kin shop

kin shop has been on my list of places to try for a long time, probably over two years.  It serves contemporary Thai cuisine with really powerful flavors.  No ordinary Pad Thai here! They definitely pack a lot of heat in their dishes, so be warned that this is not the best choice for the mild spice lovers. 

Located in Greenwich Village, the decor of the restaurant seemed washed out and dull, which doesn't reflect their vibrant flavors at all.  The service was mediocre - nothing glaringly bad, but our waiter seemed a bit grumpy, and at times borderline unfriendly.

For starters, we had the Spicy Duck Laab Salad and the Fried Brussells Sprouts with Chinese Sausage.  On the menu, the Spicy Duck Laab Salad has with not one, but 3 asterisks next to it denoting its level of spiciness.  They're serious about this! It has some serious heat.  The first few bites were enjoyable, especially because we love spicy food, but after that our tongues started losing all sense of feeling and soon everything we ate (the brussells sprouts, water, our cocktails, etc.) tasted like the intensely spicy duck.  The dish started out great, but it quickly became overwhelming.

I was disappointed in the Fried Brussells Sprouts, and it wasn't only because all I could taste was the spicy duck (though that didn't help...).  I was expecting to have nice crispy sprouts with lightly browned leaves.  Unfortunately these were soggy, and they just got softer as they bathed in the sauce.  There were a handful of crispy ones which I enjoyed very much, now if only there were more...

Fried Brussells Sprouts || Spicy Duck Laab Salad

Next up, we had the Stir Fry Rice Flakes (with rock shrimp and cauliflower) and the Massaman Braised Goat.  The Stir Fry Rice Flakes was by far the biggest disappointment of the night.  I'm not sure if I missed this translation being a real honest-to-goodness Asian person, but I was confused when I received a bowl of chow fun noodles.  What happened to the rice flakes?? It was also very saucy and a bit too salty. 


The Massaman Braised Goat had great flavor and the meat was cooked well.  As it was the first time I had goat, I was worried it would taste gamey, but it didn't at all.  It was tender and fell off the bone.  This was our favorite dish of the night!

Stir Fry Rice Flakes || Massaman Braised Goat

Overall I was not impressed with kin shop.  The flavors overpowered the ingredients, so all I tasted was the spice.  Some people enjoy highly flavored foods, but I am not one of them (as evidenced by how I cook as well).  While there were some nice dishes, there were more poorly done ones.  They are also pretty pricey ($25 for that bowl of 'rice flakes'!) and I do not see the food justifying their price tags.  Their style and flavors just didn't float my boat.  We spent the rest of the evening guzzling glass after glass of water to help wash down the spice.  Onto the next one!  Sorry to say, but...

Piggy says no :(


Piggy KL