Second time is a charm and this continues to be one of the best Thai meals and restaurants I have been to in the city. Is Khao Tiew worth the wait and the hype? Absolutely. To get the best optimal experience at Khao Tiew, please remember to put your name on the waitlist and to get there on time when your party is close in queue (if you're not there, you're square, no expectations since they have tons of people waiting). I came here on a Monday night with my friend and I put my name down on the waitlist around 5 pm on the yelp app (heads up you have to be one mile away to be applicable to put your name down). Since I have been here before I know the deal and expected the wait. We were seated around 6:40 pm but it was so worth it in our opinions. The shop itself has a good amount of tables with a nice retro Thai feel from its decor. The servers are very nice and friendly but also the food comes out super quick which is what I personally appreciate as well. Here are some highlights from our absolute feast that we demolished (no food was left behind or forgotten). * Nuer nam tok: The medium rare beef was chewy, had the right amount of spice, and paired well with the crunch of the herbs. The saltiness of the meat ate well with the fresh sides of lettuce and cucumbers. * Crispy shrooms with ground pork: The crispy mushrooms were my favorite last time and the version with ground pork was exceptional. The mushrooms had a nice light batter and the sauce coated your mouth with an umami punch. * Drunken noodles: I love the amount of shrimp and calamari they gave! The noodles itself were coated in a semi sweet sauce that had a delicious soy flavor. * Duck curry: WOW the most tender duck dish I ever had, no notes! * Kaya jam with coconut ice cream: Creamy, fluffy, and a great way to end a meal. This dish is so hard to explain in words, you have to get it. Overall, amazing spot, amazing find, would wait 2 hours again for a third time :) read more

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The boat noodles are among the best dishes I've had this year, and certainly one of the best Thai dishes. We got four items and I wish we got four orders of the boat noodles instead. The broth was rich and slightly sweet with tender beef and chewy noodles. It was remarkable. I would get them for takeout if I could because the wait was brutal. Also, they will seat you even after they've 'closed' if you entered the waitlist before closing. We were seated an hour and a half after closing. read more

Khao Tiew - Boat noodles. Must order - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Long wait times, but great tasting food! I reserved a table for a party of 2 around 6pm on a Monday, and it took over 2 hours for us to get seated. If you decide to dine here, please be aware of the long wait times. Overall, the food was delicious. We got these items: 1. Duck Breast Curry: does not come with rice, but the curry and duck breast was flavorful and delicious -not too spicy -great saucy consistency with the curry -duck breast is tender and not too fatty 2. Khao soi (with beef): tender steak-like beef, curry and noodles taste fresh -also not too spicy -noodles are cooked thoroughly yet also coats the curry sauce well -not too salty Overall, I think the food here is very delicious and is a great option for Thai food! However, I don't think it is worth a 2+ hour wait if you want to eat fast. The prices are also slightly higher than other places, for two people it was ~$70 total ($35 per person). read more

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I always drive by this place and hesitate to stop by because the line is always out the door but now I totally get the hype. There were 3 of us and we lined up around 3:45pm before their 4pm opening and luckily made it in with the first wave of seating. The restaurant has a decent amount of tables, though it's not super big so I'd definitely recommend coming early especially if you have a big group. We started with the papaya salad and didn't realize it was deep fried. It was still good but I personally would've preferred it fresh. The fried mushrooms were AMAZING - perfectly crispy and paired so well with the sweet and sour dipping sauce. For mains we ordered the khao soi with crispy fried chicken and it was hands down my favorite dish. The broth was so rich, flavorful, and comforting. We also got the sizzling soft shell crab which was solid but probably something I'd skip next time. The duck breast turmeric curry was my second favorite - the curry flavor was absolutely chef's kiss. To end the meal we got the dessert toast and it was the perfect finale. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, buttery, warm, and topped with the perfect scoop of ice cream. read more

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I came back to Khao Tiew recently and this time, I ordered the right dishes! First, the beef short rib with tallow fried rice was amazing! I would come back just for this dish. The short rib is super tender and I loved how flavorful the rice is with scallions and the cured egg yolk to pair with. The duck breast red curry was still really good (I got this the first time) and not too spicy. Finally I got the Pad Ngor Ngae which is their wok-fried rice noodles with Chinese sausage, tofu, egg and served with lettuce. This was a pretty yummy Chinese fusion dish although I didn't think the noodles needed the lettuce wraps. The spicy vinegary sauce on the side was great tho and added a nice kick. All in all, is it worth waiting for 1.5 hrs on a Wednesday night for dinner? I wouldn't do it every week but I'd say the food here is worth trying at least one. We ended up driving closer to get onto the Yelp waitlist and went elsewhere to wait. read more

