Kin and Comfort

I say this Asian-​Southern fusion is worth a try! Tucked away in North Austin you will find fried chicken thighs & panang Mac n Cheese! Very very casual with a food court environment but afterwards you can stroll through the Asian market for other goodies.

Wow. I live only a few minutes away and I’m sad to say it took me a few months to get around to trying this place out. I was definitely missing out.

Had the papaya salad which was good. The etouffe was vey good with excellent sausage and a slight touch of Asian fusion. No ice tea and lemon thus the 4 rather than 5 stars. No ice tea in a Southern influenced restaurant? Come on!

So I hate to do this because in general I love this place but I have had the Tom Kha shrimp and grits probably five times over the last year or so & easily three out of five times at least one of my shrimp has been totally mushy. I love the concept here & the food execution & technique is usually great but it seems they need to step up the sourcing of their ingredients. I get that it is not super pricey and that they are able to source many of their ingredients directly from Hana but still…

So this place is located inside of the Hana World Market. The menu is small but everything looked delicious. I got the Shrimp and Grits, Catfish Fries, and something else I unfortunately can’t remember. The shrimp and grits were phenomenal. I could go back for that dish every single time. The food all had bold flavor, large portion sizes, and great texture/​presentation.
They accept cards now and there’s some other restaurants near it which look good as well. ⁸⁄₁₀ most def would come back!

I am a sucker for these interesting asian fusion restaurants and the thought of being able to try one with no hoopla is even better. This restaurant is located in the Hana World Market food court so you order your food, get a number and go find a table in a cafeteria style setting that is shared with 2 other restaurants.
I tried the panang mac and cheese ($ 9) and the chili slaw ($ 5). Both dishes were very good and packed with flavor. The panang mac and cheese had a good amount of meat which was a pleasant bonus and the panang curry mixed with the pasta is genius. The slaw has beets, brussel sprouts, and cabbage. I love beets so I’m going to be sold on pretty much any dish with them. I’m usually not a huge brussel sprouts fan, but I have to say I had no complaints eating all of these and actually even found myself searching for them throughout the slaw.
I guess my only possible complaint here is most of the other dishes offered don’t sound that appealing to me although I’m going to guess if I tried them I would like them.

What a surprise. This place is totally confusing, but I think that adds to the authenticity and charm. It’s located in a old Randalls grocery store. You go in through the front and there are three little Asian restaurants in there. Past the restaurant area is a large Asian market filled with everything you could ever imagine. They had great prices on fresh large shrimp.
I digress… The food at kin and comfort is simple and delish. My buddies got the meatloaf and fried chicken and they said they liked it. The portions and presentation were good. See pics. I had the pork buns and brussel sprout cabbage salad. They were both flavored well and very satisfying. To be honest, the buns at east side king are better, but these are a close second.
I’m definitely coming back here to try the other things on the menu.

Thai and Southern fusion?! When first hearing about this place, I was not sure what to think. Strange cuisine combination, but I have to say they do it very well. This little spot is tucked away in the food court of Hana World Market. I had trouble finding this place at first and probably would have missed it had it not been for Abhishek S’s tip. Thanks Abhi!
We tried the Krapao Pork Belly Buns and the Palo Pork Belly Bun, and they were both delicious. The pork was so flavorful and fell apart. The dishes were beautifully plated and considering how affordable the food is, this place offers great value for the cost.
What I will say is that the pork buns were a little difficult to eat: the bottom would break consistently, so the entire thing would fall apart. Eating it was a bit of a challenge, so be sure to grab a fork.
I look forward to trying more of what they have to offer. I see why this place is rated so highly: delicious, affordable food that is very unique!

So this place is in the Hana Market, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see it right away, its the first food court venue on the right when you walk in. It a quick grab and go or eat in the sitting area place.
For food I tried the kra pao pork belly bun and the Palo bun. Both dishes are pork. I was a little disappointed with the Palo bun cause the pork was really dry. But the pork belly buns were very juicy! The pork belly one was also very interesting since it had Asian pear, definitely a unique twist on a steam bun with some fatty pork belly.
I think this is a nice spot to stop by if you’re shopping in this market and need a quick bite.

