THE BEST THAI FOOD EVER!!! I'm originally from Bangkok and I confidently say that this place is better than a lot of places in Thailand. All of dishes they make is southern style which has strong flavor and spicy. I usually go there when I craving Thai food. The price is very affordable for 3 items. Very friendly service. Cash only. I wish I would've taken more photos but when I get my food, I just can't wait to eat it! 5 stars and highly recommend if you love Thai food. read more

Khao Kang - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

I come here at least once a week after discovering it. The food here is fresh, tasty and authentic. It's also a quick process to order and get your food, which is a huge plus. read more

One of my Thai friend recommended this place. It is located on a street that has been blocked off for outdoor dining on Saturday at least. It is cafeteria style; if you are looking for home like cooking then you would enjoy it. You picked 2 or 3 entrees, comes with rice about $13. It is plenty if you select 3 plus egg for 2 light eaters or one hungry person. Egg is an additional charge. There custard in pumpkin is good. When it reads 'spicy' please note this is no joke if you cant handle heavy spicy. Everything was good that I had. Cash only! Service is polite and kind and efficient. I believe if you like more mainstream Thai dishes, go to their sister restaurant couple doors away. read more

Khao Kang - Garlic pork pieces. Plak Pla fish. Ground spicy pork. - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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Khao Kang is a no frills cafeteria style spot. Their grilled pork is really really good. Everything else was actually too spicy for me. The chicken curry was very flavorful but I just can't handle the spice. That grilled pork by itself is enough to give 5 stars. I'm sure spice lovers will enjoy the other items. Thai iced tea was pretty good. Better than most, but not as good as the best. read more

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It's so so good. I usually order extra so I have several days of leftovers. I could probably eat it every day for a week and come back the next week for more. read more

Solid thai restaurant. Not a fancy place but the food is amazing. Their sweet pork is so good. I wish they opened until 9pm and had as much as options as lunch time for dinner. Definitely go for lunch if you want more options to choose from. read more

Many people ask me " Where can I have Real Thai food?" So I don't think too long to answer them. There are many good Thai restaurants in the Big Apple.However, some places are not authentic. ( It's pretty sweet also they put some different ingredients which is weird but it is eatable and acceptable.) This place is totally Authentic Thai food 100% in NYC. Hot & Spicy! I dare you to try. read more

Khao Kang - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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Three dishes over rice for $9.50 - that's a deal. Throw in a thai tea for another $2.50 - you're gonna need it to take soften the spice. So many curries and proteins to choose from, it's a southeast asian heaven. Also pretty bomb desserts. I'll let the images speak for themselves. Great for the adventurous or just someone looking for a taste of authentic thai cuisine read more

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The restaurant is basically choose 2 or 3 entrees over rice and that's your meal. I got 3 choices of meat, 2 of which were very spicy. We ordered a Thai iced tea and a Thai iced coffee, and they were both delicious! I loved how the ice in the drinks were basically shaved and not cubes so you can drink it right up! The place is a little pricey considering the portions and options because if anyone has ever been to a four choice, it's about $6 for 4 choices with rice and a soup. It was about $21 for 2 plates here. read more

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I come here regularly, because this is the only Thai food place that I've seen with a hot bar/steam table. The food is 100% authentic, the place is run by Thai, and the flavors are always consistent and tasty. My only gripe is that out of the 10+ dishes on offer, about 80% of them are spicy AF! For this reason, I always get the dry, fried pork strips (savory and sweet and not spicy at all), and whatever else happens to be non-spicy and on rotation when I visit, which is usually also pork (pork belly stew), or a fried egg, which doesn't really cut it in terms of value or uniqueness. The portion size is on the lighter side, and their generosity level is a bit questionable. I can only compare to the Elmhurst and Flushing (Chinese) hot bar places, where they pile your food into sizable mounds on your plate, but Khao Kang does not operate this way at all. (I guess it'd be more accurate to say their portions are a bit meager). The Thai desserts are also a great way to cap off your meal, and they have several packaged selections in their cooler. One last thing, this place is cash only, and their prices have increased over the years. A rice dish with a choice of 2 entrees, is about $9 and with 3 entrees, I think it is $10. They really should consider getting a credit card tendering machine now that we're in 2017! read more

