Okay, I've been lax in my reviews for a while now. But this place has put me back on the review jag. I mean, there's no way I cannot review this spot. Ghin Khao Eat Rice is simply the very best and authentic Thai cuisine I've ever had the luxury of tasting. I discovered Ghin Khao in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, which has some of the most underrated restaurants in the city. It's a small place, easily missed on the north side of West Cermak nestled between Leavitt and Hoyne Streets. That's important so you don't miss it. The sign over the door is kind of dark so you can walk by it which I did a few times. But lucky for me, I found it and walked through that magic door. First let me tell you about the server whose name I shamefully did not get. She is one of the very best I've seen from bar & grills to fine dining. A shorter, dark haired young lady with glasses and a great smile, who said she's been there 3 years and loves it, maybe that will help. Why? because she needs a shout out! She knows her stuff and knew every ingredient in every dish on that menu and knew exactly what was in my dish. It was a Wednesday Sept. 2 at around 7pm that I was there so that should help. Seriously, the proprietors hopefully will read this and give her a huge attaboy! She perfectly described everything I needed to know and as she did she made it sound even more delicious than it already looked on the menu! THAT, is a talent. Thank you! The decor is simple and very Thai. Very legit from the murals walls to the beads entering the restroom area. It is peaceful, you feel good sitting at one of the roughly eight tables in the room. Against a wall are wonderful tin cups with a huge metal jug filled with fresh iced water. next to it lined up are the tin cups and glass bottles filled with fresh water. You can have a cup or feel free top take a bottle to your table. As well, you take a set of silverware from a dispenser on the same table. This set up was super efficient, tidy and simple. I took notice of several customers who went right to the table when they walked in and went to a table. A sign the repeat business is large. The server even knew what to get a few of them to drink. A good sign. Now for the real deal! I started with Pad Kana with a garlic sauce. Chinese broccoli in a savory garlic sauce. There are a few options you can go with on the sauce. Me being me, I always lean toward heavy garlic. It was a huge bowl likely meant for two but I was going to do it all. It was sautéed to perfection and the garlic sauce was a beautiful thinner sauce that didn't goo up the broccoli, instead the sauce allowed it to stew in its juices making it light, tender and incredible. I waited for my main dish to arrive which gave it a few moments to cool down as the main dish Grandma's Pork Belly was right behind it. A healthy portion of thick strips of marinated pork belly thinly breaded and cooked to a beautiful golden brown. It is accompanied by sliced cucumbers and a homemade jeaw Thai dipping sauce. Both smokey and tangy with cilantro, a few chili flakes and other spices it was simply an incredible dipping sauce for Grandma's perfect pork belly. I doubt I ever had another Thai dish this incredible, in fact, I know I haven't. I love Thai food and Ghin Khao Eat rice is now my main go to. Their menu is very authentic and short enough to choose yet large enough to get a taste of real Thai cuisine. Don't fret, their veggie and vegan options are plentiful. Once you receive and taste their delicacies you will know it is worth every dime. A reasonable price for a gorgeous meal, and excellent service! Don't miss out! read more

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Came to Ghin Khao Eat Rice because I noticed it was one of the very few Michelin Bib Gourmand spots with only one dollar sign -- had to see if the "good cheap eats" reputation was real. Turned out not quite as cheap as expected once ordering a few dishes, but definitely delicious. The northern Thai flavors are a bit different from the usual pad Thai-type dishes people may expect (although they do have those on the menu too). The papaya salad was especially refreshing, with bright flavors and a nice balance of acidity and spice. The pork was very tasty and well seasoned, though the portion felt a bit small for the price. Overall, a different kind of casual Thai spot with vibrant flavors and a more polished feel than your average takeout place. It's half table service and half self-serve, which gives it a relaxed and efficient vibe. Maybe not quite the bargain I imagined from the Michelin $ symbol, but still very worth trying -- and I'd gladly return. read more

