by Steven Doyle
Kin Kin Urban Thai is now open in Fort Worth’s West 7th District and we checked out Chef Eddy Thretipthuangsin’s latest culinary vision. What we found was fresh, innovative and an extremely welcomed take on the chef’s modern Thai cookery. The flavor profile of Kin Kin is vibrant and modern, just like visiting Thailand today. “Bangkok is one of the most vibrant culinary cities,” explains Eddy. “I wanted to bring the food, and even its pop culture influences back to diners across North Texas.”
For Chef Eddy, creation of Kin Kin Urban Thai is a way to pay homage to the contribution his mother and his family have made in his development as a chef. “This restaurant reflects the passion my mother has instilled within me for Thai food. It is because of her sacrifices and her training that I have both the cultural awareness and classical training to share our taste of Thailand with North Texas. ”
An unusual riff on the classic Scotch Egg
Crepes stuffed with Chinese sausage
A selection of housemade dumplings
We danced around the menu to take in a slice of what Chef Eddy has to offer, including Thai classics such as Pad Thai, seemingly the national dish of Thailand, and his Massaman Beef Stew. The latter was the table’s favored dish, and on a cool and breezy Spring evening the dish warmed our bellies with its rich braised beef and chunks of sweet potato joined harmoniously with chickpeas, roasted peanuts and cherry tomatoes.
The chef’s Red Fish Pad Cha was also a crowd pleaser with its apple eggplant, finger roots, holy basil and garnished with a crispy slab of the Gulf fish. This is actually one of Chef Eddy’s spicier dishes, and it is packed with a melange of flavors.
Classic Pad Thai
Massaman Beef Stew
Fun starters include a play on the Scotch Egg enveloped in both shrimp and chicken, a Chinese sausage crepe, and delightful switch-up with the grilled calamari. How refreshing not to see fried loops of squid, and instead a platter of chili-soy marinated calamari, grilled to a slight crispiness. These are all very sharable, and all with a punch of flavor that is ribboned throughout each dish presented.
Enjoy a large selection of Asian beers and whiskeys, along with a nice bit of hand crafted cocktails, all which pair nicely with each of the dishes offered at Kin Kin.
Thai Tea Cake
Dallas fans need to make the short trek to Fort Worth, and definitely bounce around the burgeoning West 7th District, and make a stop in to taste a bit of what Chef Eddy has waiting. It also will not be long before two Dallas outposts will pop up. Kin Kin Urban Thai at 3211 Oak Lawn is slated to open mid April, with a second Dallas location at Preston Forest opening in the Summer of 2015.
