Khao Tiew

"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 be successful."

"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 on their menu!"

"Khao Tiew is a lovely, cute restaurant with excellent food and service. Parking is on the street and it is very near to the West Portal Muni Station. Our meal was amazing. The crispy papaya salad was delicious. We ate the roast duck breast rice dish and ground pork rice dish. The duck potion was generous and perfectly cooked. The pork was expertly seasoned and flavorful. All the veggie sides were fresh and crispy. For dessert we had coconut ice cream over a crispy "Texas toast" sprinkled with sugar green sauce. You must try this dessert! It was an absolutely amazing and unique sweet ending to our meal. Khao Tiew is a great place for a date night or evening out with friends. They have a nice alcohol selection to pair with their delicious food. Just go you'll love it here."

"On a foggy night in West Portal, my friends and I stumbled upon a recently opened Thai restaurant. After reading some reviews, we decided to give it a try and put our name on the waitlist. It turned out to be well worth the wait - 20 minutes but once you smell this place, you’ll understand. The food was so delicious that it silenced the table, not because of hunger but because of how much we were savoring each bite. I even had a moment of pure joy when I remembered my Thai tea. I highly recommend this place to friends; you can't go wrong with anything on the menu."

"Thank you for opening in our neighborhood! This place is a gem and the food is fantastic! There aren’t many 4 star Thai restaurants in the city. Farmhouse Thai is too expensive for what’s its worth. Other places like Marnee Thai are mediocre at best. I’ve been here 3x since they’ve opened and the food is very consistent. The only thing I have feedback on is service. They gave a table for 6 to a party of 2 and a baby. Very inefficient of a 6 top! The party of 2 could have waited 10 more min for a 2 top to open up. Even after the table for 2 opened up they could have moved the couple. Just not efficient for front of house. Other than that food is delicious! Check it out!"