Kin Len is one of my favorite Thai spots in SD. What I'm most drawn to is how unique their menu is compared to your typical Thai spot that offers just the basics like curries, pad thai, and tom yum soup. For example, they offer a fried enoki appetizer & if you're more adventurous, the fried worms. My go-to order is their drunken mama noodles (and they don't skimp on the seafood!). Their spice scale is pretty mild but you can always ask for extra thai chili sauce or jalapenos on the side. I also love the ambiance - I feel like I'm in Thailand or in a family member's backyard. I like the addition of the vintage Thai posters and cassette tapes. It's just very cool. The service has always been solid as well - the servers are very attentive and friendly. read more

Last minute decision to pick up food from here, but it was a great choice! Their Shrimp Wonton Soup has an incredibly flavorful broth, which is often overlooked with wonton soups. The wontons themselves were packed with stuffing and seasoned nicely. They gave a good amount of wontons in the soup, too. My guy got the Basil Beek, which had really good flavor as well. The rice to protein ratio was a bit off, but the flavor was nice. I wish the egg came already on top of the rice because it broke while we were trying to put it back on top. read more

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I've had Kin Len on my bookmarks for so many years, and finally got the chance to come check it out! Note the interior is pretty small and probably best suited for parties of 4 or less.  TOM YUM FRENCH FRIES AND WINGS: We ordered both to share with the table, and both were crispy and tasty! The fries looked super plain, but I couldn't stop reaching back for more. They're both labelled as spicy, so we were a bit worried for someone in our group who cannot handle spice at all. But even he said they weren't spicy at all--mostly just sweet. So don't let the chili pepper symbol scare you away from ordering! KHAO SOI (CHICKEN): It's not as common to see khao soi on the menu as some of the other more popular noodle dishes, so I usually try to order this if it's available! Theirs had good flavor and a generous portion of chicken.  Overall, I enjoyed all the dishes I tried here and would love to come back to try their other menu offerings! If only they were located someone with more convenient parking. Also note that it was HOT inside...we came on a warm day in August and I was drenched in sweat by the end of my meal. read more

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Amazing service, we were attended to very quickly and got our food quickly. The servers were nice and not too overbearing either. The vibe is very clean and homey like you know you're about to get some good comfort food. The wings??? BOMB, the Basil Beef and fried garlic shrimp??? Absolutely no notes 10/10! What's not pictured is the garlic fried whole fish; it was okay because without the dipping sauce you really can't taste anything... no garlic, no salt BUT THE SAUCE!??? Definitely saved the dish, hands down. It was sweet and tangy but in a savory way which was a new flavor for me but I loved it. Overall, they've gained a forever customer right here. We ate everything family style so we had a chance to try more dishes and now I can't wait to go back and try even MORE. read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Tom Yum Wings, Basil Beef [Kra Prao Neua], Fried Garlic Pepper Shrimp - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

This was the day when I discovered that spicy food hits differenttt after drinking. I got the drunken noodles with tofu and it was SPICY but it tasted SO GOOD SO YUMMY. It was so tasty, and it satisfied my craving for sure. Now after every night out I will be craving spicy food. Cute interior and nice ambiance as well. They had soju, and well, that just tasted like soju lol The yogurt flavor is good. read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Drunken Noodle w tofu, tom yum chicken wings, pork belly rice, basil beef rice, yogurt soju - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Cute spot with interesting Thai Street food. I don't feel like it's particularly memorable for the cuisine given how many great Thai Food options are nearby, HOWEVER the ambiance makes it an excellent date night or girls night out spot. I would say that the service was pretty friendly, if not a little slow. read more

Curry so authentic, it stained my phone case. Good food but portion is small for the price. read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

SOOO GOOD. We were looking for late night eats on a Saturday night and wanted something hearty but not too heavy. Thai food was the one thing the 5 of us agreed on haha, but we were all so glad we found this place and that they still let us dine in even though we came in about 45 minutes before closing. We all agreed it might've been the best meal of the entire weekend. Everything from the ka prao, to the tom yum noodle, beef rib noodle, fried chicken & rice, and tom yum fries were amazing and nothing like the usual thai flavors nor presentation we're used to. The only thing i'd skip here is the pad see ew - not because it's not good, but I just think their other dishes outshine it by far. Service was very friendly and helpful. Ambiance is very street vibes and makes you feel like you're not in CA haha. I'm dying to come back the next time i'm in SD!! read more

