Anisha Holla
Audio By Carbonatix
Frisco’s underground Thai spot X-Press Thai has been taken over and rebranded as Kin-D Lao and Thai Food. Perhaps it’s a nod to the “kind” smiles that welcome you at the entrance. Or maybe it’s a phonetic translation of the Lao phrase kin di, which means “to eat well.” Either way, neither customer service nor the food at this establishment disappoints.
Best friends Lita King and Lou Singharath are the culinary brains behind the operation. The two are both first-generation Lao immigrants who are following their dream of bringing traditional Lao cooking to the U.S.
“We always wanted to open a place like this,” King says. The duo has finally decided to pursue their dream in Frisco. “We actually just moved here a month ago for the purpose of starting this restaurant. So far it’s been pretty good,” she adds.
The menu here isn’t necessarily big, but it’s mighty.
Anisha Holla
Lao street food is Kin-D’s specialty. Appetizers mimic the snacks you might see on the streets of Southeast Asia. Deep-fried pork rolls, crunchy pot stickers and spicy garlic-marinated chicken wings all contribute to the smells of deep-fried oil that waft out of the back kitchen. Portions (and prices) are made for sharing: perhaps a nod to their family-oriented dining culture. The Lao sausage ($8.99) is just one of many shareable favorites, which comes fried in Lao spices and cut into thick slices for convenient finger feeding.
Curry fried rice is scented with a homemade turmeric-curry powder. Portions are large, but it’s not too difficult to finish.
Anisha Holla
Hot soups are a good choice for the low spring temperatures. Soup bowls ($10.99) offer different concoctions of coconut milk, pork broth and mushroom broth, to name a few. Fragranced with spices like lemongrass, curry powder and peanut sauce, these bowls are served steaming hot with a side of warm jasmine rice.
Salads, curries and fried rice dishes add even more dimension to the menu. Traditional Thai dishes like pad Thai and drunken noodles ($12.99) are complemented by lesser-known Lao specialties like nam khao ($11.99), a coconut rice dish with an oddly satisfying crunch to it. Most of Kin-D’s dishes can be customized with your choice of protein, allowing for a pretty flexible menu in terms of diet and palate.
Pad thai here comes drenched in a homemade peanut sauce and topped with bean sprouts. It’s made to order.
Anisha Holla
When asked what sets this place apart from other Thai and Lao restaurants, King points to the fact that Kin-D makes many dishes, including spices, from scratch, using homemade powders, hand-cut vegetables and freshly ground spices. It’s probably just one of the many reasons the food here tastes so good.
For now, King and Singharath are manning the kitchen themselves. But it’s clear they’re in it for the passion.
“I don’t mind,” King says. “One of my favorite things about this job is meeting all the new faces. Seeing people enjoy our food is a form of gratification in itself.”
Kin-D, 6750 Gaylord Parkway, Frisco. Daily, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
