Kothai Republic

Wow, this place is delicious! I had dinner there, but seeing reviews here they are more known for their brunch so will need to come back for that.
Service was excellent - we were seated right away, 730pm on a weekday, but did take their last table so there was a short wait for people who arrived after us. Staff gave excellent menu recommendations based on our hunger level + dietary restrictions (peanut allergy, pescatarian)
I ordered the king salmon haw mok - excellent and would order again! Both appetizers we ordered were delicious as well.
Restaurant is conveniently located on 9th and Judah - very easy to get to on public transit if you don't want to worry about parking!

For small plates, the Crying Tiger Tartare, Kimchi Rice Balls, Melon Prosciutto salad, and Mousse and Mochi were all fantastic! Picking three is perfect to share with 2~3 people.
For entrees, we got the Tom Yum and Beef Noodle. Both soups were fragrant, hearty, and delicious. I felt very warm and happy after a few spoonfuls.
I can't wait to come back and try more of the menu!

tl;dr A slightly higher-end dinner experience in a cozy yet bustling restaurant in the city. Al of the Asian fusion dishes were high quality and tasted great!

My party of 4 walked in on a Saturday evening and had the option of waiting for another party to leave or to be seated immediately but in front of the door. The restaurant is pretty small so we opted for the immediate seating. Throughout our meal, we were waited on regularly and our appetizer came our before our main courses. We shared everything family style, which was pretty easy to do. My favorite entree was the Korean spicy noodles, as the noodles were cooked to perfection and the flavors were prominent. Everything else we ordered was also great, with the bibimbap being perhaps the one we'd be okay skipping next time.

Overall, with 4 people and 5 items, we all left full and it came out to be about $40 per person after tax and tip. Definitely not a cheap dinner but a very tasty one!

We came here for brunch after an early morning hot yoga class and were pleasantly surprised to find that Kothai has a special brunch menu! The timing must have been perfect because we didn't wait at all; however, the line started building up as we ate.

The French toast is phenomenal. The cream on top was decadent, while the thick slab of French toast was thoroughly saturated with a sumptuous custard. Everything was not only beautifully plated, but well balanced with light cream, berries, and maple syrup. I dream of French toast like this - this is a must try!

For me, the salmon toast was just ok. It was a bit cumbersome to eat and nothing really special (especially at the price tag). Although, it was a very big serving of salmon. The salad was also very crisp and refreshing!

I can't wait to come back and try their dinner options, but don't sleep on the incredible brunch!

Such a great ambiance, clean and bright! The small plate is ALL nice to try, they provide seasonal dishes, I love to try them all in the right season. The taste is more sour and sweet for me, between Thai & Korean style, love that!

Authentic Korean mixed with modern Asian-style dishes. I left Kothai Republic feeling happy and satisfied with the meal that I experienced there, and I'm already thinking about the next time I'll be able to come back!

It's an intimate setting where the tables are a bit close together, but it's lively and there's good energy! By a little after 6pm, it was a packed house!

We started off with some small plates. Their popular Kimchi Rice Balls were definitely a favorite! These reminded me of arancini, as there's kimchi fried rice with bacon inside of a crispy battered and fried ball. They're topped with sharp cheddar and served on top of a yummy aioli that compliments the rice balls perfectly. The Kothai Ceviche also come with two per order. Sitting in a little gem lettuce cup is cured sweet shrimp, garlic, shallot, dill, and mint served on top of ice so it's chilled. These are juicy and a have a little kick to them that builds over time, but nothing too spicy!

But the best dish of all that I think about often is their MOUSSE AND MOCHI! The chicken liver mousse is rich, creamy, and oh so delicious! It's served with cabernet currants, and a yuzu gel sauce that create an unbelievably delicious flavor pairing. Truly genius! Not only that, but they're served with these amazing mochi popovers. Springy with a slight chew yet still soft and delicate, these were the perfect vehicle for the mousse. Bonus, they're gluten free! GET THESE! GET THESE! GET THESE!

For entrees, we had the King Salmon Haw Mok. I've never had a salmon dish like these before where it was wrapped in cabbage leaves. The salmon was moist and tender, and the green curry emulsion sauce with kaffir was full of flavor. It also comes with some good kimchi, the flavor was different than other kimchis I've had. The Red Curry Cornish Hen was also delicious! The sauce was amazing, and I really liked the sticky rice that it comes with! Lastly, we had the Korean Spicy Noodles. The noodles come with julienned cucumber, cabbage, and green papaya, so it blends in with the noodles perfectly. I love that they thinly slice the grilled pork jowl, so it doesn't overpower the texture of the noodles. It comes drizzled with a great tamarind sauce too! Really enjoyed all of the dishes!

They do start to run out of dishes quickly into dinner service (no kalbi or crudo right before 6pm on a Saturday), so make sure to their there as early as possible to ensure the dish you want is still available that day!

I'll definitely be recommending this spot to my friends!

After passing by this restaurant a couple times, we decided to make a reservation here to celebrate my partner's mom's birthday.

Even though we went on a Wednesday, the restaurant was packed! We're so happy we made a reservation instead of waiting. I highly recommend making a reservation to avoid the long wait.

The menu features a blend of Korean + Thai dishes. We ordered the Kalbi, Korean Spicy Noodle, Spring Snap Peas, Slow Shrooms, Grilled Hamachi Collar, Tom Yum Soup, and the Red Curry Cornish Hen to share.

Most of the dishes are great for sharing as the portions are on the smaller end. Our favorites were the Hamachi Collar, Kalbi and the Cornish Hen! They were packed with flavor and texture.

The dishes were presented nicely but they're priced on the higher end. It's definitely worth it to try out if you enjoy Asian fusion. But this won't be a spot that I'd return to too often.

I've gone to Kothai a couple of times now and it's definitely my favorite restaurant in Inner Sunset/Parnassus! It never misses and I've always gotten the Korean Spicy Noodles for my entree, which has spicy cold noodles and this tender pork jowl with spicy and sour sauce. Any of their raw appetizers like their hamachi or ceviche are really good. Their kimchi rice balls are on the heavier side but also good as well! Service is attentive and fast and it's a great place for a date. I also thought their brunch menu was equally good as their normal menu!

No res walk in for 2 around 7pm on Saturday. No wait how lucky!

Airy interior and prompt staff. We ordered kimchi rice balls, crudo and mushroom to start. Both first two so yum and would order again. Crudo was FRESH I could drink that sauce. Kimchi rice balls were so guilty but delicious tasting. Mushroom dish was not as flavorful but still good.

Ordered spicy Korean noodle and galbi for mains. Medium spicy for the noodles and also a cold noodle dish surprised me. Galbi was tasty but tough!! Wish the meat was more tender.

Overall would come again. ~$180 for two including drinks, tip, tax. Similar small plate vibe to Rintaro or the Progress for a slightly cheaper price point.

Came here for brunch with the boyfriend and his brother and his girlfriend, who'd been here before. We were excited to try it as they called it a hidden gem, a killer brunch spot that didn't have long lines.

The bf enjoyed his B & E breakfast and I enjoyed the shrimp toast. It was rich and flavorful and creative/unique. We both enjoyed the Thai iced tea--we expected it to be sweet and it was (but good.) We also all split the monte cristo and everything was so filling.

Friendly service and minimalist, cool decor. There's parking on weekends. I'm waiting for when they'll have a line for their neat spin on Asian fusion brunch.