- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Kanomwan
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
736 1/2 Telephone RdHouston, TX 77023
Neighborhood: Eastwood
(713) 923-4230
- Hours:
Mon-Tue 11:30 am - 1:30 am
Wed-Fri 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Wed-Sat 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Grace Z. said: "Pho Saigon is consistently good, quick, inexpensive, and accepts all 4 major credit cards. The pho broth here doesn't taste artificial and chock full of MSG like some other establishments. Minus one star for closing too early (8pm)." read more »
66 reviews for Kanomwan
Review Highlights
"The tom ka gai soup is truly something special."
(in 4 reviews)
"Another great feature is that this restaurant is BYOB."
(in 17 reviews)
"...favorite dishes include the coconut soup and the pad thai."
(in 6 reviews)
Loading...
66 reviews in English
-
Review from Renia L.
Humble, TX
2/3/2012 2 photos
Love love love this place. I work close by and come in often for lunch to partake in this Thai cuisine.
It's important to me when trying a new restaurant that the menu not be overly complex. This restaurant has the perfect number of items on the menu and they are group by category with just enough description. There may be a little wiggle room for questions but not much.
The wait staff is very nice and are always smiling and joking around with one another, this place works like clock work and I am sure that has something to do with the previous leader Mr. Thai Nazi (RIP).
I always start out with an "A6" or the egg rolls, that are served piping hot with the best, fresh dipping sauce. What I like about these egg rolls is the crispy shell and hot veggies inside. And they aren't greasy like other fried egg rolls I have had.
I followed the A6 with the "PPK" Pad Prig King which is the sliced Thai curry with green beans and chicken.
My food is fresh and HOT like I like it!
The only reason I didn't give this place a 5 is because they only offer bottled water and I have a "thing" about bottled water.
Great place, great food. Just make sure to arrive early on week days as lunch service is from 11-2. -
Review from Karen K.
Houston, TX
1/29/2012
What they do well, they do very, very well. The A3 appetizer is wonderful, the S1 soup is so good I'd sully my reputation to get it and the HS6 has an amazing flavor--shrimp and cashews in a spicy chili paste. Bring your own alcohol.
The ambience is, well, somewhat lacking (think Luby's) and unfortunately the quality of the service has declined since the owner passed away. Still worth it though...but here's hoping they get the waitstaff back on track soon. -
Review from Cee B.
12/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
A decent restaurant in the UH area but closes at 2pm for lunch & 9pm for dinner which can be a deal killer for me.
Anyhow, the green curry is delicious. I'm too timid I ask for it "spicy," as I think it's spicy enough for me in its milder version.
Although it was once overly watery & sort of blah, the shrimp soup is usually flavorful & deliciously, artfully spiced. -
Review from Brown B.
Austin, TX
2/9/2012
Even though I work around the corner, I will NOT be returning here.
PROS:
They serve Thai food in the 77023.
CONS:
They don't serve tofu, unlike every other Thai restaurant in Houston!!
The few dishes I have had (pad thai, clear noodles) are bland and disappointing.
The serving sizes are small, especially compared to other Thai places.
The prices are outrageous.
Seriously, don't waste your time here (especially vegetarians). -
Review from David Y.
11/14/2011
This is bi-polar Thai food at its most frustrating. The tom ka gai soup is truly something special. It is thick and rich, exploding with flavor, and contains perfectly sized chunks of chicken. I've never had better and could eat it several times a week without tiring of it. If I could leave the review here, I'd drop a five star rating and and saunter into the sunset.
Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Lurking behind the enticing coconut facade of the tom ka gai are some seriously underwhelming dishes, one of which tastes suspiciously like cat food. I don't think the curries are bad--or particularly good for that matter--which squares perfectly with the overall situation.
I live about equidistant from Kanomwan and Nidda Thai, and unless soup is going to be enough to satisfy me, I throw my business Nidda Thai's way. Their tom ka gai is only 4 star at its best, but the rest of the food is more consistent.
I never had the pleasure of meeting the original owner, but I think the tradition may live on to some degree. The staff don't seem to like to accommodate requests or provide much in the way of substitutions.
The bottom line: if you want something more than soup, keep looking; however, if you're willing to invest the time and requisite visits to uncover the 5 star gems lurking within the menu, you may be richly rewarded. Just don't blame me for the duds, because I gave fair warning. -
Review from Sheep M.
Sacramento, CA
11/26/2011
Strange little estb. considering most thai restaurants serve some type of tofu. NOT KANOMWAN! Surprising- so all you vegetarians out there be warned.
We ordered a pad thai w/out the shrimp and a chicken green curry (we asked for both to be thai spicy) needless to say neither were even mildly spicy.
The pad thai and curry were like nothing we have ever seen before- but still surprisingly tasty. It looked completely colorless so we figured it might be flavorless too (Luckily not the case).