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The food was okay. The items we ordered definitely didn't taste authentic. We ordered the chicken and rice which was pretty good - it tasted legit like a large fresh McDonald's chicken nugget. The broth it came with was really good. The basil beef was def an Americanized version of the dish. The restaurant would be considered a "hole in the wall" type place. Service was okay. Overall, not for me. read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Basil beef - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great food! I'm in love with the fried chicken khao soi. The broth is thick, satisfying and whenever I took a slurp, it felt like being hugged. The fried noodle ball gave an added contrast that's elevated this dish to an even better experience. They have quite a selection of Thai beers, not just the usual singha. We got a couple of Thai craft beers (in cans); one was a sticky rice lager and the other was banana wheat beer and both were refreshingly good. There was a short line when we got there, but we didn't have to wait long since we were ok with the bar seats. I'd love to come back to try other dishes. Or eat more Khao soi. lol. read more

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Went here for Lunch and got a table fast. They have outdoor seating too so we chose that. I had their DRUNKEN MAMA and my wife had the TOM YUM PORK RIBS SOUP. My DRUNKEN Mamma was good but I wish I had other options for noodles coz the noodles are similar to those Mi Goreng instant noodles, this Drunken Mamma has mixed Seafood like Shrimps, scallops, and Mussels, this has a good flavor but not a fan of the noodles and maybe a few more seafood would be nice. My wife had the TOM YUM PORK RIBS, very nice sourness on the soup but the ribs were kinda small, maybe my wife and I have been dining at similar places with Pork ribs and we are used to always having bigger ribs in other restaurants, but we like their Tom Yum broth. Parking is kinda hard, we park on the side street. Service was great, and the place is very clean. Food is just okay. read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Asian girlfriend approved, she sucked every bit of fish off that entire fish fried. I tried some of the meat also, so good. GIVE IT A TRY! It isn't scary, it's goooood. I got the beef basil, tasted good and safe for any new Thai food indulgent. The vibes are 10/10 and the lighting is great. If you're coming on a tinder date - you're good girl. The lights and vibes are non fluorescent and flattering. Service was quick and everyone attentive to our water, to the point where I definitely felt hydrated. read more

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Great food and service! We got the Chicken Pad See Ew and the Hat Yai Chicken and Curry. Both had great flavor. Good portion sizes, had enough food for three meals. Small restaurant with limited seating, and very clean. We did sit outside and one thing to note was that if there are loud folks at coin-op you will definitely hear their excitement. read more

This is my first experience with KinLen. I have passed by the place often since it's on 30th st. On this Sat afternoon, post an outpatient procedure, I decided to order thru Door Dash as I am still not up to traversing to a restaurant to pick up. We looked over the menu and saw the descriptions of mostly Thai food on the menu. Bahn Thai is the comparison since that has been our go to. My partner wanted Tom Yum soup, Drunken noodles (preferably with vegetables) and I ordered as a starter crab rangoon cigar roll and for me a fried pork belly. Here are my musings, the Tom Yum soup was good. The crab rangoon should really be better suited to the crunch of wontons (but nice try). The fried pork belly was a little pricey for the amount received since this only came with sauces and no rice. The Drunken noodles were fine but it should also have an option of vegetables to add instead of tofu, chicken or shrimp. Overall, I might try them again sometime if I am in the area. Nothing still beats my go to place. But as Yelpers go, it's always nice to try new places. read more

Got to try this Thai Restaurant on a Friday night. Located in North Park next to other trendy businesses, street parking can be difficult. Pros: -their Tom yum wings were outstanding and the best thing that I had. I would come back just to order their wings!!!! We also tried the son in law wings- they were good but I think the Tom yum wings were the star of the show. -papaya salad was refreshing. We got it spicy. I didn't think it had too much heat. -friendly staff -lots of fun things to look around at in their restaurant Cons: -n/a read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

5 stars without a question. brought my thai friend here to try with me, she introduced me to the menu and mentioned how a few things are not really served in american restaurants so that's cool to know this spot is truly authentic. regarding the food... EVERYTHING was AMAZING. she said she's going to take her parents here. thank you so much for blessing my taste buds. So Saap is my favorite thai restaurant in the city but menu is more lao leaning; im happy to report that Kin Len has put itself up there for me parallel paid parking read more