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No notes. 5/5 experience. Everything was so delicious and the restaurant was beautiful! My party of 3 got in line around 3:10pm for the 4pm opening on a Saturday. We were the third party in line and got seated in the first wave. The line grew a bunch before the 4pm opening, and when the staff seated us, they had all the tables chosen and set for each party. The khao soi was the best I've ever had, including on my travels to Chiang Mai. The duck curry was a penang curry that was also very flavorful. The steak fried rice had perfect medium-rare steak and a cured yolk that made the dish a little creamy, super yummy. To drink, we tried the cha-pom which was Thai tea with pomegranate juice, no dairy. It tasted like salted plum juice from Taiwan, surprisingly. Very unique and refreshing. The kaya toast dessert with coconut ice cream was incredible. The toast was thick and caramelized on the faces so it was a little crispy. The entire dessert went together perfectly. We paid about $44 per person. I left extremely full and happy. read more

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The food was really good. Let's just get that out of the way. We did have to wait two hours, which was expected, as it has recently blown up. Our server was very attentive and efficient in getting our orders and bringing our food. I know everyone was/ is super excited to try the food here, and it is really yummy. We did order one more dish than shown here with some rice and I will say their rice was soooo delicious like I wanted to keep eating the rice alone, the duck and beef were perfectly tender and juicy so would def order that again. But with the crowds, I just don't think it's worth it unless you have plans on going somewhere in the meantime while you wait :) read more

Khao Tiew - Chicken wings - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My friend and I finally got to try Khao Tiew. I've seen so many social media posts about this spot. I was able to put my name down on the Yelp waitlist at around 5 PM. Once we got there, we checked in with the host and got a table. A line definitely formed later into the night. Crispy Papaya Salad (4/5): This was deep fried papaya with fish sauce that had cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh chili and peanuts. You can pick your spice level and we did medium. We definitely weren't expecting the deep fried nest of papaya but thoroughly enjoyed it. Paired well with the spicy sauce. Fried chicken wing (5/5): Southern Thai style fried chicken wing with sweet and sour sauce. We actually loved this. Probably one of the best Asian fried chicken wing. The fry was nice and light with the meat being so juicy. Khao Soi Pad Haeng (3/5): This was a stir-fried Khao Soi. You pick your choice of protein so we did the grilled beef boneless short rib. This was too creamy for me. It wasn't bad though. It just felt too heavy for a stir-fry. We ordered the short rib medium and it was good. Kai Toon Lava (5/5): A silky steamed egg served in Hot Pot, topped with shrimp, calamari, ground pork, fried garlic, and cilantro. This was one of our favorite dishes. It does say it is a limited item. It doesn't look like a lot but the portion is huge. The egg is so smooth. The shrimps are huge. The flavor is subtle but works well. We ordered a side of rice with it. You have the option of adding the tom yum to it but we didn't. Khao Tiew definitely lived up to the hype! I will be back to try other menu items. My friend and I were too full for to try desserts. The interior is clean and spacious enough. Service was good too. read more

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Great! Food was super delicious and new. I had Khao Tiew before the sudden hype and it didn't really blow me away, but this time it did just that! All the food was good and the ambiance was cool! I would come here again, but it's just so popular now! I probably wouldn't wait over an hour for the line. read more

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Khao Tiew, with its long lines and undying fervor from Instagram devotees, piqued my interest a year ago; finally, I tried them today. The hype is justified, somewhat, but it's definitely not a meal I'd wait upwards of 2 hours for. My friends and I placed our name on the waitlist and killed time at Stonestown. Fortunately, the wait was shorter than expected and we were seated in roughly 30 minutes after placing our name down around 5:30 PM on a Monday. We ordered a few dishes to share. Some were heavenly like the crab clay pot rice and the drunken ma ma yet others were just ok and typical of what you'd find at a solid Thai restaurant. The must-order is the burnt butter Kaya toast. My god, the first order was simply inhaled by our party of 5. So good that we ordered a second. I'm violently lactose intolerant, but it was worth every morsel and the excruciating stomach pangs that ensued. Maybe one of the best bites I've had in 2026. read more

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Very popular, expected a minimum 2hour to 3 hour wait! Always packed and rightfully so! The workers are very hardworking as they know the line is never ending. They provide excellent service considering how many customers they have. Their interior design is beautiful as well with a plethora of Thai inspired arts and decorations. On to the food ratings which was overall 10/10! Khao Pad Mun Nuer 10/10 Duck Curry 9/10 Pad See You 10/10 Tom Yum 11/10 I don't even know where to begin, the flavor depth and presentation of all their dishes are on point. I saw what other people ordered and their kitchen is able to consistently pump out high quality and presentable plates that captivate people's attention without a doubt. All the dishes far exceeded the quality of other Thai food restaurants. I would say the item that is the real MVP is the Tom Yum soup. Was hesitant about ordering it but extremely satisfied after receiving it. The flavor is SO GOOD and they included the biggest pieces of octopus and shrimp I have literally every experienced. Totally worth the wait for the quality and quantity of food it is LAVISH! I will definitely be coming back with my family to enjoy! read more

