"Khao Tiew is a buzzy restaurant in West Portal that’s filled most nights of the week with big cackling groups of friends catching up. The dining room is decked out in 70s Thai ads and movie posters, and the menu is made up of spins on Thai classics. For the most part, Khao Tiew does a great job. Tom yum soup here is a creamy hotpot dish with appropriately bouncy calamari and shrimp and mushrooms. Their version of panang curry is thinner than others, but is rich with a zing of lime, served with sous vide duck breast. But other Khao-Tiew-ified dishes, like the deep-fried papaya salad, feel like they’re overcomplicating an already good thing. Execution is sometimes an issue, like the khao soi, which misses the mark with overcooked egg noodles and has us scrounging for another squeeze of lime. Still, it’s worth going out of your way to come here, if only for the excellent hotpot. photo credit: Carly Hackbarth photo credit: Carly Hackbarth photo credit: Carly Hackbarth photo credit: Carly Hackbarth Food Rundown photo credit: Carly Hackbarth Tom Yum Seafood Hotpot This is the best thing on the menu. Get this sour, bubbling cauldron of shrimp, calamari, and mushrooms, and savor every last drop of it. Order a side of rice if you want, but it’s not necessary. photo credit: Carly Hackbarth Crispy Papaya Salad The first few bites of deep-fried papaya feel like a fun gimmick, but it quickly gets greasy. We wish they served a fresh papaya salad instead. photo credit: Carly Hackbarth Khao Pad Mun Nuer with Soy-Cured Egg Yolk With the beef tallow used to fry the rice, the thick pieces of short rib, and the egg yolk to top it all off, this dish is decadent. Order this with a group and split it at least three ways. photo credit: Carly Hackbarth Duck Breast Panang Curry The menu warns that this curry is spicy—but it barely registers on the scoville scale. Still, everything tastes well-balanced with the galangal, lemongrass, coconut milk, and even the (non-existent) spice. Order this with a side of jasmine or sticky rice." - Ricky Rodriguez
