While a bit of a hole in the wall, I would come back solely for the Mango Crispy shrimp/chicken. It was that good! I also tried all their drinks - the half sugarcane/coconut water was extremely refreshing and the Thai iced coffee was strong and sweet. Wings- tasted like lemon pepper. Tasty! Mango Crispy Shrimp 5/5 Wings 5/5 Pad see Ew 4/5 Eggplant basil 3.5/5 Drinks 5/5 read more

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Our group came into town for Comicon weekend. We were looking for lunch close to our Airbnb, and were so glad to have stumbled into Kin Saep! It's an unassuming hole in the wall, with no shortage of traditional Thai flavors. Our party of 5 ordered the following, and it was a perfect amount of food (zero leftovers, so that in itself was telling): Cream cheese Rangoons Pad Thai with beef Pad see ew with crispy chicken Crab fried rice Lao-style papaya salad Pad kra pow with pork Mango sticky rice We truly loved every single dish, but were really impressed with the crab fried rice (they did not skimp on the crab), and the pad see ew with crispy chicken because of how unique the protein was. I've never seen crispy chicken offered as an option, and it was absolutely delicious! Honorable mention to the fresh sugar cane juice that was SO refreshing. Our only regret was not having enough time to come back for one more meal (and one more sugar cane juice). I'm writing this review as a reminder to ensure I come back when we're in town again! read more

authentic affordable good food bbq pork neck was tender and juicy. flavor really nice. khao piek- great broth, really interesting noodle texture. pad se ew- well done, enjoyable pad grapow- not into as much. minced pork. not really my thing. read more

Came here this time for some mango sticky rice. The mango was a bit sour to my liking but it was t for me. The staff were kind. The order was ready super fast. read more

Kin Saep is such a good hole-in-the-wall, mom and pop type restaurant. It's another go-to spot of mine when I'm craving Lao and Thai food. It's also close to home, which is always a plus. The atmosphere is simple, warm, and easygoing, and their food is just pure comfort with tons of flavor. 10/10! Seating and parking are on the limited side, but I'll definitely keep coming back. read more

When we were looking for a good Thai or Lao restaurant heading south, this place had great ratings, so we decided to try it. The restaurant is small and simple, but it felt comfortable and nice. I ordered the shrimp pad thai, my husband tried the drunken noodles, and of course we both had Thai tea. We were excited, and the service was fast at first. Unfortunately, there was a mix up with my order. My shrimp didn't come, and I only realized it after I had already eaten a couple of spoonfuls. Sadly, we were the last customers, and I think the server may have forgotten, there were a few other tables at the same time. I'm not sure what happened, but it was disappointing. That said, the food itself was good. I asked for no spice, and they did that perfectly. The flavors were nice, just sad I didn't get the meal I was really looking forward to. read more

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Not only was the food delicious, but the staff was also very helpful when we came back looking for a lost wallet. Thank you, Kin Saep, for being so kind to us! We're from out of town (originally from SD) visiting family and our experience with Kin Saep reinforced our belief that San Diego is America's Finest City! (P.S. the guy at the convenience store at same bldg was also very nice!) read more

We've ordered from this place a few times for delivery and they're consistently good. Their Pad Thai is super flavorful and full of meat and veggies. Their Nam Khao is probably what keeps us coming back. Everything you want from a flavor bomb to the texture of the fried rice ball, the pork, and those spicy dried chilis-almost a crime not to eat them. Their spice level 2 is the perfect amount of heat for us, just enough to have you sweating but not so much that you can't enjoy the flavors of the dishes. Our recent addition to our order was the Massaman Curry also with plenty of shrimp and crisp carrots. This is served with a side of rice and plenty of broth. Will def continue ordering from this spot since they deliver to our area. read more

I ordered to-go here. the service was fast and it is nice it was local, I really needed soup that day. the khao piek Sen soup was good but for some reason it hit the spot for me and I decided to also get egg rolls however not sure why it looked burnt in my opinion. Employee was nice. Not much room for big parties. I would say this is not my Lao food to go spot. But it nearby. read more

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Small restaurant located in the corner of a business strip. Honestly, it's always hot and not the most cleanest place with an extremely dirty fan that blows around but you know what? The food is still pretty good. What you don't see behind the scenes won't kill you, right? I noticed that everytime we visited, they would have more takeout orders than dine-in guests. Considering so, our order still arrived at the table quickly. It's hard to pick a favorite dish here because majority of everything we ordered were quite delicious. Dishes after dishes packed with flavor. Quite affordable, too. read more