Kin and Comfort was a place I was initially skeptical of. You see, I fall victim to what many might call a mild abject terror of trying new things. The first red flag I’d heard was «located in a food court», and to me, food courts aren’t really known for fine dining or even good dining. Or dining.
Kin and Comfort is one of those places I was happily wrong about. Located inside the Hana World Market, alongside what are reported to be other great eats, it sits. The menu board isn’t nine pages long — which is a plus — and it’s loaded with interesting twists and staples you can’t find anywhere else.
The Lady and I tucked into a pork bun apiece, fried brussel sprouts, and each chose an entrée. I chose the Thai style étouffée and the Lady chose catfish fries with cabbage.
To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. The North, as it’s commonly known in Austin, has for a long time been a culinary dead zone. Sure, there were great foods here and there, but nothing like South and Mid Austin. Finding a place like this up North felt like finding a gold mine. Solid, tasty, and well worth a return visit.
This is now on our radar… and will likely be a regular haunt. You owe it to yourself to try it at least once.

Updating my review. I would take away half a star for their lack of accommodating anything. But perhaps that adds to the charm (think of soup nazi in Seinfeld).
As good as it gets. Love the flavor combos. The fried chicken is a must. We tried the Thai etouffe and it had more smoky than Thai flavors thanks to the smoky sausage. The pork belly bun has to be the best I’ve had and I would eat this over the one at ESK any day.
Some of the reviews were a tad bit racist. If you’re going here — expect ASIAN. It’s an Asian market. Don’t go if you can’t stand the smell of Asian food or fish. Go if you want to expand your palate. Asian and Southern flavors what else could there be?

Didn’t realize until we got there that this is inside Hana World Market. It’s like a little food court inside a big Asian market. Don’t let that scare you off, though. It was good food, about the quality of most food trucks. I had some kind of fried chicken thigh that had a really good flavor. Also had pork belly tacos. Both were good and we would go back if we are in the area.
One star reduction because it was a little more expensive than it was worth. Another star reduction because the fried chicken was the full bone-​in chicken, while I thought i was going to be getting boneless chicken thighs like chicken karaage. But overall, good food.

Every once and a blue moon, we get a new place that’s pretty special up here in the Northern tundra of not-​quite-​Wilco that’s just as good or better than any hipster pop-​up in downtown, and that’s what happened when Kin and Comfort (K&C) debuted in the Hana World Market food court in Spring of 2014. Pan-​Asian + Southern + Gulf Coast = yummmm!
We were sad to see the demise of the upscale Spin Modern Thai in Cedar Park (also by Chef Ek Timrerk of Titaya’s) and his closer-​to-​us K&C has become one of my family’s favorite dinner takeout joints. We usually wind up ordering about 6 dishes, because it’s too hard to choose just 1 per person, and the leftovers are great on the 2^nd day.
Favorites: any of the veggie sides, daily specials, and/​or fried items. I always order the Som Tam (green papaya salad, spicy), catfish fries, and Panang mac & cheese. My Cajun-​ish special friend loves the tom kah shrimp & grits, the Thai spice étouffée (which tastes more like to gumbo to us), and the tom yum dirty rice with shrimp. Everyone raves about the fried chicken thighs, fried okra, and fried green tomatoes. Some of the other most popular menu items (like beef tongue and son-​in-​law eggs) rotate off the menu, so you’ll have to catch it when it’s there. And yes, they still have crispy Brussels sprouts and tender pork belly bun if you’re still into that.
They get pretty packed at dinner, so I recommend calling in your order for pick-​up. If not, just order at the counter and then take a 15 minute stroll through Hana. Last time I was there, I got to watch someone’s grannie wrangle a few live crabs into a pot and I was full of envy at what delicious meal was going to come from those critters later.
Open Wed — Mon, 11a — 8p.
Entrees are $ 7 to $ 10 each and sides are $ 3 – 4.