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Yet another long line to wait in in San Francisco... and is it worth it? Yes. I queued up for Khao Tiew half an hour before opening and was still not the first person in line. It's a Thai restaurant with a cult following in SF for their delicious Thai classics and innovative new dishes. One thing you have to get is their fried papaya salad. Truly, I have never had anything like it. Nets of thinly sliced green papaya, fried until crispy, and served with a very flavorful Thai, fish sauce-based citrus sauce. It's a very delicious way to start the meal, both light and yet so punchy with bold flavors.  For classics, we got the Tom Yum Soup and the Thai Boat Noodles. Tom Yum soup was fantastic and the Thai Boat Noodles were just okay. I think you can get better for cheaper elsewhere. We also got crab pot fried rice and fried rice with steak on top. Both of them were pretty underwhelming and one-noted honestly. I would only recommend getting these if you're in a large party and eating family style. It would be quite boring to eat the entire plate by yourself. Best surprise entree was the Drunken Mama Noodles, which are an elevated take on the classic instant noodles, Mi Mama. It was so flavorful and delicious! I would recommend this spot, despite the long line that begins before they're even open. read more

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Everything was pretty good!! We didn't end up waiting actually and we got there around 4 and we had a group of 4! Price was reasonable as well. We loved everything except the papaya salad was a little different than what we were used to but it was tasty with the tomatoes! The Kaya toast was so good actually and we devoured it even though we were so full already! read more

Khao Tiew - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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ONE OF THE BEST THAI IVE HAD! The wait was about an hour when we got there at around 5:30pm. There's no online wait list so you would need to join on the kiosk there. The Khao Soi was so delicious. We got it with steak and the steak was cooked to the absolute best. It wasn't too chewy or undercooked and melted in your mouth. The overall taste was not too overbearing and everything came together nicely. The Crab Rice Hot Pot was my favorite. I loved how there's a good charred and crispy burnt rice at the bottom and it was definitely better to mix everything together. It wasn't too salty and I loved how you can still taste the authentic crab taste. The Burnt Butter Kaya Toast was the cherry on top to tie the whole meal together. I wasn't sure what to expect and had thought it was going to be too sweet, but it was definitely not! It was the perfect sweetness and I can tell they use authentic ingredients. The coconut ice cream was so good and had pandan bits in it. The pandan whipped cream was not too sweet at all and definitely most of the sweetness came from the buttered toast. read more

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The wait is insanely long but unfort it is totally worth the hype. Ugh. We accidentally ordered the Khao Na Ped duck dish (not the one everyone was talking about on TikTok - which I think was gaeng kamin ped?) but it ended up being SO GOOD!! Honestly I don't think you can go wrong w anything here. The dessert toast was good too! read more

Khao Tiew - Khao Pad Mun Nuer with Soy Cured Egg Yolk (top) Khan na ped (bottom) - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Khao Tiew absolutely exceeded expectations. The vibe is warm and modern, but still feels authentic--not overly trendy, just genuinely good energy. We ordered a few standout dishes and everything hit. The Khao Soi was rich, creamy, and perfectly balanced with just the right level of spice. The fried rice with beef tallow had insane flavor--super aromatic and not greasy at all. You can tell they don't cut corners with ingredients. Also tried their seafood soup, which was packed with flavor and had that perfect Thai spicy-sour kick. Every dish felt thoughtful and well executed. Ended with dessert (toast + ice cream combo) and it was simple but done right--great texture contrast and not overly sweet. Service was smooth and friendly, and the place was busy but still felt comfortable. Definitely one of the better Thai spots I've been to recently. Will 100% be back. read more

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Heard a lot of good things about this place so decided to try it. Put name down luckily at such a good time (5:55 PM) because I think literally 10 groups after us, they closed the waitlist. We had to wait 2 hrs 40 mins (longest I've ever waited for a restaurant), it's honestly mainly because they can only seat 60 people at a time. Also they had us sitting at a table with other random people due to space constraints Honestly you can never go wrong with Thai food, and compared to other Thai food I've had it was nothing special. Khao soi was good, we got it with chicken thighs and pad thai we got with fried chicken which was good too. But the HERO dish was burnt butter Kaya toast with coconut ice cream. Dessert was sooo tasty and each element was good on its own but combined was sooo much better, I wish I ate less of the entree so I'd be able to finish this because we did not finish. For drinks we got Thai iced tea, which was ok, and the cha pom which is like Thai iced tea + pomegranate which was unique and nice. Service was also good. read more

