Pai Kin Kao is a small casual restaurant in Cambridge that serves up some authentic Thai dishes. First time I stepped in, the restaurant was completely empty and silent. However, shortly after I placed an order, I started hearing one of my favorite sounds in the kitchen come to life. The breath of the wok and the sizzling dance of ingredients dancing within. It sounded like a jet engine firing up and it wasn't muffled as the kitchen literally was right there behind the stainless steel counter where the menu boards are (and not in another room). I love that sound so much as someone in the culinary profession who can tell when and what different ingredients are added to complete the one dish being ordered. As expected, my order didn't take long to arrive in my table. Less than 5 minutes from start to finish...and here I was looking at a beautiful dish steaming hot right in front of me. Did I mention just how amazing it smells? (Fast forward...many visits later...ordering the same few dishes and then some.) They are very consistent. Something that I truly appreciate as that's one of the more important things in the culinary world. Either you're consistently good...or consistently bad. None of the bi-polar quality issues here. They're just consistently good in what they do. For that alone, they are truly deserving of 5 stars and come highly recommended as a small casual authentic Thai eatery. read more

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This restaurant appears to be an extension of a home, which is pretty cool. There's limited seating but it wasn't crowded when we stopped by for lunch on Sunday. I ordered the Pad See Ew with a medium level of spice and it was pretty solid! I've tried a handful of thai restaurants in boston is this is one of the better ones I've had. Would recommend! read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Pad see ew - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Fair prices and better food! The ambiance isn't exactly a fine dining restaurant but in a pinch it is enjoyable to eat inside with a friend (going with a party of more than 2 may be pushing it since it's small). Service was quick and the food came out so fast after we ordered! If I could go back I would re order the pad see ew for sure, one of the best I've had. read more

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Had a great dinner here on a Friday night! Delicious, well-portioned Thai food with fast service and family restaurant style vibes. The scallion pancakes are a must-get, if you like your scallion pancakes crispy but doughy and with a sweet dipping sauce. The larb is flavorful and done well, but make sure to specify low spicyness if you are bad at handling spicyness, as my mouth was on fire halfway through my meal. If you really like spicy food, you'll love this dish. My dining companion got the Guay Tiew Hang street food dish, and it was delicious sweet noodles with greens and several kinds of pork: sausage, ground, and roasted slices. A great alternative to try if you like other thai noodle dishes! Overall, would come back to try more dishes! Great value for great portion sizes and friendly, speedy service. read more

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Great food! I had the Panang curry, and it was amazing. I was shocked at how much of a deal it was -- they didn't even make you pay more for rice! I'd totally recommend their lunch special ($11) for students looking to eat on a budget :) read more

We tried a lot of dishes here. Love this place so much the boys came back for second time within 3 days, and we were in Cambridge for 4 days. LOL. Everything tastes authentic. We came from Southern California, just so you know. The look on the outside made us feel skeptical. Don't judge a book by its cover. Hope we will come back to Cambridge and revisit this hidden gem again. read more

Stumbled upon this cozy Thai spot in Cambridge's Central Square! The interior is super intimate and it was empty when we got there but filled up! Definitely gives mom and pop vibes and I liked that it wasn't crazy inside. For food, we ordered papaya salad, tom yum soup, and khao soi. The papaya salad was fresh but the sauce was a little too acidic. The sauce also ended up gathering on the bottom a little too much but was great to cut through the thick noodle soups. The tom yum soup was super flavorful and I loved the broth. Unfortunately the noodles got soggy really quickly but all the fillings made up for it. It came with dumplings, pork, ground pork, egg, and more! The khao soi was very creamy but also full of flavor. I liked the thickness of the egg noodles but my friend was a little unsettled by the richness of color. If you're looking for a quick, local spot for Thai, this is a great place to go! read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Tom Yum Soup & Khao Soi - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Friendly neighborhood Thai eatery - always appreciate the welcoming staff here. I'd love to give PKK more stars because of its convenient location, various offerings, and friendly employees. However I have to admit the flavors are not to my personal preference. Overall, it's much greater than other Thai options in the area, but everything seemed a little underseasoned or lackluster. It's still a solid option if you are in a pinch, and by no means will you regret giving it a try! It's a cozy casual corner restaurant that usually doesn't get too crowded for dinner, and the food is well portioned and comes out quickly. I'd recommend coming here if you're in the area and short on time for dinner, but it's certainly not a must-try in the Cambridge area. read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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If you are a fan of curry, order the Khao Soi noodles. My choice of protein were shrimp and chicken. The amazing flavor caught me off guard. Super delicious and affordable! read more

