Another Thai Halal Foodventure: Khao Thai Kitchen

Thai Authentic Duck Noodle Soup

You would think that I have an obsession with Thai food at this rate but can you blame me if many of the new spots that my friends are talking about are Thai?

NYU campus area is known for its small quick bite restaurants and hole in the wall kind of places for students to stop by and grab a bite to eat. However, there are many other restaurants in the area that are proper sit down places where one can expect good service and good food. This also means higher prices. But not all places have to be like that.


Khao Thai Kitchen only recently opened up near the NYU campus on Sullivan street. Its a small hole in the wall space that has been quite nicely converted into a sit down restaurant. I had the chance to visit this spot with a friend who I was meeting in the area. We wanted to catch up and needed a place to sit and talk so we came here.

Even with its popularity in the neighborhood, we were seated very quickly. There are two menus, one is their usual fare and the second menu is their winter specials. I suggest you read through each one, especially the specials since they all looked delicious. After reading through the menu we settled on a few dishes that we wanted to try while we chatted.

Khao Chicken Wings

First up were the appetizers. We placed an order for chicken satay and Khao chicken wings. The chicken satay dish were 4 skewers grilled to the right temperature and then glazed in a special peanut sauce. I dont think I have ever had satay that tasted as good. Next we had the chicken wings. The dish came with 6 wings, fried crispy on the outside but juicy and succulent on the inside. They were cooked precisely in the way that biting the outside would have a crunch to it while the inside would be moist and juicy. The dish was served with two sauces, a sweet dark sauce and a spicy sauce that was definitely my favorite. I just kept dipping the wings into it as I took every bite and it made the wings taste even better.

Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken

After we were finished with the appetizers, the entrees arrived pretty quickly. We had ordered three dishes, Sweet and Spicy Cashew sauté with chicken, Pad Se-Ew with Beef and Duck Soup from the winter specials. The Sweet and Spicy Cashew tasted just the way it sounds but there was something that made the taste come together so well. There was a hint of sweetness in the food but there was a bold spiciness to it that stood out more. I think there was just the right balance of it to make it all work together and taste really delicious.

Beef Pad Se-Ew

The beef Pad Se-Ew was also very delicious. I honestly couldnt eat it fast enough. The beef was properly cooked and cut into small slices and the noodles were sautéed well with the sauce. There were veggies in the mix as well but I think I was more focused on the beef.  :) Lastly we also had the Thai Authentic Duck Noodle Soup from the Winter Specials. I have rarely had duck so it was kind of hard to decide if I liked it or not. The soup was somewhat bland for my taste and mixed in with broccoli and other veggies that were good but didnt add much flavor to the mix. The roasted duck tasted good as well. It was succulent and had a little crisp on the outside as well. If you want to have this dish, I would suggest asking for their spicy sauces. They bring it out in three containers. One has pepper flakes, another has the pepper sauce and the third is more of a paste. I tried the flakes and the pepper sauce which added a bit of a kick to the soup.

For drinks, we had ordered the Thai Iced tea. I would probably stay away from it next time because its premade so its super sweet and you can't change that part about it.

The food and service was great over all. I would definitely come by to try out more of their dishes and I hope you will give this place a chance as well.