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    Kinkao

    4.1 (54 reviews)
    ModerateHalal, Korean
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:30 PM, 5:30 PM - 11:00 PM

    Kinkao Photos

    KINKAO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Kinkao

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    Reviews With Photos

    Meike B.

    It always feels a bit like cheating to have Thai rather than Indian food on Brick Lane but Kinkao never disappoints. The decor is a bit cliché and over the top, but the food is delicious and very good value. I have tried a number of curries and stir fries, all yummy. The rice sides are a bit on the small side, but the main dishes generous - and beautifully decorated with carved vegetables. They really love their carvings here ... My last visit was on a rare Summer evening, and they opened up the front windows - not quite beach front, but hey, we almost felt like being on holiday.

    Golden bags
    Sandy X.

    An excellent Thai restaurant. I love Thai food, so I'm always trying new places and Kinkao is among some of the best!! I got the golden bags appetizer (I forget what they are called in the restaurant though) and they were really delicious. The Panang curry is creamy and you really can't stop eating it once you start :P The only thing is that I ordered the seafood panang, and I didn't know what type of seafood would be in it and would have liked to know. There is an really good selection of different types of rice (sticky, regular jasmine, coconut, garlic, etc) The decorations are really cute actually. The chairs are super heavy (in a fun way) and it is nice to see a restaurant go all out and give the place an interesting environment. The staff are quite nice and service is not too fast or too slow. I had a great time!

    Roast duck penang and jasmine rice
    Tom A.

    I don't usually post reviews and this is the first restaurant review i have written, but I thought this restaurant deserved it. Firstly, I walked in and was taken away by the authentic, solid wood furniture. The decor of the whole place was lovely. I was greeted very politely and seated promptly, although it was just before 6 so it wasn't busy yet, but it started to fill up quickly! I ordered my favourite Thai dish; roast duck penang with some jasmine rice. This was by far the best panang I have tried to date, it was creamy and incredibly flavoursome. The food arrived very quickly and was very well presented. And I can't fault the staff, they were very friendly. Overall I would thoroughly recommend this restaurant, it was a great experience.

    Lovely furnishings shipped from Thailand
    Wendy L.

    It is mind blowing to see how much Kinkao has invested into their restaurant. We entered into their restaurant and was mesmerized by their wooden furnishing and only to realised they got it handcrafted and shipped from Thailand. Tables and chairs of beautifully carved pictures conveying Thai culture. It was one of the restaurant that most attracted our eye whilst walking down Brick Lane and hence how we found this gem. But could the decor just be compensating it's quality of food? Not at all. Instead I can say it is probably one of the best Thai restaurants in London. Quality and flavour is very present at this restaurant. We started with our starters and first to arrive were our satay seafood and thai fishcakes in lovely wooden stands. The skewers consisted of squid and prawn, all very fresh and plumb. They cooking time was perfect to retain it's juices for that ncie bouncy texture. The satay sauce was also housemade, generous with the peanuts so it nice and chunky. Some can be quite sickly but they got the flavours just right on this one. I would have preferred if the fishcake was more thicker so it had a better bite but for what we got it was very good, also plumb and bouncy and seasoned well. It also tasted freshly made and not fried beforehand like some I've have. My Tom Kha soup was also delicious, fragrant of coconut, creamy and with a lot of depth from the generous ingredients used to give it's different notes of flavour. There was a good amount of heat to it, not burning but enough to get your tongue buzzing. With such a successful round of starters we were really looking forward to the mains. First to arrive was our impressively large char-grilled seabass served whole. I always love my fishes served whole and it is the authentic way to serve fish in the oriental cuisine.The seabass was prepared well, seasoned beforehand so the flavours really came through. The skin was perfectly crisp, seabass fresh so it was very flaky and moist. It came with more fish sauce but it really wasn't needed as it was already well flavoured. The spice was mild but I liked it that way. My favourite had to be the lamb shank. The fat must have permeated the meat as it was lovely and tender, sweet and juicy. The thai red curry sauce itself was also lovely, not synthetic but creamy with a hint of sweetness. It really well with the lamb shank adding a more buttery texture to the already soft and moist meat. It also came with some side vegetables of plain cooked carrots and broccoli which was I was dipping into the sauce. It made the dish less heavy which was very thoughtful. We also ordered a veggie dish of sweet and sour fried vegetable.I was disappointed that the tofu wasn't fresh though but the frozen quality where there was more skin than the soft silky tofu itself and instead chewy and dry. The rest of dish was great though, generously portioned and an abundance of fresh vegetables beautifully cut up and the sweet and sour made it all very appetising. With that I had the garlic whislt my boyfriend ordered some Thai sticky rice. I wish they used the Thai fragrant rice variety but instead it was more long grain rice. But my garlic rice was still very pleasing, not too oily and subtle hints of garlic so it's not overpowering the mains when accompanying them. But my boyfriend was really disappointed with his sticky rice as it was over steamed in the bamboo container it came in so became very dry and chewy. It was near impossible to separate the rice so he left his unfinished. But overall the meal was fantastic and a high appraisal on the level of cooking and the attention to detail. Food presentation was amazing, each presented like a piece of artwork with the use of vegetables to colour each dish and the portion generous. The menu was greatly decorated too in a nice cover, extensive but I do recommend having more unique dishes different to the other hundreds of Thai restaurant in London. Service was friendly and although English was none of their first language it made the meal feel more authentic. My boyfriend funnily enough ordered milk and as confused as they were they still catered it and presented it in a very nice cappuccino cup. With just little improvements needed in certain places l I can see this Thai becoming more popular as it is already getting very good reviews. It is in a weird location on Brick Lane market but its not like it has any competitors nearby.