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Amazing food this was recommended by a friend. Will definitely come back again next time. read more

Kin Saep - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food taste like my aunties cooking. Flavor is authentic. They also have fresh sugar cane drinks. Service was good. Plaza can be a bit sketch, but worth it. read more

Kin Saep - Supreme Papaya Salad, Beef Jerky, Golden Chicken Wings - 6 - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Highly Recommend this little family run Thai Lao restaurant!! First time eating here! I have a few favorites and Kin Saep has been added to that list!! Very small interior w a few tables. No frills interior but the service and food were outstanding!! We had the beef jerky which was cooked to perfection. Not dry, but was tender and seasoned well. The dipping sauce added another layer of flavor but the beef jerky alone is great. The Pad Thai is one of the most authentic Pad Thai and very close to eating in Thailand!! Simple but flavorful with the right amount of tamarind and palm sugar!! The Pork Belly Crispy Rice and Chinese broccoli was something new for me and the star of the night!! The fried pork belly w crispy rice was such a pleasant surprise and delicious. The contrast in flavors and texture was delightful! The Tom Ka was one that reminded me of Thailand. On the mainland I have been continually disappointed w Tom Ka until now. The Sai Oua was not my favorite. I dont recommend it. Its nothing like Ive had in Northern Thailand. All in all I will support this little family run Thai Lao restaurant. Its one of my top 3 in SD. Please give this place a try. highly recommend this hole in the wall! Its a great find! read more

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Crab Rangoons -- light, fluffy, well seasoned Chicken Wings -- crispy, thin batter, strong black pepper flavor Beef Laab -- medium rare, refreshing, big portion Beef Jerky -- crispy on the outside, soft center, great with sticky rice Lao Papaya Salad -- great dish to share, love the plate it comes on, Gao Lao -- basically pho broth with no noodles -- great flavors and textures , really liked this dish The restaurant is very small but can accommodate a bigger party if they're not busy. Our server was very kind and attentive. She had lots of regulars and remembered them all which says a lot about her. There was country music on in the background which I loved read more

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I missed Kin Saep, I started to spend my time in North County, life got chaotic, and I sadly forgot about my favorite Thai spot. Yesterday was my first day returning in a couple years and Oh my gosh, why did I ever stop? I didn't think it was possible for the food to get any tastier, but I fell in love all over again and had to return today. I just can't get enough. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. If you enjoy spice like I do, get very spicy and order some Jeow Som or Prik Nam Pla/Nam Pla. read more

The best Thai food around! I've tried at least 10 dishes from there over the last year and they all have been great! My go to though is the drunken noodles and I make it special by adding shrimp and crispy pork belly. The owners are super cool people too! read more

Haven't dined in here before but have ordered take out several times and all dishes I've tried have been all great! Some of the dishes I've tried are: -Nam Khao 10/10 -Mango sticky rice dessert 8/10 -Rad Nah with seafood 10/10 -love that they add green mussels on the half shell! -red curry with chicken 8/10 -Thai tea 10/10 Place is pretty small with just a few tables and chairs but food is great for takeout, tasty, quick, and affordable! Can't wait to try out more of their other dishes whenever I'm in the mood for lao/thai food. read more

Kin Saep - Rad Nah with Seafood - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

"HOLE IN THE WALL" place!! I came in after the "lunch rush" but that didn't stop orders from going out the door...constantly! My food was super fresh and delicious. The gentleman who took my order (and money) was friendly, professional and patient. I will definitely return to try something else. read more

Kin Saep - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Stopped in just for a quick little something, decided to go with the beef jerky, it did not disappoint! There were so many great things on the menu! Looks like I'm going to have to come back with some friends and an appetite so I can try a bit of everything. Also the service is wonderful! read more