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TLDR: EXCELLENT food at an AMAZING value, and the service was so good. We came here on a Saturday night, thinking it was going to be super packed. This place doesn't take reservations and we read somewhere to get there early. Luckily, it was also the coldest night of the month, so we were the only ones there! We ordered the Larb, satay, papaya salad (of course), pork shoulder, krapow gai, and Thai style fried. Everything was ordered mild (for my bf's sake) with a side of chili (for me). I thought their papaya salad was the best I've had in the city. Their dressing was just the right balance of sweet, salty, spicy, and sour. I definitely ate most of it by myself lol. The larb was also pretty great, but the pork shoulder probably was the winner between the two. Next up was the chicken satay, and while it wasn't on skewers, I'd never had such tender and juicy chicken satay in Chicago before! And I love that it was served with cucumbers and onions, like they do in SEA. the peanut sauce was also the best I've had in America (even though the consistency was on the runnier side, the flavor was bomb). I'll come back just for the satay and peanut sauce!! We were already full by the time the krapow gai and fried rice came out but we didn't care bc they were both SO GOOD. We took a lot of it home but we also ate a scary amount of food that night lol. Cannot wait to come back! Our server was chill and friendly, and we really enjoyed our experience. I can't wait to go back! read more

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Stopped in after a friend's recky. We beat the dinner rush so we were quickly seated. Not much seating and you can grab utensils and water at a nearby table which is nice. Small friendly staff. Ordered the Krapow Gai. Everything is made to order so I had no problem waiting for it. Green beans were so tender and the chicken had a great flavor too it. Fish sauce was not too overpowering. Great dish. I would come back to try something else. Also byob! read more

Ghin Khao Eat Rice - Krapow Gai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visited Ghin Khao after finding it on the Michelin guide recognized for good value cooking. Very cozy restaurant with more of a serve-yourself type of situation (grab your own plates, utensils, and water). Menu was on the smaller side, which made ordering much easier in my opinion. We ordered the Somtum salad along with the pad kee mao, and both were great!! It's important to note that the food does take a bit longer to come out. Overall good experience. read more

Ghin Khao Eat Rice - Som Tum Salad, pad kee mao - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We shared: 1. Grilled Pork Shoulder, shallots, scallions, cilantro, mint, toasted chilies, toasted rice powder, lime, fish sauce 2. Pad Kee Mao - wide rice noodles, vegetables, Thai basil, egg, chicken 3. Som Tum Thai - shredded green papaya, garlic, chilies, green beans, peanuts, dried shrimp, tomatoes, fish sauce, tamarind dressing 4. Grandma's Pork Belly - Marinated pork belly, homemade Jaew sauce Easily one of the best Thai food spots in the city. Sticky Rice was textbook. Breaded pork belly and grilled pork shoulder had excellent flavor and texture. Papaya salad was refreshing. Pad kee mao was fragrant and not terrribly oily. Service was good and I can't wait to go back. Decent amount of seating for small to medium groups. read more

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We've been here twice now and will forever keep going back! It looks like a very average place from the outside, and honest the inside as well, but the good is top notch! We've always gotten a table immediately. The place is BYOB ($4/person) and self serve. So you grab your own water, glasses, silverware that type of thing. The menu is small, which I honestly love but everything on it so delicious! We typically get dishes to share so we can have a bit of everything. The service is always great and everyone is friendly! Would definitely recommend trying! read more

I always pass this place and am always curious. I went in yesterday for the first time. It's a small restaurant but it smells so delicious while you're in there. I only ordered veggie egg roll (3) to go. They came out in under 10 minutes, their slogan is "fresh not fast!" And although it did take longer than other places, it's so delicious. I loved the egg rolls. I already know I'll be back to eat on the restaurant. read more

Ghin Khao Eat Rice - Vegetable Egg Roll - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visited here for the first time for an early dinner and we were impressed with the food! I especially loved the fish cake, it's fresh and has a kick to it. The papaya salad was on the saltier side and a bit spicy when ordered mild but it was refreshing and delicious. The pork shoulder tasted good with the dipping sauce. I wasn't impressed with the curry fried rice as I couldn't taste any curry flavor and it was quiet bland. Overall I enjoyed their food and would love to come back for another visit! read more

