Their pad thai may not be the best pad thai in town, but their crispy pork definitely the best crispy pork in the world! I would order it again just to get the crispy pork alone. The pricing might be a bit more than your usual thai place, but you can feel the premium ingredients. It's also tastes more clean and less oily, and definitely not spicy. At the 'spicy' level, it's not even as spicy as 'medium' level in most thai places. This is a great spot for people who wants to know about thai food, it won't surprise you with spicy level you can't bear. And the crispy pork! Yeah i said it twice. Some crispy pork can be chewy, or crispy on the skin but hard on the meat. This one is both chewy on the skin AND the meat. And it's not oily! (Or maybe less oily, it's fats after all). But for me, this is the crispy pork of all porks out there. The holy pork!
Tommy K.
Hands down some of the best Thai Food I've had throughout NorCal and SoCal. While I regret being so damn full every time I leave, I can confidently say I've enjoyed everything I've had. 5/5 - Pad See Ew Flavorful, great portions, and came out piping hot. They serve the spicy vinegar with it but you don't even need it, even when you get to the last 25%. 4.8/5 - Kwan's Pad Thai Girlfriend got this, was great. With or without lime, the flavor comes through and is delicious. Noodles were cooked well and when you take a bite with some Papaya Salad? Immaculate. 4.5/5 - Papaya Salad Yummy and spicy. No complaints here. 4/5 - Fried Shrimp Roles Damn good and just the right amount of crunchy. Portion size was quite generous too. 5/5 - Panang Curry SO GOOD. Not too sweet, not too savory and comes with just the right amount of rice. I got it with chicken but I'm curious how the other meat options would taste. My mouth is drooling a bit thinking about it. 4.5/4 - Chicken Satay Yum. Good with or without the peanut (?) like sauce. Chicken had a nice bite and was very soft on the inside. Comes on skewers so be careful not to stab your mouth as you inhale these. Longan Drink Hard to rate a drink but it was yummy. Not too sweet and had a good taste to it. A little pricey for how much you get but I'd say it was pretty worth. Service was pretty good with the staff being very attentive and coming around asking if you needed anything or had any questions. There was a family that obviously never had eaten Thai food before and it was sweet to see the server being very friendly with an explanation on the items. Definitely recommend coming here for a meal.
Natalie V.
This is a hidden gem! I really enjoyed every item I ordered and I can't wait to go back. The chicken wings are soooo crispy I was very impressed! They also were pretty large too which is always a plus with wings. I love Pad See Ew and it did not disappoint here. The pork was flavored so well I wanted to savor every bite. The beef rice was also delicious!! I loved the added cucumber slices on top. It added a fresh element to the dish. With the quality of everything I tried I assume everything else is just as yummy.
Oliver P.
Best Thai food in Pasadena! We had their Krapow which was very good. The staff were very pleasant and attentive. We will be coming back!
Dora E.
I recently celebrated my bridal shower and we had catering from Kwan Kitchen! The food was amazing! My guest could not stop talking about it! Best Thai food ever! We worked with Preeya who is incredible! If you are in Pasadena, this is a must try! Thank you Kwan Kitchen , Preeya, and team!
Susan M.
So much flavor. This is the best Thai place in the area. - The krapow is good. Love the basil in it. - The Pad see ew is also v good. I got it with chicken and another time with beef. - The Yellow Curry chicken is also very delicious. I would recommend this place to a friend.
Alex M. ..
Small menu but done right! Got Chicken Wings, Beef Fried Rice and Pork Pad See Ew. Lady at the front was super nice and threw in extra sauce for my to go back! Chicken wings were INSANELY crispy. A beautiful crunch pillow around each one. If there were 20 wings I would've mowed each one down. Beef Fried Rice was flavorful with fluffy rice. Only slight negative was beef was a little chewy but the flavors were there. Pork Pad See Ew was sauced with tender noodles. Pork cooked perfectly with basil and chinese broccoli. Added a little of my own chili oil to the top to add more spice. Spice levels are definitely muted but I blame that on local neighborhood. Will def come back to try more again!
Amrita M.
Went back for Hainan chicken; was a bit skeptical as I have never had it before. It was delicious!!
Trevor K.
Kwan Kitchen is a cute little Thai Restaurant off Arroyo. The Pad Thai was delicious and the service was very friendly!
Melinda M.