Working around your dietary restrictions is not part of their game plan! Don't think we will be going out of the way to come here again but not bad if you are in the area and don't have a particular affinity for tofu or veggies. -
Review from Monica M.
Houston, TX
11/7/2011
I LOVE this place! I mean, I literally have dreams about the "S1" soup. I go through serious withdrawal when they close down for their annual trip to Thailand. I wish I knew the names of the dishes to share with you all, but alas, I do not. However, I can tell you what our favorites are by number.
We love to start out with the S1 and/or S3 soups. Then for our main course, depending on how many people we are, in order, we get H1 (beef, chicken or shrimp, all delicous), H5 chicken, PPK chicken, H6, S11 chicken.
The pad thai and fried rice are alright, but that's not their specialty (in my opinion). Oh, and the H1 is not for wimps. I've seen many a grown man sweat while eating it!
Enjoy!
PS. I've been going at least once a week since about 2005. My record is 5 meals in a week (between lunch, dinner and take out)! Yeah, it's that good! -
Review from Cameron K.
Houston, TX
9/22/2011
Kanomwan still has the best Thai food in Houston, in my opinion. My wife and I had the pleasure of dining here several times. We usually have the egg rolls (A4), cashew chicken (Gai Pad Prig Phoa) and the shrimp version of the Gai Pad Prig Phoa. All were excellent. We finish off with some sweet rice and fresh slices of mango. Very good.
The Thai Iced Tea is also quite good
During the evenings, this restaurant is BYOB. They even have wine glasses and cork removers for all you wine connisseurs. -
Review from Stephanie L.
Houston, TX
7/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
After taking a HUGE exam, my friends and I came here to eat dinner and relax. Kanomwan is kind of hidden so it was a bit difficult to find (easiest way to get there from cullen to telephone, is to make a right turn right after you pass the playground/field, and it'll be on the left).
Some friends who are regulars knew exactly what they wanted to order (family style). So we got 2 soups and 5 dishes to share for 5 people (sounds like a lot doesn't it?).
S1 - Tom Yum Goong - FANTASTIC! Taste explosion. Just spicy enough for a kick and a bit tangy with a generous portion of shrimp and mushrooms.
S3 - Tom Ka Gai - Also quite delicious, but (to me) not as good as S1 (although others in the group disagreed). The consistency was not quite as thick as chowders but pretty creamy although still surprisingly light. It had chicken, which thankfully was not too dry or chewy.
H3 - Pad Pres Wan - Chicken curry. It had a ton of flavor and spices (but not spicy). It was good, but it seemed like there was something to be desired.
H6 - Gai Pad Prig Phao - Cashew chicken. Definitely not as spicy as it looks (I mean, it looked really spice-ily intimidating). But like most cashew chicken dishes, it's chicken with cashew. You might want to try something more unique (next time I will).
H8 - Nur Pad Nam Mun Hoi - Beef dish. It was crazy, the beef was almost crispy. It's difficult to describe because it's not like it was burnt. The beef seemed to be sliced thinly enough that frying it made it crisp up. Pretty interesting and good. I think I wish there was a bit more flavor, it didn't go as well with rice as it looked like it would.
H15 - fried shrimp (dinner menu only) - Oh goodness, this dish was so delicious. It's probably a no-brainer. I love shrimp. I love fried foods. I love fried shrimp. It's only downfall was that there wasn't enough.
N1 - Pad Thai - It comes with both chicken and shrimp! A pleasant surprise because I can't read! (the menu actually said it came with chicken and shrimp, but for some reason I only read chicken...)
Okay, so overall pretty good. But I do wish the portions were larger. They were tiny! We live in TEXAS for goodness sake, where everything is suppose to be bigger. -
Review from Amy V.
Houston, TX
7/17/2011
I LOVE LOVE Thai cuisine and really wanted this experience to be a great one. I wish I could give this place a better review.. I really do but unfortunately, I can't because the food sucked SO BAD!
The food is not authentic Thai cuisine. It is watered down, Americanized and bland. It lacked the bold flavors in which Thai cuisine is known for. Where was my ginger, basil, pepper, lime and cilantro?? None of the dishes that we ordered were spicy.. come on, really?! It broke my heart.
I think they Americanized the menu due to the demographics that frequent there and I think it's a shame. =(
On a side note, the restrooms are HUGE. Definitely ADA compliant. Kudos to them to adhering to federal codes! -
Review from Stephanie K.
Sugar Land, TX
6/5/2011
Did not live up to the hype.
The best: Thai tea and Thai coffee. The tea was tasty but was too sweet for my taste so I had to share it w/my sis. From what I've been told, Thai tea is supposed to be sweet so yeah...just know what you're getting into before indulging in this drink! Thai coffee was tasty and sweet but not to the point of overwhelmingly sweet like some Starbucks fraps. Also, BYOB.
