[Pigging by Wilfrid: September 15, 2015]
Am I expert in Thai food? No I am not. Have I been to Thailand? Yes, twice. Have I eaten Thai food in London, New York, and Sydney. Yes, indeed. But I am no expert. Relevantly, I don't pretend to cook it.
But I will say that I know complexity of flavor derived from sparkling fresh ingredients when I come across it; and in my experience, for what it's worth, Kin Khao leaves the Thai restaurants (in the cities where I've tried them) standing. And no offence to Sripraphai, which is charming but operating at a wholly different level.
If you want to find someone who is an expert in Thai food, and who certainly cooks it, look no further than Pim Techamuanvivit of Chez Pim. Kin Khao is her restaurant, where she finally has to walk the walk, as it were.
[I should say that although I don't know Pim superlatively well, I have known her for years online and off, and I've broken bread with her more than once, but I ate here unannounced, and Pim was away.]
First up, winner-winner-sherry service.
Kin Khao is a bright dining room (or pair of rooms, I suppose), in the back of the Parc 55 Hotel, just a step up from Market Street in the city center. It has its own entrance, down a short, unpretty corridor. As you step in and sit down, things look up sharply. Banquettes are really notably comfortable. And when you find a sherry on the wine-list, the staff is not surprised at you ordering it; it comes in a suitable glass, suitably chilled. I do order sherry, and it's remarkable how often New York restaurants are amazed to find they have any.
The menu divides into snacks, which might reasonably taken as appetizers, but then into meats, seafood, curries, greens, sides, where portion size is somewhat less clear (yes, I could have asked). My first choice was a great way to kick off the meal, yum kai dao. Roughly translated, a bowl with lots of good stuff over a duck egg. Peanut crunch, slippery shallots, really pungently fresh mint and cilantro, sticky chili jam.
And then of course you break the egg and have a party. I'd say this was the hottest thing I happened to order, but it was a slow-building, comforting heat. Nothing I tasted here was painfully spicy, but...yes, this was assertive.
Then a dish from the meat section, easy enough for one person to handle, but also perfect of sharing--and the menu is explicitly built for family-style eating. This was the sai ua, a densely textured Northern Thai pork sausage. That's some young pepper relish in the bowl.
Flecked, I assume, with red chili, this was clean-tasting and comforting. It came with a pot of sticky rice and some lettuce leaves. Ideal in theory for wrapping into small packages, except that the leaves were a little too small. Cucumber and--a nice touch--fried pork cracklings for crunch.
Then another very shareable dish, and one of the strangest things I've eaten in a long time. To be fair, the menu forcefully states that this isn't Thai food for beginners. I discussed the option at some length with my server (would I be happier with some short ribs or one of the famous curries?). But how often am I going to be confronted with namprik long rua, some kind of boatman's lunch, I think?
In simple terms, it's a dip with crudities. But it's not so simple. The centerpiece is a pot of shrimp paste-based relish. Thick, dark brown, stinky, tasting of years underground or your grandmother's petticoats. I mean, really funky and ancient. Layered above it, crunchy dry catfish. And I mean very fishy catfish. At the bottom of the pot, glutinous, tangy, savory pork jowl.
Altogether glutinous. Sticky, glutinous, funky. Did I mention funky? I dipped in and nearly ate the whole jar before I noticed the vegetables (rice on the side too). The vegetables were an adventure. Don't ask me what most of them were. The little green buds on a branch, which looked like capers, were identified for me as eggplant buds. And surprisingly sharp and acidic they were. All kinds of textures and accents going on here. Almost an exhausting dish to eat (yes, you should share), but what a worthwhile and educational experience.
Time to be soothed. Black rice pudding, which would have been bland had it not been for the condiments: caramel, coconut cream, rice-peanut-sesame praline. Spoon, sprinkle, absorb.
A truly diverting meal, helped along with one of several Rieslings on the list. This should be on your San Francisco short-list. Unlike some of the current SF hotspots, which are charging like NYC dining counters, the check for four courses and plenty to drink wasn't too far into three figures. It would be still more affordable for two or three sharing.
Here's the website.
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