Khao Tiew - Reviews

My experience at this restaurant was absolutely disgraceful. We received a text stating our table was almost ready, only to wait for over an hour to be seated. This wasn't an isolated incident; it seems to be their standard practice, with around 40 other people enduring the same lengthy wait. It felt like a case of greedy behavior, where the establishment was trying to maximize profits at the expense of customer experience. I would not return, no matter the compensation.

My experience at the restaurant had some positive aspects, starting with the friendly wait staff and a nice interior. I ordered the duck curry, which was recommended by the waitress. While the curry had a good flavor, the duck itself was just okay, and the dish felt disconnected, as if the duck and curry were separate entities. Surprisingly, the curry, labeled as spicy, was the least spicy I've encountered at a Thai restaurant. I also noted that one of the tomatoes in the curry had begun to spoil. The lack of air conditioning made the environment uncomfortably hot, which would have been particularly unpleasant for a date or business meeting. Additionally, there was a minor issue with the service regarding leftovers; I wasn't offered a bag, nor was assistance provided with packing them. Given the mediocre food and somewhat expensive prices, I had expected better service, which unfortunately wasn't the case.

I called the restaurant around 7 PM to inquire about the wait time, as I live about 30 minutes away. I was told there was a 15-minute wait and that I couldn't put my name in ahead of time. So, we decided to head over. Upon arrival, the wait time was actually 75 minutes, meaning we would be seated after closing. I also noticed several other parties had joined the waitlist via Yelp. While I don't typically mind a long wait, I was disappointed that the restaurant didn't provide an accurate estimate when I called. This led to a wasted commute, and we would have happily chosen to come on a different day if we had known the true wait time.

My experience at Khao Tiew San Francisco was truly impressive. They serve delicious, simple, and authentic local Thai dishes. I was particularly wowed by their creative and tasty twists on old favorites, especially the exceptional Khao Soi. The baseline heat level is mild, which is perfect for most palates, but you can easily customize your spice level by adding the hot powder conveniently available on the table. Highly recommended!

On a cold Wednesday evening in October, I was hoping for a delicious date night spot and Khao Tiew delivered. Though relatively new, this place has received a lot of acclaim for the food and because of that I knew I had to try it out for myself. After joining the waitlist (YOU MUST BE WITHIN 1 MILE TO JOIN), we had about 45 minutes to wait around 6: 00. However, we blew by that time by hanging out and checking out shops in West Portal, which unfortunately were mostly closed by that time. Anyways, after getting seated inside, we decided on the Crab Fried Rice in a Claypot, the Khao Soi, the Duck Breast Red Curry, and the Crispy Papaya Salad. I enjoyed everything a lot. The crab fried rice was rich and had a really nice savory and subtle sweet flavor. The Khao Soi was probably the best I’ve ever had and it honestly did not even need the meat add on. The Duck Breast Red Curry was surprisingly fresh and rich, while the duck was super tender. Finally, the Crispy Papaya Salad was really unique and I've never had a papaya salad in this form. What we ordered was more than enough for 3 people, so I wouldn’t do much more than that. Anyways, I am super glad we came and I will definitely recommend this place as one of the best Thai foods I have had in the Bay.

We made reservations and still had to wait to be seated. Once seated, the place felt chaotic and loud, with children running around and bad acoustics. Aside from the Khao pad mun nuer and the thai tea, all the other dishes we tried (pad thai bolan vo and khao soi pad haeng) weren't impressive either, so not worth it.

My experience at this restaurant was extremely disappointing, marking it as the worst Thai food I've ever had. The food tasted horrible, and I regret visiting based on TikTok trends. The tom kha soup, usually a favorite, was curdled with an unpleasant smell and texture, making it inedible after one spoonful. Unlike authentic Thai places, it wasn't served hot with a burner, and it quickly turned cold. The tofu vegetarian rice was just okay, but the tofu was rubbery and chewy. The tofu-based vegetarian pad see ew was also very bad, not tasting authentically Thai, with a weirdly sweet and syrupy sauce, and the tofu remained chewy. Even the Thai tea was poorly made, tasting like raw condensed milk. The service was also bad; we were rushed to leave before finishing our meal, even though we hadn't been there for 1. 5 hours, because others were waiting. Considering the price is not cheap, the taste definitely cannot be justified. The only positive aspect was the cozy atmosphere and ambience. I waited over 30 minutes on a weekday, and it was not worth the hype at all. I've had much better Thai food for less.

Every time I passed by, I saw the line out the door—and now I totally get it! The food is amazing. Both dishes we tried were absolutely delicious and worth every minute of waiting. The only drawback was that the dining area seemed a bit understaffed, but overall it was still a wonderful experience. Highly recommended.

My experience at the restaurant was amazing. The service and atmosphere were both rated a perfect 5, contributing to an overall fantastic visit. While the food received a strong rating of 4, there was one personal preference that I would advise others to avoid: the crispy papaya salad 🥗. Everything else was truly amazing.

This place is literally amazing. It’s our fave local Thai place. Everything is the perfect flavor profile, texture, and freshness. I could not recommend a restaurant more!