King & I

04/01/11

Disgusting - seriously, don't do it!

by onetimergogo at Citysearch

For the record, this is my first (and probably only) review I've EVER written on any restaurant, life's too busy for this sort of stuff, but I just had to take the time to forewarn the Twin Cities area on this one.

My wife, four daughters and I enjoyed a symphony concert at the Orchestra Hall and decided to grab some "good" thai food to round off the nice afternoon. We're not a very picky family and try to make the best of any and all situations, but I have to say that this was THE WORST food I've ever been served. The apps we ordered (spring rolls) were deep fat fried to obliteration... we ate them and didn't complain except amongst ourselves. Then came the main courses - I ordered a green curry coconut soup w/ chicken. Every other bite of chicken consisted of hitting a hard chunk of cartilage (still gives me the willies now, just thinking about it). My wife took a leap of faith and ordered the crab (some fried dish). It came out deeply deep fried - to the point where we had to say something to our server. He was kind enough and made a second attempt with the crab ... came out less fried this time, but had the odor (and taste so says my wife) of seafood that had been sitting out in 90 degree hit for a few hours. My young daughters ordered and shared the flagship dish of Pad thai. Thought for sure this would be a good one ... wrong again! It was flat out ridiculous.

01/22/11

Awful experience. Bad and Expencive. Lowest value

by leopold777 at Citysearch

We went to King and I to celebrate college graduation. It started bad and went down the hill from there. It is a dying business with poor service, dirty bathrooms, mediocre food, and watered down overpriced drinks. I made a reservation for 7.30 on Friday. When we arrived, instead of a friendly host we were greeted by a young lady with sour expression on her face. Throughout entire experience there I haven't seen a smile, except for some maybe our server, who made forced attempts to smile. The room was half empty on FRIDAY NIGHT AT 7:30 !! At 9:30 it was totally deserted. Apparently people know not to go there. Staff was very rushed and not attentive. If we wanted something we had to tell someone to get out waiter. Then we ordered drinks. It was the WORST sake I ever had. $58 per bottle. I seriously doubt there was alcohol there at all. Did I say the drinks were overpriced? How about $16 martini?! It might be ok for a very upscale restaurant, but King and I is not ! I will talk about the bathroom later. Then appetizers - also overpriced and really tiny. Not particularly good either. The food was mediocre. You can get a much better food elsewhere. Main entree was priced reasonably, but didn't taste very good. Last time I went to this restaurant was 15 years ago. Back then it looked fancy to me, but I was a student back then. I don't think I am coming back any time soon. At the end I went to the restroom. CLEAN IT UP AND FIX IT !!!! It is all I can say. Someone needs to take care of the business - train the servers, replace the chef, straighten out your bar service (drinks are expensive and bad), and do your basic housekeeping, like cleaning your bathroom. And then people may start coming in and coming back. In the mean time, there are plenty of Thai restaurants that are better alternatives. Do you homework. I spent $400 for 4 adults and 2 kids yesterday. I wish I took my hard earned money elsewhere. Too late.

11/08/10

Poor Service, Awful Men's Bathroom

by uptownrooty at Citysearch

I recently chose to eat at your restaurant for my birthday dinner. My finacee and I are under employed and I always considered King and I to have the feel of a more expensive restaurant at moderate prices.

The food, as usual, was excellent, though I have to major complaints. Firstly, the server was not very attentive nor very professional. For example, my fiancee ordered her entree by the dish's name, and the server rudely explained that we would have to order by number..."the kitchen only goes by the number." The server should be gracious and accommodating, instead of "training" the guest to order properly. He made it seem like it was not his job to match the dish names with the numbers and be our translator.

Secondly, the Men's bathroom was absolutely atrocious. Above the urinal, there was a rectangular glue mark where a frame was once placed. All of the walls were covered in graffiti. Overall, the bathroom would seem fit for a sleazy downtown bar, but it is unacceptable in a nice restaurant.

I've been coming to King and I since it was on Nicollet mall, but the service and atmosphere are no longer consistent with the prices. For entrees over $15, I expect much more class. Given my recent experience, I will not choose Kind and I anytime soon.

07/19/10

Excellent food, good service, peaceful atmosphere

by hushasha40 at Citysearch

A good friend treated me to dinner at this fine restaurant for my birthday. We shared the mock duck egg rolls, which were delicious, and while she opted for the spinach and peanut dish with chicken, I stayed with a solid staple: pad thai with mock duck. The portions were huge, so be sure to be prepared to take home your leftovers. We also celebrated with a nice cocktail that involved plum wine, a plum, and champagne! The service was excellent...we were looked after well without staff constantly doting on us: a nice balance. The atmosphere is tasteful with Thai art and nice lighting, although it can seem a bit crowded to those who suffer claustrophobia. However, there is the option of sitting outside on the patio...but the air conditioning enticed us to stay inside.

• Pros: Generous portions, great drinks
• Cons: Garden level: can seem a bit confined

02/26/10

Is it just me or does the service blow here?

by nikimarie at Citysearch

Where to start? Well, first of all the Pad Thai here is amazing, best I've had in the twin cities. Overall the food here is nothing to complain about. If you're planning on indulging in some of their delicious food I recommend takeout because the service here is the worst I've ever experienced. I can't comment on the bar staff because I go get drinks from them when 30 minutes have gone by and I haven't seen my server. However, the servers, hostesses and apparently management could care less about customer service. The wait to order drinks, food and pay is obnoxiously long compared to the competition. I've given this restaurant 4 tries of in house dining and have been disappointed each time. This will continue to be a takeout restaurant for me because they lack the know how to be a full service restaurant.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Service