Sadly, though I haven't physically put my eyes on it, the word on the street is that Kanomwan is NO MORE. CLOSED. VACATED. TORN-DOWN. GONE. I, along with many of my friends and family, are devastated by this news. Kanomwan has been a staple in my circles for the last 38 YEARS!!! Yes, it's true, the Tom Ka Gai, best I ever had, the Gai Pad Prig Phao, heaven on earth ... but by far, something that you'll never find any where else, including halfway around the planet, is the Pork Toast w/ cucumber and red onion relish, I would trade one of my children for another plate of these!!! And my children would also trade me for one too. But the big truth is, for me, the most touching thing that Kanomwan always delivered was the human touch and the grace of real flavor. Mama, I will indeed miss you, just as much as I have missed your late great husband. Your family, including all your children and cousins, have warmed my heart throughout my life. Happiness to you and all that you love. -G&G
Charn Pum
Closed permanently. It has been over 2 months already. No sign this will open again or at least not for awhile. I will come back again in a month to check and see if it would open.
Lee Ann Hellums
No frills needed. The food is the star
Mark Condon
Amazing Thai food. Been coming here for about 20+ years
Carmen Vargas
My favorite Thai place! I've been visiting this place for over 15 years, same menu and quality of food.
M. S.
Great food. The customer service is great. I tried the soup and the chicken pad Thai and it was great. I cannot handle spicy food and I felt it was super spicy.
Nathan St. Michel
We've been going to this restaurant for at least 20 years. It's still as Good as it ever was. By far the best Thai food in town. Our favorites are h5 and h6 and S3.
Mick Salem
Beef Curry was ok, Pad Thai was ok. Take out portion is a little small and for the price I feel it wasnt worth it. Will I come back? Not likely.
Andrew Barbe
Really good food and great, low key location.
Richard J.
This is really a 3-1/2 star rating, and lord did I struggle whether to present it as 3 stars or 4 stars. You see, I've been dining at Kanomwan for over two decades. I'm not a regular, but I would say that I make it over there once a year on average. I first visited on the reputation of Kanomwan as being a hole-in-the-wall family-run establishment serving authentic Thai cuisine. And yep, it delivered. Back then the decor was out-of-date, the kitchen was slow, and the menu notoriously inflexible, but that was part of the charm because the food was really good. Well, fast forward over 20 years, and the decor still hasn't been refreshed and the kitchen is still slow. The menu - shockingly, in 2021 - still does not have a vegetarian option. I was dining last night with a vegetarian, and that presented a problem. She ultimately decided to break ranks and order a dish with shrimp, but was really surprised - as was I - that there were no dishes for those who do not eat meat. Credit to the waitress who was sympathetic and had a pained yet knowing look as she tried to assist with the ordering. I however did find some flexibility on the menu in that I ordered the pad woon sen and was able to get it without shrimp, just chicken. Years ago, you dared not even ask such a thing here, and I believe there was even a warning on the menu not to ask for alterations or substitutions. I would say that quality has lost a step in recent years, though it's still good. The portions are also on the modest side, so consider getting an appetizer or some soup to round-out your entree. The service is certainly friendly than it used to be. It's not effusive, mind you, but compared with the way it's used to be, it's a breath of fresh air. I do appreciate that many who visit seem to be long-time regulars, and they come to Kanomwan to relax and to celebrate as if it's in someone's home. Also, I quite like the quirky shopping center that Kanomwan is located in. This is a fascinating part of the East End. What I worry about is what happens in the future for Kanomwan, as I believe the husband of the couple who ran it is now deceased and that the widow is quite old. I would love to see this restaurant carry on with a much-needed refresh of the menu. I don't think it's worth traveling halfway across the city to eat here anymore. But it's still a solid choice, one still worth visiting if you are in the general vicinity.