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Good service, bustling interior, and nice big tables. Got a variety of things. The fried mushroom appetizer sauce was really nice. And the rice with steak was very fragrant as well. read more

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We came at 4:45pm and had a 2.5 HOUR WAIT. What the high heavens? Towards the end, we felt like Khao Tiew was doing something odd. The sheer number of parties of 2 that jumped over us did not feel kosher. But, we did finally get a table and everything was about as tasty as advertised. We started with the crispy mushrooms which were lightly battered, fried, and served with a sweet and sour sauce. I really appreciated how big and meaty the pieces were. We then followed it up with the Tom Gai which was sufficiently sour with a bit of spice. We appreciated how the chicken was tender and not over cooked. Actually Khao Tiew really showed finesse in how they handed protein across the board. The drunken mama noodles with short rib was so good! Smoky, sweet, with buttery tender medium rare pieces of steak - yes please! Toss in bites of the fresh basil and it was truly chef's kiss! And the duck...! Wow! It was so buttery and luscious. The curry was also velvety and full of flavor. Mom didn't even hesitate to suggest that she wanted to scrape every last drop to use to dip baguettes into the next day. And as if it couldn't get better than that, it did. I loved the crab clay pot rice. It was super generous with the crab which gave the rice a wonderful sweetness and the bits of crispy rice was a nice contrast in texture. To round out our meal we had the Kaya toast which was fantastic! Even my dad who doesn't really like sweets kept picking at it. The bread was fluffy and buttery and the golden caramelized bottom was just so good. Add in the kaya cream and the coconut ice cream and it was just divine. I would definitely love to come back but I certainly do not care to wait that long again. Dinner for 4 with tip came to $175. read more

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Genuinely SO good; now that I've finally tried it, it's become my favorite Thai restuarant. Had an amazing [early] dinner here and already can't wait to return to try other things. Got there 3:30PM on a Sunday afternoon and made it in with the first wave; they open at 4PM and we left just after 5PM. Highkey must arrive by 3:40PM LATEST to make it in with the first group. FOOD!! - Crispy Shrooms Yum Yum with Ground Pork **MUST GET!!!!!**: the most delicious fried oyster mushrooms and ground pork in a coconut milk sauce. Flavors and crispiness on point!!! Also loved the shallots. Such a good app 9.5/10 - Khao Soi: probably the best I've had. So much depth of flavor and seafoodiness in the curry soup, which is also thicker than any Khao Soi soup I've had (in a great way). Super delicious egg noodle. Fried chicken was not very fried, but good regardless. Love the radish in there as well 8.5/10 - Drunken Ma Ma w/ Boneless Beef Short Rib: Korean stir fried instant noodles topped with medium rare beef. Honestly wasn't super impressed by this, but it was still good. I liked the noodle, but was practically just Indomie Mi Goreng lol. Meat wasn't my fave either--would've liked it to be more tender/melty 6.5/10 - Pad Thai w/ Shrimp (to-go): even after it sat for like an hour, this was an incredible Pad Thai. So flavorful. Solid noodles; not too thin nor saucy. Shrimp and tofu were really good as well (esp tofu). Potentially my fave Pad Thai 9/10 - Burnt Butter Kaya Toast w/ Coconut Ice Cream **MUST GET**: absolutely amazing phenomenal delicious!!! The coconut ice cream balances out the sweetness of the pandan kaya SO well. Creamy, crispy, warm, cool--it has it all. The texture of the toast is caramelized and soft and wonderful. Really indulgent flavor explosion, though quite a heavy dessert 8.75/10 Super cute and cozy interior. Lovely ambience. Tiny enough that you're either sharing a table or right next to another group. Very nice and attentive staff. Quick ordering process. Food comes out quickly (at least when we went). Single bathroom, but spacious and clean. read more

