Overhyped, overpriced, and absolutely not worth the wait…read more
Went to Khao Tiew in San Francisco with my wife, sister, and her boyfriend, hoping to enjoy a good Thai meal. Unfortunately, between the excessive wait, disappointing dishes, and some of the worst service we've experienced in a while, this was a pretty miserable dining experience.
First, the logistics. There's no reservation option, and the wait times can be absurd. I understand that popular restaurants get busy, but when you're asking people to wait that long, the experience on the other side should be worth it. Unfortunately, ours wasn't.
What made things worse was the service from one male staff member who wasn't wearing glasses. He came across as consistently rude and seemed more focused on rushing us through our meal than making sure we were having a good experience. We felt pressured to hurry up and leave, giving the impression that table turnover mattered more than hospitality. Busy restaurants are one thing, but there's no excuse for making customers feel unwelcome.
As for the food, there were a few highlights, but the overall experience didn't live up to the hype.
The crispy papaya salad was certainly unique, with an interesting take on a familiar dish, but the flavor itself wasn't particularly memorable.
The crispy shroom was one of the better dishes of the night. Delicious, enjoyable, and probably one of the few things we'd consider ordering again.
The tom kha hed was a major miss for us. The soup had an unpleasant sour milk-like taste, with an overwhelming coconut flavor and an almost cheese-like quality. Maybe that's how it's intended to taste, but it really didn't work for our group.
The gaeng kamin ped, featuring duck breast curry, was another highlight. The duck was incredibly tender, and the curry itself was delicious. Easily one of the stronger dishes we tried.
The khao pad mun neur, or beef over rice, was decent overall. The rice was actually the star of the dish: savory, flavorful, and perfectly chewy. The beef was tender and had a nice crust, but the meat itself was a little bland. The soy sauce-cured egg helped bring everything together.
The drunken ma ma noodles with beef offered an interesting twist, using ramen-style noodles prepared similarly to pad kee mao. Unfortunately, the beef was chewy, bland, and lacked any real crust or sear. An interesting concept, but the execution fell short.
The khao ob mun pu, or crab fried rice served in a clay pot, was another dish that sounded more exciting than it tasted. The clay pot was a nice touch, but the rice was mushy and lacked flavor. Presentation and novelty can only go so far when the dish itself doesn't deliver.
For drinks, we tried the cha pom, which tasted like a combination of Thai iced tea and pomegranate. It was an interesting idea, but the flavors didn't come together particularly well for our taste buds.
Finally, the burnt butter kaya toast was delicious, featuring fried toast topped with pandan cream and coconut ice cream. However, it was insanely sweet. A decent dessert, but not nearly memorable enough to change our overall impression.
At the end of the day, there were a couple of genuinely good dishes, but too many others were mediocre, bland, or poorly executed. Combined with the long wait, high prices, and unpleasant service, the entire experience felt massively overhyped.
I'm all for restaurants trying unique combinations and putting creative spins on traditional dishes. But creativity alone doesn't justify the price, and it certainly doesn't excuse treating customers poorly.
Unfortunately, Khao Tiew was not worth the wait or the money for us. Between the inconsistent food and the staff member who made us feel rushed and unwelcome, this is a place I have no desire to revisit.
One star. There are too many other great places in San Francisco for Thai food to spend this much time and money on an experience like this.