A good, if a bit overpriced, place. I visited Kanomwan for the first time when I was wanting a quick dinner but didn't feel like driving all over the place, as I wanted to hit Bohemeo's afterward.Kanomwan is across the parking lot from Bohemeo's as a matter of fact. There's ample parking unless there's a special event going on at Bohemeo's.I ordered their shrimp fried rice, 2 egg rolls, and a Coke. The fried rice was $15.95 - a bit high, even for shrimp - although other meats come in at $12.95 or less. An order of two egg rolls were $2.95. My entire tab, plus an 18% tip, ran just over $26.For comparison, consider a place across town - Shanghai River, in the heart of the tony River Oaks area. Shanghai River is also pretty costly, but there, I think you get more of what you pay for. The decor at Kanomwan is akin to a cafeteria - it's utilitarian, but not unfriendly. I found the service a little slow on the night I went - one waitress was serving seven tables including mine. And soft drinks are not fountain drinks there - it's a can and a glass of ice, so no free refills.If you can get past all that, you'll enjoy the food. The Thai-style shrimp fried rice had nice sized shrimp with chopped egg and green onions, garnished with tomatoes and cucumbers. The egg rolls contain what appeared to be carrots (a switch for me from cabbage-based ones).Kanomwan is a good Asian place. I just think that you can get better value at places like 888 over off the Gulf Freeway, or Bamboo over on Montrose near the Museum District. But if you're in the East End and wanting Thai, this is your place.
justme here
It wasn't a bad experience at all. But regarding the soups, they all tend to be pretty salty. But if you expect a lot of ingredients in your soup I need to disappoint you. Overall the dishes were good, but very spare with ingredients
Jackie K.
We tried takeout from Kanomwan, and it was just OK--I feel like they have a different take on Thai food, which perhaps wasn't my favorite but was still fine. The panang curry we ordered was different than any I'd had previously--a much thicker curry with less sauce served with the dish, though the curry flavor was tasty. I didn't love the pad thai was, and it used much thinner noodles than you typically see in pad thai. The fried rice was solid. Overall, our takeout meal from Kanomwan was fine but there are many better choices for Thai food in Houston.
Julie R.
This place was amazing and authentic! Service was great, food was beyond exceptional and I will definitely be back!
Lawton D.
The only Thai food in Houston I will eat now. Order S1 and S3 and you will live a happy life. It's admittedly not much to look at but the flavors of the food far out weight the lack of decor.
Sadly, though I haven't physically put my eyes on it, the word on the street is that Kanomwan is NO MORE. CLOSED. VACATED. TORN-DOWN. GONE. I, along with many of my friends and family, are devastated by this news. Kanomwan has been a staple in my circles for the last 38 YEARS!!! Yes, it's true, the Tom Ka Gai, best I ever had, the Gai Pad Prig Phao, heaven on earth ... but by far, something that you'll never find any where else, including halfway around the planet, is the Pork Toast w/ cucumber and red onion relish, I would trade one of my children for another plate of these!!! And my children would also trade me for one too. But the big truth is, for me, the most touching thing that Kanomwan always delivered was the human touch and the grace of real flavor. Mama, I will indeed miss you, just as much as I have missed your late great husband. Your family, including all your children and cousins, have warmed my heart throughout my life. Happiness to you and all that you love. -G&G
Closed permanently. It has been over 2 months already. No sign this will open again or at least not for awhile. I will come back again in a month to check and see if it would open.
No frills needed. The food is the star
Amazing Thai food. Been coming here for about 20+ years
My favorite Thai place! I've been visiting this place for over 15 years, same menu and quality of food.
Great food. The customer service is great. I tried the soup and the chicken pad Thai and it was great. I cannot handle spicy food and I felt it was super spicy.
We've been going to this restaurant for at least 20 years. It's still as Good as it ever was. By far the best Thai food in town. Our favorites are h5 and h6 and S3.
Beef Curry was ok, Pad Thai was ok. Take out portion is a little small and for the price I feel it wasnt worth it. Will I come back? Not likely.
Really good food and great, low key location.