I'm sure most adults out there reward themselves for jobs well done. I reward myself for just doing a small errand, even if I don't complete it. If I put a bra on and left the house, I'm gonna treat myself to a little something. This particular errand was getting cash at the credit union. I had to wait in line for like 6 minutes so I decided to indulge in my noodle craving. I checked a map and even though Kin Saep wasn't a name I'd heard before I'm always down for Thai food. I headed in thinking I'd just get some drunken noodles to go. But when I got inside this cozy little spot I decided to dine in and try something new to me. Khao Piek (tapioca rice noodles with 24 hour chicken broth, shredded chicken, green onion, and cilantro) wasn't something I'd had before, but it seemed like a good idea on a chilly day. I'm terrible with names but the nice lady who was hostess/server/cashier offered beef blood in this soup. She said they don't always have it so it's not on the menu, but it's offered when in stock. Since it was the day for trying new things- I accepted this bovine blood addition. Now if you're picturing some kind of horror show in a bowl of broth, you'd be wrong. They're small brownish squares, little blood cakes, that didn't have much if any flavor and were very soft. I ate plenty of them mixed in with the chewy noodles, didn't even notice them. Google says they're very nutritious, lots of iron and amino acids. Feeling under the weather? Get some of this soup! The chicken broth was delicious, the noodles were delightfully chewy, and the chicken meat was tender. I really liked this bowl and I really think it'll be my soupy go-to. They also have a supreme version with shrimp and crispy pork belly, so if you're feeling a bit more peckish that's the one to try. I didn't order that one this time because I actually ordered the crispy pork belly and Chinese broccoli. You gotta get at least one item from the "House Specials" right? "Stir fry crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli in house oyster sauce. Rice included." was just as wonderful as it sounds. The pork belly was crispy as promised and with the kind of bitter greens I was truly feeling the health boost. Sure I was eating fried up pork fat, BUT there was green on the plate and it just felt like it was good for me and happened to taste delicious. A week later I decided I didn't want to cook and I wanted to share this new food gem I'd discovered with my partner. This time I did get the food to go, and it was cooked quickly and packaged very nicely. Ordering Crab Rangoon, Peppered BBQ Pork, Chicken Satay, Chicken Pad Thai, and an order of Pork Pad GraPow made for a pretty tasty meal of our usual picks. The crab rangoon didn't really seem to be anything other than cream cheese so I'm okay not getting those again. The peppered bbq pork was my favorite appetizer. Whatever they marinade that pork neck in before grilling it up gave it such a great flavor. The chicken satay was tender and I liked the peanut sauce. I also liked the pad Thai and the grapow. They may be standard dishes but I appreciate them on days when I don't want to order something new. I also thought they were both a good size, perfect for sharing with another person if you like playing mix & match with your entrees. I kind of wish something was terrible so I wouldn't have a hard time ordering. The next time I have a little errand to run maybe I'll finally try the drunken noodles, or the basil fried rice, or maybe a little crying tiger steak. Maybe I'll bring a group, a small one for this small place, just so I can get my mitts into everything faster. Kin Saep is definitely a new favorite spot. read more

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!!Warning!! The Food gave me food poison when i walk to get my food they had the whole place smelling like cleaner i online order the pineapple fried rice an the pineapple tased bad an it 2am i woke up with food poisoning, i was looking to give these guys another review to fix the old, since they took over So Saap location, but Sorry to say i will Never Return Here!!! i will take the drive to So Saap "Fare warning to the next customers" read more

This restaurant was recommended to us by our good yelper friend. We trust this person when it comes to his recommendations, so we drove right away to check this place out. KIN SAEP is very small, there were probably 4 tables inside, and that explains the people going in and out just ordering to go. My wife ordered for the 3 of us (Me and my Son), we ended up with 7 Dishes. It was all worth it, every dish has its own unique flavor. Also, the making of the Sugar cane juice is Fun to watch. An actual Sugar Cane is being squeezed for Fresh sugar cane. I hope someday they can move to a bigger space. read more

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One of my go-to Lao restaurants, especially being that it's conveniently located down the street from me. It used to be another Lao restaurant but was recently bought out & had a change of ownership. Food is always a hit when we go there. I always order sugar cane drinks which are always refreshing & delish. Kinda pricey here. I've never paid below $60-$70 when eating here. The thum & kaopiek are always a hit. I have ordered to-go here before. & my mom has also ordered DoorDash from here. The boat noodz were a miss. I don't think I'd ever order it again. The broth was too thick. Like chunky thick & there wasn't enough broth for the noodles. The noodles were clumped together. & it just wasn't for me. You could taste the blood in the broth. I had literally 1-2 bites & tossed it out cuhs it wasn't appetizing to me. We also tried the orange chicken I believe? The photos looked fire. The food itself wasn't it neither. I've noticed that ordering to-go here may not be the best option. It's usually when I order to-go that the food is a miss. Besides the usual dishes like kaopiek, papaya salad, & dry dish options. We always have this one server, I forgot her name. She's in her 20-30s. Super kind, super nice, super attentive. I said I'd come here due to her service alone. She's amazing, kind, friendly, & personable. But not overbearing at the same time. She always recognizes me & strikes up a conversation which is nice. The last few times I've went in there's been other servers tho. One really really young & another lady who's probably in her 20-30s. They're professional but I like our usual server best. Parking, they have a private lot shared with other businesses. It's never too busy so you're bound to find parking. Small restaurant with a few tables. Interior is clean & updated. Will continue to come here & recommend to others! read more