Cheap & delicious thai food! I've been here a lot of times & its always great food. The combo is the best option. You can get 2 types of food with rice for $7 or 3 types of food with rice for $8. You get a good amount of food & get to try diffent flavors. Good deal! Everything that they have is good. Very tasty! I never tried to dine in & always get a to go but dine in food looks much bigger portions. They have a lot of dessert choices too. Sticky rice and a lot more. The only thing that I complain is you can't pick on how spicy you want the food because everything is cooked already. Most of their food is spicy. Not a little spicy but very spicy! If you can't take spicy food then this is not the place for you. read more

Khao Kang - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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Fast casual authentic Thai spot where you can choose 2-3 different proteins/vegetables/curry over rice. Love the grilled pork and the yellow curry - my 2 staples on every visit .. for the 3rd item, I get adventurous and get something different each time. If you appreciate spicy foods, you'll definitely get a kick here! read more

I've been dying to try this place since I saw it written up online. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because my mouth was burning so bad after I gobbled everything down. I even brought a good friend who is use to eating spicy food and she was having a hard time of it. Truly Awesome selection of food, I just wish more of it was not so spicy. read more

I didn't eat anything here but the food smelled so good. I already bought a lot of food from the Thai place across the street but I wanted to come in and look around. We got a Thai iced coffee which was pretty good. Shaved ice in it and the coffee wasn't overly sweet. Definitely want to come in and try their food next time cuz I love spicy food and everything looks authentic. read more

This is probably most interesting (and I mean that in a good way) Thai restaurant in NYC -- an authentic, rotating selection of Southern-style Thai dishes. I had the garlic fried pork (almost like pork candy), the ground pork (tasted just like it did in Thailand, sinus-clearing level of spice) and the fried fish with peppers and eggplant (tender fish, although the eggplant was my favorite part of the dish). I took my food to go and found the portion generous -- enough for a large and small meal. read more

$8 for 3 items of your choice over a generous amount of rice... yes, please. Cafeteria style food, anywhere in the world, is my favorite kind of food. It's not pretentious and it's just more fun that way. You can see it, you can smell it, AND you can eat it. You don't get to do all of those before placing your order at a traditional restaurant. Well, I guess you could but you'd be the guy asking to LOOK AT and SMELL all the food before making a decision... they would hate you. I already hate the idea of this person. Don't be this person. So $8 for 3 items or you can do 2 items for $7.50 and I'm sure the portions would be a bit larger. I'm a variety seeker so I would always go for 3. If you go for lunch, there is a lot to choose from, not sure what the dinner hours are like but there were at least 10+ items available plus desserts, sides, and drinks in the early afternoon. Apparently they rotate the menu regularly so I wouldn't expect the same food every time. I personally love this. This place has replay value and I already want to go back. Everything I ordered was very good and packed a lot of heat and flavor. CASH ONLY. read more

Khao Kang - Panang Curry, sliced fish with eggplant & peppers, and pork belly with hard boiled egg ($8) - IG: @wandersauce - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Yummy. Flavorful and plentiful. It's set up as a buffet where you point out which 2-3 entrees you want with a side of rice. I'd go more often if I could. read more

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 cafe 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. read more

Khao Kang - Pork coconut curry, barbeque pork and fish in chile sauce - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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Yelp's "New Businesses in Queens" put Khao Kang on my radar, and a disappointing dinner at my go-to Zabb Elee pushed us to try a new Thai place over the weekend. Walking in, I already loved the open folding walls which provided a nice breezy retreat on a hot summer afternoon. It added to the restaurant's rustic-beach-hut-vibe. Inside, almost every seat was taken, and we were lucky to find a table by the window! We both chose rice with 3 entrees ($7.50) to maximize our ability to try everything that was offered at the steam counter that day. Apparently the options change, but there was a good variety of both spicy and mild dishes. For me, the highlights were the Penang Curry, Green Curry Chicken, Pumpkin with Eggs, and Bamboo Shoots with Shrimp. Everything tasted homemade! Another home-y touch was added when the older woman behind the counter took my guy's order. She scooped rice for him, but then took another look at him and went back to add another scoop-- making sure he was well fed in true grandma fashion. Still, we made sure to save room for dessert. The Black Sticky Rice and Green Tapioca with Coconut Milk were both excellent. We can't wait to go back for more! read more

