Kothai Republic

Inventive flavors, welcoming service, cozy ambiance as you watch the world go by through the tall glass walls on the corner of 9th & Judah. All but one of the tables was full when I entered sans reservation and it only became so when a couple offered to split their 4-top. We had a lively conversation about food and San Francisco places.I ordered Yellowtail Carpaccio ($23) that was delicate yet deeply flavored with ginger miso aioli, chili oil and a nori chip.The meltingly tender pork chop over miso parsnip purée ($39) was punctuated with a grilled fresno pepper to balance the sweetness of the glaze but whose scoville rating I didn't fully appreciate until the first bite (that'll teach me!) I really appreciated the cooking method of the pork chop as it was medium yet the fat was perfectly rendered. I ate every bite even though I intended to take half of it home.With a slightly peppery Russian River Pinot Noir, it was the perfect meal.Service was on point, every step felt ideally timed and unhurried.I like their menu very much and photos of certain brunch items look very tempting. I'll be back.

Great spot with a cozy ambiance, dimmed lights, and a chill vibe. We arrived when the place was packed and waited about 15 minutes to be seated.We started with the Kimchi Rice Balls, which had house kimchi, bacon, sharp cheddar, and aioli. It was fine, but didn't wow me. The KoThal Ceviche, on the other hand, was delicious! The cured red shrimp paired with garlic, shallot, dill, and mint was so refreshing.Tried the Heritage Pork Belly Roll with stout glaze, lilikoi jam, and amarosa potato. It was decent, but not as memorable. The Korean Spicy Noodles were a highlight! Grilled pork jowl added great flavor, and the tamarind gave it a nice tang.The King Salmon Haw Mok was tasty, with a nice balance of Thai basil, green curry emulsion, and kaffir. The presentation of everything was spot on!Overall, I really enjoyed the unique flavors, but felt like the price didn't quite match the experience. Still, a solid choice for something a little different!

Husband and I stopped by Kothai Republic for brunch after a coworker of mine recommended it. We got lucky and it wasn't busy when we got there. This location is fairly small but it doesn't feel like it with the amount of lighting it gets. I also love the minimalist aesthetic that it has. The service was fantastic! Our server checked on us often and they refilled our water throughout the meal without needing to be asked. In terms of food, we got the mushroom omelette, really custardy toast, and a side of pancakes. I also got the strawberry matcha drink. The mushroom omelette is a deconstructed omelette - you get your rolled egg a la tamagoyaki and the veggies on the side. I'm not sure what dressing is on the veggies but it was delicious! This order also comes with a side of potatoes and aioli. The really custardy toast was very fluffy and an order is pretty filling. I recommend eating this first if you're sharing with someone because it's much harder to pack to go. The pancake was delicious but it was only warm when we got it so the butter didn't melt. The strawberry matcha drink was to die for. I would say it's up to par with Boba Guys, which is my top tier. The only downside is that it's pretty expensive for the amount you get. I definitely recommend trying out Kothai Republic and I'm looking forward to trying out their dinner menu.

We came here for dinner on a Friday night. The place was packed and the tables were turned over quickly. Every table was occupied and it's not a large place. It's good to be able to see everyone cooking in the kitchen. The place was very dim. I took pictures of all our food but they are blurred because it was so dark in the restaurant. We started with the chicken liver moose with mochi popovers. The Bread was delicious and hit the spot. We then had the hamachi collar - it was very tender and seasoned well. Delicious! Next we had the pork chop which was the largest pork chop i ever shared. However, once we cut into it, we realized there was a lot of fat. Then we had the curry game hens which was also tender. I wish I could taste the curry more. The bibimpap was nice but it was not huge. We shared all our dishes between 4 people. I did notice that there was a wait time or over 10 minutes between some plates. And also, the food we received was lukewarm.

