Khao Kang

8 dollars for home-​styled Thai food is amazing! I just wish there was more of an ability to adjust spiciness. Additionally I had a hard time understanding what each of the food dishes were, since they were explained quite poorly. Regardless it was really yummy and I would definitely go back!

There really should be more places like this; it’s so similar to the kind of drop-​in casual eateries in southeast Asia with super delicious, simple food that taste homemade. Every single option is consistently great, but I think the glazed pork is a fan favorite. They sometimes sell crispy SPICY mushroom things in tupperwares at the front — definitely get. It’s also a really pretty place to sit in summer, if that matters to you :)

The deal is you get rice with a pick of two or three entrees. For under $ 10, its a good deal. Although you can go to Chinese take out joint like this for lesser money. But considering this is Thai food, thats a bloody good deal. This place is not like your average Thai restaurant where everybody would go for the normal, typical Thai dishes. This is your normal everyday dishes that I think people will get from the hawker stalls on the streets in Thailand. Please, please, please be warned. Some of the dishes are super spicy. I mean fiery hot. As someone who is born and raised in Malaysia and familiar with spices and all, I had trouble eating some of the dishes. And yet, I cant stop shoving them down my throat. To make things short, I survived albeit with several trips all day long to you know where.

If you can handle the heat, this place is heaven! This is as authentic as you can get for Thai food. Grab the tissue and wipe your sweat as you eat.
Their menu changes a bit from time to time. Only a few entrees are not spicy but majority are. They serve cafeteria type food. Food is already pre-​made and scoop to serve. Drinks are pretty cheap here. The coconut crepes they make fresh on the spot during the day. Yum!!!

An awesome, authentic Thai restaurant that is not to be missed! Love the simple and natural décor. Food is clearly cooked by somebody’s mother who has been doing it for years. Staff can be slightly apathetic, borderline rude but the food is on point.

The food was GREAT! If you want to find a place for real Thai food. Khao Kang is the place to be.

We came here twice and love it because they serve authentic Thai food. The food is spicy and rich in flavor, which we like. You’ll probably won’t find the menu they serve in other typical Thai resto, which is great! And yes, no pad thai! That’s a fresh air! The cashier could be a lot friendlier tho and could use some smiles. :)

My husband absolutely LOVES this place! He would have it at least 2 times a week at one point.
3 choice with rice for almost $ 9.00 is still a pretty sweet deal. He would always get the fried fillet fish as one of the options. It is the only time I see him eating fish voluntarily and enjoys it.
Their food, I must say, is one of the spiciest food I have ever ate in my entire life. It’s like they threw in some Scott bonnets chilies and a pinch of hell. Food was a little too salty for me but I do love me some of their homemade drinks and desserts! It reminded me of some desserts back in the streets of Vietnam :)

The ambiance is nice. The food is great, although the portion is small but the price is fine. I cannot complain. However the worse are the STAFF– rude! I never seen mean and obnoxious Thai people. They are so sweet but come to this restuarant and you will see the meanest STAFF. Why hire people who don’t like their job. Go away ! You are making the customers not come back with that nasty face and nasty attitude. Especially the server that has braces and is short. I would give this place a 5 star if it was not for her and the cashier (staffs). I bring friends and coworkers here and they say the same thing. Rude staffs!!! For this I give only one star. I will give my business elsewhere and spread the news to other businesses nearby. Also tell coworkers to avoid this restuarant. SMH

This review is about the lady that serves me today.
The food here is great, amazing and delicious!
But the problem is…
I bought 1 order of A La Carte To Go and the lady that serves just gave me 2 scoops of the food and i paid $ 9.25 for it. While in the combo you have 2 scoop of meal with rice and you pay $ 7.50
This is Crazy.
So next time Id rather buy the combo rather than the
A La Carte.

