4. Restaurants

Thai Lao Restaurant

563 Farrington Hwy, Kapolei, HI, 96707
  • (808) 674-2262
  • Store is closed

Thai Lao Restaurant Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

  • Dave T.

    Cons: The meat were cut up in big fat ugly pieces. They were chewy and bland, almost like they were cooked on the side, and when you tell them what meat you want on the dish, they simply toss the already cooked meat into the dish. It seems to be family owned, so I wonder if it were the children who were the ones who cut the meat. Pros: The most flavorful dishes you will ever have. Curry will have a strong coconut flavor to it. The Tom Yum fried rice is stir-fried with great "wok hei" and have the essence of tom yum, which I thought would be impossible until I read the menu. All the vegetbles were fine, just that the meat was not tastey. Next time I come, I would just order everything vegetarian. Prices were reasonable, and the workers (the children) do their best to make sure patrons are happy. Definitely a nice treat in this side of the island!

    (4)

  • Sheena P.

    We loved the food but the layout of the tables made it really awkward. We were seated between 2 different parties in the middle of a long table. It was pretty uncomfortable and we had to ask twice to be reseated at another table. The food was yummy but the portions were a little small. All in all was ok for the money.

    (3)

  • M. D.

    OH MY GOOOODNESS! My sister recommended to come here and I was excited because the only really great Thai restaurant is Phuket Thai. Now they have a competition!! We finally have a super awesome great tasting Thai restaurant. I should've taken pictures of the dishes we ordered but I couldn't wait one more second and eagerly stuffed my face. Panang chicken mild, fresh spring rolls , calamari, fried chicken and last but not least is the Pad Thai!! Woooowee! The party was happening in my mouth down to my stomach!! I can't wait to go back and Try more dishes. Overall, this place is heaven!! The best thing that ever happened on the Leeward side!!

    (5)

  • Rod B.

    Went here tonight on the basis of the yelp review and was not disappointed. We had the chicken satay (loved the peanut sauce), Tom Kah soup (which was excellent) and the Jungle curry. I would recommend this restaurant if you are looking for good Thai food in Kapolei.

    (4)

  • Ben C.

    They do not have beer or alcohol here, the waitress tells me its B.Y.O.B

    (4)

  • Amy A.

    BEST Thai food on the island! The Evil Jungle Curry is to die for! Waitresses are always super attendant with refilling water, and prices are reasonable.

    (5)

  • Gayle S.

    This place was really good! My friend brought me here when we were looking for a good Thai place near her in Kapolei. Late lunchtime on a weekday, we were the only customers when we got there. The gentleman there was very patient with us deciding what we were having. I believe we had Spring Rolls, Green curry shrimp, and some wide fried noodle with beef... trying to remember the name of it.... got it: pad see-ew! That was some really awesome stuff!! Quick service, excellent food! We only had a few minutes to try to wolf down a few bites, but they were gracious to provide us with take out bowls and trays so we could finish it later! One drawback: I always order green curry because it is usually prepared with bamboo shoots inside... but theirs was not. However, beyond the fact that there were no crunchy shoots... AMAZING GREEN CURRY, some of the best I've had almost ever! Going back with my friend to try a few other menu samplings... looking forward to it! If everything is as great as the first taste, Thai Lao will definitely be getting 5 stars!!

    (4)

  • Thuynhu S.

    Food was good. Parking wasn't a lot. Dining decor and space was nice. Overall a good place to enjoy some thai food. I had the pad thai. Just because I knew what it should taste like, next time I'll try something different. My only complaint was I specifically asked for no peanuts because my daughter is allergic and they didn't put it on top but off to the side. I can handle that but I would have preferred it not being on my plate at all, like I had asked. I had to make sure I only got the noodles from the complete opposite side.

    (4)

  • Leilani A.

    Came in just to try it out. Food was good, but service sucks! Took the waitress to come to us 25min after we seated ourselves, took another 10min to ask what drinks we wanted and another 10min to bring the drinks. Took 10min to come and check what we wanted to and another 15min to bring the food. There was no one after that until we were done and thirsty. I'd recommend to order out.

    (2)

  • Sharleen P.

    O M G, this is the first Thai Lao restaurant that I've come across that makes AUTHENTIC Laotian food! I'm from the San Francisco area and there are a lot of Laotian restaurants. I can't believe they serve ka Piet, ka soy and ka poun! It sucks that I am moving back to the mainland in a few weeks, I wish I found this place earlier. Back to my dining experience, food was great, service was great and portions are big! There is something I scratch my head over though: the fact that the "Laos style papaya salad does NOT have shrimp paste in it (to make it have a darker appearance and enhance the taste!). A true Lao style papaya salad has the shrimp paste mixed in, maybe it's because the smell is too repulsive and it would scare off people? Lol.

    (4)

  • Craig P.

    Decent...reasonable price.

    (3)

  • CT B.