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I just landed at SFO and came across an article about Khao Tiew, something about brunch service and I did a Yelp & IG search, with all the great reviews & reels made it look so good. I was curious and had to visit KT before I left SF. I read & seen the info. about the long wait so I was prepared. The junk part was I already was in the area around 4 pm when they opened , should of put my name on the list first but I went shopping at Trader Joe's and when I finally stopped by to add my name to the Yelp list, I was the 55th in line with estimated wait time of about 3 hours, our wait time was 2.5 hours. We left to go fill gas and also stopped at Golden Boy to squeeze in a slice of my favorite pizza. When we got back we waited about 1 hour, kept checking my place in line and was happy & excited as it got closer. Khao Tiew stands for rice and noodles per one of the staff I asked. The restaurant is located in West Portal area, in residential neighborhood. Parking was hard to find as we circled around looking for street parking, it took awhile. Note, the restaurant is very loud due to every table being occupied and how busy they are. I really needed ear plugs and couldn't really chat much with the other half. You may be seated with others as we shared a table with another party. The restaurant is very welcoming & I loved the decor, no complaints on the service! Now from seeing a few IG reels, I wanted to try the Khao Soi & had that on my mind, as the content creator made it look so good, I got the Khao Soi with choice of fried chicken as protein $22. & ended up with the train fried rice $18. I also put in my order for Kaya toast dessert but had to cancel since we were already stuffed. The verdict, The Khao Soi is really different, it didn't hit/wow me as when I had tried Khao Soi for the very first time at a restaurant on Oahu. This one was not good, the curry broth was salty and not as rich/creamy , the fried chicken got soggy, the crispy thing taste different from what I had, thenoodles were over cooked and I was expecting the crispy mustard greens vegetables which , junk they didn't serve that with the Khao Soi. I feel the saltiness maybe from the bottom part of the Khao Soi broth, all the seasoning from the bottom. The train fried rice sounded great with all the ingredients that I like, a classic Thai street style fried rice with marinated pork, egg, Chinese broccoli, white onions. The fried rice was mushy, the pork was hard to chew, I had to spit it out, and didn't taste like fried rice. It just wasn't good! So my opinion, is this place an hype or not, def. a hype for me. Overall I don't believe that I wasted my time and $ here but at least I got to to say that I've been!! read more

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The wait was over an hour long and you have to be within x miles of the location to sign up for the waitlist. Our friends put in the reservation as they lived somewhat nearby the restaurant. The food was very tasty and the restaurant was busy during a weekday dinner. The ambiance is nice and cozy. One of the rare restaurants I'd actually go back to. Service was decent. Overall, 4.5/5. read more

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We visited for dinner and added our names to the waitlist for two people, with a wait time of about two and a half hours. The restaurant is very crowded, they had us sit at a table with a few other strangers. Since our table ended up being combined with another party it felt a little awkward. During our meal, we were also asked to move to a different shared table to accommodate a larger party, which added to the disruption. On top of that, with the recent heatwave in San Francisco, the lack of air conditioning made the restaurant feel uncomfortably hot. For our table, we shared the Shrimp Pad Thai, Duck Panang, and Khao Pad Mun Nuer with Soy Cured Yolk. With tip and tax, the dinner totaled around $115. The standout was definitely the Duck Panang--rich, flavorful, and a dish I would come back for. The Pad Thai was a little watery for my taste; I personally prefer it a bit drier. The Khao Pad Mun Nuer was flavorful with a smoky, charred taste, though the meat was more cooked than expected--the waitress mentioned it's usually medium-rare, but ours came medium-well. Overall, while the wait, price, and crowded setup felt a bit much, the Duck Panang alone makes me consider returning. read more

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We got in line around 3:20pm before the 4pm opening on a Saturday, and we were the 3rd party in line. By the time opening came around at 4pm, the line was super packed and definitely exceeded the amount of just 1 singular round of seating. Definitely expect a wait. We shared the cha pom (sweet Thai tea x pomegranate), khao soi with crispy fried chicken, khao pad mun nuer with soy cured egg yolk (beef short rib tallow fried rice), duck breast curry, and the burnt butter kaya toast with coconut ice cream. Everything was fantastic and it was a lovely meal overall. The cha pom was so unique and unlike any drink I've had. I usually don't like fruity drinks as much as milky/creamy drinks but this was great. Khao soi was solid, really rich but I think the acidity from the lime and cilantro definitely lightened it. The fried chicken we got in the khao soi was delicious and cooked very well. The beef short rib tallow fried rice was probably my favorite entree - the fried rice had a nice smokiness to it while also tasting really fragrant. Duck breast curry was solid as well, duck breast was tender and not stringy at all with good consistency. Curry itself was on the more oily end but still great overall. Burnt butter kaya toast with coconut ice cream was a great way to end the meal. The toast was thick with caramelized edges and the coconut ice cream was tasty and fresh. Pretty large portion and can definitely be shared with 2-4 people depending on fullness level. Indoor seating only, feels spacious but also homey and cozy. Service was good and food came out quickly. They definitely do try to keep things moving at a fast pace due to the large crowds and long waitlist. Would come again! read more

