Kinnaree Restaurant
(at Stevenson Blvd)
Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 742-5152
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
61 reviews
Dublin, CA
"This place is really good. Its a clean thai place with the best tom yum gum ... it also has really good pad thai and thai bbq chicken ..…" read more »
28 Reviews for Kinnaree Restaurant
Yum. I love this place. Good food, nice service, and all at a good price. It's a pretty big place and I've never had to wait for a table. I'm not sure how it is during lunch, but for dinner...I've never had to wait. The food is good, i love all their curries (i'm a fan). Although the place is a little nicer than the spots I'm used to, the pricing is fair, and it's dress down casual too (gotta love it). It's pretty hard to find since it's deep on Mission Blvd., but I suggest going here. It's probably one of my fav. Too bad I live so far away. boo
I was actually really impressed with this restaurant and will definitely be coming back. Upon walking in, I immediately liked the ambiance, decor and cleanliness. Our server turned out to be very friendly and helpful when it came to explaining what some items on the menu were. We ended up not ordering appetizers, even though there were lots of great-sounding ones on the menu, many of them being vegetarian. To drink, we ordered Thai iced tea and the passionfuit soju cocktail. Both were excellent, but the Thai iced tea was great! For dinner we ordered the cashew chicken and red curry with prawns. I was very pleased that brown rice was on the menu, since most restaurants in Fremont do not offer it and I prefer brown rice anyway. The curry turned out to be amazingly good, and definitely one of the best Thai curries I have had in the Bay Area. The cashew chicken, though, was not so great because the sauce was a little bit too sweet. We also ordered the pad thai, which was ok but not great either. It actually reminded me more of angel hair pasta than pad thai, not to mention that it did not come with crushed peanuts or lime (which is the way I like it). For dessert, we ordered the sticky rice and mango which turned out to be rich and wonderful.
I am most definitely coming back. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal and I loved that there were so many vegetarian and healthy options on the menu, as well as the fact that there were so many dishes that you don't see at most other Thai dishes. I also liked the presentation of the food and the fact that they have specials, many of them seafood specials. Yum!
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This is a very big restaurant and not many people were in it when we went on a Friday afternoon. I came with six of my coworkers and we saw a big table already set up by the window but they sat us back by the bathroom and the exit door (where the garbage is probably sitting right outside). Man it stunk!
There's a lunch special menu with about 16 items. I ordered the Kao Soy ($7.95): crispy egg noodle topped with chicken yellow curry, pickle, onion and cilantro. It was not very good. The curry was on the bland and watery side. The noodles... I've had this kind before but if you haven't or don't know what to expect, it is chewy and will stay chewy even after it's completely immersed in the curry. There was a lot of curry leftover so if you're not full, you can order some extra rice to mix it with. I do like the presentation of the dishes but that's really all they got going for them.
Service was decent. The food came out pretty quick and the lady did her job but I wouldn't exactly call her friendly. She also wasn't very patient with us when we were figuring out the bill. I wonder how they're doing business wise... it's located in a slightly barren end of Fremont. I hear they have commercials constantly running on cable TV but they need make some improvements on the food before they bring more people in.
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Yum. Friendly servers and delicious food. This place is tucked away on Mission Blvd....but I used to come here a lot when I lived in the Fremont area.
I usually order the same thing...Pad See Ew and Spicy Fried Rice. Good stuff.
It used to be better.
We ordered the roti and curry sauce for an appetizer. It came out really really hot! I would have liked for the curry sauce to have been a little thicker. It was a bit too liquidy. But overall, it was yummy.
Our main dishes came out right was we were about 1/4 of the way into our appetizer. A little annoying but I guess it is better than having to wait forever for food! Bring it on!
Dinner was Pumpkin Curry with chicken (go ahead and order it HOT because it had just the right amount of spice) and the Drunken Noodles (also with chicken and also HOT).
The Curry was pretty good. The noodles were okay. There weren't that many noodles in the dish, actually! Lots of cabbage (which I actually liked) but there really should have been more noodles for a dish that is called "Drunken Noodles!"