    Had a craving for Thai food on vacation and found this place through Yelp. We were the only ones dining in the restaurant at 6:30 which seemed strange given that there isn't that much to do in Ko Olina or Kapolei at night. Anyway we trusted our fellow Yelpers and stayed for dinner and were happy we did. We ordered the fried chicken appetizer which was full of flavor accompanied with a nice hot and sour sipping sauce. In addition we split the cashew chicken which was tasty and fresh. We were happy we did not order more as the servings were generous and we left feeling full and satisfied.

    (4)

  • Kristen B.

    We just ordered takeout from Thai Lao. It's so refreshing to know that there's a really good Thai restaurant out here on the west side. We ordered the Jungle Curry, Pad Thai, Spring Rolls, and some Fried Rice. The portions are huge, and all of dishes were extremely flavorful. I would give them five stars, but some of the rice in the fried rice was slightly undercooked (at least for me). I highly recommend this restaurant. I'm not sure how dining in would be though.

    (4)

  • Jennifer N.

    I can't wait to go back and try more yummy dishes. Thai has to be my favorite Asian cuisine outside of sushi. But anyway, I love drunken noodles. But I decided to go out of my norm and order curry. Boy was that a great decision. The evil jungle curry with chicken was fabulous. I ate so much! We also had summer rolls which were very fresh. The waiter was great and very alert to our needs. The brown rice was cooked just right too. And the Thai tea was a perfect compliment to dinner!

    (4)

  • Jen Y.

    I love this place!!! To me, they have the best Thai food on the island. While I'm not Thai, I have traveled throughout Thailand and even had the opportunity to visit Laos. The food is delicious. My test for Thai restaurants is to order their Pad Thai. Yes, I know it's more Chinese and not Thai in origin, but the street-food vendors, who make and serve Pad Thai all day long, have perfected this recipe so I always associate it with Thailand. I figure that if the restaurants can't get this simple dish right, then it's not the Thai restaurant for me. As for the restaurant, the people are nice, settings are typical, and the environment is casual. The only downside is that during busy times, it may be hard to find parking in that storefront area and you want want to consider making reservations on Friday/Saturdays evenings.

    (5)

  • Sindra S.

    Wow..this find was total luck! We were in the mood..again..for Thai..again typed in Thai food on Yelp and this was the first place to pop up at .2 miles from our location..actually didn't even bother reading the reviews until after we ate! Had a Yelp sticker in their window...so we were hoping...for the best. I'm usually not a fan of strip mall restaurants..but this is an exception! Really quaint once inside with a nice touch of authentic Thai decor. The help is really friendly accommodating. We only got a few items - the Pad Thai Chicken and Vegetables with Shrimp...both really flavorful and fresh! Not greasy or too spicy..really impressed with this place and definitely will come back! Great spot to eat in or for take out - especially for those on vacation and on the go and wanting something quick, good and healthy to heat up.

    (4)

  • Anne Marie P.

    One of the best Thai restaraunts on the island! Love the Tom Yum! Summer rolls need a little more flavor though... The chicken curries are great as well as Pad Thai. My mother in law loves their Lao style papaya salad with crab. I like the traditional ;). The restaraunt has lovely decor and the staff are nice.

    (4)

  • S M.

    Great food ! Fresh ingredients and reasonably priced. Best Thai on the island.

    (4)

  • Cris G.

    Came here for lunch one day on a whim. It's not bad.. Good customer service, fairly fast, and the food was alright. Very generous portions. I would come back here again. I'm not the hugest thai food fan, but it's probably one of the better eating places in that area of Kapolei. They were really crowded during lunch time, so you might have to wait.

    (3)

  • Shane K.

    Getting the pad Thai, broccoli oyster sauce, beef oyster sauce, spring rolls, and fried calamari. No alcohol here so you can bring your own! My food came out just in time not to fast or slow. perfect temp and very tasty

    (4)

  • Hillary M.

    Absolutely delicious! Our new favorite Thai restaurant. It's not trendy. It's not classy. But MAN, the food is consistently fabulous. They are also open from lunch through dinner, so if you want to pick up take-out at 4pm, you have that option. Be sure to try some of their dishes Laotian style. We especially love their Massaman curry and any of their homemade noodle dishes.

    (4)

  • Rise D.

    Yay!! Finally a good Thai place on the leeward side with reasonable prices and yummy food! Thanks fellow yelpers, I would not have tried this place if it weren't for the good reviews. I was craving Thai broth from Hot Pot Heaven but didn't want to drive to town. Fortunately, Thai Lao makes a super delicious tom yum soup that tastes pretty much like Hot Pot Heaven's Thai broth. Lots of lemongrass and perfectly sweet and sour and flavorful. Prices are reasonable. It was around $10 for a huge bowl of tom yum soup. I even had lots leftover to take home and enjoy. I want to go back and try other dishes! I've read that parking can be a hassle but I went around 2:00 pm and there was lots available, and there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. Can't wait until the next time I get to eat at Thai Lao!

    (5)

  • Michiko H.