The worst: Out of a table of 11, only 2 were remotely satisfied with what they got. Everything seemed either bland or too spicy. For some reason, the difference between one and two spicy levels is gargantuan! Also, the service is very inattentive. Boo.
Maybe my group inadvertently chose the only non-delicious items on the menu or came on an "off" day but yeah...not coming back in the foreseeable future. -
Review from Jonathan L.
Austin, TX
6/7/2011
I won't claim myself to be a resident thai food master by any means.... but Kanomwan really did not live up to any hype. I had dinner here with my fiancé and some of her family. Several people had hear spectacular things about Kanomwan (a local legend), so unfortunately our expectations were high. To be fair, the food here wasn't terrible. Neither was the service. Everything was just... "meh!"
Out of the food ordered, no one was truly satisfied with their dishes, except for me. I ordered the H1, which was decent (I like spicy dishes, and this did live up to the "two thumbs up" spice level). Seems like spicier the dish, the better it tastes here... -
Review from Sarah C.
Houston, TX
6/3/2011
Four stars for the tom ka gai alone (S3). It is some of the best that I have ever had. The various curries are also good, but the S3 takes the cake.
This place is hopping at lunch time, even though the dining room is a decent size, but service is relatively quick once you get seated.
In closing, seriously, try the tom ka gai. -
Review from Patrik P.
Sacramento, CA
10/28/2011
Great authentic Thai food. Green Curry is amazing.
-
Review from Andy W.
Katy, TX
6/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is also known as Telephone Thai. As a matter of fact if you Google 'telephone thai', this place will come up.
Okay...this place is stuck in the 70's as decor goes...but sometimes you don't go for the decor.
The food was pretty good. I'm just becoming more accustomed to Thai cuisine, and this seems like a pretty good representation of the food.
Honestly, I don't know 'true' Thai vs. 'mainstream' Thai. The stuff tasted good. And the rice was done properly (this may not sound like a big deal, but sometimes the smallest things indicate how much they actually care about their food). The spicy wasn't too spicy for me (but my table-mates were a little less excited about the spice). And I like spicy and have a higher threshold of pain...just in case you were wondering.
The highlight is that it's a BYOB place. So if you have your favorite bottle of wine you want with the Thai food you can't cook at home, this is probably the place for you. -
Review from Ryan L.
Updated - 1/10/2011
After two spectacular visits, I guess that last below average trip was an anomaly. The curry in a pot topped with basil leaves is awesome, as is the beef and straw mushrooms. Rice soup is a great congee-ish warm up for cold days.
Go for dinner, and it's less hectic, and more forgiving for it's quirky ordering style (that one person does everything that has to do with $$). Also, you can order ice water, as opposed to the forced bottled water option at lunch.Listed in: Sharing is caring, All Hail the East Side
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
10/13/2010
Uh oh, there was some slippage in the kitchen this time around. The beef and straw mushroom dish… Read more »
-
-
Review from Fujio W.
6/5/2010 ROTD 9/17/2010
Kanomwan will be remembered, and will hopefully return!
While I have eaten here for two decades, I have not reviewed this remarkable family run place until now. And unfortunately, this week marks the passing of the owner of Kanomwan, lovingly called by many in this city, the Thai Nazi.
Much theory and discussion has gone on about the personality of the owner. While on the surface, a small, stoic, poker faced Thai man with a seemingly limited vocabulary, "Mr. Kanomwan" was probably more worried about efficiently getting his huge lunch crowd in and out of his restaurant. Obviously, he is the perfect Thai counterpart of Seinfeld's Soup Nazi. In the relaxed evenings, I've seen him crack a smile and actually talk to his customers, many of whom have been coming there for years.
One story I recall was of a large family with young children who were voraciously eating Thai styled Red Snapper (evening only dish). A new father at the time, I had to remark to the parents how interesting that their kids were enjoying a fairly spicy, exotic dish. The dad told me that they had been customers since their children were little. His kids actually requested Kanomwan as a place to have their birthday dinner.
As a creature of habit, over the years I resolved down to my two favorite dishes: H6 (Chicken with Cashews) and Tom Ka Gai (Chicken in Coconut/Lemon Grass Soup). Not a fan of Kanomwan's Panang or Pad Thai, I can see why some people don't care for this restaurant's version of these dishes. I missed the lunch plates that used to be served a number of years back that came with a "carroty" spring roll and delicious rice gruel soup. My number one choice, H6, with it's red chili pepper/fish sauce flavor has been likened to "crack" because of its addictive qualities.
My condolences and RIP. "Mr. Kanomwan", I hope your family will be able to carry on the Kanomwan's fine tradition of wonderful cooking.
I hope for those of you who are new to this restaurant that you will get a chance to try some of my favorites because I hope to do the same.Listed in: Top Restaurants
-
Review from Terah K.
