East Side King Thai Kun Reviews

This place is one of my "hot spots". I love spicy thai food and this place brings north east Thailand to me with many dishes based on Issan cuisine. Staff were attentive and knowledgeable of their dishes.

Thai kun offers dishes from Northeastern Thailand (Isaan), which is very good and hard to find. They also offer a good selection of draft beers, as is fitting for Austin.

I heard so many good things about Thai Kun - brick and mortar at The Domain. However, when we arrived, I was disappointed that they didn’t have green curry on the menu. I mean, what Thai restaurant doesn’t have green curry? I ordered the Pad Thai instead, and it was tasty and fresh. The papaya salad was extremely spicy! But it’s suppose to be. I guess the people who rant and rave over Thai Kun has never had authentic style Thai.

I enjoy good food and eating out. I've been to every restaurant at the Domain and twice to this new Thai eatery. I've to say the food was great and attentive staff. My only advice, make sure you ask your waitstaff about their hot-spicy levels because some of the dishes will get you. Definitely recommend this place!

Thai and Asian fusion mixes has become quite trendy in the Domain area Thai-kun fits into that modern dining experience with flavorful spices and delicate dishes. The mixed ceviche we had were tangy but bursting with flavors. The fried chicken is chewy but tender inside and the Penang curry is sweet and tangy with just the right amount of hot chili. The decor is airy with very friendly staff. The only reason we did not give 5 Star is the portion of the dishes are a bit on the small side.

I say this because, even for Asian people like us, when they say it's spicy it is really spicy! You either need a lot of water to wash it down or eat a lot of white rice with it. The foods are more from the northern part of Thailand, which is actually a nice surprise because it doesn't offer you the typical Thai food that you'd find in a random Thai restaurant. We loved what we ordered and the service was good. The atmosphere was also nice! Come here if you are looking for a tasty Asian food, with no fuss, just casual and good price too.

Didn't had a reservation ,had to wait but a got a place for two of us. It was quite a new experience, the wait ress was very good, specially she explained the spicy part of our order. The food was really good, and felt more authentic Thai.

Okay, I'm a girl who loves a little spice in her food but, whoa-oh, Paul Qui has created dishes that blow your ears off. Our server was very helpful describing every dish, spice and drink so we knew what we were getting into when ordering. However, when you have a "No can do spicy" all the way to an "I eat spicy every meal", what do your order? We compromised. Beginning with the Taro Crisp appetizer to the Grilled Rib Eye there was something for everyone. However, when the server says "it's spicy" that means "it's hot as the Texas sun in August". Only two people at the table were able to eat the sauces. I had a little of both and realized after a few bites, my tongue was numb. Don't let our wimpy ways dissuade you. If you really, really love spicy Thai food then this is your second home. I loved the rib eye and sticky rice and thought they paired well together. Add beer and wine and you've got a meal.

We came here expecting the typical pad Thai and were surprised this was not an option. Thank God it wasn't. This was probably the best meal we've had in a very long time. Server was so friendly and helpful. I thought it was a bit pricey, but just can't say enough about the food. Everything was delicious.

I had lunch at this Thai restaurant with some co-workers. The food was very good and it is all rated by how hot. If you like it hot, this is the place to go. It is not a formal restaurant with servers, you order your meal in a line, pick your seating, and the meal is brought out to you. The food came out real fast and was very tasty. Dishes are from $10 to $13, which is pretty good. There is a large parking deck close by and parking is free.

I haven't had fried chicken for years and finding gf fried chicken at a thai restaurant sounded too intriguing to pass up. I had called prior to heading there and it seemed there would be flexibility in composing a dish I could eat. When we got there it was obvious that this was sort of a Torchy's version of thai food. I wanted Pad Thai but you cannot get it prepared without eggs so on to the fried chicken. Caveat: there is quite a bit of egg in the batter of the fried chicken so I picked around the gooey, eggy parts. It was fine as a gf item but I doubt a non-gf person would like it. The sauce that comes with it is said to the least spicy they have and it was very spicy. I can take a mild spice but this was more moderate and required a few bottles of water. The rice says it is cooked with chicken fat but it didn't taste like chicken. It tastes like white rice. If you have multiple allergies it might be hard to navigate the dishes there.

My wife & I ordered the crispy chicken skins as appetizers , claypot & eggplant as our main dish , very delicious & spicy enough for us . For our drink she had a Bangkok bang & for me a Michelada ... very refreshing . We'll eat here again .