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One of my favorite Thai spots in the whole city. The food is served cafeteria style and all the dishes that I've tried are incredibly flavorful and so so spicy. Usually have to get dessert first and eat it along with the meal The staff are always super friendly and kind to us and the meals are affordable and delish! What's not to love read more

Khao Kang - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Not much could get this Thai boy out of his annual hiatus...but Khao Kang did. Wow, what's the saying? "Just like (grand)mother used to make!" The Name "Khao Kang" should actually be pronounced "Kow Gang." Kow Gang means "rice and sides/curry" Khao Kang roughly translates to "hard rice" which doesn't sound like good eats. Seriously, this place IS an authentic Thai transplant. What puzzles me is who they got to translate the name of their restaurant. What probably helps this place is the way they serve their food: pre-made in large batches in the kitchen with little to no involvement from the patron. In other words, "Take it how I made it or go down the street!" Oh, I'll take it alright. I have my usual order here: Rice with fish krapow (OMG, so much holy basil!), fried pork (mmm), and a fried egg (the fresher and runnier the better). The curries are good too... but I don't opt for them because.. well, I make it at home. All three side dishes over rice: $7.50. Sometimes, I would go for the special item (the last one was a fish cake (hor mok) wrapped in banana leaf. Blazing hot and delicious. The desserts are also great and can be found lying about on the counter or in the refrigerator. Bring some cash and go for it. read more

Khao Kang - My takeout dinner made it home in one piece! - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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Khao Kang is a fairly new addition to this triangle of Thai restaurants on Woodside ave. Going in, I got a lot of mixed feedback from several people. The place is small and cozy, it's basically a Thai version of a cafeteria that you find ALL over Thailand. You have the option for two or three items, but for an extra .50 cents you could get the three options. So to start off, they give a shit ton of rice. After the rice is plated, you pick out items that are placed on top of your plate of white rice or if they are curries, they put it into a small cup. Items change by day so just go in with an open mind rather have items you already picked in your head, it's Thai food people, try something new lol The food: I ordered stir fried cabbage with shrimp, "pa low" which is a soup of tofu, whole boiled eggs and pork belly, and lastly, "moo pot prik king." For me, I thought the portions were a tad small, but at the end of the day, the food was very Thai. It was authentic since the food was not as sweet and definitely more spicy than I was expecting. The mostly Thai clientele was also another good indication of how Thai it was. This place is a good, quick place to get authentic Thai food. On another trip, I tried their green curry and it was excellent. A must order if they have it that day. I also finished my meal with the black sticky rice with coconut milk. I have always liked black sticky rice since I was a little kid. The one here also has coconut shavings and I think it's chunks of taro, it's worth a try. read more

4.9/5 This place is as authentic as a Thai place can be! Super affordable (8.95 for three dishes), nice and clean atmosphere/decor, and super authentic delicious Thai food dishes. level is awesome and legit! I hate when Thai place lower their spice level just because it is in America. My favorite was the bbq pork, green curry and bamboo fish curry. But everything is amazing here, definitely will come back again. Great Thai coffee too. Hopefully the next time when I come back they will have other dishes for me to try. Not 5/5 simply because it is a super cold day and everything tastes a little bit cold. I wish everything is a little bit hotter. read more

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Such a great local spot for quick and easy Thai food. The neighboring block around it has other Thai restaurants but this is the place to go if you want it quick and authentic - nothing fancy. You can order 2 or 3 sides of meat or veggies + rice for around $10. Not too shabby. Their thai iced tea contains a lot of little ice cubes, I feel like it could be more tea. None the less, still good for $3ish. WARNING: If they warn you that something is spicy, its really freakin spicy. Been here a few times and seen non-Asians say "Oh that's okay, I love spicy" then see them order 3 Thai Iced Teas to try to cool it off. It's no joke. Don't take Thai spicy lightly! read more

