Kin Kao - Vancouver

Hello everyone, here is another food restaurant review and this time my significant other and I decided to check out Kin Kao Thai Kitchen right at the corner of Venables and Commercial Drive on Oct 12, 2019. We stepped into the restaurant around 1:15 PM and we were greeted right away from a hostess and we were able to be seated at a table right away. As we sat down at our tables, we were given a set of menus and two glasses of ice water. <br/ <br/ Read Full Posts On:<br/ [hidden link]

The word “Kin Kao” is a Thai greeting meaning “have you eaten yet?” Many Asian cultures have this as a way of greeting due to past unabundance times. Kin Kao opened in February 2018. Many food critics say they are an authentic Thai restaurant lacking culture. While that is somewhat true, I believe that was a business decision based on surrounding demography. Kin Kao Thai Kitchen is located on Commercial Drive near Venables Street, Vancouver.

I can’t remember how I first heard about Kin Kao Thai Kitchen but it made it onto my list of places to try. We dropped in on an early Wednesday evening. No problem getting a table. The inside is hip and modern but still has a laid back, East Van vibe to it. Interesting that the front staff is all Caucasians but the kitchen staff/cooks are Thai.

Kin Kao Thai Kitchen is situated on Commercial Drive. It has quickly become a highly regarded place for its authentic Thai dishes. My friends and I were in the mood for some Thai Iced Tea, so we arranged to meet up here for lunch over the weekend. We arrived at around 1pm and found that it wasn't too crowded. I brought along my Thai friend to get her opinion on how close the food is to what she's used to back in Thailand.

We ordered the pork ribs appetizer, pad thai, clam stir fry with Thai basil, eggplant stir fry with Thai basil, and two jasmine rice bowls. The pork ribs appetizer was really good; I didn't even need to dip them in the sauce as they were flavorful enough on their own. The pad thai was mediocre compared to other places I have tried, as the flavor was too smoky for my liking. The clam stir fry was also nothing special, rather bland, although we did appreciate the generous amount of clams. The eggplant stir fry was the standout dish, with great flavor that left me wanting more. Overall, the dining experience was average.