    I'm addicted to Thai cuisine, so I'm always on the lookout for Thai restaurant to see which is the best. I must say entering this little new joint was nice, ordered the Pad Thai, Jungle curry, and papaya salad with some Thai ice tea to top it off. Let me say it was orgasm in your mouth kind of good! Service: Disappointed, it took forever for the waitress to get our order and my hubby had to go up to the counter to change my drink and grab the check. Price: $7-$13 per entree. Parking: Decent sized parking lot, plus Starbucks next door.

    (3)

  • nardo m.

    This place has good reviews on both TA and yelp, so we decided to give it a try. It did not disappoint. The place was packed when we got there. I like the atmosphere, it's lively and bright, but not too bright. Most importantly, the food was excellent. Service was also good, no nonsense. We will return.

    (5)

  • Ui A.

    Polite service, the food was good but it didn't knock me off of my feet. We had the Pad Thai, which my 8 year old daughter loved because the taste was just right and did not have an overpoweringly "peanut butter" taste. The panang was light and the taste was good. It was a nice try in our quest for 'ono Thai food...xoxo u'i (Much better taste than the placed we tried last week)

    (3)

  • Maddie C.

    YUM! We stayed at Disney's Aulani Resort recently and the food options onsite there are ridiculous (ie, pricey and not good). So we headed out to Kapolei to find some yummy food (ie, NOT Outback, Dennys or McDs). Yelped Thai Lao, and found it in a small plaza next to Chevron. The owner was pretty nice. We arrived at 8:45 pm (he closes at 9:30 pm) and we didn't feel rushed at all. Here's what we ordered, in order of deliciousness: (1) Green Curry Fried Rice--OMG. OMG. So friggin good. Spicy green curry literally, stir fried with fried rice. So friggin good. And for some reason, it didn't just taste like fried rice mixed w/green curry. I had some the next morning for left overs and it was even good as left overs. (2) Fish Soup--Basically, Tom Yum Fish soup. Same flavoring as your regular tom yum soup, but with generous portions of super tender fish filet. Pretty good. (3) Thai Basil Fried Rice--not the best I've ever had, but really tasty and had a generous portion. It did pale in comparison to the green curry fried rice. It was a tad sweet and other than that, didn't have that great fragrant basil smell/flavor I was expecting. (4) Basil Seafood--Meh. The flavors were really weird, and again, no basil flavors came through. The seafood itself was well cooked (not overcooked), but the flavors were off. It wasn't exceptionally spicy or sour or garilcky or much of anything really. Just tasted like stir fried seafood. Overall, this place is a solid 4 stars. I wished I had come back for a second visit for their other foods which looke delicious. Portions are very large for the price, and the price is very good for the neighborhood. It is also very clean as compared to the Thai places I'm used to back home in SoCal, so extra points for that! Great dining experience. Try it, you will not be disappointed!

    (4)

  • Randall S.

    So looking from the outside you think, meh I guess this will due in a pinch for a place to eat. You walk through the front doors and then realize wow this place looks like it could be nice. The wait staff is friendly enough ( sometimes I feel a bit ignored, but I rarely go out dining to make friends) and order. I am a sucker for currys, so I usually get the green curry. The food is filling, great taste, and rarely do I leave without a doggy bag for late night munchys. If you are looking for a good thai place to go with friends, I would make this my first stop.

    (4)

  • Allison E.

    If I could give it no stars I would! Long black hair in my order of spring rolls!!! No need to really say more! When I told them they said sorry then five minutes later they brought out what looked like the same plate of spring rolls without the hair in it. I was very disgusted and walked out! Never again! I've seen other reviews about hair being in the food at this restaurant and you would think after the first hair that was found they would wear hair nets.

    (1)

  • Anna C.

    Good place with great prices. This review is for take out only. Note: We ate the food within 5 minutes of pick up and was piping hot. Recommendations: Yellow curry with chicken and white rice - So good we licked the bowl clean! Papaya salad (medium) - refreshing and full of flavor! Just ok: Pad See Ew with chicken - noodles were not fully coated with sauce, and were a little dry. Pass on: Pad Thai with Shrimp - what was this? The noodles were undercooked and were wrinkled like paper. There wasn't enough sauce and the whole dish was dry. The shrimp were tasty, partially saving the entree. We will come back for the curry. Tip: I think it would help save the noodles if you line the styrofoam with foil to keep the moisture in.

    (4)

  • Valerie R.

    When I saw "Lao," as in Thai Lao, all I could think of was Laotian khao pun - this amazing cross between curry and noodle dishes. I tried it at Spices, and it's worth the trek across town, but the thought of my Ewa self getting my fix in Kapolei was tantalizing. Luckily, Thai Lao did not disappoint! Upon first glance, I didn't find it on the menu, but the friendly server assured me that the chef had some prepared. I kid you not, I felt like I'd won the lottery! I was apparently the first person to order the khao pun, so the chef was wondering how I'd heard about it. Really? Go order khao pun! If you're a thai food junkie like me, or even a nube, this could be your new "pad thai" - it's that yumtastical! We also tried the spring rolls, yellow curry, and garlic chicken. Everything was incredibly fresh, and the flavors were spot-on. Our server was top-notch, and the restaurant was neat and tidy. My kids loved watching Thai TV - just like at Siam Garden. This is my new favorite Kapolei restaurant!

