SingSing Thai Street Food

SingSing Thai Street Food is in Honolulu Chinatown in the former space of Opal Thai. Their dishes are spicy but you can ask for mild on some. Like their name, "street food," the cooking style is mostly grilled. They have a few curries and some fried rices but no noodle dishes. My favorites were chicken cilantro salad because it was refreshing and perfect to eat on a warm evening and the pork neck which had a lot of flavor and the dipping sauce was on the sweet side so it was good balance. For dessert, the black sticky rice pudding was good and the portion was enough to share with 3 people. The dessert reminded me of the Chinese read bean soup with purple rice. Their appetizers and entrees are priced between $14 - $25 and it can be a bit pricey for some but if you compare it the other restaurants nearby, these prices are reasonable.

Their interior space has the same set up as the restaurant before but they painted the walls and added decor to make it feel more casual. The staff were friendly and they gave us great suggestions on what to order since it was our first time. We did an early dinner so we didn't make a reservation and got seated right away. If you're going with more than 4 people, I recommend making a reservation since it got busy from 6:30 pm on. For parking, there is metered street parking in front of the restaurant along Smith Street or the Marin Tower Municipal Parking.

1030 Smith St
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 785-6463

Isaan Beef Tongue

Chicken Cilantro Salad

Pork Neck

Beef Short Rib Fried Rice

Black Sticky Rice Pudding

Young Coconut Jelly

 

King of Thai Boat Noodles

King of Thai Boat Noodles reminded me of the Thai food I ate when I live in San Francisco. My favorites were the roasted duck noodle soup, pad Thai and sticky rice with mango. They put a generous amount of sauce over the sticky rice so there was flavor till the very last bite. Their prices were reasonable and the portion size are good.

They are located at Samsung Plaza and are open for lunch and dinner. They reopened for dine in but you can still order takeout by phone or in person. Parking is available inside the Samsung Plaza, just check in with the attendant when you enter.

For more information about King of Thai Boat Noodles, visit kingofthaiboatnoodles.com.

661 Keeaumoku St., Ste 103
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 949-3800

Roasted Duck Noodle Soup

Seafood Noodle Soup

Pad Thai

Sticky Rice w/ Mango

Thai Buddhist Temple of Hawaii

They are open on Sundays from 10am-2pm until October. You will find a variety of authentic Thai food. The ladies cooking and serving the food give generous portions and everything is priced between $5-$10. Only cash is accepted. Most of the signage has English so you know what the dishes are but if you ask, they will tell you what it is and how it should be eaten. It's best to go with a small group of people so you can try more dishes. There is seating under the tents to enjoy your food but it can get really hot so bring water to stay hydrated. I only saw Thai ice tea, Thai ice coffee, and longan tea being sold. Parking is available along the side of fence on Farrington Highway or you can go inside and park in the marked stalls.

Since this is a temple and there is Sunday service happening, you'll hear the monks chanting and walking around to bless everyone. To be respectful, there is a required dress code. It is recommended that you wear a shirt and long pants/jeans; no tank tops or shorts.


Thai Buddhist Temple of Hawaii
96-130 Farrington Hwy
Pearl City, HI 96782

Thai Crispy Fried Chicken ($6)

Coconut Pancakes ($10)

Pork Skewers ($5) & Sticky Rice ($2)

Fried Apple Banana, Fried Breadfruit, Fried Sweet Potato ($5)

Golden Egg Yolk dessert ($5)

Rangoon Burmese Kitchen

Rangoon Burmese Kitchen is located in downtown Honolulu in the former space of Restaurant Epic. The food here is a mix of Thai and Indian so you get a lot of nice smells from the spices used in each dish. The taste of the food was good and it reminded me more of Thai food because I ordered items that were stir fried. The prices are reasonable and they give a decent portion. The service was a bit slow; they only had 2 waiters and it was tough trying to get their attention. It's best to avoid the peak lunch and dinner hours because it gets busy and the kitchen gets backed up.

