At one-Michelin-star Kin Dee, head chef Dalad Kambhu combines the flavours she grew up with in Bangkok with locally grown produce to create innovative contemporary versions of traditional Thai dishes, including white asparagus with lemongrass and pickled egg yolk, and mussels with wild garlic and chilli paste.

Combining Thai flavours and techniques with local produce, Bangkok-raised chef Dalad Kambhu won the Berlin culinary crowd over at first bite, parlaying a successful pop-up into an internationally acclaimed restaurant in the space of a year and a half. Michelin came calling shortly after, anointing Kin Dee with a star in 2019. While it took a while for the food itself to catch up to all the accolades, we’d say Kambhu’s explosive chilli pastes, innovative preparations and premium ingredients (Odefey & Töchter chicken, Roddie Sloan clams) are now more than deserving of that plaque on the wall – and your €79.

On a very cold Berlin evening, Kin Dee is a bright, warm retreat, full of robust flavours and bold Thai aromas (try the Massaman Lamb Shank, you won't be disappointed). Born and raised in Bangkok, Kambhu, who is a self-trained cook, lived in New York for a decade before deciding to move to Berlin to open her first restaurant with artist Rirkrit Tiravanija. Tiravanjia—whose artwork often involves the context of shared meals—helped pioneer a sharing set menu at Kin Dee, and provided the sort of brotherly mentorship that encouraged Kambhu to start cooking for herself.

Das Ex-Model kam als Quereinsteigerin in die Gastro-Szene, als sie während des Studiums in New York begann, für Freunde zu kochen. Nach einer zufälligen Begegnung mit „Grill Royal“-Macher Stefan Landwehr wurde sie Küchenchefin des Kin Dee an der Lützowstraße, einem der besten asiatischen Restaurants in Berlin, wo sie mit einer sehr persönlichen Interpretation der Thai-Küche ihrer Kindheit Auszeichnungen erkochte. Gewürzpasten bereitet sie frisch im Mörser zu, wie sie es zu Hause in Bangkok von ihrer Mutter lernte.

Dalad Kambhu found her vocation through cooking with her aunt – an unconventional route into the culinary world that has no doubt influenced her approach as head chef at Kin Dee. The restaurant is simple, dressed in neutral tones, but Berlin’s punk roots are not forgotten, with a red neon sign and roughly painted poetry on the mirror. The atmosphere is relaxed but lively, and staff set you at ease immediately.

Chances are they might never get over their loss, because while the new tenant on Lützowstraße also offers Thai fare, these restaurants are fundamentally different and the ambition of Kin Dee exceeds the ones of Edd’s by far. So to the dismay of all Edd’s regulars, it’s time to move on and embrace the fact that your new neighbourhood Thai will be famous beyond its Kiez, city and possibly even country.

Combining two of Berlin’s biggest trends, fine dining and Thai food, Kin Dee might just be the city’s best restaurant. Chef Dalad Khambu takes flavours from her native Bangkok and locally sourced ingredients to create striking modern Thai dishes that pack a punch. Highlights from the menu include clams with house-made chilli paste and a sweet green curry with beef and aubergine.

She decided to move to Berlin in order to grasp the possibility to open up her own Thai Restaurant named Kin Dee. Her time in New York inspired her to start cooking and creating the flavorful dishes that she missed from home. Today she creates insanely tasty Thai dishes at Kin Dee, with flavorful pastes that she makes herself, fresh vegetables and only organic meat.

Im Berliner Thai-Restaurant Kin Dee bringt die Küchenchefin den Geschmack ihrer Heimatstadt Bangkok in die Hauptstadt. Dazu werden fast ausschließlich regionale und saisonale Zutaten verwendet. So kommt es beispielsweise vor, dass tropische Früchte auf raffinierte und kreative Weise durch solche ersetzt werden, die es hierzulande gibt.

One of our favourite restaurant mottos in Berlin ‘Unapologetic Thai Food’ and another brilliant Michelin star restaurant converting take-away via pick-up. It just gets better and better. The Host: Kin Dee is the baby of talented chef Dalad Kambhu, one of 10 woman in Germany to have received the recent 2019 Michelin star rating.

It may be on a relatively nondescript street in a less lively part of Schöneberg, but there’s nothing mundane about the beautiful dishes that Kin Dee creates. The ingredients are mostly seasonal, local and ethically sourced, but the flavours are Thai through and through. Kin Dee means “eat well” in Thai.

Ja das Kin Dee haben wir eigentlich recht spät erst entdeckt. Also gefühlt war jeder da, wir jedoch haben erst während unseres Thailandmonats vorbeigeschaut. Dennoch kochte sich Dalad Kambhu mit ihren Gerichten direkt in unsere Herzen.

Kin Dee already closed in May this year, following in the footsteps of Cordo, NoName, Lode & Stijn (who had a green Michelin star, symbolising their sustainability) at the end of last year. But what exactly is driving the crisis?