The Good: All the food! Have tried most items off the menu and have yet to be disappointed. My favs are the catfish fries, thai meatloaf and fried chicken thighs.
The Bad: It’s in a Asian market so as you should expect the smell is not pleasing but like most unpleasant smells if you stay around it long enough it magically fades away.

I’m pretty conflicted with this review. Way back when Kin & Comfort first opened, my husband and I were loyal customers. We easily ate there 2x a month, if not more. They had the most amazing, lightly fried, flavorful hush puppies that we would gobble down, even while they were still piping hot. Don’t even get me started on their beef tongue dish. That was my favorite dish in all of Austin– bar none. Perfectly tender tongue, crispy broccoli, topped with raisins and this tasty sauce. I’m drooling just thinking about.
Then… SXSW happened. K&C had a truck at the festival and took the publicity to change their menu. Now, every chef has the right to tweak their menu. It’s their creation, right? Sadly, I’m just not down with the changes. Gone are the fluffy hush puppies, good-​bye beef tongue, so long son-​in-​law deviled eggs. Now, it’s more cajun-​inspired, with étouffée, dirty rice and pulled pork.
I’ve tried a few of the new dishes, but the flavor and style just doesn’t ring my bell. I’m sure it’s personal preference and others obviously love the new dishes, so don’t let me steer you away if the menu looks good to you. I did stop by out of curiosity and ordered some pork belly buns and catfish fries. The pork belly was chewy (I remember them as divine they last few times I ordered them) and the catfish fries were still fairly decent, but for almost $ 17, I was expecting a little more.

Yaaas. This place. Catfish fries are on point (perfectly fried on top of a bed of rice). Green papaya salad was nice and spicy (I requested spicy, so good!), I used the leftover sauce to flavor the rice from the catfish fries (amazing). We also tried the krapao pork belly buns, which did not disappoint. If you’ve never had pork belly before, don’t shy away from the super fattiness of cut, it is so rich and delicious you won’t regret eating it (just maybe limit yourself).
It still amazes me that such good food can come from a food court inside an Asian market.

I had the Thai meatloaf with gravy. So, so delicious. Generous portion size. Meatloaf had a nice texture and flavor, gravy had a great blend of spices in it, served on a mountain of mashed potatoes. Yum.
With tax total was about $ 11
Looking forward to returning to try the mac n cheese and hush puppies.
Currently Kin and Comfort is not offering desserts but hopefully they will bring them back!
And the smell of the market doesn’t really invade the sit-​down eating area, for anyone who may be concerned.

Kin and Comfort fuzes Southern comfort food with a touch of Thai. It’s tucked inside the Hana World Market next to the Korean and Viet restaurant.
Pro:
–the Thai mac and cheese is absolutely delightful. I love the shells and the creamy sauce! They’ve also increased the portion size and serve it in a bigger bowl!
–if you get the Mac and cheese, Tom Kha with grits, or the crawfish étouffée (all very good choices), you might want to also order a side that is not so creamy and heavy, like their fried green tomato or catfish and rice.
–their dishes have a unique spin on delicious comfort food that will leave you wanting to come back for more eats.
Con:
–an ill fitting environment for such amazing food.

Thai/​comfort fusion in a Japanese supermarket food court, sounds legit.
I wasn’t so sure about this place but mama was right when she said, «don’t judge a book by its cover…»
I’m not averse to my food staring back at me. I don’t mind it one bit. Fish with the head still on? Sure! Whole roasted pig, head still on? Absolutely! Pull the heads off shrimp and fry them up as their own dish? Hell yeah! These suckers were delicious. Lightly breaded and fried until golden brown and crispy.
For my entrée I had the Thai spiced étouffée. Also surprisingly good. The flavors leaned more towards the Cajun side while the ingredients were more Asian inspired.
My wife ordered the fried chicken thighs with papaya salad sever with sticky rice. This is the quintessential Lao meal. Of course Lao people prefers grilling the meat and the papaya salad would be a little bit more rustic and spicier but all the components are there. The thighs were nicely seasoned and perfectly fried. This is a great dish and a good value.
Our friend ordered the tom kah shrimp and grits. Yep, you read that right. The soup base here is coconut, I believe. I had a bite of it and it was pretty tasty, even the grits were good.
All in all, the food was good and reasonably priced. I didn’t check but I believe it’s BYOB. Run into Hana World to grab a six pack and chow down on some shrimp heads amongst friends, y’all!

