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Thai, page 2
| House special ong choi salad from Pae Thai, only this salad comes with more meat than veggies! |  |
Pae Thai. A Closer Look. 1246 S. King st. in McCully/Moiliili. 596-8106. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in tiny lot behind store or on street. Prices: $$. Map. Can be a hit or miss, but when you score, you score big! I love that they use a lot of authentic Thai herbs not normally found in such quantities at other Thai outfits, such as Thai ginger, lemongrass, and basil, all of which help to provide a really authentic, exotic taste. The Tom yum soup is an example of this, with a complex mix of all these flavors and more. Their pad thai and mee krob are possible weak points here, coming with an overly sweet, bright orange sauce. The ong choi salad is a signature dish, and comes with seafood, chicken, onions, cashew nuts, and different herbs, with an interesting arrangement of whole deep-fried ong choi leaves to top it all off. Spring rolls and curries are excellent, as are the fish dishes.
Thai Sweet Basil. 2756 Woodlawn Dr. at the Manoa Marketplace in Manoa. 988-8811. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. This is one of your nicer Thai restaurants, occupying the former Donato’s. They have several beers on tap and a decent list of cocktails, which is definitely a plus and different from most Thai eateries. Service and atmosphere are both great, but the menu items are a hit-or-miss affair. The curries are lacking in the exotic herbs and spices that make a real Thai meal sing.
Haleiwa Eats. 66-079 Kamehameha Hwy in Haleiwa. 637-4247. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in lots surrounding store. Prices: $$. Map. Not exactly the most exotic name, but this is a decent Thai restaurant, and a good fix if you are out on the North Shore and need a good dose of fresh herbs and spice and everything nice. The large leg of duck here is given a lot of time and TLC, as it is marinated, boiled to a perfect tenderness, and then fried crispy and presented with different sauces. Hopefully there are not too many others when you get there, because I’ve waited much too long on occasion, and the service can be a bit unenthusiastic.
Thai Valley. 501 Keahole St. at the Kalama Village Center in Hawaii Kai. 395-9746. Dinner nightly. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. In a small, unassuming shopping center in Hawaii Kai lays a casual, cozy little restaurant that has been quietly serving up some decent Thai food for many years. The only disadvantage is that they are not open for lunch, when possible patrons are visiting the nearby day-time attractions like Hanauma Bay, Sandy Beach, and the Makapuu Beach Park or Trail.
Chao Phya Thai. 45-480 Kaneohe Bay Dr. at the Kaneohe S.C. in Kaneohe. 235-3555. Lunch and dinner daily, except closed for lunch on Sunday. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. Out on the Windward side, this shopping center restaurant serves up all your favorite Thai dishes. The servings are a bit small, but flavor-wise, you’ll be happy. For starters, both the spring rolls (fried) and summer rolls (non-fried) are excellent. For entrees, there is a great stir-fried shrimp, pad thai, ginger chicken or fish, and of course, all manner of excellent curries.