The Thai Iced Tea could have been sweeter, but for those of you who don't like it too sweet, this may have been good. I love it when it's sweet though.
The background music was a bit odd: Classical-like piano... but to All-American tunes like "America the Beautiful." Kind of weird for a Thai restaurant.
For all of you into Asian beauties, you may want to go for some of the waitresses. I think I caught my hubbie eyeing ours. Maybe we'll just do carry-out next time...
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Nice flavors and textures, as well as presentation. I really like the spice level as well. I'm drawing a blank on the soup I had earlier this evening, but I also tried the basil prawns. Very yummy--great balance between the veggies, prawns, and sauce. I had last dined at Kinaree before the management change, but I also thought the service was at least as good as this time. I remember I really liked dessert from the last visit, but didn't try that earlier this evening. I'm hoping I can try dessert again sometime soon.
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Under new management and I'm liking it! Although i've never tried the previous kinnaree, it probably would have tainted any memories i would've had about this place. It's quiet, much more quiet then good ol Krung Thai. Decor is tasteful and non-tacky. Over decorated Thai restaurants is something i can't stand. Simple presentation, nice plating, great staff, its all good.
Had pad thai, loads of chicken, hints of spiciness, great noodles. Had chicken satay, peanut sauce was REALLY good, the chicken itself was not dry and rough, it was quite enjoyable. The sticky rice and mango was outstanding! The rice was a good consistency and the mangos were fresh. I will be coming back Canary! I mean Kinnaree!
Edit: Came back and ordered the roasted red duck curry, chicken green curry, salad larb, drunken noodles, and roti curry. Damn, all of it was good. We tore up that feast like we were walking through barren wasteland and we haven't seen food for days. Great flavors, great textures, great plating and presentation. I've ate alot of Thai places that I was so displeased with, this place is rockin. We finished up our great feast with FBI (fried banana ice cream) mmmm.... stick rice mango still the winner in dessert category.
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The sign says under new management; but I had never been there before because of so so reviews. We tried it and loved it. I am hooked.
The place is spacious and the customer service was great. The only thing negative I have to say is the parking lot can get rather full (we went on a Thursday). When we arrived it was almost empty; but people were lined up waiting for parking when we left probably because of the day care place.
They have brown rice. It was good.
Very vegetarian friendly.
I really liked this place. I now have two favorite Thai places; this is by far the best I have tried in Fremont.
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The food was GREAT. It all tasted amazing, and had a LOT of flavor.
Highly recommended!!!!!
However, the reason I gave it a 4 was because we had to wait about 10-15 minutes before somebody came and took our order.
It was probably just a stupid mistake, but it's a great restaurant!!!!
I've driven by Kinnaree many times (located in the business center on Mission at Stevenson), but had no desire to go because of the boring sign (gold capital block letters) and the odd location for a restaurant. However, because of the really good reviews since the change in management, we gave it a try and like it a lot!
The Veggie Delight appetizer of deep fried sweet yams, taro root, and tofu is really yummy. Not only does the food taste good and the ambiance pretty nice, but the menu is also quite varied for a Thai restaurant. A little pricey, but well worth it.
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Maybe I wasn't feeling it. It was only okay. I've never been here before but my dad had it pointed out to him by a friend of his.
We went before 6 PM and it was relatively empty. We sat at the tables instead of the booth but man, those chairs were rather uncomfortable. Perhaps it's more authentic but I didn't care for them.
My Thai Iced Tea was not too sweet and didn't have too much ice. Our chicken satay came out in good time. As mentioned below, the sauce wasn't overwhelmingly peanut-ish, but I prefer a stronger peanut flavor myself. The chicken was cooked just right, without being overdone.
My mom ordered the sea bass, not realizing that it had chili pepper. She was not happy and had an unpleasant surprise, although Dad liked it. I thought the yellow curry was rather bland with just a hint of spicy after taste, but my parents liked it. The fried rice was also decent, nothing memorable or spectacular.
