I know the year just started but I’m already playing favorites and I fell instantly in love with the newly opened Thai Kun at The Domain on Rock Rose. Chef Thai Changthong, Paul Qui, Moto Utsunomiya, and chef de cuisine Clinton Kendall are serving up Austin’s most authentic Thai cuisine at Thai Kun with an extended menu of the original trailer’s offerings.
SEE ALSO: Eclectic Dishes at Qui Austin
The food is very spicy, as it is authentically served in Thailand, but really, really good. I can handle my heat to a certain extent but I was only able to enjoy a couple of bites of the mussels, papaya salad, and larb before downing my second glass of Thai tea. The taro crisps and whole fish were my favorite! I can’t wait to go back and try the pork rib soup and clay pot.
Can we also talk about how amazing Rock Rose will be? The strip reminds me of Lower Greenville in Dallas. With Dogwood, Jack & Ginger’s, Two Hands Coffee, Mia, Saint Genevieve, General Tso’Boy, and Sway opening, Rock Rose will be the hottest dining area in Austin!
What To Order: Whole fish, taro crisps, papaya salad, and larb.
Table of Contents
Cocktails
You’re going to want to order a couple of these. We sipped on the Chi with sake, lime, cucumber, and mint, and the Mekong with sake, cocchi rosa, lichi li, and tonic. I had two Thai teas to get through the spicy meal.
Taro Crisps
Grated taro is fried with yellow onion and topped with cilantro. I really loved the taro crisps, especially since they’re one of the few items that don’t have any spice.
Larb
Ground pork cooked with blood, lime, toasted rice powder, Thai chili, red onion, cucumber, cabbage and mint. Served with sticky rice. Loved the flavor of the larb but it was really spicy.
Papaya Salad
Green papaya salad, fermented crab legs (you don’t eat these but suck on them for flavor), fish sauce, Thai chili, cherry tomato, shrimp paste, lime and peanut. Served with sticky rice. Refreshing and spicy!
Mussels
Stir fried mussels, young green peppercorn, kaffir lime, karachi root, serrano pepper, and basil. If you can’t handle your spice, I would avoid this dish because it’s super spicy.
Whole Fish
Deep fried whole loup de mer (aka seabass) served family style with green mango salad. My favorite item that we tried! The fish is tender and super crispy. Thai Kun recommends to toss the fish with the green mango salad so you get a bite of both. I kept my separate because the green mango salad was too spicy.
Roasted Chicken
Roasted marinated half chicken, coconut milk, soy, garlic, white paper, nam jim jaew, and boom sauce.
Thai Kun
11601 Rock Rose Avenue
Suite 100
Austin, Texas
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