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Whether as a last night spot, the food is mostly fantastic: The only dish that I didn't care for was the Fried Garlic Intestines. But even the Worms were excellent and the Tom Kha soup is the best in San Diego. Service can be dry and rushed, but the food makes up for it. read more

4.5 stars. Impressed during my first visit and want to come back for a full on dinner. Stopped by for a solo lunch while in the area and ordered papaya salad, tom yum fries, and shrimp wontons. My favorites were the Tom yum fries and wontons. Never had anything like the fries before and it was perfectly seasoned. The shrimp wontons were nice and crispy; not too much wrapper either. The papaya salad was good but I felt like it was missing something... can't put my finger on it tho. The server did say there was another similar salad that was "funkier" as he described it and I wonder if that's what I'm looking for or maybe a higher spice level. Willing to try it next time. Service was good, no complaints at all. I loved the aesthetic of the shop, a lot of culture stuff. Will def be back read more

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Wow! Quaint Thai street eats place right around the corner from the North Park sign. Service was incredibly friendly and the food was amazing. The basil beef was so fragrant and delicious and the Khao Soi was pretty darn good too. Not my personal favorite Khao Soi ever, but it'll definitely scratch the itch. read more

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Food was amazing. We ordered the papaya salad, chicken pad thai, shrimp tom yum soup, and fried enoki mushroom. Papaya salad was very refreshing, but wish there was more papaya instead of green cabbage. Chicken pad thai had good flavor, albeit just a touch sweeter than expected, and portion was very generous. Shrimp tom yum was delicious but in a very small bowl. The best dish was the fried enoki mushroom. It was my first time having it and I'm obsessed. So crunchy and satisfying. The decor had some modern aspects but overall there was a nostalgic feel. The quaint plastic basket covering condiments at each table transported me momentarily back to asia. read more

We came by for dinner on a Sunday night. While the parking lot was busy, there was no wait in the restaurant, and we were promptly seated and served with the menu and drinks. The price is steep for a Thai restaurant, and that alone I can overlook, but the appetizer's depiction, price, and portion seem a little unbalanced. We ordered the pork spare ribs, the mango and shrimp ceviche with crispy wontons, beef Thai fried rice, and a crispy pork pad see ew. Don't get me wrong, all the food tasted delicious! But the portion of the appetizers was very disappointing. The portion of pork spare ribs was too small, and given that most of the pieces were bones, it was disappointing. So we added the ceviche, again, while the taste was excellent, sweet, spicy, and sour, it was so good! But the problem was that the ceviche came with only five pieces of fried wonton skins to enjoy it with. There is an imbalance between the food and the price. Then the beef Thai fried rice: the meat itself was odd. It was cooked just enough, but the pieces of meat were not bite-sized, pale, and some were tough to chew. The fried rice itself had great flavor, but the rice pieces were still 'wet' and stuck together; the rice should have been fried longer until the grains separated a little more. The pad see ew was great! No complaints there, I love that you can choose the crispy pork as protein for the pad see ew, not a lot of Thai restaurants do that. Also, kudos to the waitstaff: when they saw us come in with two kids, they offered a high chair and immediately gave them their kids' utensils and water. My girl got a Hello Kitty plate, and my boy got a Doraemon plate. It's the little things that count! Overall, we had a great time here, ate quality food, and enjoyed the lovely decor inside. read more

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This place is super cute especially with their decor of reminiscent of a Thai street eater. The wooden panels to the front, to the colorful lottery tickets in the front and snacks makes this a very quiant food street. Food wise the most noteworthy dish I want to highlight is the son in law wings! The wings are amazing and delicious especially woth the unique combinations of the tamarind sauce. read more

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Seriously don't know how I haven't reviewed Kin Len. I have eaten here numerous times over the last five years. Its so good you can't wait to bring friends here. Kin Len is not your typically Thai food restaurant. They do have dishes like: Pas Thai, Pad See Ew , and Tom yum and Tom kha soup. However, their menu offers so much more than that. Some of my go to's are: Lenk Ribs- the spicy lime sauce/broth make this a fo to. Basil Beef- full of flavor and the basil makes it extra special Tom yum wings- these are just fun and different Sous-vide chicken & rice - more like comfort food. Looks plain but taste delicious and once again this broth is delicious. I love that they have Chang Beer, and various other Thai beers. The service is mostly good. The restaurant can get pretty busy and it's on the smaller side. read more