The service was pretty good. We were asked at least 3 times if everything was okay. I was asked if I wanted refills of water (I said no because I didn't want it to go to waste) I noticed the waiters would look in my direction to see if I wanted more after I said no, but I merely shook my head. We also received smiles and thanks along with the good nights from the hosts/hostesses.
It seems to be a little more expensive for the suburbs, but it's not a bad place to eat. Quiet and perhaps a little out of the way, but not bad for a calm and peaceful dinner.
I really like Thai food here. The service has always been good for me and the interior is fun.
Once the servers found out my dad spoke Thai, (he is a eastern European guy that lived in Thailand for a bit) they started having fun with me and went on to speak in lengthy conversations with him testing him out.
We have a fun time eating there.
One of the better Thai restraunts in Fremont.
The Thai Fried Rice and Yellow Curry Chicken both tasted well.
Decent size portions with a moderate price level.
Great appetizers, especially the roti w/ curry and corn cakes. The main courses are so-so. The service is always fast, but then again the two times I've gone for dinner, the restaurant is empty. Nice presentation on the take out dishes as well.
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT PEOPLE!
so me and my friend decided to try this place out for dinner tonight. WOW i was blown away. and there i was thinking that i was going to be a Krung Thai fan forever. hahahaha i was sooooo wrong! even though they did not have a wide selection of dishes like KT, this place had so much more to offer still. Their customer service was fabulous, superb and the dishes were delicious. last time i went to KT i almost punched the waiter in the face. this place is the total opposite. they make sure youre enjoying your dinner. I ordered the chicken satay and for once the peanut sauce was not overpowered by peanut butter and the chicken wasnt overcooked! i also tried the pad thai and it was the best pad thai ever! it was hot and fresh and the chicken was so tender. last but not least i tried the mango sticky rice....yum. even though they dont use a lot of coconut milk. the blend of the mango and warm rice was perfect. the rice was soft but not too soft and flavorful unlike other places. and the sesame seeds brought out the flavor of the rice.
hahahaha.....you know what?
after i tried this place, i now think Krung Thai is soooo OVERRATED!
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The Pad Thai is probably the best I've had outside Asia, but the Ice Teas were a bit small even for a Thai place.
It was YUM
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Kinnaree is under new management as of April 2007. I went with my boyfriend for dinner and let me tell you we had a feast! :D The restaurant is rather large for a Thai restaurant with a very spacious and open area. The decor is authentic, unique and traditional all at the same time.. They have plenty of booths which make dinner always a little bit more comfy. For appetizers we had the Angel Wings (medium) and the Larb Salad (prok). The wings were very tasty and the larb salad (a very rare and authentic dish) was absoloutely delicious!! For entrees we had the Drunken Noodles (shrimp) and the Seafood Egglant. The noodles were really good with a very unique taste that went well with the eggplant. I love eggplant and seafood so the dish was on hit. The seafood ranged from scallops to shrimp to calamari.. The flavoring was excellent. We also had for dessert Mango and sticky rice which was very refreshing. Along with the meal we had ordered Pellegrino and a Thai Iced tea which was very good. Our overall experience here was excellent - we'd reccommend it to anyone - family and friends.. it's a must try if you enjoy authentic thai food!!! =)
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The pad thai was awful and the service was bad. Why are they always so busy?
At least the chicken satays are decent.
Maybe I've killed my taste buds from eating too many spicy foods, but I just don't see how Kinnaree can get such rave reviews under the new management! I've been going there for several years because 1) It's convenient and 2) The food always tastes great...that is...UNTIL NOW! What's different now? Well, it's the little things that count....Gone are the mushrooms in the soup, refreshing lime-flavored drinking water, and the type of curry that made you want to keep eating more rice to soak up the sauce because it was so good. Instead, the food seems to have been "Chinese-ified." And no, I don't mean that as a slight against Chinese (I love Hong Kong, have Chinese friends, etc. You get the idea. For more evidence, read my Chinese restaurant reviews). We ordered a broccoli dish with mushrooms. I don't remember the name of it. Maybe it was simply called broccoli with mushrooms. Anyhow, the brown sauce tasted much as it would in a Chinese dish. I don't want to be totally negative about the restaurant, and so I'll give kudos to the new decor. They finally replaced some old paintings with abstract prints on the wall & painted over what used to be a country style wallpaper border (restaurant was once Italian). Oh, the square dinner plates are quite nice. Sigh...but none of these things make up for what used to be a pretty good Thai restaurant!