I really like this place during the summer when all the folded walls are open and a breeze rolls through cooling you while you consume spicy dishes. Its pretty cheap and you pick dishes from the ones available at the counter. There's spicy options and non-spicy options. If you are trying it for the first time I would recommend getting a mix of those in case you can't handle how spicy the ones are from the spicy side (and believe me they are devilishly spicy). You could order some Thai iced tea to help with the spice. But its so fun eating spicy foods that make you sweat from all that spiciness while you sit in a breezy area cooling your body. Would come back during the summer when the doors are all open, especially if I want a quick and cheap spicy meal. read more

Khao Kang - Outside during summer time - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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Khao Kang is a recently opened Thai restaurant. Esarn!! Authentic. Home-cooked. All dishes are kept hot on a steam table. Everything I got was delicious. No complaints here. Choice of 3 items will only set you back $7.50! Seriously. Special thanks to Rich W (Yelp Dad) for recommending this place. Loved it! read more

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 Yelp 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. read more

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My hands down favorite Thai restaurant in NY. Elmhurst and Woodside have the best Thai restaurants with a variety of styles but nothing beats this home cooking spot. Everything on the steam tables is extremely fresh because and each dish is terrific. Just be warned that the spice is serious, the items marked medium/yellow are as spicy as as stuff labeled "hot" outside of this neighborhood. All the dishes are great but I try to make one of my 3 choices the "sour" dish of the day - sometimes sour pork, sometimes sour yellow curry - which has really complex sour and spicy flavors. read more

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. read more

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Khao Kang translates to rice and curry / stew/ soup. A nice new addition to the Thai food scene. They have a stream table with a variety of choices, choose two items for $7 or three for $7.50. We've seen this before with the Chinese lunch boxes in Flushing and Elmhurst - this is similar, straightforward and simple, and this is Thai. There is no waitress here to seat you or take your order. Walk inside the restaurant - and if you are dining in, scope out your seats. There were 2 tables of 4 and one table that fits up to 10 - be ready to share your table and make some new friends. Go up to the steam table and order your meal, pay at the register (cash only) and then settle down some home-style Thai cuisine. They don't make your food to order, if you don't like a particular dish then choose something else. We had fish in yellow curry with sour bamboo shoots, pork basil, tom kha gai - chicken galangal soup, sweet pork, quail with bamboo, chili pork with thai eggplant and string beans. You won't find many of these dishes in your typical Thai restaurant. Everything we tried were tasty, comforting, and authentic- they used traditional ingredients such as coconut milk, galangal, coriander, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves (beware some of the choices were spicy). If you need to further enhance your food, there is fish sauce with chili peppers on the table to kick it up a notch- but we found the food perfectly seasoned and didn't need to add anything. There were plenty of desserts to cool down the heat, as well as drinks (Thai iced tea/coffee, grass jelly, logan). You will only find this food in Thailand or in the kitchen of your favorite Thai host. Come with a hungry stomach and open mind, you will leave satisfied and full. read more

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Tried Khao Kang recently on a rainy weekend night. It was pretty empty but that meant that the ladies working there were pretty patient with my questions about what was what. I settled on jungle curry, stir-fried fish, and some incredibly (for me!) spicy chicken dish with plenty of hot peppers. So spicy and so good. Everything was flavorful although the jungle curry was definitely not as spicy as others that I've had and seemed to have a slightly different flavor profile, maybe a little sour. Whereas my friend's sour curry was sweet and delicious and not sour at all! Odd. I think the curry portions are decent but the portions of the stir-fried options were a little stingier especially compared to the photos on Yelp people put up when it first opened. But it's still a pretty good deal for $8.15 (including tax) and you get to try a couple of different things that may not be available on a typical Thai menu! I'll definitely be coming back--I've got a weakness for these types of steam table joints and it seems that they replenish their food pretty regularly. read more