    Duck
    Nit S.

    We were looking for a good place to go to eat around Liverpool Street/Shoreditch and where else do you go to find a great eating establishment -Yelp. This place boasts itself as authentic Thai and for my money it delivers. We started off with a mixed starter platter which was value for money - it came with fish cakes, spring rolls, dumplings, chicken satay and an interesting rice crispy esque starter. For our mains me and my partner shared a few dishes including pad Thai which was very good, a duck curry and some garlic rice. The curry was quite nice but the duck seemed a bit too fattening. The service was very good with the staff polite and quick to bring the food over and their assistance when required. The food is very filling and some of the dishes coming with a kick. I will want to go back and try the other parts of the menu. Overall for what we paid and the quality of the meal I would highly recommend visiting. The decor inside is very cool to with lots of Buddha statues.

    Pad Thai
    Sheetal M.

    I genuinely loved the food here! And it was pretty reasonable as well! Located at the top of Brick Lane, towards Shoreditch High Street end, it is not a far walk from the market or Old Truman's Brewery. The staff are dressed in traditional Thai outfits and and very friendly and helpful. The decor is really quite splendid as well, with statues of buddhas and a wooden, carved archway in the middle of the restaurant. To start with, my partner and I shared a mixed starter and this was such value for money!! For £12.50, we got satay chicken, sesame prawn toast, thai fish cakes, fried dumplings, spring rolls, chicken wings, prawn roll ups and some crispy deep fried pasta type thing, with three sauces (one being the satay one). It was soooooooo tasty!! And I was amazed at how much we got for the price that it was considering that one starter was around £5-£7. So if you come here, then definitely go for the mixed starter option! For mains we shared a Panang with Duck, Garlic Rice and Pad Thai with Chicken. The curry was extremely delicious and full of flavour - I literally could not stop eating it! And the Pad That was great! Sticky and sweet but then you get the nuts and the basil and the chilli. Great. It was soooooo good that we couldn't actually finish it! But I totally loved it all. I will totally be coming back here!

    Lindsay K.

    Best curry I've ever had. I tried the red curry. Loved the Pad Thai and the coconut pancake dessert as well. Very traditional atmosphere. Staff was lovely. The whole experience was great! Definitely will be back!