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Ordered delivery through uber eats - overall, liked the flavors and food but felt it wasn't worth the value. The seafood tom yum stir fry had great flavor and fresh seafood, but it was a really small portion for the price. Same thing for the mushroom dish - it tasted good, but tiny amount of mushrooms. Both containers were 80% rice. Also, I ordered medium heat and neither was even remotely spicy. I liked the food but wouldn't order again due to the small amount if actual food included. read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Sea of Tom Yum - good flavor but mostly rice - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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This spot was saved on places I should try, and I'm glad I had the chance to visit. I was lucky enough to find metered parking right in front. I sat outside, and the interior was decorated beautifully. It really made me feel like I was back in Thailand. The server was great. She went over the popular items and was very attentive, constantly refilling our waters. I ordered the Tom Yum Wings for $12.95. They were perfectly dry seasoned, and each bite was packed with flavor. A must order and easily my favorite dish. I also had the Drunken Noodles with Chicken for $18.95. They were good, but the wings stood out the most. I love Thai food and would definitely return for those wings if I'm in the area. read more

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Came here for an early dinner and the interior was playful. Felt authentic and fun. We got the wings and 2 other dishes. The wings were a bit too over seasoned where it felt more on the salty side. The service was a bit too slow in every aspect. Taking our order, to food coming out to getting water refill was a struggle. Had to go up to the counter to get servers attention. There was about 5 parties with 2 workers. Food was decent and service can be a bit more improved. read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Tom Yum Wings - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

My friend found this place by accident and we got the last indoor seat while outside was chilly and the table we got was so small it didn't fit the 5 items I ordered. Some things were on the spicy side even after asking them to be made mild. Loved the quality on the dishes I was able to eat and they get negative points for running out of mango sticky rice but we did go when it was later in the evening. :-) For sure will be back! read more

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What a hidden gem!! Currently my favorite Thai food in SD. As soon as you walk in you feel like you entered an authentic Thai restaurant in Thailand. Food is so delicious, I've been going twice a week. My favorite dish is papaya salad and basil beef dish. Everything is so good and staff is amazing. Highly recommend. read more

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Our particular server was very rude and disrespectful. She repeatedly shook her head and seemed irritated when we asked if a few dishes could be made vegetarian. I completely understand if certain options weren't available,it was her dismissive and annoyed attitude that was disappointing. She also brought the wrong dish and, although she replaced it, didn't seem to care that she made us wait for her mistake. The plastic table covers also looked like they hadn't been properly washed in a while. Overall was not a good experience. read more

Kin Len might be the best Thai food my girlfriend and I have had. We stopped by after we got drinks nearby since they're open late. Very glad we stumbled upon Kin Len. Upon entering, the restaurant felt very much so like the streets of Thailand, with various neon signs and modern street decor. We ordered the Hat Yai chicken and curry and felt adventurous and ordered worms. Our server was sweet and the food came out quickly. I wasn't excited to try the worms, but they were surprisingly delicious, with a crispy, popcorn-like texture. They were perfect for a night out. The chicken and curry was probably the best we've had. The chicken had an amazing crunch that paired well with the crispy roti and the curry. Everything here had great flavors and textures. My girlfriend and I will absolutely make it a point to stop here on our next trip to San Diego read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Hat Yai Chicken & Curry - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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I have only ordered takeout from this place and they have yet to disappoint me so far, so the rating is purely based on food currently. The most memorable dish is their (enoki?) mushrooms which are super crispy, savory, and salty at the same time. I haven't tried something like this before until them, and I always think of this dish whenever I'm craving some Thai food in the area! read more

I love coming to Kin Len! The food is always fresh, hot, and super flavorful. The pricing is super fair and the Thai drink options are great. I want to gate-keep this place so bad! But I know I that would be wrong haha. The restaurant is not very large so I'm not sure I would come here with 20 of my closest friends. But for 2-6 people, this place is perfect. The service is always the best. Fast and efficient which you can't really ask for much more. Next time you're in North Park and looking for a great meal, stop by Kin Len. You won't be disappointed! read more

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Friendly and attentive service! Our server really helpful and honest with recommendations We got the cigar crab rangoons to share and I got the Thai Stew Beef Rib noodle soup, which was perfect on a cold night. The crab rangoons had mixed reviews within our group - some saying it was too crabby, others saying it was too cheesy. I'm not crab Rangoon expert but it was a good balance of both in an eggroll shape. The noodle soup was a good serving for one with a comparable ratio of meatballs/rib meat to noodles. Lots of interesting beer flavors too. Really felt like you were grabbing a bite at the Thai street markets. If you're looking for a different Thai food experience, check this place out! read more