This is really a 3-1/2 star rating, and lord did I struggle whether to present it as 3 stars or 4 stars. You see, I've been dining at Kanomwan for over two decades. I'm not a regular, but I would say that I make it over there once a year on average. I first visited on the reputation of Kanomwan as being a hole-in-the-wall family-run establishment serving authentic Thai cuisine. And yep, it delivered. Back then the decor was out-of-date, the kitchen was slow, and the menu notoriously inflexible, but that was part of the charm because the food was really good. Well, fast forward over 20 years, and the decor still hasn't been refreshed and the kitchen is still slow. The menu - shockingly, in 2021 - still does not have a vegetarian option. I was dining last night with a vegetarian, and that presented a problem. She ultimately decided to break ranks and order a dish with shrimp, but was really surprised - as was I - that there were no dishes for those who do not eat meat. Credit to the waitress who was sympathetic and had a pained yet knowing look as she tried to assist with the ordering. I however did find some flexibility on the menu in that I ordered the pad woon sen and was able to get it without shrimp, just chicken. Years ago, you dared not even ask such a thing here, and I believe there was even a warning on the menu not to ask for alterations or substitutions. I would say that quality has lost a step in recent years, though it's still good. The portions are also on the modest side, so consider getting an appetizer or some soup to round-out your entree. The service is certainly friendly than it used to be. It's not effusive, mind you, but compared with the way it's used to be, it's a breath of fresh air. I do appreciate that many who visit seem to be long-time regulars, and they come to Kanomwan to relax and to celebrate as if it's in someone's home. Also, I quite like the quirky shopping center that Kanomwan is located in. This is a fascinating part of the East End. What I worry about is what happens in the future for Kanomwan, as I believe the husband of the couple who ran it is now deceased and that the widow is quite old. I would love to see this restaurant carry on with a much-needed refresh of the menu. I don't think it's worth traveling halfway across the city to eat here anymore. But it's still a solid choice, one still worth visiting if you are in the general vicinity.
Restaurantji Recommends
A good, if a bit overpriced, place. I visited Kanomwan for the first time when I was wanting a quick dinner but didn't feel like driving all over the place, as I wanted to hit Bohemeo's afterward.Kanomwan is across the parking lot from Bohemeo's as a matter of fact. There's ample parking unless there's a special event going on at Bohemeo's.I ordered their shrimp fried rice, 2 egg rolls, and a Coke. The fried rice was $15.95 - a bit high, even for shrimp - although other meats come in at $12.95 or less. An order of two egg rolls were $2.95. My entire tab, plus an 18% tip, ran just over $26.For comparison, consider a place across town - Shanghai River, in the heart of the tony River Oaks area. Shanghai River is also pretty costly, but there, I think you get more of what you pay for. The decor at Kanomwan is akin to a cafeteria - it's utilitarian, but not unfriendly. I found the service a little slow on the night I went - one waitress was serving seven tables including mine. And soft drinks are not fountain drinks there - it's a can and a glass of ice, so no free refills.If you can get past all that, you'll enjoy the food. The Thai-style shrimp fried rice had nice sized shrimp with chopped egg and green onions, garnished with tomatoes and cucumbers. The egg rolls contain what appeared to be carrots (a switch for me from cabbage-based ones).Kanomwan is a good Asian place. I just think that you can get better value at places like 888 over off the Gulf Freeway, or Bamboo over on Montrose near the Museum District. But if you're in the East End and wanting Thai, this is your place.
It wasn't a bad experience at all. But regarding the soups, they all tend to be pretty salty. But if you expect a lot of ingredients in your soup I need to disappoint you. Overall the dishes were good, but very spare with ingredients
We tried takeout from Kanomwan, and it was just OK--I feel like they have a different take on Thai food, which perhaps wasn't my favorite but was still fine. The panang curry we ordered was different than any I'd had previously--a much thicker curry with less sauce served with the dish, though the curry flavor was tasty. I didn't love the pad thai was, and it used much thinner noodles than you typically see in pad thai. The fried rice was solid. Overall, our takeout meal from Kanomwan was fine but there are many better choices for Thai food in Houston.
This place was amazing and authentic! Service was great, food was beyond exceptional and I will definitely be back!
The only Thai food in Houston I will eat now. Order S1 and S3 and you will live a happy life. It's admittedly not much to look at but the flavors of the food far out weight the lack of decor.