Food and drinks were delicious and indeed, you better pack your big boy pants for the spicy dishes. Not an issue for me, as I love spicy, tho. But if this is not your thing, you might skip the ones with the little pepper. Be aware that there are no dish edits or substitutions. The crab fried rice was amazing with just the right flavors and a sultry amount of wok hay. So why not 5/5? First, there were some beers on the menu that they had not available – I wish the server would have known this right when we ordered. Second, because service was clearly overwhelmed with a table for 8. Dishes came at random times and we had to wave the server down multiple times to get drinks refilled. Definitely going back, but with a smaller party. Oh, and $370 (incl. 20% tip) for 8 is a steal!

We grabbed Thai food for lunch from Thai Kun. I’ve heard it’s the only Thai place in the Domain. I got the Pad Thai. It was pretty good but maybe a bit sweeter than I expected. I’d go back but would probably try other dishes that were more spicy. The outdoor seating is nice and the ambiance indoors is great for a quick business lunch.

Great experience: food, service and venue. Was looking for and expecting "same ol Thai". Curries, noodles etc. Not here. This is northern Thai, as we were told, by a very educated staff. Lots of items not before encountered in your traditional Thai place. Mussels, clay pot, whole fish, sausage, all with varying levels of spiciness, and all delicious. Staff explained each dish as they brought it out (served family style), and how to eat it (using various sauces or accompaniments). Was a really fun meal due to the new dishes, a contemporary upbeat room and just super-nice staff even though we walked in 20 minutes before close.

East Side king is continuing its tradition of serving excellent food. Just like their food truck next to Whislers the restaurant in the Domain is stellar. Sticky rice is sticky and delicious the apps were awesome and so was the meal we shared the Whole Rock fish and had a special for the app - shrimp. Highly recommend this place!

The food was a wonderful fusion of Thai and Indian. The spicy Thai brisket and ribeye were wonderful. The whole red snapper was magnificent. Basil sorbet and sweet and sour type custard confused but pleased the palate. Hints of spicy Thai peppers and curry abounded. Wonderful, sensational food. Don't miss this gem in the Domain area.

We wanted a quiet meal after a busy day. After reading a review in the local newspaper we thought we would try Thai Kun. As soon as we entered the restaurant we were hit with loud music more fitting for a hipster bar than a upscale Thai restaurant. We were seated immediately. The waitress was at our table soon, and we could hardly hear her over the music. We told her the music was loud which she agreed with us. She said she would have it turned down. Again we could hardly understand what she was saying about the menu. (We are not hard of hearing) Finally, we had to leave. We were just so put off by the type of music and the loud music. My opinion is that there were too many young people employed who thought it was "cool" to have loud music. It is suppose to be background music; not foreground music. The place sounded more like a bar on 6th street.

Focusing on the cuisine from the northern part of Thailand, the food has more spice and sharper flavor than other Thai food I've had. The staff is good, taking the time to explain what they're all about. Definitely exceeded our expectations. The devilled eggs are especially good as an appetizer to get the taste buds working.

If you are a spicy lover you should try those. All dishes are spicy to super crazy spicy but the taste is really good and authentic compare with serveral Thai food restaurant I have tried in austin.

First time in this restaurant best of the best love the food the staff very reasonable price the chicken to die for

It's a "Thai" resto, which means it's got the usual stuff. Look for the Issan specialities tho' - they are *ridiculously* good, and oh-so-happy-making. Complex flavors, heat not just for the heat, and all eminently shareable. The "fermented" sausage and the lab-gai are showstoppers :-)

Thai-kun is pretentious - very limited menu, premium prices. The flavors are authentic, but the spice level is unbearable. I've spent a lot of time in Thailand and never been in a restaurant, fancy or streetside, where the cook didn't want to know how spicy you wanted your food. At Thai-kun, it's one size fits all. Ridiculous

Do you like eating food so hot that you pant while sweat drips off your faceI? If so, you might like is place, especially if you like over-paying for small portions. Otherwise, look elsewhere. We liked their trailer food, but going brick and mortar has just raised prices and the constant praise in the press has led ESK to belief that any combination of foods works. It doesn't.

We loved the food and atmosphere. It was unique and authentic. However, if you normally order dishes with spice level up to 3 , some dishes will not be for you . Papaya salad felt like level 10 . Spicy safe dishes we tried were oysters , fried chicken skins , chicken nuggets and beef jerky.

Excellent food and pretty good service. I have eaten here at least a half dozen times at this point. I love this restaurant and, in my opinion, they consistently put out the best food in the Domain. Be warned though, most of their dishes are spicy and I've been told they can't dial down the spice on any of them. The food is fresh and high quality: well presented and flavorful. Do not miss!

