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Khao Tiew is said to be one of San Francisco's best Thai restaurants, so we were keen to try it. It's not a place to go to when you're already hungry, however: even two years after opening, wait list time is often an hour or more (the restaurant does not take reservations).
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Khao Tiew Location and Hours
Khao Tiew is located at 272 Claremont Boulevard in San Francisco's West Portal neighborhood. From downtown, take Muni lines K, L, or M to West Portal Station, then walk 3 minutes to the restaurant. The restaurant is open nightly from 4pm-8:30pm for dinner, except for Tuesdays. Since no reservations are taken, consider either getting there around 3:40pm so as to get in for the first seating, or if you put your name on the wait list at 5:30pm or later, expect a 1-1.5 hour wait.
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Khao Tiew Menu and Food
Khao Tiew's menu is quite extensive; it was hard to decide what to order.
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The first dish to arrive was the Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Custardy Curry Sauce. It was brought on a hot skillet to the table, with the rich curry sauce poured tableside. The crab was cooked perfectly, and was delicious with the sauce. I just wished there was a tad bit more of the sauce, and that the dish was spicier.
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Next to arrive was the Pumpkin Curry, which we knew from the description would be mild. I'd mainly ordered it to have some vegetable with our meal, and it was very good, although I'd have liked the kabocha pumpkin to be a bit softer and moister.
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The Gaeng Kamin Ped, the duck breast in a mildly spicy tumeric curry, was excellent: succulent duck in a rich curry sauce with on point accents that were great complements: crispy fried okra, and pickled radish.
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If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to save some room for the Burnt Butter Kaya Toast with Coconut Ice Cream. It's a generous portions, so best to share with one or two other people. Kaya is caramelized coconut “jam,” and this is piped atop toast that's been caramelized in some butter and sugar, then topped with the coconut ice cream. As with many of Khao Tiew's dishes, it's rich, so a little goes a long way.
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The Verdict
Our dinner at Khao Tiew was delicious, although not at all spicy, at least the dishes we ordered, which I found surprising for a Thai restaurant with a northern Thai chef. The crispy soft shell crab dish was a particular highlight. I'd love to return and try other dishes, hopefully some spicier fare.
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