Second time at Kothai Republic in a matter of weeks. The item I had (1398 Rancheros for $22) was not as rave-worthy as the Sando Benedict I had during my first visit, but the service and friendliness of the staff more than made up for it. My dining companions were a bit disappointed that the Sando Benedict wasn't on the menu this time since I had raved about it to them, but we each ordered a different dish and could see the beautiful presentation of each dish. Everything looked wonderful, but I didn't hear anyone's reactions. I know my dish was a bit overly salted, but still good; I kind of wanted something bland to balance the saltiness (like some plain rice?). Anyway, it was still good and I think they still deserve 5 stars because of presentation and such a wonderful staff!

Finally got to come to Kothai to try their brunch; I've previously come for dinner to celebrate a birthday, and that was excellent. Our group of 3 arrived around 10:30am on a Saturday, and while it was pretty busy there were luckily still a few tables available. I love the large windows that Kothai has which makes for a nice ambiance and people watching despite the rainy gloomy weather outside.-strawberry matcha latte ($9): this was my friends, but I tried and it's nice and creamy with a good amount of matcha; a pretty good drink but $9 is a little pricy compared to other places-really custardy French toast ($21): this was my dish, and I usually stay away from french toast because I feel like it's not super filling, or is too sweet to eat completly, but the other reviews swayed me; this truly is "really custardy", and the toast is so completely soaked with the milky custardy solution inside, despite the nice light crisp on the outside. The poached pear on top was also delightful, and I really enjoyed this!-1398 rancheros ($21): this is what everyone else got, and was also a nice savory dish! I really enjoyed the creamy, fluffy smashed and roasted purple potatoes. Overall, Kothai is a nice brunch place, though costs overall are on the pricier side for what you're getting, everything is very high quality. Definitely worth a visit, though I feel like the dinner offers more value and variety :)

A fusion of Thai and Korean food that is actually well done? Hard to find but I think they pulled it off here.The space is tight but cozy and comfortable despite the small and close tables. The service was wonderful and prompt. But the star was the food. Everything was balanced with bright spices and fresh ingredients. The yellowtail crudo was refreshing and bright. The mushroom has great Umami.I would come back to try other items on the menu and see if they have any changes!

Went here for a date night and it was really lovely! Quiet, intimate, minimalistic ambience and very attentive service. We tried the slow shrooms and baby octopus from the small plates menu, and the lamb roti from the large plates. The lamb was my fave as it was really flavorful and had delicious sauce, and the roti was just perfect. The baby octopus was really yummy and had just the right amount of acidity, but we did think the parsley leaves could've been smaller. The slow shrooms were delicious but I could've done with less of the chips. Overall this was a great restaurant and I'd come back again to try more!

The restaurant has an intimate atmosphere, with dim lightning and candles however I found some tables to be too close to each other. It felt a bit cramped. There were 2 tables of 2 that were at most 2 inches apart from each other. I would also be concerned if you hang any valuables on your chair as it makes you an easy target for thieves. Service was great. Friendly, attentive and fast. Today they were out of the branzino and liver mousse. We ordered 1 main, the lamb roti - $34 and several small plates to share between the 2 of us that included the crudo - $22, shrooms - $19, ceviche - $18 and the squid - $19. Each dish was described when it came out. They were all beautifully presented and we would order them again. Before the main came out they replaced our plates. I thought this restaurant was a fusion of Korean and Thai. But I didn't see or taste that in our dishes. Nevertheless they were delicious. The lamb was not gamey at all. The meat was so tender. Lots of gravy to be soaked up by the roti.Tip: they are on the InKind App. You can get discounts to this restaurant if you pay through the app.

Ambiance is modern. Service was average. The cost of the food didn't match with the taste. The purple potatoes were super bland and lightly covered in salt. Drinks are expensive at $8 oolong tea with lychee jelly was way smaller than a standard boba order. Fried chicken taste is average nothing unique. The fried toast tasted very basic to my friend and she wouldn't get it again. Their lunch menu varies compared to the dinner menu.