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Really like the ambiance but banh thai tastes better! Though Banh Thai doesn't have any ambiance. So - it's a complete trade-off! Kinnaree is a great place to take guests and I really like the food.
Quality foodz. Got some chow mein dish with chicken that was some dankers, and also some beef dish that was just ok. Good service and it was pretty cheap. Basically everything on the menu looked enjoyable.
We usually order out from Kinnaree and since it changed hands, we've only ordered once from them. I thought the food was tastier, and definitely more flavor. Unfortunately they didn't have an updated take out menu yet. 1/2 star up...totally curious to give them another try..till the next review.
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If you live around the area, and are looking for a convenient Thai restaurant to pick up a to go meal, this place might just do it for you. We've tried the stuff angel wings, fried tofu, eggplant w/ spicy basil sauce, and the padh thai. All were good, but nothing spectacular. I have to say though that the food was better than Banh Thai-- but I haven't been to Banh Thai for a while.
Came here for lunch today and enjoyed the food. I had a chili/garlic/basil tofu dish, and my friend had yellow curry with tofu. The server was pleasant enough but didn't understand much English (my friend asked him whether she should try the curry or Pad Thai and he looked pretty lost and didn't give her an answer). Our water glasses also went dry even though there was only one other table and the server was no more than a few feet away the whole time, resetting tables/staring into space.
The food and portions were good and the price was reasonable. Not that I needed to eat anymore food, but the addition of some vegetarian appetizer options on the lunch menu would be nice.
if you're looking for a nice quiet place to dine, here it is... there's a reason why it's quiet, though--lack of diners!
we came here one night after work to broaden our horizons. we always go to banh thai and more recently, sala thai--both decent--but to be fair, we thought we'd try another thai restaurant. plus, the repeated airing of their commercials at night lured us in :p we're such suckers!
i always equate a good platter of pad see ewe with good thai food... if you can't get that right, you're not cooking good thai! the bbq that my husband ordered was decent but the pad see ewe was the worst i'd ever had. my better half made me ask to take it to go after we were done but i threw it out before we made it to the car.
skip it. banh thai and sala thai restaurants are nearby and a way better deal.
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This isn't the best Thai restaurant; however, it is decent and worth trying. Try the pad see ewe! We liked it better than their pad thai.
We used to go here often when we lived in Fremont (since Siam Royal in Palo Alto was across the bridge and 45 mins away, as opposed to Kinnaree being a 2 minute drive).
The food here is very good. Tasty and spicy. The service can be slow and nothing to write home about. But again, we went there for the food - which was excellent.
Service is ok but food is not close to any Thai food I ever had..mostly it's sweet .. and doesn't fullfil the desire to have spicy Thai food.
KINAREE THAI -- REDUX UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
what a disappointing dinner last night. My family and I love Kinaree and if we were jonesing for cheap and good thai food, this was a place to go. Last night was the last time we were ever going to eat at Kinaree. It was like breaking up with an awesome boyfriend because he suddenly developed bad breath. The old familiar tasty dishes were replaced by pseudo fine dining smallish portions. Those that they kept from the old menu tasted differently... not bad but not good either. Just bland. The chili garlic pork was good though but that was about it. They even changed the total look of the place which was good... at least it brightened up the place and changed the whole atmosphere. On whole, not really impressive. You want good thai food, schlepp to sonoma and look for the original owner, don't want to drive that far? then i guess we all have to look for something like the original.
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