6/6/2010 7 Check-ins Here
I love Kanomwan! I have been going to this restaurant since I was in Elementary School.
Mr. Hyute (family nickname) is a very sweet older man, who's family owns the restaurant. He loves children and welcomes them with open arms in his restaurant. [Update: Just found out Mr. Hyute died. Very sad news for a person who lived for his restaurant. Best wishes to the family and Pac a Wan (grandson of Mr. Hyute)]
I consider myself spoiled with the Kanomwan Thai food, because I refuse to eat at any other Thai Food restaurant. My favorite dishes include the coconut soup and the pad thai.
Another great feature is that this restaurant is BYOB!! My mission is to get everyone to get to this restaurant and try some great thai food!Listed in: BYOB Restaurants
-
Review from Adria B.
Houston, TX
12/5/2010
Believe them when they tell you their food is spicy! They don't soften it up for the amateurs...it's GREAT! I love that this place is BYOB, so you can bring along a couple of bottles of wine to enjoy during your meal.
I don't know how great the neighborhood is, and I did have trouble finding it the first time I met friends there, but it was definitely worth it - their curries are all delicious! -
Review from David W.
Spring, TX
7/15/2010
Hands down... this is my favorite Thai restaurant in Houston. There are those that come close, but this is it.
I panicked once I learned of the fate of the Thai Soup Nazi. Alas, our restaurant has reopened and the S3 is as good as it has ever been. I've often taken for granted this little treasure in thinking it will always be here, but now I'm reminded and appreciate it even more.
I too agree with the assessment that the vibe of this restaurant has changed. The crowds and the waitstaff were exceptionally chatty. Hyute's systematic approach to taking orders will certainly be missed, but there is a new level of excitement as a new era begins for this Houston Thai jewel. -
Review from edgard k.
6/10/2011
Tried the deep fried pork on bread for appetizer and snapper w/ curry sauce, shrimp w/ chilli paste, and beef w/ straw mushrooms for the entrees. The highlight is the appetizer and fish, the curry sauce it's really good! Service is good, too bad it doesn't have the mango dessert mentioned in the menu - it seems that it's not always available.
-
Review from Linh N.
7/14/2009
It's when you least expect it. The "Thai Nazi" cracked a smile and engaged me in a brief exchange today!
I finally tried out Kanomwan. First, I ate there with my friend last week. BYOB before 830PM. She had the green chicken curry. I ordered the pad wen soon? and the first shrimp soup description offered in the "Soup" section. They do not offer a printed take-out menu nor are they online and I didn't dare take a picture, lest I offend, so this is all from memory.
The pad woon sen was stir-fried crystal noodles with bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, green onions, straw mushrooms, egg, shrimp, chicken, and pork. I asked for mine without the chicken or pork; I believe the apt description of our dear host's expression at that moment would have been withering. But he complied. I had two ! pieces of nice sized, juicy shrimp in that tangled, aforementioned mass of food. Normally I don't like bamboo shoots or bean sprouts ( I don't gamble either). But in this dish, even though it was weirdly pungent and rather greasy, I ended up cleaning my plate. The shrimp soup was very tangy, in a red broth, with lots of fresh lemon grass shoots, and good-sized shrimp. My friend allowed me to sample some of her green curry broth. It was YUM.
So fast forward to today. Typical on-my-way-home-from-work-I'm- starving-and-don't-feel-like-cooking moment. I contemplate several places, but settle on Kanomwan because I must admit, I was not as impressed as I thought I would be on that first visit. I did like that pad wen soon though, so I thought I'd give them another try. So suddenly, as if my little car and I were being drawn by a magnet held by a stern, short, bald Thai man, I navigated towards Kanomwan. This time I ordered take-out. The restaurant was fairly packed with a diverse crew, including some of our men in blue. I waited for the host to come up and ask for my order, because I knew better. He is the only that will take your order; the Latina waitresses help out, but they are an efficient, trained crew and they will courteously re-direct you to him if you attempt to eff up his formula.
I ordered pad woon sen again and the green curry with shrimp. When my order was ready, he abruptly gesticulated to me. His grandson (cutie-pie!) was at the cash register controls. I made a remark about what a good assistant he had--it's true--that kid was tallying up the orders and processing checks like a pro (start 'em young!). And that's when he softened, cracked a smile, and asked me what neighborhood I was from. So, that was quite endearing, and the curry shrimp is great--thick, but not too thick, nice heat factor. I have enough left over to take for my lunch tomorrow and I can't wait. In parting, I thanked the host and said "see you next time!" And I meant it.Listed in: Thai me up, Thai me down!
-
Review from Hank G.
Houston, TX
2/20/2008 ROTD 3/12/2008
The owner (and family) is actually from Thailand but he's also the Thai Food Nazi. Sometimes you order something and you ask for it a certain way like, extra spicy for instance. You'll end up getting what he wants to give you. I'd given up on ordering extra spicy and the time I didn't ask for it, I got extra spicy.