    (4)

  • Carina S.

    We went here once. We were craving for Thai food and found this place from yelp (Thank Heavens for Yelp). We ordered Pad Thai, Pad Se Ew, Lao style papaya salad, Spring Roll, Chili fish, Curry Seafood, Thai Coffee, and Thai Tea. Every dish were SO GOOD !! This place is a gem of Kapolei.

    (5)

  • Eme E.

    YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!! BEST THAI FOOD EVER!!! I bring all my family here, my husband and i eat here probably once a week lol sometimes twice a week or more!! LOL... I love coming here not only because their food taste so good, the prices are right and the SERVICE is AWESOME!! They're so friendly and always make sure you everything is good with us. I love coming here!! well.... i just got back from eating at Thai Lao hehehe... Give it a try, you won't be disappointed !!

    (5)

  • Len C.

    Thai Lao is our "go to" place for a good meal during the middle of the work week. Unpretentious, just great Thai flavors, satisfying, quality food, at an affordable price. Evil Jungle Princess is a highlight, but all their curries are good. Love the Thai fried chicken and the green papaya salad. Parking is tight, and it's BYOB, but if it's beer you want there's a convenience store next door. The word is out, even Ko Olina tourists are here. Sometimes you have to wait for a table so keep this place to yourself.

    (5)

  • Harlan S.

    I made my first stop by Thai Lao last night after I finished up some work in the area. The restaurant was bustling with activity, every table occupied. The evident popularity helped me make the decision to take a chance on the place. The staff were courteous, if only slightly disorganized (technical difficulties with their register). Their selections for food were spot on, and I ordered a Tom Yum chicken soup, beef sateh and a spicy Pad dish I stuck in the fridge. I also got a Thai iced coffee. I got the food to go since the restaurant remained packed. The food was good, but a bit on the pricey side after I've been spoiled with Bangkok Chef's prices for Thai food. The Tom Yum was highly aromatic and very flavorful. My only complaint about this restaurant is how long it took to get food. I was told 15 minutes, but it took almost 40.

    (4)

  • L S.

    Love love love. We're so excited to have found our new regular Thai restaurant! The ambiance is sweet and the food is delicious. Can't wait to go back :)

    (5)

  • Glenn L.

    Well obviously I am not Thai or Lao. But I know good fresh ingredients that are used the right way to create an Ono Meal, and Thai Lao meets that criteria with 5-stars. Now! I am not going to debate the question of "Oh Lao food vs. Thai! Because It's all good to me! The restaurant has been only opened since Late August and needs to get the word out "Kapolei rejoice finally Thai is back! and a really strong representation. This is a clean well managed establishment. The restaurant is owned by two brothers Victor and Vince and their ohana and they are truly nice and very hospitable. First, let's get to the food, We had are standard Go-to Shrimp Pad Thai- "Fresh ingredients, shrimp cooked perfect, not overcooked and rubbery. and they added extra peanuts as requested", I like the Textural note they add and flavor. plenty Tofu and bean sprouts, Didn't notice the preserved radish or egg but maybe not looking, but didn't miss em. The spice levels are what ever you like from None-To-To Hot to Die/Thai For! So you make the call. We had the crispy fried chicken, was good, but I've had crispier at Phuket and Thai Kitchen in Waipahu. But the Red curry we had was so fresh, could taste all the herbs basil garlic, galangal/ginger and the veggies were great. I like Pork curry(Red,Green,yellow, panang,musuman whatever, It's all good to me!) and the only problem for me and my mom is not quite enough veggies to make a balanced meal in most Thai Curry dishes if just getting onion,bamboo shoots and basil. But not here! So Victor recommended the Vegetable red curry and adding the Pork as opposed to getting the Pork red curry and adding the long beans and Eggplant my mom wanted. since getting the veggie curry got Broccoli, Eggplant, long beans, basil, onion, two peppers red and yellow/green and bamboo shoots and the topper the little baby corn!!! Wow that made my mind up this place is special, and all that was only dollar over the menu price to add meat. So he saved m money instead of doing it with meat and adding the veggies, pretty nice if you asked me, he could of slammed me for adding the veggies to the meat. So while talking to the brother's they noticed what most of us out leeward and west-end have said "Eh How come no thai food Kapolei" Shootz! used to but not now! So Boom! they opened this Thai/Lao in late August. It is a really great pleasure and experience. The decor is nice the restaurant is clean and the server is quick and the staff is quite friendly and nice. The menu items, might seem pricey compared to fast take out kine, but this is not that place, the freshness and flavor alone are worth the price, but added plus are the portions are huge! In my opinion I can't see how they are going to make a profit? Their portions could make 1-1/2 to 2 portions at other restaurants. We will be eating left overs for a few days. But Let me say it is nice to see Thai back out leeward/west side! I wish them luck! and we will be back!

    (5)

  • melissa N.