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We had an incredible dinner here tonight. This is a small cute hole in the wall delicious restaurant. It is semi self service. You get your plates, water and chips, and utensils yourself (it's BYOB with a $4 per person charge and they also have all kinds of glasses and a bottle opener available to get for your table). There's one lovely person at the front that handles all take out/phone orders plus comes to the table to take your order and brings out the food. There's 1 chef in the kitchen. So food isn't fast, but it wasn't that slow either. We had: Chicken satay- our son loved it Som tom- delicious. This was so fresh and light. I ate almost the whole thing myself Sticky rice- great, and surprisingly interesting presentation Jasmine Rice- normal good rice Vegetable dish- outstanding. This was the best tasting plate of vegetables I've ever had. It was really great. Pad seiw- fine (this was the last dish that came out so maybe I was just getting full, or maybe it was a regular good dish and everything else just blew me away so much that I couldn't be excited for this regular good dish). The whole restaurant smelled amazing while we were there. We can't wait to go back and try more things. read more

I tried Ghin Khao Eat Rice today, and overall it was okay. The crab fried rice tasted fresh and I could tell the crab was real, but for me it was missing the flavor I was hoping for. I also had the Pad Pak Ruammit, and I actually really enjoyed the vegetables. I mixed them with the crab fried rice and it made the rice better. My favorite part was the spring rolls. Those had the best flavor to me. Emily was also great she was pleasant, welcoming, and made the customer service experience really nice. I'm glad I tried it, but I don't think it's for me. I like my savory dishes with a little more flavor and seasoning. read more

Rounded up. Place is more like a 3.5. The price was on the higher side for what is was & the proteti/chicken portion of the curry rice to be on the slimmer side. Had it not been for the Michelin bib gourmand sections I wouldn't have e ever discovered this place but it's a very solid option. The veggie dumplings were ok but were definitely elevated with complimentary sauce which is like a hot/sweet sauce. The rice is harder to explain. It's amongst the upper echelon rice dishes from a casual or take out restaurant but still not a "great" dish. Curry flavor was there but not overbearing. Paid $16 for this & while satisfying I felt the price should've been lower. read more

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The best pad see ew I ever had! Ghin Khao Eat Rice is a small restaurant with limited seating. It is semi self serve. You grab your own water, plates, utensils and napkins. There was only one person running the front so please be patient. The server doesn't ask if you want spice in your dish so remember to ask them to add spice when ordering. Protein are additional cost! The rice noodle is cooked perfectly all warm, soft and yummy. Unfortunately, they do not have mango sticky rice. :( read more

Ghin Khao Eat Rice - Pad siew with shrimp and chicken - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good Thai food and big servings. Finishing with the mango sticky rice was perfect. The wait for the check dragged a bit, but otherwise, it was a really nice meal. read more

My new favorite place for pad see ew, the flavor, sauce and noodles were quite good. Located in Pilsen on Cermak with plenty of free parking nearby. Seating is very limited inside and usually super busy. I ordered for take out and was happy. I also tried the pork belly which I highly recommend also. Service was great and super friendly. Highly recommend. read more

Best Thai in Chicago. 3 of us split 5 different dishes, and all were really strong. Best one? Pla Goong salad - just super. Lemongrass, chiles cilantro shrimp... top notch. Best pad kee mao we've had in Chicago - wonderful flavors. Krapow gai, crab fried rice, vegetarian potstickers. All great. Nice people working there, and a low key 'grab your own silverware and water vibe'. Going back, telling friends, going to get everything else on the menu. So glad we found this! You'll be glad you found it too. read more

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Hats off for the delivery actually arriving earlier than expected. Food was nice and warm. I got the Pad Khee Mao which had a fair amount. Good mix of veggies with the red onions being my favorite since they added a crunch. The chicken was plain but cooked well. The noodles were soft and tasty. The only thing this needed was some spice. There was none at all which would take it from a dish I enjoy to one that'd I seek out. read more

Ghin Khao Eat Rice - Pad Khee Mao - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Located in Pilsen, you'd be surprised to find a Thai restaurant especially one that is on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. Thai food is widespread in Chicago, but there are some different things on the menu and the execution of flavors is what sets Ghin Khao apart from other restaurants. You must try the Nam Tok with beef or pork shoulder. The cilantro mint and fish sauce makes for a unique flavor profile that makes Asian salads stand apart from typical American salads which tend to be on the "heavier" side. The Thai fried rice is not something you should skip over even though it feels basic. There's loads of flavor and it's so nice to see fresh cucumber along with tomato to go with the rice. The quantity on this dish is also generous IMO. It wouldn't be a Thai restaurant without the various noodle dishes. I am partial to pad kee mao with the wide rice noodles, but the pad siew is also nothing to scoff at. Whether you dine in or order to go, this is a delightful find. read more