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Update: Came back to Khao Tiew and ordered some of the same favorites, plus tried something new. Service was just as solid as before. Food came out quickly, and the overall flow of the meal felt smooth. The ambiance still has that cozy, warm vibe that makes it easy to settle in and enjoy everything :)) Gaeng Ped Yang (Duck Curry) Still a standout. The curry felt a bit more balanced this time, with a nice richness from the coconut and a gentle heat that builds without overpowering. The duck was tender and soaked up all that flavor well. Khao Pad Mun Nuer (Beef Fried Rice with Soy Cured Egg Yolk) Savory and satisfying with a deeper, more developed flavor. The egg yolk adds a creamy richness that ties everything together, and the beef was cooked well with a good bite. Crispy Papaya Salad (GF) Really enjoyed this. The crispy papaya added a unique texture, almost like a light crunch throughout, while the dressing brought that classic Thai balance of salty, tangy, and a little spicy. Super refreshing but still packed with flavor. Still a strong spot for elevated Thai comfort food. Between the consistency and the variety, definitely a place I will keep coming back to for many years !! read more

The line here is crazy long, got here at 4:30 on a Friday and took more than an hour to get seated. Luckily you can walk around the small shops near by. Once we got in, we ordered the: Crispy papaya salad - Deep fried papaya with fish sauce, cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh chili, peanuts dressing. The shape resembled a bird nest, first time having a crispy papaya salad. Almost every table had this too, very popular item. It is a bit heavier than the non crispy papaya salad but nice texture. Khao Pad Mun Nuer with Soy Cured Egg Yolk - Beef short rib tallow fried rice topped with seared boneless beef short rib, scallion, fried garlic and soy cured egg yolk. Short rib was very tender and well cooked but a little bland. The rice had a nice tallow flavor, with the cure egg yolk added some richness and creaminess to the fried rice. I do wish that the meat could be sprinkled with a bit of kosher salt. Gaeng Kamin Ped (Duck Breast Tumeric Curry) - Seared sous vide duck breast cooked to perfection, very tender. It was placed on top of a mild spicy turmeric curry. Came with dill, chili, pickle radish and crispy fried okra. The curry flavor was good, but for me personally the duck didn't feel like it goes with the curry. This is also another very popular dish almost every table had. Pu Nim Pad Phong Karee is a crispy soft shell crab with a curry sauce. The was probably my favorite, it had crispy soft shell crab on a hot stone skillet, served with a curry sauce that is poured on top table-side. The sauce was delicious, very umami flavor and richness. It did get heavy a little bit into the meal however. In addition, this is only a dine in dish they serve, no take out for this one. Tom Gai Bai Ma Kham - we got this soup towards the end of the meal as we realized the dishes we got are pretty heavy. Next time we will order other dishes to balance it out: this soup is a North-eastern Thai style spicy herb soup with chicken thigh meat, tamarind leaves, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, shallots, fresh chilis, lime juice, fish sauce and tamarind pulp. This was solid, had sour, savory, and spicy which balanced the meal overall. Overall, very good Thai food. It is different from the standard places you go. Coming from Portland where there's a lot of Thai food variety, I'm happy to see that there's a place like this in SF. Will be coming back again to try other dishes. read more

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After a 3 hour wait on a Saturday night, we sat down to a shared table with plenty of space for us 2 and the other party. We ordered 6 dishes total. All the food was amazing and fresh, came out hot! Everything had great flavor with correct seasoning. I loved the authentic vibes and taste they offered! Service was great and ambiance passed for a cozy funky little hole in the wall (in a good way)...Highly recommend you try it on a not so busy week night. I would return but do the wait totally different. read more

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Had to wait two hours to try this spot on a wednesday night! Cant imagine waiting 2 hours in line however having the Yelp Waitlist made it bearable. Once in a mile radius you can add your name to the waitlist :) Recommend driving past to add your name then exploring around or even go to stonestown to kill time. Although the wait was long I definitely do think it was worth it and delicious. Everything we had paired so well together. Everything was so flavorful, cooked perfectly, and unique. Spot was loud and cramped. We had to share a table and it was kind of hard to get into the booth since everything is so close together. Definitely not the spot for a first date but its a good spot. Ill be coming back for more of that Duck Curry! read more

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Absolutely the best Thai food I've had, and unfortunately the first time I was number 56 on a waitlist. Must gets: the duck red curry and the beef fried rice. Will return when I am feeling resilient af read more

Khao Tiew - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We got here around 4:10, and put our names on the yelp waitlist. We got an estimate of 51-71 minutes. We ended up getting foot massages, then coming back and got seated around 5:45. There was also a party of 14 ahead of us. They have benches outside for people to wait. They only have 1 single restroom. We ordered beef short rib fried rice, duck curry, and a side of white rice. The curry paired so well with the okra and radish. For dessert, we got the burnt toast. It was super yummy! Definitely serves more than 2 people. Service was great. They attended to us in a timely manner, and our server knew when we were ready for the dessert. read more