    Okay so FINALLY a Thai place in Kapolei...but is it good? The answer:YES! A fellow foodie ( and TALENTED COOK) friend of mine went and picked up a few of their menu items and as she often does.....invited me over *yay* The items: Evil Jungle curry FABULOUS!!! Drunkard noodles delish!! Spring rolls yummy and loved the lettuce and MINT to wrap it in!! *inhales* Stuffed chicken wings also great!! Sa-tay chicken sticks AWESOME with a delicious peanut sauce (and yes I love Thai food but am not a fan of peanut sauce so this means a lot LOL) Needless to say I am a HAPPY camper for now, there is a GREAT place IN KAPOLEI to satisfy my Thai hankering!!! I havent eaten inside......yet...have been inside, it is pretty small but pleasantly decorated. I must add however I really dont care a whole lot for ambiance if the food holds its own. The parking lot is small but nothing to unbearable...eventually you will find parking.

    (4)

  • Julie Y.

    Valentine's lunch was excellent. The taste of the food was the best since we having been going to Thai loa. There are two big drawbacks here, though. There is a flat sceen tv on the wall that plays Thai singing videos, continually and too loud. This is a cozy spot, tastefully decorated. If the management had soft jazz playing, or the like, it would be so much more enjoyable. The whole tv, video, cheapens the entire place. Second drawback is the noisy children or family members in the backroom.

    (2)

  • Stephanie M.

    Delicious!! Definitely recommend if you're in the mood for Pad Thai or Evil Jungle Curry (coconut, spicy).

    (4)

  • Albert H.

    I went there last night for dinner. I was meeting my girlfriend there. I was glad that we were going late because others have said that the parking is terrible. We got there at 8:15 and every table was still full! A definite good sign as people vote with their feet. Although it was latish for Kapolei the wait was 15 minutes and two parties totally 8 people came right after me! I was excited to eat here as Kapolei doesn't offer many choices like Honolulu and the reviews were generally positive about the food. The main recurring complaint was the service. Although we experienced great service. We ordered a summer role appetizer and I opened a bottle of wine, BYOB. This is always a money saver and a plus for me. As we ate our summer rolls we looked over the menu for our entrees. I asked one of the waitresses what are the Thai dishes and which were the Laotian dishes in the menu. She told me that the two cuisines are pretty much the same and the main difference was the level of spicy heat in the dishes, the Laotian choices being spicier. That wasn't of much help as I have never had Laotian food. We went with the stuffed chicken wings, garlic-basil pork with vegtables and jasmine rise. When the chicken wings came there were three burnt wings and one giant one that wasn't so burnt. I gave my girlfriend the big one and I took the least burnt of the three and asked the waitress to send back the remaining two to be redone. Two bites later my GF said that it was not fully cooked inside. The one that I was eating tasted burnt so I asked our waitress to have it entire order remade. The dish came back and it still looked burnt. I bit into it and it wasn't so overdone as the oil must have been used all day or maybe longer? Although I was nothing but courteous and respectful when I left I apologized for being a picky customer. Note: I cannot remember the last time I sent back food to a kitchen. The oil was so bad I was shocked. I did tell the waitress what I thought of the oil. Unfortunately I will not be returning there. Champa Thai in Kaimuki is my go to Thai in Honolulu. I will not be eating Thai Lao anytime soon in Kapolei. : (

    (1)

  • Jimmy K.

    Good Thai food! Less than a 10 minute drive from the Aulani resort. You'll have to turn through a gas station parking lot to get to the part of the plaza that has Starbucks and Thai Lao. My favorite plate was the Jungle curry (I think that's what it's called) Two families of 4 with two children each filled up for $100, tax and tip included! We arrived at 7pm and restaurant was only half full. By the time we left around 8:20, there were some people waiting outside. Seems to be a popular place so plan accordingly.

    (4)

  • Aigum H.

    Better than I expected the price was be sent the food was delicious the service was great me and my friends with you enjoy myself I recommend it highly recommend

    (4)

  • Hope Love M.

    Yummmmmmy. I have my usual red chicken curry with side sticky rice. I need to try other things, but it's so yummy! I also like the pearl city one too. Both really clean restaurants!

    (5)

  • Silvia M.

    I've try this restaurant several times, it's always good. My favorite thing is the salads and the thai coffee is nice and strong. The service is really good and the food comes out quickly. They are very attentive even thought it can be really busy at dinner time. I order the larb salad with pork, is my favorite. It's light and tasty. They do serve it mild or spicy. I usually get the spicy. This is one of those restaurants that don't really lack anything. Service is good, food is good and price reasonable.

    (4)

  • Lee Ying K.