I've only ever been here for lunch, but he oversees the entire restaurant with an intimidating glance. He'll seat you and then later he'll take your order. Your order will not be taken in the order that you were seated unless you get lucky. I've been here often enough to try and figure out his "system", but I still don't know.
I'm not really knocking the owner-dude. He's actually nice, but during business hours, very stern =) There are many lunch specials to choose from including the usuals like pad Thai, and the portions are good, not too much and not too little. I usually order the chicken with cashews (extra spicy?) The Thai tea here is also very good.
I totally agree with Andrew M. and I think this is the best Thai food in the city.
On a side note, in the winter, he goes home to Thailand for 2-3 weeks, so Kanomwan is closed during that time. -
Review from Danielle S.
Houston, TX
3/31/2009
Kanomwan is kind of a hush-hush Houston institution. It may not be incredibly well known since it's located in Eastwood, but those who have been are downright evangelical about it. My boyfriend is one of those people, and although he's lived in Eastwood for the past 3-4 years, I've somehow never made it out to Kanomwan until now. That's not for lack of trying, however. Their wonky hours make this the third attempt to eat at Kanomwan, and the third time was the charm for me and the boyf.
We got here a little bit before 11:30 and were greeted by a line out into the parking lot. I was shocked--I had no idea this place filled up as quickly as it does, and once we got in the door and the dining room filled up I was glad we'd hit it just right. The people waiting to eat seem like mostly downtown, professional types--if they've driven that far, you know it's got to be special.
After you walk in, you're given a number which signifies your place in line--we got 8, which means we were the eighth party in the door and seated. The owner (colorfully referred to as the "Thai Nazi") methodically takes his orders by number. That means that if you're looking to be served quickly and you walk in while the lunch hour is already in progress...don't try to flag him down. He won't budge. And he's the only one that takes the orders, so you'll have no luck trying to weasel your way in with the Thai Nazi's army of female, Hispanic servers, either.
The interior isn't anything to write home about. It's bathed in fluorescent light with cheap lace curtains covering the windows--the whole effect brings to mind a church fellowship hall, except with random Thai artifacts scattered about. But you're not paying for the decorations, you're paying for the food, and that's what counts!
Boyfriend chose H1 with pork, which is a spicy Thai concoction with your choice of meat, chili and basil. Even though I like-a da heat, I was feeling the veggies today, so I chose H7 with shrimp, which is a vegetable mix with baby corn, bamboo shoots, straw mushrooms and green onions. I had a little taste of his--whoo! That's Thai hot, all right! But my vegetable and shrimp dish would favor even the most spice-averse palates. All of the vegetables were tasty and fresh, and served with a big bowl of sticky rice for your dining pleasure.
You don't have to ask for a check, because the Thai Nazi has your check up at the counter. Just tell him your table number and he has your total. FYI, if you're splitting a check, you can't use credit cards--cash only. Just another one of the Thai Nazi's peculiarities. I can definitely understand the cult following now--the food is tasty and the persnickety owner is part of the charm. -
Review from Matthew M.
Houston, TX
3/10/2008
After reading all the praise of being the best Thai in town, I had to see for myself. I tried to go several times, but was being remodeled and finally it has opened up. It is tucked behind some building and you cant see it from the road, but easy to find. It is in a sketchy neighborhood, but once your inside everything is dandy. You are usually greeted by the grumpy but lovable owner Uttan, who also is your waiter. Don't expect super fast service here because he will be the one to take your order. He walks around the entire restaurant and whom ever table he hits first he'll take your order. It doesn't matter who comes first its who he feel like going to first. Don't feel neglected!! He is old and he will get to you just be ready!
My buddy and I were hankering some Tom Kha Gai (chicken coconut soup) so we order a large bowl and we also ordered the whole fried red snapper with the special chili sauce. The Tom kha had a unique taste and style. We consider our selves TKG specialist. This TKG was decent. Very limey, a bit over salted, but plenty of morsels. They also bring you out a huge mound of rice to sop up all the goodness. The fish was out of control!!! Sooooo spicy!!!! My buddy and I were sweating and our mouths were dancing. This is a dish that cant be missed! The sauce although spicy we couldn't help spooning it into our mouths....THE PAIN WAS SOOOO GOOOD! All and all some of the best Thai I have had in Houston. I would not order the TKG again, but def the fish! Oh ya its BYOB until 830!! I saw people there with bottles of wine and bottles of alchohol soooo CHEERS! -
Review from Cindy P.
Houston, TX
9/28/2009 ROTD 12/25/2009
Chew. Swallow. *gasp* I need *pants* some water *fanning mouth with hand* PLEASE!
Part of the reason why I love Thai food is because of the spice, and this is the first time ever I've tasted restaurant Thai food as authentic as a friend's mom use to serve up at her house after school.