Holy sh** call the fire department, this food is HOTTTTTTT!!! It’s that burning taste that’s super hard to get rid of.
I agree with portion size complaint– it’s not the best. Plus it’s hard to feel full because all you can think about is that your mouth is burning hot fire lava volcano. I totally knew this was gunna be spicy but perhaps too spicy for an average eater to enjoy to its fullest. I’m sure it’s very authentic but like level 10 000, one million pepper signs everywhere.
The fried fish dish was okay. I hated finding bones in my food. I liked the fish ball curry a lot, and the pork dish.
Desserts weren’t the best. Thai ice tea okay.
Amazing décor though, it was a pleasure to sit and enjoy the large open doors. Okay price for what you get.

A gem among the many places serving Thai food in Woodside, Queens. I write this review as I am still here because I just had to stop eating to let the burning sensation in my mouth subside. But it’s a good burn. Just like the good burn I will need in the gym after eating more white rice than I prefer (more on this later).
Although this place is a «pick 2 – 3 items from the steam table to plop on top of a mound of white rice, pay at the counter, and find a seat in the open dining area,» the food can go head to head with the other nearby Thai restaurants within 500 feet that have waiter service.
I picked three items, and added a fried egg on top:
1. Pork in coconut curry (medium spiciness) was served in a separate bowl was a perfect balance of creaminess and spiciness that was enhanced with the Thai herbs you would expect. It was done right.
2. Barbecue pork jerky strips had a nice Carmelized exterior and was moist with touch of sweetness.
3. Fried fish pieces in chile sauce were the sneaky bastards as they looked innocent but the spiciness hits you when you least expect.
Despite being Asian, I don’t usually eat white rice (empty carbs). But I am a true Asian today as I needed the rice to serve as my vessel to soak up and deliver the curry and all of the yummy goodness.
What makes this meal better on a dreary, wet and rainy Saturday was that the front doors and windows of this restaurant open up so you can have your al fresco dining without getting wet. The cool blowing mist not only cools you down but you almost feel like you have a table next to a waterfall. And you can also ponder as you look at the equally open dining area of the café across the street and constantly ask yourself «dessert after?»
Although it would be awesome to top off this meal with a Thai massage, I know I am not in Thailand. But the food makes you think that you are.
I’ll definitely be baht.

Def worth the try!
Super cute place and kept clean. You pick the food you’ll like, pay and find seats like a cafeteria style. All the dishes were really flavorful! Some were a bit too spicy for me but it was good. My husband loved their dessert! You can choose to have 2 or 3 sides with rice.

Less than $ 8 for a plate of home-​style Thai food? Ohh hell yeaaah. This place is simple and straight forward. Their menu (or lack of) is simply pick 2 or 3 items and they serve them to you over a plate of rice. If I knew the names of what I ordered then I’d most likely butcher the spelling.
— Pork — Cut into small strips and reminds me of a BBQ-​like cook on them. Loved it because I felt it was the only thing that didn’t burn my mouth.
— SPICY Pork Belly? — The lady behind the counter was not lying. This made me tear mid-​meal and I drowned myself in my water and Thai iced tea for the next 15 minutes. No joke, if you like spicy, go right ahead for the green light. If you like barely casual spice, abort mission.
— Green Chicken Curry — Comes with bone-​in chicken too! Can’t mess this dish up. Too bad the former just fried my mouth too much for me to enjoy this dish.
— Sticky Coconut Rice — Loved it to top off the meal, probably would’ve helped with the mouth burning mid-​meal.
There are about 8 or so dishes to choose from. You can top it off with a fried egg (for an additional cost) too. Drinks are super cheap here and there’s a water dispenser too! There’s a selection of refrigerated desserts as well next to the cashier. Seating can be tight when crowded though. The open concept leading to the sidewalk and outside is inviting this season, so I’ll be coming back to try more dishes.

I’m a Thai food fanatic, so any thai restaurants or food stores I come across I make a mental list to try. Yesterday when I was driving down 76^th street to get tacos, I saw this place and told myself to eat here.
Food is good, you can get lots of variety for cheap. $ 7 for 2 entrees or $ 7.50 for 3. They have cold drinks for $ 2, and lots of dessert options.
Lots of variety in the entrée around 10 options. I tried their thai crepes, very unique sweet and savory definitely recommend. $ 14 feed two people.

