By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor Published Oct 13, 2020 at 12:01 PM

My annual article, 52 Restaurants for your Bucket List, was originally created to provide readers with an easy way to explore the wealth of restaurants in the Milwaukee scene over the course of one year (52 weeks). Today, as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, it provides a fun and equally compelling guide for folks who’d like to bring variety to their weekly meals while providing vital support to some of our finest local restaurants.

Here's the featured restaurant of the day, plus five can’t miss dishes to try

Kin by Rice N Roll
7484 W. State St., Wauwatosa, (414) 524-9056
kinbyricenroll.com

Venture to Kin in the Wauwatosa Village and you’ll be greeted with a menu filled with excellent Thai staples like drunken noodles and panang curry. But it gets even more fun when you dig a bit deeper, trying dishes like khaosoy, a curry from Northern Thailand that’s pretty difficult (if not impossible) to find elsewhere in the city. And you can’t go wrong with Kin’s fresh, beautifully presented sushi. In-house dining, carry-out and delivery are available.

Five dishes to try: 

  1. Steamed buns with melt-in-your mouth chashu pork, soy braised honey glazed duck; or soy marinated grilled portobello mushroom. Buns are served two per order for $7-8.

  2. Khaosoy, a unique curry from Northern Thailand with a choice of chicken, tofu or shrimp (+$3), egg noodles, boiled egg, red onion, scallions, bean sprouts and pickled radishes ($14)

  3. Jumbo lump crab fried rice with garlic, pepper, scallion, egg and lime sauce ($19)

  4. Crispy pad thai shrimp, a creative modern take on the classic featuring crispy wontons tossed with traditional pad Thai components ($14)

  5. Sushi: Choose from more traditional nigiri and maki, plus beautifully presented modern creations like the Tosa Fab roll featuring a combination of fresh yellowtail, cilantro and avocado wrapped in black rice and topped with super white tuna. It’s topped with housemade curry mayo and microgreens ($16, pictured above).

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor

As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.