    Quite frankly, some of the absolute tastiest food I've had in Hawaii, and certainly the best Thai food I've had in my life, period. Like, the food here is so maddeningly delicious, I'm becoming very upset writing about it, because now I want to go there for dinner. I've had so many terrific meals here, that I have become inordinately fond of Thai Lao, and, in fact, I've come to feel like I have a personal stake in their continued success - (it's quite clear to me that if I don't go regularly and give them my patronage, and urge others to do the same, I will be broken-hearted... desolate...in short, INCONSOLABLE if they ever decide to close down or go out of business. Anything you order here is sure to be tasty, but my personal favorites are the 1) pad ki mao or pad siu (spicy, chow-fun like noodles with beef/pork, choy, and a liberal sprinkling of fried garlic); 2) tom-yum fried rice (addictive; I once very nearly ate a whole portion of this dish that was no doubt meant to be shared with four people); 3) basil shrimp salad (impossibly flavorful, and very spicy); and 4) tom kha soup (a beautiful, smooth, and aromatic coconut-based soup laced with traditional Thai herbs and spices). If you come here and only order pad thai and yellow curry and spring rolls, and then complain about Thai Lao's unoriginality afterward on Yelp, you are completely and utterly basic. Tip: Unless you are from the motherland or Korean, I would not advise ordering level spicy at night. I find that the chefs ("cook" would be a misnomer; this food is ------- artistry) who do dinner service are more liberal with the spice than in the afternoon. If you do make that mistake, a nice glass of iced milk tea will go a long way in rectifying your hubris. ... I may go to Thai Lao for dinner tonight.

    (5)

  • Ed A.

    Visiting from east coast and love Thai food. From outside doesn't look like much but when we walked in The place smelled incredible so we knew we were in for a great meal. Had seafood salad with glass noodles -had great flavor and nice heat - the we moved on to pangnang curry with beef as well as green curry with seafood - both were delicious - I usually have green curry at our local but this was far better - depth of flavor, good heat, plenty of seafood and eggplant was outstanding. Pangnang curry was equally as good. Both were addicting to the point of eating the sauce with spoon and rice. Leaving on Sunday but is a must try!

    (5)

  • Aimee F.

    I like this place. Food is delicious! I like that they actually used brocolini in their dishes instead of regular broccoli. Also, they make everything mild which is nice bc my fiancé doesn't like spicy. They have signs everywhere (on menu and on their tables), that remind you to ask about the spiciness bc they don't make it spicy to begin with. Also nice that the staff will ask you again to be sure. Just thought that was thoughtful, never had restaurants emphasize that before... this place is super popular for dinner! Parking is tight, just park more towards Burger King and you'll be fine.

    (5)

  • Lesley S.

    This place has the best Thai food I've had on island. I crave Pad Thai at least twice a month. I want a bit of spice to give me that after kick. I'm most impressed that this place did not have greasy food. I also didn't feel like I was in a food coma and bloated afterwards. The wait was 15 minutes for a to-go order. We just strolled over to Starbucks and grabbed an espresso. Anytime I'm near Kapolei this is a must go.

    (4)

  • Nicole S.

    When you can't stop eating something because it's just that GOOD, that's what I had at Thai Lao! ^___^ (pardon the emoji, I'm just really happy to even write a review about this place..can't stop thinking about that curry!) First checked out Thai Lao in Pearl City off a friends recommendation that they have the best Thai food. I only recently started even caring for Thai food and even then I only eat it when the family orders it and it shows up at home or friends like these just drive me there. So take my review as you will but I'm a huge fan of Thai food especially their Curry's and Thai Lao knows how to do it right. Not only is their food delicious but their service is always on point. Restaurant is kept so nice and clean. Kapolei compared to Pearl City is a little smaller but if it's just 4 people you shouldn't worry. A little about the food we ordered during this visit. Stuffed Chicken Wings - I'm a picky eater and was hesitant to try, but I'm glad I did. Stuffed with spring roll fillings it's the perfect combo of chicken and veggies topped with their sweet/spicy sauce. MMmmm! Pad Thai - Noodles are my all time favorite dish and this Seafood Pad Thai that we ordered was delicious. Did not disappoint. Flavorful and well cooked. That was gone in a few minutes lol. Evil Jungle Curry with Pork - First tried the Evil Jungle at Pearl City and really did like it. The spice still gets to me but I feel my tolerance has grown a little. I probably ate half of the curry by myself just couldn't stop especially paired with some sticky rice! OMG. Green Curry with Chicken - in the beginning of my post with "when you can't stop eating something..." yeah that's what happened here. Green Curry is extremely spicy. It wasn't until 5 bites into it that I realized how spicy it was and the BURN just wouldn't stop. But seriously, that curry is DELICIOUS. I could not get myself to stop eating, pushing through each bite each moment of fire mouth just to get another bite of delicious green curry ^___^ mmm. Recommended for anyone who has a good tolerance for spicy as even my boyfriend and his friends were feeling the burn and were astonished that I was still eating lol. Please open up in Kailua or somewhere in Metro Oahu next! I'd be there at least once a week (need the other 6 days to recover from the amount of spice hehe). Thank you Thai Lao!!

    (5)

  • Neot D.

    Thai Lao is doing a fantastic job of bringing me back for the most Awesome Green Papaya salad! They are courteous and polite and pay very close attention to detail when you make your order. For example, I have asked for one extra spicy Green Papaya salad and one not so spicy take out side dish several times. Each time I have made this order, they have got it exactly correct. Very important for the non-spicy crowd. All in All Great Thai Food Restaurant

    (4)

  • Matt C.

