreeing to give me an 8th dumpling. Next, a few minutes later, her husband (and co-owner) comes out with a plate of 8 dumplings to give us and tells me it was a mistake on the menu and that I should "keep this in mind." First, do you really think I plan to come back? Second, you seriously want a customer to remember that there is a mistake in your menu and that you will not honor the menu? Are you kidding me? I told him I would not keep it in mind and that he should fix his menu. I learned more about customer service while working in a grocery store in high school than these people know as adults. They lost customers over one lousy dumpling (literally, it wasn't that good) because they wouldn't honor their menu and they expected me to pay for their mistake. Even a child, when told they can eat 5 M&M's, will ask for another if they're given 4. From now on I will choose to eat out at other establishments. There are other Asian restaurants in town with better food, larger quantities, and...