I had the Pad Ped with pork. It comes with mushrooms, bamboo, and eggplants. Every veggie soaks up the red Thai spicy sauce. At first you don't feel the heat. It's like a hostile takeover, those little red soldiers surrounds the perimeter and then when you think you're safe and sound-BAM! An explosion of heat turns your face red and smoke practically come out of your ears.
I really love this place, I wish it was closer though. But as good as the food was I won't need much of an excuse to make the drive. What I really want to try next time is what Larae had, Pad Ka Pao (!! 2x as spicy as my dish !!) with some sticky rice. My mouth is already watering in anticipation.Listed in: Favorite Places
-
Review from David N.
1/21/2010 1 photo
This place is supposed to be the "best", most "authentic" Thai place in town.
People boast about the "Thai Nazi".
So this is where I began my research.
I looked through the plentiful reviews of this place and found a trend...many of the people I follow...don't actually like this place. The other people loved it.
I follow these people for a reason...because I trust their judgement.
They told me to pass on the pad Thai. So I decided to take an actual THAI person with me to show me the ropes on what to order.
We tried the egg rolls, came out fast, 2 dollars for 2 isn't bad. Nothing special though. We then had the rice soup, eh the chicken was bland. Had a curry dish and a beef dish both once again were OK. Then why only 2 stars?
The price and the serving sizes.
REMEMBER! This is telephone road, not upper Kirby.
You can't serve stuff on a 5 x 7 plate for 9 bucks!!!Listed in: Best Thai
-
Review from Allie N.
Houston, TX
10/19/2009
I really wanted to like this place.
I never venture over to the East side but since the bf and I were seeing a play at UH that night, I jumped on the chance to try Kanomwan. I had heard about this infamous Thai Nazi and was curious for what was in store.
First of all, the fact that this place is on Telephone Rd. should indicate that you're venturing to a colorful side of town. And then it's address has a fraction in it. A fraction!... so it's pretty hard to find. It's located on the backside of a shopping center next to the East End market.
For a Friday night, there was a nice crowd but we were immediately seated. I looked around and the place was full of old white affluent looking rich people. WTH? Am I in the right place? I thought I was on Telephone Rd. at an authentic Thai place. How did all these people hear about the place?
The waitress will take your drink order and bring you your food, but the Thai Nazi himself takes your order between manning the cash register. I'm not sure why he takes the orders versus the waitresses. We had eggrolls to start. I ordered my standard Pad Thai and the bf ordered a beef stir fry that came with bamboo shoots and green bell peppers (H4 on the menu, can't recall the name).
The food came out very quickly. The eggrolls ($2 for 2) were crisp and fresh from the deep fryer. Onto the main dishes. My pad thai came out on a small plate (the plate was about the size of a 5x7 picture to give you an idea) and half of it was bean sprouts! The other half, the actual Pad Thai, was WHITE. The noodles were white! This led me to believe that there was not much sauce/flavor on it. And there wasn't. It was so bland! Maybe this is how Pad Thai is really served in Thailand and I just never knew?
The bf's entree was ok, but it was more bamboo shoots than beef. His entree size was also pretty small. He really liked his iced tea though, which was only $1!
Kanomwan gets cool points for being BYOB though. Maybe I'll come here and try something else the next time I am in the neighborhood (if ever). My Thai go-to places are still Thai Gourmet and Vieng Thai.
P.S. - as another Yelper noted, Kanomwan is CLOSED October 19 - November 30 and will reopen December 1, 2009.Listed in: Thai Me
-
Review from Josh V.
12/21/2009
I'll keep this review simple, like Kanomwan itself:
Sketchy location. Boring building. Bland atmosphere inside. (Decorated kind like an Asian nail place.)
Best, most authentic Thai I've ever had. Served quickly by pleasant servers. Thai Nazi is a great guy who, with a little effort, you can make smile. BYOB.
I take people I want to impress here. I have never been disappointed. -
Review from Crystal L.
Houston, TX
8/20/2008
Ummm... can we say overrated?!
Well well well..... Where do I begin. I have heard so many good things about this restaurant that I had high expectations going into it.
I had been told that there is no alcoholic beverages sold and that you can bring your own so first off we stopped at Specs and picked up two bottles of white. We only had enough time to chill them for 2 minutes so we couldn't really get them cold, we figured the restaurant would have buckets or something of the sort. Nope, and don't ask the "thai nazi" if he can stick it in the freezer either cause he has no problem telling you no.
We had the crispy spring rolls, satay and a coconut soup to start with. I enjoyed the coconut soup but my friend thinks my taste buds must of been paralyzed or something.
