Kin Khao, a Thai eatery in downtown San Francisco, recently received a Michelin star for 2016. I was intrigued to try this restaurant since it’s been open for years but I never had heard of it before.

At Kin Khao, they make all of their own curry pastes and relishes in house daily. They have a good selection of seafood, meat, and vegetables dishes so there’s something for everyone.

Som Tum Papaya Salad (6/10).

One of my favorite Thai dishes is som tum, papaya salad. Thinly sliced crunchy green papaya with green beans, cherry tomatoes, dried shrimp, and peanuts dressed in a spicy chili lime fish sauce. This dish is typically spicy, and I love spice, but their version was over the top spicy making it almost inedible to eat. If they made it just slightly less spicy this dish would have been great.

Plah Pla Muek: Charred Monterey Bay Squid with Cilantro and Peanuts (5/10).

The plah pla muek, charred Monterey Bay squid, was cooked well but once again the dressing was so spicy making it difficult to eat.

Pretty Hot Wings with Nam Pla Fish Sauce and Sriracha Glaze (7.5/10).

The “pretty hot wings” was actually not nearly as spicy as the previous dishes. The wings were coated in a slightly sweet yet spicy Sriracha glaze with grated fresh lime zest.

Sai Ua and Namprik Noom: Grilled Northern Thai Pork Sausage with Pepper Relish, and Pork Cracklings Served with Sticky Rice (8/10).

The sai ua and namprik noom, Thai sausage, was meant to be eaten as a lettuce wrap with cucumber, pork cracklings, and pepper relish. Earthy, meaty, and aromatic.

Massaman Nuea Curry with Beef Cheeks, Potatoes, and Fried Shallots (8.5/10).

The massaman nuea curry was really good, definitely the crowd pleaser of the night. Rich curry with unctuous tender beef cheeks with creamy potatoes and crunchy sweet fried shallots.

Overall, Kin Khao had some great dishes while others fell short. Do I think they deserve a Michelin star? Probably not but some of the food was pretty tasty and worth trying so my rating is a 6.5-7/10.