MuuKaTa6395

"Muukata6395 is open every day until midnight, which is excellent news for anyone with the urge to grill Thai barbecue and get soju-drunk after dark. The Richmond spot has a space and tables big enough for whatever spontaneous group you’ve assembled, and is always slightly chaotic and smoky from the tabletop grills (enough to set off the occasional fire alarm). Settle into a stool and get to flipping pork belly, shrimp, and ribeye. The juices from the meats dribble down into the moat-like ring around the sloped grill, so be sure to ladle the remnants into a bowl for one last nightcap." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong

"Dinner at this casual Thai barbecue spot is organized chaos. The space is constantly shrouded in a gray haze from all of the pork sizzling away on the sloped charcoal grills while smoke alarms occasionally ring. Leaning into and enduring this chaos is worth it because their grill-it-yourself meat and soup are excellent. Come with people you don’t mind yelling across the table to, and let rounds of pork belly, shrimp, and bacon get gorgeously charred over glowing red embers. The best part is finishing off the meal by slurping up the moat of soup flavored by the meat juice drippings." - julia chen 1, patrick wong

"It’s hard to pass up sizzling hot pot when the late-night turns into early morning, the witching hour approaching as one digs into marinated rib-eye and chicken. This new restaurant opened in March 2023 serving Thai barbecue on Geary Boulevard. Hit this spot up until midnight seven nights a week." - Dianne de Guzman, Paolo Bicchieri

"Dinner at Muukata6395 in the Richmond is a chaotic, smoke-filled charcoal Thai barbecue event. The space is constantly shrouded in a gray haze from the pork belly, shrimp, and bacon sizzling away on the domed charcoal grill surrounded by a broth moat. Birthday parties and large friend groups shriek as they take shots of soju. Come with people who are willing to yell across the table and don’t mind putting in the work to get this grill-it-yourself situation going. Prepare to finish off the meal by slurping up the soup flavored with the meat juice drippings a.k.a. the best way to prevent a hangover. " - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez

"We love this Thai BBQ restaurant in the Richmond for its grilled meats, but a lesser-known secret is that they also have excellent hot pot. Available in a small ($39, feeds one) or large ($59, feeds two), their herbal soup is your base for a mostly pork menu of bacon, sausage, and pork belly, plus some seafood items like squid and fish balls. All of the flavor gets extra concentrated in the communal pot throughout the night, so take advantage of the provided small bowls to drink every last bit of soup when you’re done. It’s loud in here, and the occasional smoke alarm may go off, so save this place for birthdays or soju-fueled late-night hangs." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, ricky rodriguez