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Ordered takeout and everything was great! I got the pad see ew tofu, panang curry, and Thai tea. The order was ready before the lucky time and they followed all my instructions perfectly (picky kids). The food was flavorful and the curry came in a generous portion. Solid spot for Thai take out. read more

Hidden would be an accurate way to describe the location of Kin Saep. It's a corner suite in a random plaza off Market St in the Chollas View neighborhood which housed a previous Lao eatery. I can't say it's the nicest area, however the Lao and Thai street food produced by the kitchen was good eating. The capacity was small with maybe six tables that could seat about 20 diners. Opposite the tables was a beverage station in which the staff could make refreshments like fresh sugar cane drinks. The two-page menu listed appetizers, salads, soups, noodle soups, noodles, rice, curries, and house specials as the categories. My meal consisted of Fried Meatballs, House Fried Rice with a combo of shrimp and calamari, and a CoCo Cane drink. The meatballs were served as two skewers with four pieces each. A sweet house sauce came on the side as a dip for the fried meat. Three shrimp and some calamari were added to a plate of stir-fried rice containing egg, onion, basil, chili paste, and light soy sauce. Fresh sugar cane stalks were placed in an extractor to harvest the juice that was mixed with slices of young coconut. The fried rice was light from the type of soy sauce used, yet it was hearty with the medium sized shrimp and calamari. The sugar cane juice was the perfect chaser to wash down the food. What stood out during my visit was the excellent customer service. The wife of the owner staffed the service counter and made sure the kitchen was operating efficiently. There was an error in the price for an item, and she generously provided a discount on the check. If the distance wasn't so far, then I'd return more frequently to support Kin Saep. read more

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Everytime I door dash from this spot and order the supreme khao piak sen, it's always missing the pork belly or shrimp. The purpose of it being supreme is that it has those two items... without it. It is no longer the value that I am paying for. I'm extremely annoyed. It's happened 3 times and this is my last time being nice about it. read more

Best drunken noodles EVER! we have tried most items on the menu and everything has been a hit including the COCOcane drink. Inside is pretty small and not in the most inviting area of town but the food and customer service make up for it. This is my family's go to for Thai food now. read more

Wonderful, fair pricing, delicious food! Got the sugarcane juice and really enjoyed such a hard to find item.

I ended up with E. coli poisoning from my Uber Eats order on Saturday 5/9/2026! Diarrhea & bloody urine for three days...stay away.

This place was formerly So Saep and now under new name and ownership. Max occupancy for this place is 18. It was the Lao Pho that caught our eye. Not all Lao places offer this. We got Lao pho, Crab fried rice, Fried chicken wing, Chicken satay and Panang curry. For drinks we got Thai tea which was sweeter than my liking. The cococane was refreshing and naturally sweet. Fresh sugar cane with real slices of coconut. We came during lunch and the service was super quick and everything tasted delicious. In and out within one hour. The chicken satay is on the dry side but dipping in the peanut sauce made it better. The curry was a level 6 spice but it was not spicy and my tolerance is low. My new favorite place for crab friend rice. Lao pho tasted like viet pho and even better than some viet pho places. Overall, we will for sure come back for the other dishes. read more

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The food delicious, the service good, the place small but cozy. The people who work there are very kind

Good place for authentic Lao food! Kao piek noodles are good and nam khao. I've been ordering from Grubhub so the portions may be smaller compared to in person. read more

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I've ordered the Pad Thai several times in the past but tonight the chicken tasted old and dried like it was made with leftover chicken.