I recommend coming with a group of 4-6 people so you can order a bunch of dishes to share and making reservations in advance. The restaurant interior is open and spacious but the noise can get loud if it's crowded. For parking, there is metered street parking on Nuuane Ave. The closet parking lots would be Mark's Garage or one of the Chinatown Municipal Parking Lots.

For more information about Rangoon Burmese Kitchen, visit rangoon-burmese-kitchen.business.site.

1131 Nuuanu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 367-0645

Mashed Potato Salad

Basil Lamb

Garlic Noodles w/ Tofu

Thai Bistro Suksabay

Thai Bistro Suksabay is located in Aiea at the Pearl Kai Shopping Center. If you want simple Thai food, this is the place. You can just walk in with your friends or family and have a nice meal together. Their food taste good and the prices are reasonable. I recommend doing family style so you can order a bunch of things to share. Walk-ins during lunch and dinner for 4 people or less is okay but if you have a large group, it might be best to make a reservation. If you're lucky, you might get a parking space right in front of the restaurant. If not, you'll just have to park a little farther away and walk. The Pearl Kai parking lot is big.

For more information about Thai Bistro Suksabay, visit thaibistrosuksabay.com.

Pearl Kai Shopping Center
98-199 Kamehameha Hwy, Ste C2
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 488-2881

Tom Yum

Thai House Combination Platter

Spicy Pad Ped w/ Beef

Pad Seiew

Pad Thai

Opal Thai - CLOSED

Opal Thai has moved to Chinatown; they used to be in Haleiwa. At Opal Thai, there is a menu, but you don't get to order off of it when you dine in. The chef goes to your table, greets you, learns a little about you and your group and then finds out what you like/dislike to eat, spice level, and your allergies. He then creates a bunch of dishes for your table. Throughout the meal, the wait staff and chef will check in to make sure everything is going well, and the food is tasting good. They don't tell you what you're eating until the end of the meal. My favorite was the crab noodles. It was like eating pad thai but better because the noodles were thinner and there was less sauce. I recommend coming with people who are open to trying new things and are not picky eaters. For 2 appetizers and 2 entrees, my share came out to be $25 (gratuity not included) which is reasonable. I left full, but my mouth was slightly on fire. Overall, I enjoyed it and I would go back for more.

They are open for lunch and dinner. I recommend making reservations a few days in advance because it gets busy. They have take-out if you want to order straight from the menu and skip out on this dining experience. For parking, there is metered street parking (free after 6pm) and the parking garage in Marin Tower.

For more information about Opal Thai, visit opalthai.com.

1030 Smith St., Ste 6
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 381-8091

Spicy Glazed Garlic Chicken Wings

Special Rice Cake (half order)

Crab Noodles

Basil Chili Garlic Chicken w/ Jasmine Rice & Fried Egg

Thailand Cafe - CLOSED

Thailand Cafe is located at the corner of Liliha Street and Hiram Lane. It is next to a medical building and across from the Liliha Public Library. The interior of the restaurant is spacious, well lit, and clean. The decor is nice and you might find yourself admiring their paintings all night. They have a lot of specialty dishes and there is a separate board for specials. This is a good place to come with a group so you can do a family style dinner. The staff are friendly and if you do a Facebook or Yelp check-in, you can get a free scoop of ice cream. Their prices are reasonable with the amount of food they give. My favorite dish was the pad thai and I usually don't like pad thai but the chef makes it taste good here. Their spicy level is higher than other thai restaurants, I asked for mild but it was still spicy so if you can't handle the heat you should just say "not spicy or no spice."

For parking, they have street parking in front of the restaurant or you can park across the street at the library. The library has 4 stalls in the front and if you dine here after the library closes, the parking lot is empty. The restaurant also has some new stalls across the street by the bus stop. You can park in one of the last 6 stalls from the right side. I think they might have put up their signs but when you walk in the restaurant just check with the staff and let them know where you parked.

For more information about Thailand Cafe, visit thailandcafehi.com.