Great food. I had beef tongue. Lovely, completely different than anything I have tasted before. Served with a lovel (and spicy) salad and a huge side of rice.
My friends had a spicy Korean fish dish and a spicy pork and potato stew with the side dishes. All of them were tasty.
Despite the lack of atmosphere and complete lack of pretentiousness, worth it to come and have a family style oriental dinner with friends. Order something from all three restaurants and share them together. What fun!

With the boss away, we, who hold down the fort, staged a mutiny for a long lunch. So my office mate and I made the mad dash to Kin & Comfort. I decided I wanted the Thai Fried Chicken. My office mate was upset because that is what she wanted to order. I assured her it was alright if we order the same dish.
We gave our order to the young girl at the register and found a table. A short time later and she brings our food. The Thai fried chicken came with rice and papaya salad. You all know how good the food is here. The Chicken was so crispy and full of flavor. Definitely finger licking good. Seriously the rice was perfectly cooked. I was afraid of the salad but even though it was hot in spots, it was so refreshing.
What can I say that hasn’t been said already. Great food and reasonable prices

The chef is pretty smart mixing Thai with other cuisines like Panang + Macaroni. They came out great! My fav is Kraprao Pork Belly Bun — very good seasoning, well thought for ingredients. The fried chicken is juicy and well marinated. Overall good job of being different and showcasing creativity. A must try for food lovers.
Also I tried fried shrimp heads. Fantastic! They are great with Sriracha sauce.
Source: I am Thai!

Words can’t describe how good this place is, it’s a real hidden gem. The quality of the food is amazing and the prices are unbeatable. The flavors are just magnificent and something I’ve never had before in fusion Korean and comfort food. I can’t wait to try everything on the menu, I would recommend this to anybody in a heartbeat. If you can just overcome the smell of the market and the entry to the place, you’re in for an amazing surprise. Very close to one of the most amazing meals of your life, I kid you not. Can’t wait to come back for more.

This place is so uniquely cool. You walk in to a previous Kroger/Randall’s or something and its split into a food court and Asian shopping center.
Kin’s menu is more simple and to the point than the other– and the decisions were hard to make!
I chose the Panang curry Mac and cheese. It was great! Kind of what I expected. The noodles were pretty chewy but the sauce and beef were on point. Simple nice presentation, I definitely I ate the whole thing.

I had a great experience eating here and shopping in the market. If this place wasn’t so far north I would definitely frequent it more often. I had been wanting to try the food her for some time as I know its the creation of the chef from Spin… I was such a huge fan of Spin and it almost brought me to tears when they closed.
I wasn’t a bit disappointed. I had the Curry Meatloaf, Southern Friend Rice Balls and Thom Kha Shrimp and grits and it was all amazing. Fusion cooking is so often looked down on in the food world and I’ve never really been able to understand what why. The food here is a perfect combination of two completely different cultures. The spicy adventurousness of the Thai food pairs with the hearty down home southern flavors like the two were meant for each other.
The curry meatloaf has a flavor and consistency that I haven’t had anywhere else. The meatloaf is excellently made and doesn’t taste like a ball of ground meat as meatloaf often can but instead tastes like a complex mixture of delicious things. The curry is just subtle enough not to over power everything and the result is happiness in my mouth!
The Southern Fried Rice balls bring back the Boudin balls I could get at the local rural gas station as a youth. There’s no way around just stating out right that they are amazing. I could probably eat 3 – 4 orders of them in one sitting.
The Thom Kha Shrimp and Grits are also absolutely amazing! I cook shrimp and grits quite a bit at home and its one of my favorite foods. nothing could have prepared me for what a Thai Spin on this dish could bring to it. adding the tart and sweet taste of Thom Kha to Shrimp and Grits ands a depth of flavor that you would be hard to find anywhere.
We also had the Son In Law’s Deviled Eggs. they were also great and you certainly cant beat their price point at 3 dollars for three deviled eggs.
I’ve eaten here several times and noticed the menu seems to change a bit but I sort of consider that a plus. Go here eat everything and you wont regret it!