Came here with my friend he suggested this place . We were the only ones seated but many people picking up to go ordered I ordered the golden chicken wings and khao poon . The chicken was cooked to perfection and had a great taste and the soup had a nice flavor and lots of noodles . A nice hole in the wall which serves great food. The server was awesome and so helpful . Will definitely come back and will have to try the pad Thai noodles and panang curry . read more

Kin Saep - Khao Poon - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Looking for some truly amazing Thai/Lao food at a great price ? Well, oh boy... You have come to the right place ! So the first thing you should know about Kin Saep, if you've never been there before, is that there is nothing fancy about the place. It is the classic definition of a "hole in the wall" restaurant. It shares a small corner strip-mall with a taco shop, a liquor store and a tiny launder mat, in a Chollas View neighborhood. You don't go to a place like this for the decor, ambiance or location. That out of the way, what DO you go there for? How about some absolutely gourmet quality Lao/Thai food, that won't set you back a week's pay? We've been to nearly all of the Thai places in or near our area and somehow had missed this one. We decided to give it a try and ordered some of out favorite standard Thai menu items: Drunken Noodles (w/Chicken) - It looked great when the steaming plate arrived at out table. And it tasted even better. The veggies were fresh, crisp and perfectly done. The noodles had been fried to exactly the right texture, no charring, not clumpy - with a delicious sauce. The chicken was tender and flavorful. We'd put this Drunken Noodles up against any of the finer and fancier Thai/Lao restaurants in town and it would easily walk away with the prize. Red Curry (w/ Mock Duck and Eggplant) - Again, the veggies were perfect - especially the Eggplant, which can always be a bit tricky and often found to be dissappointing at many Asian restuarants. The red curry sauce was robust and flavorful, with a nice rich texture. The mock duck was crispy fired to perfection and SO flavorful. Mock duck is another one that so many of the other places always seem to have issues with so it is always a pleasant surprise to find one that is so perfectly done. Crispy Pork Belly Zaab - We ordered this one as sort of a wild card. Pork belly can be another tricky one. It's all-too-often just a clump of greasy fat. Not so with this one.... The dish is served as a cold "salad" with cucumber slices, marinated shallots/tomatoes in a fish sauce/lime dressing. While that may not sound too exciting, wait 'til you try it... The chunks of pork belly were fried to absolute crispy perfection - a crunchy shell-like crust on the outside and tender, juicy flavor in the inside. Not fatty or greasy at all - just golden brown chunks of pure perfection in every bite! The dressing was nice and tangy but not at all overpowering. This item was the clear winner of the night in an already winner-filled trifecta ! OK, but what about the spice level? We like a bit of heat so we wouldn't have been bothered by five-alarm flavor but everything was surprisingly mild. Nothing on the table would have been too strong for a first-timer to try. We did want to spice things up a bit though and the server was happy to bring us the "rack" with the Thai Chili Sauce, Chili Oil and Powdered Red Pepper, which lit everything up nicely. Best of all ? Everything ! Ok... OK... The capper would have to be the prices. Probably because the location is, shall we say "low rent" and the decor is "minimal", the prices are lower than most any other Thai/Lao place in town these days, even though the quality is anywhere between a bit to a lot better than any of the others. Oh, and there's free parking in the lot right in front of the door and our server, though busy, was friendly courteous and pleasantly helpful. What's not to like ?!? It may not be ideal for a fancy "date night" dining experience but if you just want some superb and exceptional Thai/Lao food, without any frills, you need to try Kin Saep ! read more

We are always back for more! Coconut shrimp is super coconutty and pairs perfectly with the sauce. Boat noodle 10/10. Service is always top notch! Music in the background makes for a relaxing atmosphere read more

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I love this place! Me and my friend found them through yelp, and we are so glad we did. The food is great, I love the pad Thai! My friend loves the yellow curry. And staff very friendly!! read more

Love it here! Great customer service & the food is always good. The tarocane drink is the best! read more

Kin Saep - TaroCane - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

We ordered the Crispy Mango Chicken (medium spicy), Pad See Ew (mild spicy), and Crab Rangoon, everything was so tasty! The mango chicken was very crispy, juicy, and full of flavor, but I think they inadvertently switched the spiciness because it wasn't, but the Pad See Ew was. We still enjoyed everything so much that we will order again. I had seconds, yum! read more

After seeing the 4.7 rating on yelp, we decided to to order pad thai and 2 curries. The pad thai noodle were overcooked, too sweet, flavor less and harldly any chicken. The curries were also too sweet, hardly any protein that we payed extra for and also lacking flavor . This hole in the wall off of market is way over price for this barely mid thai/laos food. Save your money . Very disappointing. read more