I have been told time and time again about the wonders of Khao Kang, how it is the true way that Thais eat back at home. After finally finding the time to come, I am so glad that I came.
The setup is not presumptuous, a steam table with 10 or more items to choose from. They pile it on with white rice and then you’re free to find a seat in the restaurant. The place is clean with about 20 seats. The food constantly comes out fresh and the mix of patrons varies from natives to foodies in the know. The food is authentic with no compromises for the Western palate and at 8 bucks a plate to boot. Highly recommended for those who want an authentic meal at a fantastic price.

When the staff at a Thai restaurant tell you that a food item is spicy, you better damn well listen to them! This place is different from all other Thai places in the area in that you get to choose a combination of different entrees with your rice.
Ever had one of those days where you weren’t sure if you wanted the chicken curry, or the tilapia with peppers, or the spicy shredded pork? Well, here at Khao Kang, you can choose all three with your rice and pay less than a Pad Thai everywhere else! The food is delicious and piping hot, everything looks and smells amazing. Thai Ice Tea is only 2 bucks, which is cheaper than all the other restaurants in the area.
You can get in, get out quickly and finish your meal for half of what you’d normally spend. Definitely worth coming to this new and clean spot in Woodside/​Elmhurst for your authentic Thai craving.

Found out about this place through a NY Times article, which should have mentioned that they are closed on Mondays (actually they might have). Honestly, very surprising to see a NY Times article about a small place like this so I had to try it out as I love Thai food.
This place is awesome! I got 3 entrees and white rice for $ 7.50 plus tax and the Thai Iced Tea is only $ 2 (a little too much ice). The entrée that stood out to me was the pork belly. It’s a short hike from the train station, but after my first trip it was a lot closer than I remembered earlier. Just make sure to bring cash and you’re good!

It’s on rare occasion I’m so completely rewarded by a meal so satisfying that it makes me burst with happiness. Today, my first visit to Khao Kang was that day. A meal that exceeded even high expectations after reading their reviews. This is why I travel, and this is why I seek out new and unusual places unavailable where I live.
Met a friend for a late lunch trying some of the fish curries, the banana leaf steamed fish with basil, and a several of other dishes we didn’t quite decipher in the communication with the owner. It didn’t matter because each choice was superb. On top of that add two Thai iced teas. A lot of food, a lot of good heat I found very satisfying and to my liking. Total bill, just under $ 25 for two. That’s insane.
The flavors here are complex, bold, and the heat, while fairly substantial did not deter. There’s good heat that’s intense and challenging, and then there’s heat for heats sake (more common in the midwest) that just doesn’t have the same flavor punch. None of that here. These people clearly are at the top of their game.
With special thanks for flavor consultant and fellow Unilocal pal Peter. Wherever he’s eating and giving 5 stars, that’s where I want to dine.
If you come:
— Cash only! There’s an ATM across the street to the east.
— Limited seating.
— Short walk off the #7 train line or easily accessible from the M and R lines if you head back towards the park.
— Order anything. It’s all good.
And now the party begins. You know, that other party.

Authentic Thai cafeteria style with a modern looking décor. Just a short walk from the Elmhurst train station.
When I walked in, I thought my vision had gone bad and I couldn’t read the menu. But upon further inspection. they had the menu in both languages, English and Thai!
Choose either 2 or 3 mains with rice (only a 50cent difference, I would go with 3 to try other items).
I went with the 3 mains $ 7.50 on top of a mountain of rice. Ordered green curry, string beans, and sweet pork.
— Green curry is super spicy, but it has a nice slow burn.
I need to stress, they give you a MOUNTAIN OF RICE! I’m glad they did because my green curry needed some starchy grains to wash and soak in the heat!
— String beans make me feel like my meal is somewhat healthy without feeling too heavy.
— Sweet pork was seasoned well and bursting with flavor.
Thai ice tea $ 2 was bit on the sweet side, but after the ice melted it was okay.
Thai ice coffee was strong and sweetened with condensed milk. $ 2.50
Desserts I had Black Sticky Rice with Coconut Milk and Green Tapioca with Coconut Milk, both weren’t too sweet, and it had the perfect texture to end my meal.
Ample seating if you decide to stay, tables are clean and bathrooms are maintained.