Didn't have high expectations the first time I went ( Thai food in a strip mall) but was so impressed with the quality of their dishes. We had the Kwan pad Thai and Tom Yum soup. The shellfish of pad Thai were fresh and large, not the usual frozen mini shrimp others use. The soup was incredible and I've been back twice to get more. The spiciness can be adjusted for all dishes and I found medium to have a nice kick. I believe they have a limited liquor license. They have a dozen or so tables, which were full but it appears to also have a thriving takeout business. Strongly recommend.
We ordered papaya salad, Kwan's pad thai (with shrimp & crispy pork), panang curry, and tom yum soup. I've been craving tom yum and tried various Thai restaurants in Pasadena; this one is the best! Every dish is excellent, and we could adjust the spice level. We chose all our dishes to be spicy (2nd spice level), and it was the perfect spiciness to enjoy the food. According to the staff, they will introduce the full menu in February. We will definitely come back to try other items on their menu!
Jamie S.
Kwan is exceptionally clean and delicious. I ordered the yellow curry and Tom Yum soup with a hint of spice, both were flavorful and tasty. After mentioning that the potatoes were slightly undercooked, the kitchen promptly recooked the dish, added extra potatoes and curry, and even packed it for me to take home. The service was also outstanding, as they allowed my pet dog inside and provided water.
James S.
Came here for dinner tonight, because of the great reviews. The waiter was very kind and the food was great. The menu is a soft launch menu, so only 2 pages. I order the thai tea which was good, and the pad thai with chicken and the rice dish with spicy fried pork, and egg rolls. Overall the food tasted great, and plenty of seating inside. Food came out fast, and good service~!
Samantha C.
Just left this restaurant and had to make it a point to write a review - the food was AMAZING. I saw the new Thai restaurant earlier today while driving back home and thought hey, it wouldn't hurt to try this for dinner tonight. I honestly had low expectations so to my surprise, I was truly blown away. The food tasted so authentic, the spiciness was just right, and all flavors of everything we ordered just popped in your mouth. Kwan Kitchen, you got yourself a new regular. Welcome to the neighborhood!
Jessica Howard
Glad we found Kwan Kitchen while searching for a nearby Thai restaurant to try. Fresh and nicely balanced flavors and textures. We had the Tom Kha with tofu, chicken pad thai, Khao Man Kai (fried), Massaman curry with beef, and mango sticky rice. Each one was delicious and high quality. We did take out but will gladly dine in another day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tom Kha, Massaman Curry, Kao Man Kai or Kao Man Kai Tod, Kwan's Pad Thai with Shrimp and Crispy Pork
Their pad thai may not be the best pad thai in town, but their crispy pork definitely the best crispy pork in the world! I would order it again just to get the crispy pork alone. The pricing might be a bit more than your usual thai place, but you can feel the premium ingredients. It's also tastes more clean and less oily, and definitely not spicy. At the 'spicy' level, it's not even as spicy as 'medium' level in most thai places. This is a great spot for people who wants to know about thai food, it won't surprise you with spicy level you can't bear. And the crispy pork! Yeah i said it twice. Some crispy pork can be chewy, or crispy on the skin but hard on the meat. This one is both chewy on the skin AND the meat. And it's not oily! (Or maybe less oily, it's fats after all). But for me, this is the crispy pork of all porks out there. The holy pork!
Hands down some of the best Thai Food I've had throughout NorCal and SoCal. While I regret being so damn full every time I leave, I can confidently say I've enjoyed everything I've had. 5/5 - Pad See Ew Flavorful, great portions, and came out piping hot. They serve the spicy vinegar with it but you don't even need it, even when you get to the last 25%. 4.8/5 - Kwan's Pad Thai Girlfriend got this, was great. With or without lime, the flavor comes through and is delicious. Noodles were cooked well and when you take a bite with some Papaya Salad? Immaculate. 4.5/5 - Papaya Salad Yummy and spicy. No complaints here. 4/5 - Fried Shrimp Roles Damn good and just the right amount of crunchy. Portion size was quite generous too. 5/5 - Panang Curry SO GOOD. Not too sweet, not too savory and comes with just the right amount of rice. I got it with chicken but I'm curious how the other meat options would taste. My mouth is drooling a bit thinking about it. 4.5/4 - Chicken Satay Yum. Good with or without the peanut (?) like sauce. Chicken had a nice bite and was very soft on the inside. Comes on skewers so be careful not to stab your mouth as you inhale these. Longan Drink Hard to rate a drink but it was yummy. Not too sweet and had a good taste to it. A little pricey for how much you get but I'd say it was pretty worth. Service was pretty good with the staff being very attentive and coming around asking if you needed anything or had any questions. There was a family that obviously never had eaten Thai food before and it was sweet to see the server being very friendly with an explanation on the items. Definitely recommend coming here for a meal.