Delicious food, great service, amazing prices, and the best Thai tea I've ever had. What more can you ask for? Oh and the food came out in under 10 minutes. New favorite for me! read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Pad See Ew, Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles), Thai Iced Tea - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Ordered the Ba Meehaang Mooo Dang - Bean sprouts lightly boiled is still somewhat crispy, char see is bit lean, light marinated flavor, shrimp wonrton piping hot, half boiled egg ("little slimy, probably been out all day), fishballs small and flavorless, noodles el dente and sauce is sweet and spicy. Service is fine, only person there dining at the time. Ambiance feels a bit hole in the wallish. Street parking only with paid meter spaces. Overall, probably would try the regular pad thai dish next time to give another chance. read more

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The greatest Thai Food in Cambridge, by far. The servings are huge. I walked into the restaurant and said, wow. The Red Curry is a tremendous dish. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. read more

The service was really nice, and I liked that the menu had more options than many other Thai restaurants in the area, but we found the food to be just ok and quite sweet. I visited with friends for lunch, and we ordered several items. In general, the curries ($13.95 for small) were very sweet, as was the sauce on the crispy pork belly with spicy basil ($15.95 for large). The somtum salted crab salad ($11) was also pretty sweet (I wish there were less sugar and more acid), and my friend who had the curry fried rice ($15.95) said he also found his dish to be average. read more

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I've been meaning to try this as I've passed it a ton in my time near Central and while I don't know if I would come back, it was an overall nice meal! We came here in a Saturday evening for an early dinner and we were the only ones seated in the space. It's relatively small and left for a quaint, homey experience overall. Our server was nice and patient with taking our order which was greatly appreciated as the menu was pretty extensive; tons of great options! We got a bubble tea as well to try, but honestly it wasn't great. The bubbles stuck together at the bottom of the cup which made it difficult to drink, especially as the meal continued. The food itself was pretty tasty, but the price was a little on the more expensive side I think when taking portion into account. It all was good though and I'm glad I got a dish with pork belly. The curry was yummy as well. I think it's a solid spot for Thai food for the area and the service was pretty nice as well! read more

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Delicious and easy lunch!! I loveddd my pad see ew and I think the large plate was the perfect amount to stuff myself with. I'd recommend a small plate if you're at a normal hunger level though. I took pictures of my colleagues' meals and they also looked sooo good, we all enjoyed this restaurant and would come again! read more

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hole in the wall We stopped by here after playing some spikeball in hoyt field and was pleasantly surprised. As you walk in, it really feels like a hole in the wall thai place. I felt adventurous so I went for guay tio haang (thai street noodles) and it was absolutely delicious. It was super authentic tasting with roasted pork and chinese broccoli, both of which I absolutely adore. It also had a nice healthy kick and the noodles were perfectly cooked and not soggy at all. My friends got some other noodle dishes which were good as well. Although a bit on the pricier side, the portions were large and the taste is not your typical americanized takeout so in my opinion it is justified. overall, did not expect to walk into this kind of place and happy I did. will be coming back. read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - guay tio haang - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

The fried squid tentacles were amazing, super crunchy, flavorful and fresh. I ordered the pad see ew which I thought was a bit low on sauce and depth of flavor, which led me to add fish sauce and hot sauce. I finished it and enjoyed it cause I was so hungry but it's not a dish that I dream of ordering again. Nice staff though, and fast service. read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Fried Squid tentacles - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I'm really glad that I got to try this place. The flavors are bold and do not seem toned down to cater toward American tastes. Drunken noodles that are ACTUALLY spicy! Boat noodle soup with an extremely rich broth! A lot of their dishes (noodles, curry, etc.) are $10, with a few that are over $10. The portion size was appropriate. Not too big, but also not small. However if you have a big appetite then the portion might not be big enough for you. The drunken noodles had quite the kick to them! The dish was packed with lots of meat and had a good balance between meat, veggies, and noodles. I wasn't the biggest fan of the pork in the boat noodles, since it was somewhat dry and plain, but the broth itself was super flavorful. It had a flavor profile that I've never had before, but I can confidently say that I am a big fan. The noodles came in a separate container with a lot of bean sprouts and scallions. They give you the option of choosing between beef or pork for the boat noodles, so next time I will try the beef. Looking forward to exploring the other Thai dishes on their menu. read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Drunken noodles with chicken - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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i always used to walk past this restaurant and decided to give it a try and i've been here twice. from both visits, i would say that the appetizers were mid. i've tried the fried pork gyoza, crab rangoons, and the chicken karaage. they were on the greasier side and tasted okay. however, i enjoyed the main dishes! i've tried the green curry fried rice, the yellow curry w/ crispy chicken, and pad thai. all of these dishes were super flavorful and yummy. my favorite was the green curry fried rice w/ tofu and i would recommend it if you like spicy food. the serving size is on the larger side, so perfect for sharing. for most of the dishes, you get a choice of protein. during my second visit, i got crispy chicken w/ the green curry fried rice and i was a bit disappointed. the chicken wasn't crispy and the skin was sliding of the meat. i don't remember that being my experience during my first visit, so there seems to be some inconsistencies w/ that. the green curry fried rice tastes amazing w/ tofu so i recommend that over the crispy chicken. overall, Pin Kin Kao wouldn't be my first choice when i'm craving thai food, but i wouldn't shy you away from trying it out if you are ever in the central area. read more