    Best Thai food I've had in the island! Evil jungle curry was amazing. Pad Thai and spring rolls were excellent as well. Will definitely be coming back here when I'm in this part of town.

    (5)

  • Bryan S.

    Top notch Thai food. Great service. Its only a short drive away from Ko Olina resorts. Resort food will kill your wallet. Take a drive down to town and find great restaurants like this one. I frequent thai restaurants in Southern California often and Thai Lao gives them a run for their money!

    (5)

  • Mel B.

    This is a usual haunt of mine for the past several years. The staff kinda knows me and have always been pleasant. Most of the time I come is during the week when it's not hella crazy. Going today, on a Sunday afternoon, was hella crazy. Visiting my parents in Ewa Beach this is what they had a craving for and this is where we went. I get parking easy enough into the not so big parking lot serving several adjoining food joints. I pass a huge number of people waiting to get in. The waitress comes up to me quickly asks how many I have. She tells me it will be about 15 minutes for the table on the side. I say that's perfect. Only took 10 minutes before we are seated. Cold water is brought over immediately. That tasted D since it was hot. After perusing the menu, we decide what we wanted. I pretty much knew what to get. Normally, they are fast bringing the food out. However, this being a very busy time for them we did have to wait longer for our food to be served. Not a problem. I wasn't in a rush to go anywhere. The Sweet Sour Fish with the sweet peppers and onions was a rereshing seafood dish. I love the onions with the sauce. Give me just that on a bed of rice and I'm good. Having the tender, soft fish there was like an added bonus. Masamon curry we ordered with beef just so we could have a cow on our table. It tasted like it should. I actually like the potato in here. With that sauce it made it taste wonderful. The beef were tiny slithers and was difficult to taste unless you brought a few strips into your mouth. I think this would have worked better with chicken. Live and learn. Fried Chicken was spot on. Crunchy skin on the outside and tenderly moist on the inside. Now, put the sweet sirachi sauce on top of that and you got winner. Thai Basil Beef is one of my faves of the Thai Cuisine. The basil and onions here dance together so divinely. If you've never had mango sticky rice, you have to try it here. I wish it came with a scoop of ice cream. Even with the minor flaws here, it was nothing but a spectacular experience.

    (5)

  • Laurie H.

    Since they opened, this has been our go-to place for Thai food. We order almost weekly. Their food is good, no doubt about it. The staff is friendly and helpful. But I am vegan and seriously allergic to shrimp and chicken. Once, there was shrimp in my tofu summer rolls. Good thing I noticed before I bit into it. The last two times I ordered off the vegetarian menu, I found large and small pieces of chicken mixed with my tofu. One piece of fried tofu I was trying to bite through when I realized I was biting into a chicken bone. I spent the night with stomach cramps and vomiting. I hesitate to order from them again.

    (3)

  • Jon W.

    "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" The food is consistently great. I know what I'm getting and never have I left disappointed. My go to dishes are drunken noodles with shrimp, pad eggplant with chicken, green curry with chicken, and stuffed chicken wings. Flavors are perfectly layered and well balanced. Portions are generous at a reasonable price. No heavy handedness, one overly powering flavor, here. Easily my favorite Thai restaurant on the island, and the service is decent too. Secret: Try the off menu 'Lao Sausage.' You won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Marni T.

    I've only recently discovered thai food and let me just say I have been missing out. First off I'm very picky and now I love just about anything. The location is okay, parking can be difficult, spaces limited. Both times I've came here we had good luck with finding spaces. ANYWAYS FOOD is really yummy, my hubby and I always order chicken green curry, shrimp yellow curry, spring rolls, sticky rice, pad thai. Everything came out fast, very hot, and smellin good. The spring rolls were okay, nothing too spectacular. The green curry was very nice, flavorful, and loaded with veggies/ chicken. The yellow curry was very good too. Lots of potatoes which is why I get that specific one. My hubby also could really taste fish sauce, and too him that means its good. The heat level was mild but I think I'm ready for the next level! The pad thai omg two words MORE PLEASE! I love any noodles really and this I could eat every single day for the rest of my life. SERIOUS. Overall I think I'll be back for more. I'm also gonna try to convert some of my picky friends to loving thai food as much as I do.

    (5)

  • Sandra L.

    It's so clean here and the food is great! We ordered a few items: Papaya salad - thai spicy (this burns) My friend added her own habanero sauce to it too! Papaya salad - medium spicy - would get this again Papaya was very fresh and crunchy. Evil jungle curry - medium - would get this again Really good curry Pad Thai with shrimp -medium - would get this again Noodles were cooked perfectly and flavored well

    (5)

  • Jenn Y.