1502 Liliha St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 535-9928

Fried Shrimp Roll

Sweet Basil Stir Fry w/ Chicken

Pad Thai w/ Chicken

Fried Banana w/ Ice Cream

Siam Palace Thai Restaurant - CLOSED

They are located in Kaimuki on the corner of Waialae and 8th Ave. It's a small restaurant that serves authentic Thai food. I call this one authentic because I have a friend who is Thai and they say this is pretty close to real Thai food and it's not infused with Laotion flavors.

I've come for lunch a few times and I've always enjoyed the food. One guy runs the front and the back of the house. The restaurant doesn't get busy during lunch so the food comes out pretty fast. The fish patties and garlic shrimp with extra garlic are good.

There is free parking in the back of the restaurant but some of the stalls are tight. The parking lot in the back is small and it's shared with other businesses and the residents of the building. If you see an open space on the street, just park in that and feed the meter. The restaurant excepts credit cards. They are closed for lunch on Sundays and Mondays and all day for certain holidays. I do recommend trying this place if you are in the area.

For more information about Siam Palace Thai Restaurant, visit www.siampalace.net.

730 Kapahulu Ave - MOVED
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 732-7433

3404 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816

Fish Patties

Fried Calamari

Pad Kra Pao Pork

Thai Garlic Shrimp

Pad See Ew

Ozone Thai Restaurant - San Francisco

I never liked Thai food until I ate here. When I was attending college in the city, someone in the dorm gathered up a bunch of us and took us here for dinner. The restaurant is in the Tenderlion area but if you have 4 or more in your group, walking down here is safe.

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the building. The stairs are off to the side and they can be a bit hard to find if you're walking from Sutter Street. The inside of the restaurant is a little grungy and the lighting is dim but the furniture and light fixtures are pretty cool. The prices here are very reasonable and their food is delicious. My favorite item on the menu is the garlic and pepper pork. There's no restaurant in SF or on Oahu that makes it like them. I never forgot the taste of it and whenever I visit SF now, I try to stop by for dinner.

1160 Polk St
(between Sutter St & Post St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 440-9663

Vegetarian Egg Rolls

Garlic & Pepper Pork

Pad See Ew

Sticky Rice w/ Mango

Siam Garden Cafe

Trying to find good Thai food on the island is hard. I think this place comes close to what I've had when I was in San Francisco. They don't do the fusion thing like some of the other restaurant out there.

The restaurant is a bit hard to spot because it's located on Nimitz and when you're driving you don't pay attention to the shops on the side of you unless there's a red light. They're tucked in the middle of a shopping area that is pretty quiet. There is parking in the front of the restaurant and more spaces around the back.

They get very busy during dinner and they don't take reservations. The wait is totally worth it because the food is very good. I recommend getting the sweet & sour fish (it's a whole deep fried fish) and the basil chicken.

For more information about Siam Garden Cafe, visit http://www.siamgardencafe.com.

1130 N Nimitz Hwy
Ste A-130
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 523-9338

Deep Fried Calamari

Tom Yum

Pad Thai

Basil Chicken

Sweet & Sour Fish

Maile's Thai Bistro

Some of the dishes they serve here are actually authentic Thai dishes. Other Thai restaurants on Oahu have fusion dishes and they don't taste good. I was introduced to Thai food when I lived in San Francisco and whenever I eat Thai food now, that is what I compare it to. If you're a townie or you live on the West side, it's a far drive but it's totally worth it.

The staff is friendly and they came by the table quite often to make sure everything was okay. If you have the yelp app on your phone, check in and get the special offer. You can get 10% your bill.

For more information about Maile's Thai Bistro, please visit http://www.mailesthaibistro.com.

Hawaii Kai Towne Center
333 Keahole St. Ste 2B8
Honolulu, HI 96825

Spring Rolls

Thai Stuffed Chicken Wings

Pad Thai w/ Chicken

Garlic Vegetables

Thai Crepe w/ Coconut Ice Cream