Kin Khao

MacKenzie Chung Fegan

“See on map #61 in 2025 San Francisco GenreThai Price$$ Kin Khao is a trailblazer: At a time when San Francisco’s Thai food was dominated by pad Thai, chef Pim Techamuanvivit’s freshman effort shifted attention to Northern Thailand’s Issan cuisine. In the process, Kin Khao became the first Thai restaurant in California to hold a Michelin star — since 2015 — and left a lasting impression on the Bay Area. Address 55 Cyril Magnin St., San Francisco Have you been? 57.”

Eater Staff

“This Thai restaurant is tucked inside the Parc 55 hotel near Union Square, but it’s no tourist trap — Kin Khao received a Michelin star in 2015. Chef-owner Pim Techamuanvivit and chef de cuisine Adam Sproat pack plenty of flavor into California-ized versions of familiar Thai dishes like the mushroom hor mok made with coconut cream and served with crispy rice cakes or the plah pla muek, a tangy plate of charred local squid. * [Book a table](https://reservations.safegraph.com/reserve/7066?utm_source=safegraph&utm_campaign=poi) * [55 Cyril Magnin St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Kin%20Khao%2C%2055%20Cyril%20Magnin%20St%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20C”

Dianne de Guzman

“Temporarily closed for the entirety of the pandemic, Kin Khao returned in 2022 and managed to maintain a star for its funky and fiery Thai dishes. The restaurant is noted for being one of [California’s more affordable Michelin-starred restaurants](https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/best-of/the-least-expensive-michelin-starred-restaurants-in-california). (1 star) * [Book a table](https://reservations.safegraph.com/reserve/7066?utm_source=safegraph&utm_campaign=poi) * [55 Cyril Magnin St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Kin%20Khao%2C%2055%20Cyril%20Magnin%20St%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20CA%2094102%2C%20USA) * [(415) 362-7456](tel:4153627456) * [Visit ”

“**Open for:**Lunch and dinner **Price range:**$$ On a recent spring night, Kin Khao remains packed and noisy more than a decade into its run in Union Square. Dishes arrive fast. Mushroom pate on rice crackers is simple and fine enough to attract customers on just its own merit. Then come oily pork cracklings, yaowaraj noodles with spicy tofu. Chef-owner Pim Techamuanvivit maintains the quality and prestige of Kin Khao’s flavors and dishes even while jet-setting around the world and running restaurants in both San Francisco and Bangkok. Order the green rabbit curry with meatballs, with a tin of fluffy brown rice, that hints at deeper levels of spice expanding through the meal while keeping th”