Good flavor was not authentic, robust, or even memorable on this day. Everything feels rushed, and the chicken wings you can tell they hadn't changed their oil in a while. As a local this is not an everyday spot for authentic or even reasonably priced Thai and if you are a visitor you can find a handful of better options in the area. read more

Street parking around here is super crowded, so it was kind of a hassle to find a spot. The restaurant is also pretty noisy, so it's not the best place if you're looking for a quiet dining experience. We can't give more stars because we honestly didn't like most of the food. The curry noodles, which were supposed to be one of their signature dishes, were disappointing. They added way too much curry powder, and it left a bitter aftertaste. The fried noodles also got soggy really fast. Overall, not what we expected. read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Khao Soi Noodle Crab Fried Rice [Khao Pad Poo] - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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What we ordered: -drunken noodles (lvl 2 spice): loved the chew of these noodles and this dish was very well seasoned. Level 2 spice was just the right amount of spice to add a little kick to the noodles. -Tom yum wings: definitely the star of the show. Such a flavorful dish and the wings are crisped to perfection. Highly recommend ordering this one! I know it's just going to get harder to keep prices affordable with the direction the economy is going right now, but I must say it was kinda pricey for the amount of food served. Seating: indoor and outdoor available Parking: street parking can get a little tough in this area read more

Kin Len - Thai Street Eats - Drunken Noodle - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Was looking for a casual place for dinner and just walking around North Park. This place was so amazing and hit the spot on so many levels!! The service was so friendly we were sorted right away. We ordered drinks and they arrived in less than 5 mins and our food I was so surprised also arrived extremely fast! The flavors they were able to create were amazing. We got fried garlic intestine and they tasted exactly like chiccheronis, they were a great snack. The pad Thai was great. It was on the sweet side which I had never had but loved. The egg noodle dishes were my favorite though, very similar to a thin ramen noodle. The best part about this place though is the atmosphere you rely feel like you are transported to another country. The beer selection is also amazing. So many local Thai beers and they also had some local San Diego beers on tap including sculpin from ballast point. 10/10 recommend. We will be back. read more

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Great find with some unique Thai dishes. We started off with the Worms, Son- in-law Wings, Chicken Satay, Crab Rangoon cigar rolls and Thai Papaya Salad. Next we moved on to some shared plates- Tom Kha soup, Drunken noodles w/ chicken, Pad Thai Boran w/ chicken and the Hat Yai Chicken & Curry. We really enjoyed most dishes- they were extremely flavorful and delivered on the spice levels as requested. Service was prompt and attentive. read more

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Food // My first time coming to Kin Len was in January & this is the second time. I really enjoyed my meal the first time - I knew I had to go back. Today I ordered the Fried Shrimp Wonton Kin Len (appetizer) and the Pad Thai Boran with chicken Kin Sen (noodles entree). I love spicy food so I made sure to request chili oil on the side. My partner ordered the Khao Mun Gai (Sous Vide Chicken & Rice Kin Khao) which is his favorite. The food was the perfect mixture of a savory & comfort meal. The Pad Thai had a great tamarin flavor and the noodles were cooked to perfection. This was my first time trying the shrimp wonton & I loved how crispy the outside was while maintaining a juicy flavor on tue inside. Looking forward to trying more plates on their menu. Service // Our server was so kind, attentive and helpful. He made sure to check in with us and also gave great recommendations for nearby desert places. Ambiance // The ambiance embodied an inviting and cozy environment. The decor of Kin Len is my absolute favorite and it made me feel like I traveled back in time. As someone who loves art, they did a great job at using local Thai iconography and posters to represent a specific era in Thai culture. read more

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The food here was overly sweet. We ordered the pad see eew and pad thai. I'm aware that these dishes should have notes of sweetness. But it was sweet to the point where my husband and I tried to finish what we could but didn't want to take anything home. We're the type of people that love taking our food home to eat the next day, but we both knew that it wasn't worth bringing home. Not once did the staff ask how the food tasted. It's a shame because I could tell that they stir fried the noodles well. But I agree that they are definitely tailoring this to the American taste. We originally had plans to go get ice cream afterwards. But we both looked at each other and agreed that we've had enough sweetness for the night, and canceled our ice cream plans. read more