It is possible this place is good if you sit down and eat at the restaurant, but their takeout game is weak. I have had better Thai food every other time I have ordered Thai food elsewhere. I do not know what they bribed the Michelin guide with to be featured in it. The chicken satay is $10 and promises a cucumber salad. The cucumber salad is so minimal it comes in a sauce container, and the satay is just one singular chicken thigh. Grandma's Pork Belly is room temperature at best and a little greasy. The Thai iced tea had to be watered down because it is unbearably sweet on its own. I would never recommend ordering here. Chicago has better thai options. Pilsen also has a better Thai option. For $40 I got plain rice, greasy pork, one chicken thigh, and two iced teas that are undrinkable without more water. The woman giving me my food was very sweet, so points for customer service! She was really cool. The vibe of the restaurant was also good, the place was clean. This is unfortunately not enough to justify how disappointing that food was. read more

Ghin Khao Eat Rice - Grandmas Pork Belly - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was delicious. Menu was short which was nice. Got the papaya salad, pork belly, curry fried rice and pad siew. All were very flavorful and satisfying. We all highly enjoyed the pork belly - very crispy and delicious. It is a bit of a hole in the wall. The ambiance feels like Asian street food style- hand made signs, murals, self serve water and utensils. We bussed our own table after the meal in the gray bins like some cafes. It's just one server/cashier and one chef so depending on how busy things are you may have to wait a bit. It was BYOB (we noticed from another table). read more

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Very small restaurant with a few cook staff on hand. Went here for a birthday celebration with a party of 8. Be sure to call ahead of time if you are coming in with a larger party so you won't have to wait too long. For the dishes I chose the crab fried rice, fried tofu and a side of sticky rice. I can tell why this place is Michelin guided! The crab fried rice was huge in portion. I felt like I could have 2-3 meals afterwards for to go boxes. Taste wise I found it extremely rich and gave me authentic Thai flavors. Fried tofu was tasty too with the peanut sauce on the side. You aren't going to drop a load of money because the dishes are well priced. Quantity and quality were there! Highly recommend! read more

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Food portion and quality does not match the price. It is very expensive for mediocre small portions. Food lacks flavor and had a strange taste, so much that we couldn't finish our meal. I decided to try it because of the 5 stars and close proximity, unfortunately I won't be going back. Customer service at pick up was great. Very friendly staff. read more

Really good! Have ordered from here a few times now and it hasn't disappointed. I haven't been to the actual location so can't really comment on the staff or ambiance of the place. I got the Pad Siew last time and realized I completely forgot to take a picture before downing it so I guess you could say that speaks to how good it was lol. The Thai fried rice and Krapow Gai (spicy ground chicken dish with basil and garlic) were also on the same level. Being so close to AO in the South Loop (which has been my go-to) there's times now when I specifically want to wait longer to get delivery from here. read more

Ghin Khao Eat Rice - Thai Style Fried Rice Krapow Gai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love that this place is BYOB, making it a super affordable spot for a casual dinner in Chicago

If you can get over the weirdness of this place the food is actually pretty good . This is a half service / half serve your self place. Waitress will take your order and deliver food to you. You get your own silverware, plates, serving utensils and water. All fine. The vibe was cool but the place is quite run down. A huge portion of the restaurant is used for storage and the bathroom had a giant whole in the wall ( literally). I did check health inspections and they are up to code. Food was good. Note when you say spicy they are gonna give you spicy. Overall good. read more

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Food was pretty authentic for Chicago! Glad I was able to find this place. I do wish they had a more extensive menu but otherwise would definitely come by to get the crab fried rice, pork belly, and pad see ew! read more

