Tucked away in the Wyndham Parc 55 Hotel in Union Square, the upscale restaurant is reached via a staircase or elevators on Cyril Magnin Street and located via signs in the hotel lobby. The understated restaurant occupies a cozy space at the back of the hotel. Low ceilings and simple accents define the dining area with simple wooden tables sporting cans of flatware, sriracha sauce bottles, and trays with rolled-up cloth napkins.
Named after a Thai colloquialism, Kin Khao means ‘to eat’ or ‘let’s eat.’ The relaxed and homely environment, which can seat up to 80 diners, creates the understated backdrop for the personal chef-driven dining experience, highlighting traditional cooking techniques and bold and unapologetic flavors. Chef Pim, as she’s affectionately known in the industry, captures all those sought-after spicy, funky, salty, and sweet flavors in classic and original offerings based on her homemade curry sauces. She has fearlessly turned up the spice to full volume.
Kin Khao’s generous menu offers a vibrant selection of authentic Thai dishes that highlight the depth and complexity of Thai food through the lens of Californian-grown produce. For example, a fresh and aromatic green coconut curry is made even more memorable with the addition of a slow-cooked rabbit sourced from a local farm, while a nam tok bean salad might fuse beans from a California-based producer with lime, chili, rice powder, soy sauce, shallots, and herbs.
Self-taught chef Techamuanvivit, a Bangkok native, nurtured her love of food for years in various roles, from food blogging to jam making, giving up her job as a cognitive scientist in Silicon Valley. However, her longing for Thai food of richer quality and variety fuelled her ambition to spread the word about authentic Thai food in the US. Her website reads, "Pim is now on a mission to liberate her beloved Thai cuisine from the tyranny of peanut sauce," and she remains committed to her goal. In 2014, she became a chef, realized her dream of opening her first restaurant, Kin Khao, and found her calling.
In 2018, Techamuanvivit took over Nahm, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant inside the Como Metropolitan in Bangkok. She opened her second successful San Francisco restaurant, Nari, at Hotel Kabuki in Japantown. Nari was awarded its first Michelin star in 2023.
Techamuanvivit is well respected on the international chef circuit and was a Grand Juror at S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2019-21. In 2022, Techamuanvivit was nominated for a James Beard Award for best chef in California.
Kin Khao received its first Michelin star in 2015, just 18 months after opening, making it the first Thai restaurant in San Francisco to earn a star. It has also consistently been recognized by local and national publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurants 2017. Tasting Table named it one of the best 12 Thai restaurants in San Francisco in 2024.
