Kin Khao

Thai · $$$

Kin Khao, the more casual sister restaurant to Nari in Japantown, holds a single Michelin star, and for good reason. Here chef Pim Techamuanvivit and chef de cuisine James Slagle give diners a taste of Thai cooking with no holds barred in terms of flavor. Don’t miss the steamed jar of spicy curry mouse called mushroom har mok or the charred local squid, a tart and smoky dish scattered with peanuts and cilantro. Open for lunch and dinner in a hotel near Union Square, the restaurant doesn’t offer as elegant an atmosphere as Nari, but the addictingly bold flavors more than make up for anything you might find lacking in the decor.  Also featured in: 9 Thrilling Thai Restaurants in San Francisco All the Michelin Star Restaurants in the Bay Area, Mapped