San Francisco’s best new Thai restaurant is energizing a sleepy corner of the city
San Francisco’s best new Thai restaurant is energizing a sleepy corner of the city
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To understand what Khao Tiew does best, look no further than the engrossing beef fried rice ($25). Each grain radiates with rendered short rib tallow, further enriched with soy-cured egg yolk and a stack of medium-rare beef. The dish, which blends Thai and Japanese cooking, was easily one of the best I’ve had this year. It also embodies the fresh excitement that Khao Tiew brings to the larger canon of Thai cuisine in the Bay Area.
Along with new Mexican restaurant Elena’s, Khao Tiew is one of two notable restaurant openings in West Portal this year that mark a dining shift in the neighborhood. Elena’s made headlines for its long lines, and Khao Tiew has also found its audience, with wait times climbing up to 40 minutes on busy nights. But the similarities end there. Where Elena’s is big, loud and nostalgic, Khao Tiew is relaxed, cozy and occasionally innovative, introducing the city to subversive spins on Thai favorites.
The second restaurant by chef and owner Wipada Rattanapun, Khao Tiew started as a popup at the Stonestown farmers market before graduating to its permanent space in March. Inside, walls are covered with vintage Thai ads and movie posters, while an installation of branches hovering overhead channels a boho aesthetic. Servers are friendly and knowledgeable, quick to provide any context you might be seeking, and the space welcomes families.
The popup was mostly known for its spicy wontons, and that’s still how you should start your meal. Saucy and surprising, the wontons ($12) deliver powerful vinegar acidity and heat. The pork and cilantro filling was denser and chewier than I usually like, but the flavorful sauce — request it Thai spicy, which is hot but manageable — makes it work. The short rib appetizer ($20), beef marinated in herbs, shallots and toasted rice powder, further expresses the restaurant’s obvious talent for cooking beef. Other starters like the chicken wings ($13) and crispy squid with salted egg sauce ($14) were good but not particularly memorable.
Of the small plates, I was most intrigued by fried papaya salad ($14), a dish Rattanapun grew up eating in northern Thailand, but rarely encounter on American menus. A bird’s nest tangle of crispy papaya, it might be the closest thing to a Thai blooming onion, with a dressing of fish sauce, sugar, lime, cherry tomatoes and peanuts served on the side to preserve crunch. While it didn’t capture the juicy punch of a typical preparation, the dish is a fun alternative that I’d order again.
It also speaks to a theme I picked up on at the restaurant: Rattanapun redirects a diner’s attention to less ubiquitous parts of Thai cuisine. You’ll still find menu standbys like pad Thai, pad see ew and, my favorite, fragrant drunken noodles (short rib for $23, fried mushroom for $19). But curious patrons might instead gravitate toward dishes like stir-fried khao soi, a dry version of the famous northern Thai noodle soup. Consisting of meat — try the skin-on chicken ($20) — over a bed of egg noodles and a shallow layer of fortified coconut curry, it’s a tasty variant for those who want to skip out on the steaming bowl of soup, which is also available. Like the papaya salad, it’s a dish that exists in Thailand but is an uncommon sight in San Francisco.
On each of my visits, the duck breast panang curry ($26) remained a fixture on every table. I overheard several diners praising the tenderness of the duck, which is cooked sous vide. I found the cook uneven, with parts of the duck soft and others tough, while the curry was pleasantly flavorful but mellow — ideal for sticky rice ($4) dipping. I suggest ordering the deep-fried butterflied branzino ($36) in a sweet fish sauce over the duck. It’s best with a side of prik nam pla, a spicy condiment made of fish sauce and bird’s eye chiles.
While not as spicy as, say, Kin Khao, the West Portal restaurant delivers a decent amount of heat, though it’s mostly opt-in. Dishes marked with the pepper emoji can be requested spicier, or you can ask for a side of the aforementioned sauce or the mild, sweet and tangy jeow, a tamarind dipping sauce.
If I had to pick a runner-up for the best thing after the beef fried rice, I’d go with dessert. The kaya toast ($15) is pan-seared shokupan drizzled with house-made pastel green pandan custard and a fat scoop of coconut ice cream. It’s already one of my favorite desserts in the Bay Area, eloquently balancing sweetness and richness, with contrasting temperatures and textures. Hot take: I think it could throw hands with Breadbelly’s kaya toast, and, depending on the night, emerge victorious.free image upload