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I've eaten here before and the food tastes good but this takeaway food portion is absolutely unacceptable read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - They literally gave me half of a container of food for take out order - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This has become a go to lunch place for us Love the food and gets very spice just like I like it read more

Visited for the administrative connection to Mad Monkfish (another Cambridge staple), and the vast reviews regarding the Sweet and Hot Chili Wings. Includes a vast mix of dishes and all set the bar in terms of thai. Staff was very kind and approachable, when I visited the dining area was sparse but cozy. Also recommend: Fried Squid Habanero Mango Chicken Wings Thai Fried Rice Ramen Noodles read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Grilled Honey Pork Ramen - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Honestly decent. Probably somewhere around 3.7 stars but what's the difference, right? Got the Pad Kra Pow with crispy chicken to go. It was a decent sized meal, maybe a little small for the price, but enough. Could've used a little more rice on the side but that's just me. The flavor was very tasty, and that's where the majority of points should go, right? Well good because something's were (literally) falling apart. It seemed the batter on the crispy chicken had sloughed off in the bath of delicious sauce, and became its own entity. This was unfortunate, because it took away all the crisp, but somehow it worked. The batter bits absorbed sauce from the dish and it actually brought things up. This was a good example of not everything has to be perfect to be great! Could I have gotten upset at my no-longer-crispy-chicken? Sure. But hey, it's 2024, why not look on the bright side? read more

Very good take out! Will definitely be ordering from here again!! The pad Thai with tofu was delicious

This is an AWESOME lunch spot in Central! They have a very affordable lunch special, and the food is great. One of the best Thai spots in the greater boston area if you ask my opinion. I usually get the drunken noodle, but the curry dishes they have are fantastic, as well. Service is also great. They never leave your glass of water empty, and they will split the check without any prompting. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Just okay. I came in and ordered takeout - tofu pad Thai and the mango habanero wings. The guy who took my order was nice and I got my food within ten minutes. The tofu listed on the menu said sou-miso marinated tofu. Unfortunately the tofu wasn't as marinated or fried as I would have liked, and the noodle portion was a little small for it being $11. However, the pad Thai was on the more authentic side and I was pleasantly surprised they used pickled sweet radish that isn't normally found at Thai places here. The wings were just a flat out disappointment. I got the bone in and they were battered before being fried and then tossed in the sauce. The batter was very soggy and didn't hold up to the sauce, and I felt like these tasted as if they were day old and then reheated. Sauce was also very bland and didn't have that sweet or spicy kick. I know they started offering sushi and ramen so maybe those might be better options if you happen to stop by. read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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The service was quick & friendly! I felt very welcomed. The inside of the restaurant was small, quiet, & very cozy. I went when it was snowing outside so being able to see that with their giant windows was very nice. I ordered Wonton Noodle Soup & my friend got Thai Fried Rice. We both enjoyed our meals very much, it was more delicious than we thought it would be. I loved every ingredient in my soup. The wontons were delightful. We were both stuffed after our meals & happily went the rest of the day full :) We already made plans on coming back, I look forward to it! read more

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This is my favorite place for Thai food in the entire Boston area! The staff is absolutely lovely and the food is phenomenal. The pad see ew is my favorite - it is just absolutely delicious and packed with so much flavor. The papaya salad is also amazing and I've never had a bad experience here. Highly recommend making a stop! read more

The pad Thai is really good. I keep ordering the pork but I'm pretty sure they give me chicken but I'm not even mad about it. The meat isn't important at all it's all about the other ingredients. read more

I placed an online order for pickup through Pai Kin Kai's website. After returning home from picking up the order, I discovered that one of my items was missing. I called the restaurant, and they were not willing to resolve the issue by delivering the missing item or refunding the cost of the item. They took no accountability for the mistake and told me to contact Grubhub support. I did not use the Grubhub website to place the order, and there was no indication that Grubhub was involved with their online ordering system on their website or in the confirmation email I received. It took nearly an hour to resolve the issue with Grubhub support. This restaurant doesn't seem to care about their takeout customers. read more