Disappointed that a Thai restaurant had no veggie rolls either fresh cold or deep fried. We were told by manger that it’s not authentic Thai however we were in Thailand last December and know that’s not reality. Main course was good but appetizer (some kind of veggie cake) was inedible and could not stomach more than one bite. Service was very good waitress was very pleasant. I normally eat Thai once a week but won’t be back to this restaurant. Disappointed...

my friends and I were at The Domain the other night and decided to try this eatery because we are regulars at East Side Kings on South Lamar. this was a mistake to say the least. I'll start with the good: the servers were attentive, the kitchen was pretty quick about getting things out, the staff was friendly. that's really where it ends for me, the staff is what keeps this from being a 1 star review. now the not so good: when we walked in we were told the menu was "family style" which normally means large portions and you share it around, not here, it means small plates of not much food that are incredibly over priced. The "spicy" foods were not flavorful they were simply hot, I don't mind heat but if there is a good flavor base (the non spicy dishes also had a marked lack of flavor). so, small portions of poorly flavored food that costs around an average of $18 a plate. Also I tried ordering the fish (which was listed as "market price") and I was told the price would be $20 (he was pretty obviously guessing) only to be told 4 minutes later that the type of fish had changed and it would now be $30 (the fish type doesn't change at 9pm). BIG issue for me is when a member of a wait staff doesn't know something so they guess, just say "let me go find out". also this place had such a horribly limited menu, there was no option for different levels of heat which tells me that the chef is either conceited about his recipes or doesn't understand how cooking at a restaurant works (or possibly how flavor works, but I covered that earlier). alas, this place will continue to remain open because it's a trendy place in a trendy district... So we all left still hungry and had to just go down the street to grab some fast food burgers. this was the first time I've walked out of an eatery that presented itself at this level and said "well, that was a 2 star meal"

The restaurant has got contemporary exterior and interior and foods are not so authentic, but not bad. I had Chicken Wings and Beef Panang Curry. Beef Panang Curry was extremely hot, even for me with high tolerance for spiciness, but it is done right and very tasty. Thai Tea Ice Cream (a Thai Kun Dinner Special) got layers of tastes and textures and this was quite good as well.

After reading and watching the opening of Paul Qui's brick and mortar location, I had to give it a go and it was exceptionally good. I started off with chicken Skins, which is fried marinated chicken skin, with tamarind chili sauce. And for my dinner I ordered the Larb: ground pork cooked with blood, lime, toasted rice powder, Thai chili, red onion, cucumber, cabbage, mint. This dish was extremely spicy but so delicious.

Very good meal. Our group ranged from no spice to spicy, and the menu accommodated all of us. Delicious appetizers and family style main courses. Inside and outside seating. Waiter was very helpful.

Dinners are family style. The food was excellent but I guess I was slightly disappointed because it wasn't the same menu as the food truck outside Whisler's and not as spicy.

Truly nice to see a restaurant step up and believe that if you don't tone down flavours or truth of origin that people will come to your restaurant. Larb pork, satay and 'waterfall pork' all spoke to the real flavours of Thailand and it's spicy North Eastern version (think Anthony Bourdain). Nice compliment of beers and wine. Congratulations! A restaurant that I will go out of my way to return to whenever I'm in Austin. A

The Rock Rose area is new, pretty exciting, and looks like it will develop into an awesome place... the restaurat has a great vibe and good drinks. The first hint of a less than stellar experience was a waitress that seemed offput when we politely asked to have a replacement small plate since one of ours had some old food dried on (which is excusable, it happens, but her attitude on replacing it was not). The clay pot arrived and apparently was too hot and burning to the bottoms so the server who brought it out vigorously sturred it to try to remedy the problem, unfortunately this resulted in prawn pieces from the unpeeled and head on prawn being distributed throughout the noodles. Also the pork in the clay pot was a less than prime piece to say the least. The fish cakes were ok, Id order them again if I happened to go back because nothing else was open... All in all, the prices were not worth the experience.

Excellent. Try the crispy chicken skin and the wings. The dipping sauces are fantastic. Eggplant and satay pork also delicious. Great happy hour specials. Cool outdoor patio dining option.

Rediculously great flavor! We arrived 5 min. before the kitchen closed and were still served. We tried the oysters and chive cake--both were out of this world. We then moved on to crab rice, a spinach dish, and a clay pot. OMG! The dishes were all so savory without being overpowering. The heat was just right, too. We'll be regulars here...the foid was more authentic than your typical Americanized stuff.