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We joined the waitlist at 5:15pm and got seated about 30 minutes later. It's nice West Portal is a cute area to explore while waiting. Food was incredible - got the red curry with duck which was super flavorful and concentrated and so good with jasmine rice. Also got the drunken mama noodles - a bit salty but overall yummy. My friend got the beef rice with cured egg yolk and said it was really good! Finished off with the kaya toast and coconut ice cream and it was BOMB. I was so full at that point but couldn't stop Great atmosphere, lively, warm, welcoming. Friendly service too. read more

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Joined the waitlist at 6pm in person, was not seated until 7:45pm. Ordered the Khao Pad Mun Nuer with Soy Cured Egg Yolk, Khao Soi, and of course the Burnt Butter Kaya Toast with Coconut Ice Cream. We also got two glasses of Fattoria Carpineta Fontalpino "Rosso" Do Ut Des 2017 (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,Petit Verdot), and a thai tea. SKIPPING STRAIGHT TO THE DESSERT BECAUSE Y'ALL NEED TO COME HERE JUST FOR THIS! The Burnt Butter Kaya Toast with Coconut Ice Cream was DIVINE and I can't believe it's only $15! The toast is a big slab of milk bread, with "burnt butter" which is caramelized and makes the top super crispy and slightly sweet, a generous helping of pandan cream that is SO fragrant, smooth, and silky, and finally a gigantic scoop of the most creamy, rich, and extremely flavorful coconut ice cream with real coconut meat inside! The best part--the entire thing was not too sweet. 12/10 would recommend, so worth the hype! For the Khao Pad Mun Nuer with Soy Cured Egg Yolk we requested the meat to be medium rare but it came out medium well. The rice was DELICIOUSLY fried to the gods with the short rib tallow, every single grain of rice was somehow flavored perfectly. The addition of fried garlic and egg yolk were nice but I genuinely think I could have done without the yolk since it was a bit unmemorable for me. The boneless short rib was good but I wish it was cooked to our liking. Nonetheless the rice itself was delicious and worth the hype! I'd get it again for sure! The Khao Soi with crispy fried chicken was just okay. The noodles had a nice bite and the soup was standard. Overall, it was a bit on the sweeter side for me so ask for extra lime! I wouldn't get this again since I've had better elsewhere, but the crispy fried chicken was dark meat which I appreciated, however it didn't stay crispy for very long which was a bummer. I'd pass! The red wine was DELICIOUS!! I wish we got a whole bottle instead of two glasses. I don't even like red wine, but this is a super niche bottle you can only buy by the case online, it's not sold in stores.. next time we're buying the bottle for sure! It wasn't dry whatsoever, and had notes of cherry with a higher acidity. So good! The thai tea was standard. I wish it had a stronger tea flavor, and it wasn't overly sweet which I appreciated but I wouldn't get this again because of how unmemorable it was. Pass! Service was amazing, prices are SO reasonable and the wait IS WORTH IT. Already craving the kaya toast again! read more

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Thai iced tea: excellent, strong but not too sweet. Better than the one I recently had in Soothr in NYC. 5/5 Lychee tea: the best lychee tea I've ever had and one of the top iced teas ever. Lychee flavor was quite strong but it was balanced with the tea. 5/5 Khao pad man nuer: the beef was a bit too fatty on some of the ends which detracted from its tenderness. The fried rice was elite though, the seasonings that are used really make it stand out. Beef is 4.5/5, fried rice is 5/5. Duck breast red curry: duck was cooked well but I thought it could be a bit more juicy and flavorful. I really enjoyed the red curry and it goes well with the duck. 5/5 Khao soi w/ crispy chicken: This was some of (if not) the best khao soi I've ever had, the broth was flavorful but not too heavy and not too sweet which can be hard for restaurants to pull off this delicate balance. The crispy chicken was excellent as well, fried perfectly and very juicy. 5/5 Kaya toast: this was such a good dessert, the toast was perfect and the butter on top was not too overly sweet. The coconut ice cream also was quite good and complemented the dish amazingly. 5/5 5/5 read more

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I see why their wait is massive every day. Luckily, I was able to join the Yelp waitlist right when they opened. Beware that the waitlist fills up quickly! When I arrived as a party of 4, the server brought us to a table that is traditionally for a party of 2. The server explained that they're a small space and don't have any other table available. The traditional table for 4 is used to sit parties of 5. Just be ware that it might be a cramped dining experience. I ordered a couple dishes to try and everything was good. The mushrooms were umami. Khao soi was delicious and the tallow fried rice was unique and delicious. I finished the meal with Kaya toast and coconut ice cream. It was a little too sweet for my preference. Overall, food is pretty solid read more

