Khao Tiew

This West Portal Thai Restaurant Is Busier Than Ever — For Good Reason | Eater SF

"In West Portal, this spot shows San Franciscans a new class of Thai cuisine—understated but inventive—from a kitchen that roars with energy. I’d order the massaman curry, where tofu gets treated like the substantial protein puck it really is, fried and paired with peanut, pickled radish, and a bath of curry. The dine-in-only, limited-order dishes are stars, especially the kai toon lava, a $30 hot pot of shrimp and squid with ground pork that displays balance, leveling silky egg alongside cilantro. I save room for the small serving of sticky mango rice, decadent and undressed; the creamy sweetness of the mango outshines the mediocre versions Americans are forced to battle over at Trader Joe’s. The room appears lantern-lit before you spot the big TV showcasing a rotating series of random food videos, and everything between you and the kitchen’s heat is a sea of people laughing, couples enjoying each other for what seems like the first time—an energy many restaurants try to manufacture but this one achieves effortlessly. Buffer in extra time: arrive when it opens at 4 p.m. and put your name down on the restaurant’s kiosk, or do it through Yelp’s app." - Paolo Bicchieri