Houstonians are about to get a taste of the exotic when MaKiin – the brainchild of female restaurateur Lukkaew Srasrisuwan, who won the hearts of Houston diners with her Heights restaurant Kin Dee back in 2020 – opens its doors on Monday, October 23 on the ground level of luxury high-rise Hanover River Oaks at 2651 Kipling Street.
“MaKiin means “come to eat,” an invitation that in Thailand is viewed as the highest honor one can bestow,” said Srasrisuwan in a statement. “I’m excited to offer Houston diners an invitation to come eat and celebrate the culture and beauty of Thailand. Our carefully curated menu of authentic Thai dishes, I feel will really resonate with Houston’s diverse clientele while introducing the Bayou City to an entirely new culinary experience.”
Located in the luxury high-rise Hanover River Oaks, MaKiin is situated at the corner of Kipling Street and Kirby, directly across the street from Eddie V’s Prime Seafood and Becks Prime. Upon entering the 4,500-square-foot-space, guests are transported to a Thai-inspired atmosphere filled with hand-painted and 3D murals depicting scenes from Srasrisuwan’s native country. Designed by interior designer Gin Braverman, the decor draws inspiration from ornate Thai temples and lively Thai night markets.
A grand entrance featuring a bold herculean gold door leads into the dining room, where an installation of tubular gold lights illuminates a gold-facade bar with seating for 17. Above the lighting display, a canopy paying homage to Thai mythological creatures Galuda and Naga envelop the space. The dining room, accommodating up to 94 guests, has tufted booths and banquet seating adorned in moody jewel-toned fabrics, including ruby, deep teal, and saffron velvet. Custom bronze mesh curtains give the option to close the space into three separate private dining rooms, each seating up to 10 guests. The modern theme seamlessly extends to the 800-square-foot patio adorned with printed Thai umbrellas, lush planters, and seating for 56.
The menu was created by Thailand’s Chefs Eakkapan (O) Ngammuang and Aphassorn (Bell) Predawan, who were both born and raised in Thailand and bring over 15 years of experience to MaKiin. On the menu, the chefs introduce multi-layered dishes full of flavors that serve as an ode to royal Thai family recipes within the Northern and Southern culinary regions of Thailand, which has influences from Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and China. Guests can enjoy an array of unique appetizers, soups, and salads including the Tenderloin Temptation, tenderloin tips on a crispy baguette topped with a rich quail egg yolk and edible flowers, and the Duck Garden Oasis – lemongrass sous vide duck breast complete with a colorful medley of microgreens, edible flowers, celery, crunchy pine nuts, and pomegranate seeds. Entrée highlights include the Flavors of Siam – featuring seared wagyu steak glazed with palm sugar, accompanied by charred eggplant, lemongrass, bird’s eye chili, grilled romaine hearts, and two Thai-style sauces, Pla and Yum; and Chef O’s Chicken – deboned chicken wings and a chicken lollipop stuffed with ground chicken, carrots, potatoes, and Massaman curry paste atop a bed of potato pave, plus a dash of gold dust added tableside. Other offerings include the Majestic Ocean Medley, featuring a casserole of poached lobster tail, scallops, crispy soft-shell crab, calamari, and bean vermicelli noodles; and the Sizzling Northern Adventure, paper-thin sliced short ribs in a Northern-style yellow curry broth with crispy egg noodles, pickled green mustard, red onion, quail egg, and chili oil – all served on a sizzling hot stone.
Dessert highlights include butterfly pea flower-infused coconut ice cream served with fruit jelly and a creamy, salt-cured egg yolk, daily sorbet specials crafted in-house, and the Dessert Wonderland featuring rich chocolate soil, lychee rosewater sorbet, and edible moss topped with a whimsical chocolate tree and fluffy cotton candy.
The beverage menu has a lineup of 50 wine labels, each chosen to complement the flavors of MaKiin’s cuisine, and ten hand-crafted specialty cocktails including the Karn Blue Gem made with butterfly pea flower-infused gin, lime juice, lemongrass syrup, and a touch of champagne, as well as the Bangkok Pad Thai which combines vodka, tamarind and lime juices, a dash of Pad Thai flavor, peanut-infused simple syrup, and a dusting of chili powder, garnished with shrimp and tofu. To enhance the experience further, MaKiin will introduce a happy hour, complete with a curated array of Thai twists on classic cocktails and a specially crafted food menu.
MaKiin will serve dinner Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight. Happy hour will be offered at the bar, in the dining room, and on the patio every day from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. along with live entertainment Thursday through Sunday starting at 6:30 p.m.