My friend agreed to meet me here and it was an interesting experience. It was a hybrid service situation so there is someone that takes your order and brings your food, but you get your own plates, cups, napkins, and utensils. My friend had gotten there a little earlier and ordered a couple things before I got there as the food was taking long to come out from the kitchen, which was the som tum thai and the chicken satay. We then added grandma's pork belly, crab fried rice, pad kee mao, and pla goong. Everything was very flavorful and so authentic. It looked and tasted very homemade. I liked that the menu was small, probably the smallest for a Thai restaurant that I have been to. read more

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Honestly a hole in the wall place for Thai food! We really enjoyed every dish we ordered. We were greeted by one person and the front and they only had one chef in the back. The restaurant was small and cozy, plates and cups are self serve. Considering only one chef working we were expecting to wait a lot longer since they do take out orders as well. We got the papaya salad, grandmas pork belly, crab fried rice and pad seew. All of the dishes were super flavorful. Our most favorite was the grandmas pork belly which was deep fried with an outer coating. read more

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Food was ok. Best was the pork belly. Thai tea was way,way too sweet. Food doesn't come with rice you need to order it on the side. But the kicker is the service, between spilling the drink as she is coming to the table, yelling cause you did as the sign says and got your utensils and napkins... but they only have two napkin cubbies so just get what you need and put back... ok but we aren't psychic so just tell us don't scream. Also napkins are the small square drink napkins so you are gonna need a stack. The waitress really brought the whole experience down. Food is not good enough to return here and get treated like that. read more

Finally got to try this spot! Love the art and chill vibes! I got the grandma's pork belly - it wasn't what I was expecting (fried rice paper) but it was delicious. My partner got a crab fried rice. He found a hair in it BUT the staff swiftly made a new order for him! read more

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"Best Thai food in Pilsen" says the sign? I think this is probably some of the best Thai food I've had in Chicago as a whole. I ordered the pad see ew with chicken, and I also tried a little bit of the pad kee mao with tofu and no egg ($13.95 each), and the mango sticky rice ($6.75). Yes, yes, all very basic orders, but to be fair the pad see ew and pad kee mao were on the "Specials" board, okay, so I was worried I wouldn't be able to order them next time. The pad kee mao was AMAZING. 5/5, and this is the vegan version, too, which I naively assumed would be lacking. There was an interesting tomato-y-ness to it that I haven't encountered before. The pad see ew was also very solid, but I think compared to the kee mao it's not as flavorful and complex. Or maybe I'm just more of a kee mao person. It's hard to say. The mango sticky rice was good and a pretty big portion - I thought it split nicely in two. Not overly sweet. The only downside to this place was that for a while the interior smelled horribly like cigarette smoke. I think someone was smoking outside near the restaurant, and since the doors are open on both ends, it was awful. Similarly some obnoxious motorcycles vroomed nearby, and the sound went straight into my eardrums. Anyway, this place is legit. Will definitely be coming back to try more of the food! read more

My friends and I decided to stop by Ghin Khao for dinner on a whim and while there were a couple dishes that stood out, the meal ended up being pretty average. Starting with the good, the chicken satay was surprisingly tender and the peanut sauce was great to dip it in. Sometimes, chicken satay can be a bit on the dry side, but this was not the case here. The other table favorite was Grandma's Pork Belly. This dish was deliciously fried and crispy on the outside with the inside being tender and juicy. Everyone liked this dish so much that we ended up ordering another one for the table at the very end. Now onto the other dishes we got...the Crab Fried Rice was okay at best. I thought that it lacked a lot of flavor in general as each bite was kind of bland, especially after trying some of the other dishes we ordered. I liked that real crab was used in the fried rice, but overall this was a pretty forgettable dish. The Pad Kee Mao I thought was actually pretty decent - this was packed with lots of flavor and the portion size made it a filling dish to share with others. Finally, we ordered 2 soups for the table (Tom Kha and Tom Yum). These soups are not actually listed on the menu, but you can order them if you want...but I would not recommend doing so. Both of these soups were so incredibly sour that it made them hard to stomach. Not sure if something went wrong with preparing the soups this time around, but they tasted as though someone dumped entire cups of lemon juice into them... Overall, I thought that Ghin Khao was a decent place to get your Thai food fix. Definitely order the Grandma's Pork Belly dish as it lives up to the hype, but steer clear of the soups. read more

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This is one of our favorite places for takeout but it has been years since we've eaten here in person. It was perfect. We ate the scallion dumplings special before we took pictures, and they were crispy on the outside and chewy inside. The grandma's pork belly was incredible. Perfectly fried and tender. Plus the sauce was an excellent balance of spicy and tangy. The cook on the shrimp in the lad nar (off menu item) was impeccable. And pad kee mao was a crowd pleaser because of the Thai basil and tomatoes. Kami Sasi is so kind and generous. We couldn't ask for better service. read more

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Great food and service. Very cozy, hole in the wall place. I tried the different appetizers and was greeted warmly by the hostess.