Quality, unique, thoughtful and surprisingly affordable are several words that come to mind when I think of Kin and Comfort. And seeing as how I’ve been here more times than I can count and have introduced several people to this delicious establishment, I’m definitely overdue for a review.
Once in awhile, they refresh their menu, but often, you’ll find a smaller list of items than you would in other establishments. Remember what I said about quality? You will not miss the quality, because they bring it in every dish they offer.
Have I enjoyed every single dish? Perhaps some more than others… What brings me back, however, is that even if I haven’t gone bonkers trying each dish, I can sense the thoughtfulness of the chef. And I am one to appreciate this. Modifications are politely declined, so don’t think it’s the kind of «have it your way» establishment and that takes me back to quality and that silly thoughtful aspect to Kin and Comfort!
Located within Hana World Market, the only draw back is that fishy before you walk into the food court, deal with it. It’s worth it. For the open minded foodie, this spot is not to be missed if you’re in N. Austin.

Delicious! Such creative & exciting flavors with fresh ingredients. Southern-​Asian fusion — genius!
I really liked how the menu was simple & not overwhelming.
I ordered the Homefried Chicken Thighs, which was served with fried green tomatoes and a papaya salad. This was cooked perfectly, with a crispy, yummy outside and so moist inside the chicken. The sides were delicious, as well.
And the Fried Deviled Eggs — yummy and beautiful.
CASH ONLY — give this joint a little try if you want a big bang for your buck.

Asian-​Southern comfort fusion. Whaaaaat, sounds delicious! I went with a friend and ordered #6−9 on the menu: the krapao pork belly buns, catfish fries, home-​fried chicken thighs, and panang mac & cheese.
The catfish fries came first. Now, I’m usually disapproving of frying fish, since I believe that it’s cheating. However, there’s definitely a higher ratio of fish to batter, and every bite still has that fishy taste that I love. Some pieces of fish are slightly on the tough side though. The rice is pretty flavorful and tastes similar to sushi rice, so it’s like eating a chirashi bowl, kind of. ⁴⁄₅.
Next up is the panang mac & cheese. This dish is essentially cheesy shells served with curry and meat on top. The shells aren’t your typical pasta shells; it’s clear and appears to me made from bean curd. The shells aren’t covered but coated with white cheese, which is the way it should be done. The addition of the curry sauce on top is creative and interesting, but didn’t bond together very well. ³⁄₅.
Austin loves pork belly, so there’s always an automatic hype and expectation for any dish that has it featured. Sadly, the pork belly buns here doesn’t quite make the cut. It’s a bit tough with not as much fat as I would’ve liked. The first time I ordered this dish, however, the pork belly tasted amazing. Hopefully I just caught them on a bad day. ⁴⁄₅.
Last up was the home-​fried chicken thighs. You get two large pieces of chicken and each bite was a delicious combination of tender meat and juicy fat. It looks and tastes fresh and cooked-​to-​order too, unlike the standard fried chicken from KFC. Not a fan of the fried green tomatoes though. ⁴⁄₅.
For a place with relatively small dishes, it’s a bit expensive. Cash only too, so remember to bring your 10’s and 20’s. Your food may take a bit long to come out during the lunch or dinner rush hour, so make sure you don’t have anywhere important to get to right after. The environment overall is something different and refreshing and will always have me coming back.