Living very close to PKK, I've eaten here often. Most things are middle of the road ok. A few Thai dishes and comments: beef stew massaman curry -- you had me at "grandma recipe". This is an excellent dish. pad see ew -- pretty good. khao soi -- meh. chicken noodle soup -- good for when you're sick. bland/mild. Good value, quick service. You can order online via ToastTab. read more

Excellent restaurant. It is small and quant, but has good quality thai food. The service was fast and the server was handsome and friendly. I ordered the basil fried rice which was very spicy and delicious. Definitely going to become my goto fried rice in the area! Also ordered the fried chive dumplings which were pleasant with a nice crisp and chewy texture. Pretty delicious simple thai cuisine. read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Basil Fried Rice - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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This is a great little place for lunch. My favorite dish of theirs is the khao soi. Service is also relatively quick. Only downside to keep in mind is be aware that seating in this place is very small and you'll need to sit at relatively small tables, as it has a "hole-in-the-wall" type feel. But every time I've went, I've not had to wait for a table nor felt uncomfortable. read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Khao Soi (Curry Noodle) ** - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Food was excellent. Loved it. Can't wait to get a chance to go back. Great place I highly recommend it

This small spot has great neighborhood vibes, and when a craving for Thai hit in central square, I was excited to try it out. The prices are great (~$10 for any main) and service was friendly and super speedy! I ordered the pork kaprow, which had delicious flavors, I only wish there was more meat. For the price, it's hard to complain, but I would warn other diners to expect moderate portions and maybe order a starter or salad if you come super hungry. The vibes are super casual so this wouldn't be my first pick for date night, but for a quick, super tasty meal, I will definitely be back! The soups that others around me ordered looked great read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Pork Kaprow - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This was a surprising slice of heaven. When you walk in, this place seems a little divey, but the people there were super nice and accommodating, and the food was great! We went here the night before the marathon so my SO had a super strict food plan (he was racing, GO BRUCE!). We had already tried 3 other restaurants that couldn't or weren't willing to make him rice and chicken. Basically, he just wanted white rice and steamed or grilled chicken with no sauce or anything... You would think that wouldn't be that hard to do at an Asian restaurant, but the other 2 we went to weren't having it. After explaining what we were looking for, and checking with the cook, our waitress was a little confused, but more than happy to work around the request. Bruce got exactly what he asked for and they only charged us $5 !!! I got the curry soup. It was really good too, and a HUGE serving. read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

We ordered delivery, they said it would be delivered in 45 minutes, an hour later we call them and they said the food was sitting still sitting at the restaurant. We drove it pick it up, we asked them to reheat it for us, they begrudgingly agreed. When we got home we found large chunks of gray clay in the pad see yew, making it inedible. We have ordered from here for several years, but will never be ordering again unfortunately. read more

Absolutely incredible Thai food in a no nonsense neighborhood spot. The Boat Noodles, Tom Yum soup and the wings are my favorites, but I've never eaten anything here that wasn't outstanding. The people are friendly, service is great, a real blessing for the neighborhood. read more

I've ordered the Chicken kaprow w/fried egg for take-out two times now, and the quality is excellent. Service: It's been prepared quickly and the staff is friendly. Food: I can't speak for other dishes, but the Chicken kaprow is excellent. The spicy sauce is *actually* spicy while still being flavorful, the veggies are cooked but not overdone, so that they still have a bit of snap to them, the chicken is juicy, and the fried eggs have been perfectly runny inside. (I have NEVER been able to find a place that cooks a better fried egg than this place. These are perfection.) As others have mentioned, the price point is a bit high, but it's a wonderful place to treat yourself to a nice lunch once and a while! read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Chicken Kaprow w/ fried egg - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

My husband and I visited Pai Kin Kao for a Sunday lunch, and it was a fairly good experience, but it won't become one of our favorites. The best part about the restaurant is the extremely friendly staff. We were served very quickly, and the waitress also noticed when I was adding extra chili oil to my food and brought over additional spices to try. In terms of the food though, it was really just ok. I had the massaman curry with tofu, and it was fine, but I'd put the spice level at a zero. In addition to the typical dishes you'd expect to see at a Thai restaurant, they also have some unique menu items, so this could potentially be an advantage if you're looking for a lot of menu choices. My husband, however, decided to try the green curry ramen out of curiosity and found it very strange. Overall, we weren't impressed enough to plan a return visit, but our experience was ok and we would potentially try it again if we're already walking by. read more

Pai Kin Kao Thai Restaurant - Chicken Green Curry Ramen - Thai Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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