The Krapow Gai, or Holy Basil Chicken, sets the very high bar for Chicago. Some come close, no other establishment surpasses. We'll worth the trip to the south side. read more

I've been wanting to come here for some time now, but I patiently waited until they started doing dine in, but unfortunately that never happened so I finally just gave in and did takeout. The inside is very spacious, and has a pretty large nice mural on one of their walls. Looks like a nice hip Thai joint. The wife ordered her usual Pad see Eew and I ordered my usual Pad Khee Mao. They asked me how spicy I wanted my drunken noodles and I told them very spicy. And very spicy is exactly what I received. I always say very spicy when I order this at other Thai restaurants but I never get a spicy entree. Here at Ghin Khao, they don't play around. They unfortunately didn't offer beef for either dish so we settled with chicken. Both dishes were tasty, but definitely had different flavors then other places. I've for sure had better tasting Pad Khee Mao and Pad See Eew. Just felt like it was missing some flavors that I'm used to. But Thai food is rare in this area, and thank goodness for the dish being spicy. Otherwise I'm not really sure I would return. We also ordered their Sticky rice w/ mango and it tasted fantastic. read more

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I am lucky to be within 0.2 miles of this place. I would it eat everyday if I could. Everything I have tried has been great. Pad Siew, pork shoulder, pork belly, papaya salad were all delicious. Chill and unpretentious place with amazing food. read more

Gotta say they wholeheartedly deserved that Michelin!! Came here for take out one day after finding out it was only 3 blocks away from me. Got myself the pork belly since everyone else recommended it and I do love me some pork belly. It was delicious and cut into the perfect sizes that balances out on chopsticks. Sort of like popcorn shrimp but pork belly if that makes sense. The service was so lovely. Very kind folks and got to witness them interact with someone that seems to be a regular which was so cute. Want to reach that level with them. I also got the sticky rice and a Thai iced coffee. Best Thai iced coffee I've ever had truth be told. The sticky rice was fine but it didn't deter from the rest of the experience. Can't wait to come back! read more

This is the best Thai food I've ever had - even compared to food I had in Thailand itself! Everything has such an amazing combination of flavors and textures, and I can just bathe in the delicious funkiness of fish sauce you'll find from dish to dish. This is definitely one of my top 5 favorite places in Chicago, and I could eat here every day. - Crab fried rice - so addictive and delicious. The crab is so fresh and gives such a mild, delicate flavor (rather than being too strong of seafood) - Fish cakes - such fantastic flavor and caramelization! Not too fishy, too - even my husband who dislikes seafood enjoyed this. - Nam tok salad - one of our must-haves. Funky, meaty, and crunchy! - Krapow gai - such great savory basil flavor that you'll want to soak all your rice in. A good kick to it, too. - Pad siew - they don't always have this, but when they do, the noodles are so chewy and flavorful. One of our favorites! - Mango sticky rice - the mango was so sweet and the perfect texture that makes it just melt in your mouth. The coconut rice has the perfect bounce and is soaked in flavor. This place is seriously under-rated. You won't be disappointed! read more

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Had dinner here on a Monday evening. The food was very good and enjoyable. Along with the other reviews, I would definitely recommend the pork belly. We also had the fish cakes for a starter and curry fried rice with chicken for another entree, but the pork belly definitely stood out. So we were the only patrons dining in, but they had a handful of take out pick ups while we were there. It took about 40 minutes to get our food so that was a bit disappointing. I can't imagine how long it would be if it was a full house? Hopefully their service was just a miss this time around. read more

Ghin Khao Eat Rice - Tod Mun Pla - thai fish cakes - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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