Definitely the best Thai food I've ever had! The wait is extremely long though -- We came on a Saturday night and came put our name on the waitlist around 3:30 (there was already a line) and when the restaurant opened at 4, we put our name down and ended up getting seated around 6/6:30ish. However, the wait is SO WORTH it! It is a relatively small and cramped restaurant with ambient and moody lighting. Dishes that you have to order are the duck curry, khao soi, khao pad mun nuer with soy cured egg yolk, and the Kaya toast for dessert. Duck breast panang curry - 10/10 - The duck was seasoned and cooked to perfection - it was perfectly juicy and paired well with the panang curry. The curry itself had a huge depth of flavor, with the kaffir lime leaves and pineapple bringing a brightness that really elevated the dish. Khao soi - 8/10 - The best Khao soi I've ever had! Usually Khao soi isn't my thing because it tends to be on the heavier side, but the pickled veggies really added to the dish. The braised chicken thigh we got was also super moist. Khao pad mun nuer - 10/10 - This was another one of our favorite dishes. The short rib was cooked to a perfect medium rare and was complimented perfectly by the egg yolk and rice. I've never had beef tallow before, but it added such a richness and depth of flavor to the rice, and paired with the runny egg yolk and fried garlic, it was heavenly. Crab clay pot rice - 6/10 - This was our least favorite dish that we ordered. It was still delicious; however it was nothing outstanding compared to the rest of our meal. It tasted exactly like what we expected tho - crab, egg, and rice. Burnt butter Kaya toast - 8/10 - I never order desserts at restaurants, but I kept seeing people rave about the Kaya toast. The hype is so real though! The brown butter used on the milk bread added a delicious toastiness and complexity of flavor and the Kaya jam and ice cream on top added both a great texture and flavor contrast. The warm toast with the cold ice cream was the perfect combo and it was not too sweet. All in all, Khao Tiew is so worth the wait and I would 100% come back! read more

Khao Tiew - Burnt butter Kaya toast with coconut ice cream - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Be there at 4:30pm is a necessary thing. The ice-cream is amazing (coconut and sago for the ice-cream, and the bread is super crispy and buttery). read more

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Visited here on a Saturday afternoon, waited in line from 3:30pm to open, was able to get in with a party of 5. Service was good, fast and didn't have to wait too long to order. We got a few things, like the rib eye fried rice(Khao pad mun Nuer), fried chicken wings, spicy won tons, drunken Mama, pad see ew, it's prow nurn toon, and for dessert burnt butter Kaya toast. Sounds crazy, but everything was sooooo good!! The fried chicken wings were perfect and the spicy won tons could have been a meal it self. The Khao pad Mun Nuer was amazing, I would have that everyday if I could! We ate everything and thought dessert wasn't gonna happen, until we saw the server bring the toast to another table. All of us looked at each other and agreed we could split one, the best decision! Inside the restaurant, it's definitely a little cramped, which can be loud, but the food really pulls you into your own world. Will definitely go back here!!! read more

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Food was decent, didn't quite meet my expectations (as this restaurant was very hyped on social media) but was still good. My only gripe was the service. My party of 4 received a text from the yelp waitlist stating our table was ready but once we arrived, there was no staff members to seat us or the groups behind us. No staff came to talk to anyone waiting at the door for about 5 - 10 minutes. My group did not get seated for 40 minutes AFTER we received the text but groups of 2 behind us were seated relatively quickly. read more

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Not worth the wait imo. I've read the reviews about people waiting 2-3 hours for a table. I decided to try out on a weekday when the first open to avoid waiting. The food is okay, but not worth the wait at all. The protein is well made here but the flavor is lacking compared to other Thai restaurants (in South Bay at least). Food isn't spicy at all here. Also skip the drinks. They are bad read more

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This is my favorite thai restaurants in the city. The flavor and presentation is always on point. Be aware there's typically a long wait so try to get here earlier to jot down your name. Highlights Duck curry-(5/5) the curry is aromatic and rich and the duck is succulent and cooked to perfection. Fried mushroom- (5/5) earthy and crispy. Can't go wrong with fried mushrooms Khao Soi- (4.5/5) the soup base tasted like a slightly watered down version of the curry. Noodles soaked up the flavor of the soup well. Beef noodle soup- (4/5) beef was not the most tender and soup was rich but I didn't care too much for it. Kaya toast- (5/5) the perfect balance of sweetness and creamy! A must get read more

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