This is a hidden gem! I really enjoyed every item I ordered and I can't wait to go back. The chicken wings are soooo crispy I was very impressed! They also were pretty large too which is always a plus with wings. I love Pad See Ew and it did not disappoint here. The pork was flavored so well I wanted to savor every bite. The beef rice was also delicious!! I loved the added cucumber slices on top. It added a fresh element to the dish. With the quality of everything I tried I assume everything else is just as yummy.
Best Thai food in Pasadena! We had their Krapow which was very good. The staff were very pleasant and attentive. We will be coming back!
I recently celebrated my bridal shower and we had catering from Kwan Kitchen! The food was amazing! My guest could not stop talking about it! Best Thai food ever! We worked with Preeya who is incredible! If you are in Pasadena, this is a must try! Thank you Kwan Kitchen , Preeya, and team!
So much flavor. This is the best Thai place in the area. - The krapow is good. Love the basil in it. - The Pad see ew is also v good. I got it with chicken and another time with beef. - The Yellow Curry chicken is also very delicious. I would recommend this place to a friend.
Small menu but done right! Got Chicken Wings, Beef Fried Rice and Pork Pad See Ew. Lady at the front was super nice and threw in extra sauce for my to go back! Chicken wings were INSANELY crispy. A beautiful crunch pillow around each one. If there were 20 wings I would've mowed each one down. Beef Fried Rice was flavorful with fluffy rice. Only slight negative was beef was a little chewy but the flavors were there. Pork Pad See Ew was sauced with tender noodles. Pork cooked perfectly with basil and chinese broccoli. Added a little of my own chili oil to the top to add more spice. Spice levels are definitely muted but I blame that on local neighborhood. Will def come back to try more again!
Went back for Hainan chicken; was a bit skeptical as I have never had it before. It was delicious!!
Kwan Kitchen is a cute little Thai Restaurant off Arroyo. The Pad Thai was delicious and the service was very friendly!
Didn't have high expectations the first time I went ( Thai food in a strip mall) but was so impressed with the quality of their dishes. We had the Kwan pad Thai and Tom Yum soup. The shellfish of pad Thai were fresh and large, not the usual frozen mini shrimp others use. The soup was incredible and I've been back twice to get more. The spiciness can be adjusted for all dishes and I found medium to have a nice kick. I believe they have a limited liquor license. They have a dozen or so tables, which were full but it appears to also have a thriving takeout business. Strongly recommend.
Restaurantji Recommends
We ordered papaya salad, Kwan's pad thai (with shrimp & crispy pork), panang curry, and tom yum soup. I've been craving tom yum and tried various Thai restaurants in Pasadena; this one is the best! Every dish is excellent, and we could adjust the spice level. We chose all our dishes to be spicy (2nd spice level), and it was the perfect spiciness to enjoy the food. According to the staff, they will introduce the full menu in February. We will definitely come back to try other items on their menu!
Kwan is exceptionally clean and delicious. I ordered the yellow curry and Tom Yum soup with a hint of spice, both were flavorful and tasty. After mentioning that the potatoes were slightly undercooked, the kitchen promptly recooked the dish, added extra potatoes and curry, and even packed it for me to take home. The service was also outstanding, as they allowed my pet dog inside and provided water.
Came here for dinner tonight, because of the great reviews. The waiter was very kind and the food was great. The menu is a soft launch menu, so only 2 pages. I order the thai tea which was good, and the pad thai with chicken and the rice dish with spicy fried pork, and egg rolls. Overall the food tasted great, and plenty of seating inside. Food came out fast, and good service~!
Just left this restaurant and had to make it a point to write a review - the food was AMAZING. I saw the new Thai restaurant earlier today while driving back home and thought hey, it wouldn't hurt to try this for dinner tonight. I honestly had low expectations so to my surprise, I was truly blown away. The food tasted so authentic, the spiciness was just right, and all flavors of everything we ordered just popped in your mouth. Kwan Kitchen, you got yourself a new regular. Welcome to the neighborhood!
Glad we found Kwan Kitchen while searching for a nearby Thai restaurant to try. Fresh and nicely balanced flavors and textures. We had the Tom Kha with tofu, chicken pad thai, Khao Man Kai (fried), Massaman curry with beef, and mango sticky rice. Each one was delicious and high quality. We did take out but will gladly dine in another day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tom Kha, Massaman Curry, Kao Man Kai or Kao Man Kai Tod, Kwan's Pad Thai with Shrimp and Crispy Pork