Big New Restaurant From Michelin-Starred Kin Khao Chef Opening in Japantown

Pim Techamuanvivit of innovative San Francisco Thai restaurant Kin Khao and, more recently, acclaimed Nahm in Bangkok, will open a large new restaurant at Japantown’s Hotel Kabuki (1625 Post Street), the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The new project, teased in June, will be called Nari and is to serve Thai food with a seafood focus. Boasting a significantly larger kitchen than the more limited facilities at Kin Khao in Union Square, Techamuanvivit’s new restaurant space also comes with a much larger dining room, with seating for 95.

Nari, which means “women” in Thai, is indeed woman-focused, a testament to the recipes Techamuanvivit learned from female relatives and friends. The chef grew up in Bangkok, and grew to prominence as an early food blogger before opening her San Francisco restaurant in 2014 and receiving a Michelin star. This May, she took the helm at Nahm in Bangkok, the first in Thailand to be awarded a Michelin star.

The Hotel Kabuki, a Joie de Vivre property, already operates a Japanese-inspired bar, which got an overhaul and exciting new cocktails this January. Nari will join it as soon as Spring 2019, with its own bar area and a private dining room. Caroline Nassif of Lundberg Design is reportedly behind the look of the new project. Meanwhile, Kin Khao chef de cuisine Meghan Clark will lead the kitchen at Nari, while another longtime Kin Khao chef, Cecile Macasero, will become that kitchen’s chef de cuisine.

• Nari: Pim Techamuanvivit’s new San Francisco restaurant takes shape [SF Chronicle]
• Kin Khao Chef Pim Techamuanvivit Has Plans for a Larger SF Restaurant [ESF]