    Green curry and chicken satay

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    8 years ago

    Loved the food they served us but the menu was completely Korean and different from what's posted

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    8 years ago

    They put way too much sauce in the dishes. Me and my friend both got sick afterwards.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Kinkao Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Kinkao

    It took some time to decide what to order, I'm usually quick in a Thai place but they had a pretty big menu.

    Mentioned in 19 reviews

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    Tayyabs - Prawns

    Tayyabs

    3.9(790 reviews)
    0.5 miWhitechapel
    ££

    Absolutely loved Tayyabs!…read more The one thing I knew I needed when visiting London was Indian food and I'm so happy I found this restaurant. Found this restaurant on Yelp after seeing such great reviews and I wasn't disappointed! At first, I was nervous my friend and I wouldn't get a table due to how busy the restaurant was but since we were only two people, we had no issue getting a table. Seating is tight! You are almost arm to arm with the individuals sitting around you which I actually found to be a great experience. My friend and I ended up striking conversation with the people next to us which led to a fun dining experience. Service was quick! We ordered food and it came out quickly and all waiters were super attentive. In terms of food, everything was absolutely delicious and portion sizes were huge! First we ordered the lamb chops and the samosas which were absolutely amazing. We then ordered the chicken and lamb dishes with the naan which completely filled us. I can't wait to come back and I will absolutely be dreaming about this restaurant until I come back!

    Absolutely delicious. One of the best meals I've had on my trip. I ordered the tandoori chicken,…read moretandoori lamb chops, tikka masala, garlic naan and rice. The tandoori items come out sizzling on a hot plate marinated to perfection. They also bring you some complimentary pappadum and salad. There are three sauces on each table (yogurt, a sweet hot sauce, and a tamarind? Sauce. A pitcher of water is also there for your convenience which I love. All the items are very reasonably priced. On my way out I noticed some people bringing in beer so maybe BYOB? I would definitely come back here. Seems like it gets busy so plan accordingly.

    Photos
    Tayyabs - Desserts

    Desserts

    Tayyabs - Dahl

    Dahl

    Tayyabs - Lamb Chops

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    Lamb Chops

    Zaza's

    Zaza's

    4.1(9 reviews)
    0.5 miWhitechapel
    £

    I don't get that excited about eating out around Whitechapel Tube station - it's a lot of fast food…read morefried chicken and questionable hole-in-the-wall spots covered in 10 years' worth of grease and grime. Imagine my surprise to stroll into Zaza's, at the heart of Whitechapel (a stone's throw from the Mosque) and get great, friendly service and fantastic food and drink. On the recommendation of a co-worker, I had the kebab roll off the starters menu, with is minced lamb and comes with naan. At £2 and with such a basic sounding description, I wasn't expecting much. But a wonderfully presented entrée that included two kebabs piled on a fresh-baked and perfectly cooked naan, topped with fresh tomato, cucumber and red onion and drizzled with mint sauce really impressed. I tend to find lamb entrees too salty, but this was not. It was simple, good quality meat and well-spiced. Not only was it an ample serving, the ingredients were good - the veggies fresh and crunchy and naan doughy and crispy in all the right places. And for just £2?! Consider me a fan. I also sampled a mango lassi (a yogurt based drink, I would call it a smoothie) that was tasty, of good consistency and not too sweet, but in my opinion should have been served colder (was slightly less than room temperature). Note: They take cards but with a £10 minimum.

    I come here more often than any other similar restaurant in the area. In fact it's probably my…read morefavourite curry in London. Why is that? 1. I can sit down immediately almost every time 2. The food is excellent. As good as, if not better than, everywhere else around, including Tayyab's and Needo. 3. The staff are friendly and the service is fast 4. Unlike most other places nearby, the whole place is clean, including the toilets 5. The decor is a cut above the standard you find elsewhere. It's not amazing, but you can see they've at least put a bit of effort into it.

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    Zaza's
    Zaza's
    Zaza's

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    Kinkao - halal - Updated May 2026

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