For the main course we ordered H6, chicken cashew something or other and the deep fried snapper in some sort of sauce which was claiming to be spicy. HA! That dish couldn't of made my 90 year old grandma think it was hot. And to top it all off when I asked for some hot sauce, the waiter brought me back some red pepper type of stuff that looked like you would put on a pizza. They don't even have hot sauce apparently!! Or at least they wouldn't give me any because I did ask several people and they all said they didn't have a spice rack of any sort. How can a thai restaurant not have a spice rack? Besides the dish being lame in spice it was nothing special. For the price I could have bought my own snapper and made it WAY better than that dish.
The H6 dish was pretty good, but again nothing I'll remember after tomorrow.
The only way I would ever actually go back to this restaurant is if I was for some reason in that area with no car, if every taxi in houston was out of service, and if there was no other restaurant within 10 miles.
If you want good thai food just go to Thai Gourmet on Richmond. -
Review from JIMMY N.
Houston, TX
7/8/2008
I've been here several times throughout the years... back when they were at their original location off of Telephone. It has been almost two years since I've eaten here. Sad to say the quality have gone down considerably.
Even more unfortunate, the owner is still the same 'ole grouchy self. Actually he's kinda misunderstood. If your patient, keep to yourself, don't annoy him with questions or substitutions... he'll actually be less grumpy and acknowledge you. He moves at his own pace and gets to you at his convenience... if you understand how things are run inside that restaurant... you'll have a more pleasurable experience. I think customers focus too hard to gain his acceptance when they get wind of his reputation. You see people try to be chatty, smile or ask too many questions. I guess they want to be the one that can crack that "brick-like face". All that amounts to is more surly service. Not me, just give me the menu, take my order and hand me my food.
Anyways, lots of people come with several bottles of wine and take advantage of their BYOB. I tend to nix that and just come for the food.
Today I had the Tom Yum Goong Soup, (which was always good when I ordered on previous occasions) just really salty and concentrated with flavor. It has always been flavorful, but I since I ate closer towards closing time I think I got all the soup that's near the bottom of the pot. So it was just a strong explosion of flavor... had to put rice in it to help bland it out. Their Tom Yum soups are always good... you can just smell the lemon grass. Today's Tum Yum was just too strong to put down.
Another thing, when they have the picture of "two thumbs" next to the dish... why do people think it's not that spicy? Hello!!! Clearly means it's very spicy... a whole lotta red chili in them dishes. I mean I can eat spicy, just forgot how spicy this one dish I ordered was.
The Pad Ka Pao pork (ground pork, red chili and basil) took me back for a loop at first. Several swigs of water later... my taste buds got back to normal and I was now prepared properly for the heat that awaits me.
My other dish, Yur Nom Ttok, was a beef salad dish that was one thumb spicy. It was different from the other Yur Num I've eaten before; but a good different. Usually there's a lime dip that accompanies it... somehow that dip is infused in the meat and I get lots of flavors going in this dish. Can't really say if I like it or not.
Lastly, I had this curry dish with potatoes and chicken... Probably one of the better dishes for the night. It was more like an Indian curry. Not your typical Coconut-milk curry.
Dishes that I stray away from Kanomwan are the red coconut milk curries and the pad thai. I don't like it here. Then again I don't care too much for spicy and sweet entrees. Also the fried rices are ehh.
I gave one star for the timeliness of the dishes sent out and another for the reasonable prices. Also I like places that are located "off the beaten path". Other then that, not much else is going for this place. I'll definitely would steer clear during lunch... just crowded. And compound that with their award winning service... you'll definitely be put off from this place.
In the end, it'll probably be another couple of years till I come back. -
Review from Warren A.
1/30/2010 3 Check-ins Here
First, if you go, you must understand that this is a very seasonal place. The owner takes vacations and when he does, it closes. But when he comes back, go. Its the best time for the soups. For that you only need to know one phrase. Tom Yum Gai.
Now frankly the flavors you will get from here are very authentic but the quality of ingredients could be higher to match the prices. It's not that we expect high quality cuisine but frankly consistency of quality is important. If you have not guessed it yet, I come here mainly for the soup. If you order a bland soup you will get a bland soup, complaining about it only shows you didn't know what you were ordering in the first place.
Items off the regular menu is adequate but nothing to write in more detail about.
And while my girlfriend and I celebrate our first dinner together here, we don't usually come back till after the New Year (usually when he returns from his vacation). You can enjoy yourself and bring a few friends but for those that don't think the "Nazi" smiles, frankly you just don't get him. Take a moment to talk to the guy, he will remember you and when you order, tell him what you want. If you are looking for "Americanized" Thai food, you won't find it here. Which is a good thing for you Thai Spice retards. Climb out of your bubble.
3 Stars for the lack of consistency and quality of ingredients, but if you want authenticity its damn close. -
Review from Ransom e.
Washington, DC
12/23/2008 2 photos
When I lived in Houston (yes I am proud native), I would frequent Kanomwan 2-3 times a month, and when I was living on campus at UH, Kanomwan would be a weekly ritual. I have tried just about everything on the menu, and nothing disappointments. Yes, the owner has a "no soup for you" mentality, but he is a teddy bear inside once you peal back the layers.