I've been here and the food is usually good, for some reason the lady who is serving today is super cheap. If all I wanted to eat was rice then I would've bought a bag and eat it at home. If they want to save money then they should increase their prices and not make the customer feel like they are being ripped off. read more

Khao Kang - Fish chicken shrimp rice and veggies.... Boom! - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

I went here for the first time today and it was excellent. Best Thai food I've had in NY (and I've had a lot)! There were so many options to choose from and the portions were generous. The drinks are also delicious. I will absolutely return soon. read more

This place used to be one of my faves but now it's quite a disappointment do to prices, portions, and choice options. My family loves the pork belly stew and it's always sold out by 1-2pm. If you know it sells well why not make more? What annoys me also is when you buy it as an "entree" they don't even include rice with it. And it's about $15 something. Expensive! When you dine in as well. Always small portions. If you get the bamboo and fish curry there's only 2 pieces of thinly sliced fish. Do better Khao Kang! read more

Inflation is a killer for most of us but this business has increased their prices at an absurd rate. Their prices are like more expensive than prices than the city. I get why the prices in the city are expensive due to their rent. Im sorry your food is good but you guys have decreased the portion of food for your customers and raised it from $11 to $15 for your meals. Im not a big fan of the staff who work here who are so money hungry - when I had asked for a take out box, they wanna charge extra for that as well. But you get the free takeout box if you order for takeout for the same price. Doesnt make sense to me? Finding every opportunity to ask for money. In my opinion, they dont know how to adjust their prices with inflation and I understand with what's going on, there should be an increase but definitely not a $4 increase overnight. Learn to adjust your prices with inflation and stop taking advantage of the locals who truly want to support and eat here. There's plenty of Thai food around Elmhurst with better quality ingredients and wont charge an arm and leg for their food. I will not be returning. read more

Food tastes Good but way too spicy for Medium and I usually can handle spice. The Ka prao has like 20 green pepper like jalapeno seeds spread out. read more

I love this place. I live 45 mins away by train. Ever since I learned about this place, I come here at least once a month, eat in then take another meal to-go. Enough said. read more

I found Khao Kang on Yelp for a lunch spot, and quickly picked it for a group of us. This place is good for a fast meal. Just select either 2 or 3 sides from the buffet and it comes with a heaping of white rice (you'll need all the rice you can get considering the level of spiciness there). The meal costs less than $10 and the drinks are very affordable, Thai iced tea (also really good) for $2.50! All the spicy sides are to the left of the buffet and the non-spicy to the right. When I say spicy, I mean your mouth and throat will be on fire and eventually go numb. If you're here on a hot day, you'll also be sweating profusely through every pore in your body. For the weak like myself, get one spicy and two non-spicy sides. The vermicelli with seafood and BBQ pork pieces are excellent non-spicy sides. I loved the fish with string beans - this is spicy. Do yourself a favor and get a drink to calm the spiciness. It's not a big restaurant but the turnover is quick if you're coming as a group. Great local Thai food, I recommend! read more

Khao Kang - Fish with string beans (spicy), spicy seafood mix and non-spicy seafood vermicelli - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Good home style food here in Elmhurst. Many varieties to choose from. The only drawback is sometimes some items get sold out very fast. If I'm in the neighbors I'll be back. read more

Khao Kang - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Delicious food for such a great price. Get a plate and choose which 3 entrees you'd like to try (I did chive / liver, a super spicy ground pork thing which is not larb, and the vermicelli noodle thing). The spicy ground pork thing was SO. SPICY. But it was so good I couldn't stop eating it. They have these tiny plastic cups for water that I had to refill about 10 times because I just had to keep going back - I was sweating buckets. The friends who took us here are Thai and they said that this pork dish is spicy even by Thai standards...but it was SO good. Chive / liver dish was good as well. My favorite was the vermicelli noodle though! Wish I lived in NY still so I could come here more often. There's also a dessert place right around the corner that was amazing. read more