If you are a noob, get the chicken-cashew-red sauce dish, the tomkahgai, and pad-thai noodles. . .and a thai-iced coffee of course. But really, everything there is spot on in my book. -
Review from Ollis T.
Pearland, TX
4/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I had been going to this place for years before I just stopped going out of frustration due to intermittent closings. This place is as good as ever! Just keep in mind that the restaurant closes at 1330 and not 1400 for lunch. Can't wait to go back!
-
Review from Rusty B.
Houston, TX
10/13/2009 2 photos
The coconut and lime chicken soup was surprisingly good...despite the small strip of plastic I found in my bowl (must have come off a can of coconut milk or something). Fortunately I saw it before I ate it.
My main dish was the PPK....Pad Prig King or something like that. It was sort of a beef curry with green beans. I thought it tasted great! But, it was one of the hottest things I've ever put into my body...and I'm half coonarsed. No marks off for being hot...I think the menu warns you. It was the first time I almost got sick from eating something so hot...I had to lay down when I got home! I think I actually burned off more calories from the heat, than were actually in the dish!
Service was good. And I think it must have been the owner who took our order and also ran the checkout counter. I thought he was very nice...not sure why others were calling him the "Thai Nazi"....
Good food...but next time I'll try something milder! TraceyT's shrimp dish was really good...I tried some off her plate. -
Review from Patrick D.
Houston, TX
Updated - 6/14/2010
It is with heavy heart that I inform you that last weekend the proprietor, lovingly referred to as the Thai Nazi, has died.
The only writeup I have seen is on B4Eat. The restaurant is closed until further notice.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/30/2009
Marvin Zindler, EYEWITNESS NEWS, didn't call this his most favorite restaurant in Houston without… Read more »
-
-
Review from Matt C.
Houston, TX
1/8/2010 1 photo
I decided to go here after hearing about the legend of the nazi, and was not disappointed. Just stay away from the two thumb spicy dish if you normally don't eat Spicy dishes. I ordered the egg rolls and they were excellant. Very fresh veggies inside and the sauce was killer. I think I found my new favorite Thai restaurant in Houston. Will follow up after I try more dishes.
1/20/10
got the egg rolls again and once again they are awesome. i ordered the pad thai this time and it was O.K. I had to ask for some hot pepper sauce to liven it up, it was extremely mild. i would have dropped it down to 3 stars but those egg rolls are damn good. -
Review from Marshall P.
Houston, TX
5/18/2008
Really loved this place. I won't repeat what others have said about the eccentric owner, but everything they say is true. He is the Thai version of the Soup Nazi, and there are rules you must follow when being served. It's worth it.
I will tell you what to order: get the H6. It's chicken with chili paste curry. So, so good. A friend told me the restaurant sells (or used to sell) a promotional shirt that said, "Best H6 in Town." Hilarious. The Thai Nazi may not smile, but he's got a great sense of humor. -
Review from Morgan N.
5/4/2009
Great food! My friend Mollie suggested we go here on Saturday. I was a little skeptical because it's far from where we live. The place was pleasantly packed and had a homey feeling. It's a good place for a family meal.
On to the food:
We shared the coconut soup with chicken (can't remember the name). It was really flavorful with a tang from the lime juice. It was a little on the salty side but it was still good.
We also got a chicken dish with cashews and chili paste. It was suprisingly sweet, not spicy and very delicious!
This place was totally worth the drive and I will be introducing many people to this place. Thanks Mollie! -
Review from Sarah S.
Houston, TX
1/8/2009
All of my pals that work downtown love Kanomwan. I was so excited to finally try it.
We ordered eggrolls, pad thai and an H10. The eggrolls were crisp and tasty. I don't recall the name of it, but H10 was rice noodles, chicken, straw mushrooms, sprouts, onions, green onions and egg. That was pretty much all it was. No sauce, so salt, no flavor. The entree was completely tasteless. I had 3 of my dinner-mates taste it to be sure that it wasn't just me... It was the most bland meal I can recall eating in a restaurant. The pad thai was not excellent. The meat chosen for the pad thai was shrimp. Three people at our table ordered the pad thai with shrimp. Each of them only found 2 shrimp in their meal. The amount of food on our plates was also sad. It was by far the smallest portion of Thai food I have ever been given in a restaurant. At the other end of the table, an order of red curry was enjoyed as was number H6.
I have to say, I left wondering what I was missing. Why is it that everyone loves this place? Is it better at lunchtime?
Also, it took so long to find the restaurant. If you are going to go: it is facing Lockwood, not Telephone road. From Telephone Road, you cannot see this restaurant at all.
Another note: If you are going to split your tab, you must pay in cash.
Edited: corrected typo