    I wish I could cook Thai/Lao food, but since I don't know how I will come here to get my fix. In the Kapolei area this is the only Thai restaurant unless you want to drive to Ewa or Kunia. But I live on this side and this is my favorite places to eat in Kapolei. This place is cute, clean and service is good. Will keep coming back!!! My go to favorite dishes are: - Lao style papaya salad with 2 chili - Pad thai with chicken - stuffed chicken wing - chicken larb - panang curry

    (5)

  • Jeannie L.

    Surprisingly, this place is REALLY good. REALLY GOOD. I normally am not a big fan of thai food and it doesn't come to mind when deciding on dinner but I saw the good reviews and needed a place close by. This totally was a hidden gem to me. The place is small and quaint but can fit a good amount of people. We had a party of six and didn't have to wait. We got a few plates to share and it was enough to get everyone nice and full. I also ordered a Thai tea, which they made really well because it was not super sweet. We got four dishes: 1) Green papaya salad (lao style with crab), we got it medium spicy. When they say spicy, they mean business. I can't really imagine getting it Thai spicy, which was the other option given to us because it gave a nice kick for being medium. I like spicy and this was right at the cusp of what I like. 2) Evil Jungle Curry: this was really good. super flavorful, went perfectly with rice. not spicy at all but the intensity of flavors made it really yummy. 3) Tom Yum soup: this was really good and they didn't skimp on the seafood. We all were able to get spoonfuls of seafood. 4) Pad Ki-Mao (Drunkard's Noodles): This was super flavorful. normally, at thai places, the noodles are always super greasy to me. This was not. It was really good and I enjoyed the veggies tossed in. Yum! If I'm ever back in the area, this is a place I'll remember to come back to.

    (5)

  • Michael C.

    It's to Thai For! At the recommendation of Rod U, we ventured here to lunch on that busiest busy shopping day of the year, the dark and dreadful Black Friday. Not wanting to attempt to even be in the vicinity of a shopping mall, we made the trek out to Kapolei. LOCATION/PARKING: On a strip mall along Farrington Highway in Kapolei. There are a decent amount of parking stalls, but I can forsee this lot becoming full during peak lunch and dinner times. Well, at least the parking is free. SETTING: The restaurant has a reasonable amount of tables that are positioned along the walls, with a group of tables set together running parallel lengthwise. FOOD: *Stuffed Chicken Wings: Shared appetizer. Four pieces that are drumstick in shape stuffed with thin noodles and vegetables. Pairs well with the sweet sour sauce its served with. *Evil Jungle Curry (served medium): I'm not sure that there's anything "evil" about this dish, as I have only good things to say about it. Satisfactory portion with hearty pieces of chicken and leafy vegetables. Recommended. *Sweet and Sour Pork: There's some heat to this dish, or at least I thought so. In any case, I found the dish very satisfactory as its served with generous portions of pork and various kinds of vegetables, including bell peppers and tomatoes. SERVICE: Very good. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all when we arrived so we basically had our pick of where we wanted to sit. The lone lady that was taking care of the entire restaurant asked us to wait while she cleared off our table. She then gave us menus, place settings/plates, and served our waters. We were given ample time to look over the menu and she checked on us periodically throughout our meal. Water refills readily given. BOTTOM LINE: I shall make it a point to return before the next Black Friday surely.

    (4)

  • Tamra P.

    I really should try some new things here. But we so love what we always order, it's hard to give it up! They are fast, consistent, delicious, and priced well. And we only get takeout! So it may be even better dining in. Chicken pad thai, eggplant salad, summer rolls, and stuffed chicken wings are still the standing order, but we love them so.

    (4)

  • Marycor A.

    We always come here at least every two weeks. Love their food and good customer service. Today we ordered the usual Stuffed Chicken for appetizer, Tom Yum Soup as our Main Meal and an order of Thai tea. Plenty for two people. Stuffed Chicken was crunchy and had a great taste to it. You can never go wrong with this one. Tom Yum Soup (Shrimp) had plenty of vegetables, mushrooms, and shrimp.

    (5)

  • Giselle V.

    Yummy this is my favorite Thai Place close to home. I almost always get the Pad Thai medium. However sometimes you never know how much heat your going to get sometimes medium feels like super spicy and sometimes it's not enough! The boneless chicken wings are bomb too and the spring rolls. OMG everything at this place is yummy!!!!

    (5)

  • Jozlyn H.

    I must say, this Thai place actually impressed me. I enjoyed the flavors of their dishes and the quick, friendly service. My cousin and I came here because sushi bay was waaaaaay too crowded and we were too hungry to wait. So I yelped "food" nearby and low and behold this place popped up. I could always go for some Thai food! My cousin and I brought in a bottle of crown Apple because this place does not serve alcohol and does not charge a bottle fee. They even provided us with cups of ice! When we walked in, we were greeted immediately as we admired the beautiful Thai decor. There were several other customers there as well. Not too busy, but a good size lunch crowd. We ordered some of their new features items. I have no clue what it was, but it was delicious!!!!!! I posted pics but I can't remember what it was called. Based off of everything we ate, I'm sure everything else is good. I'll be back again if I'm ever on this neck of the woods (kapolei) again. Oh and, when we were done eating, they didn't rush is to pay our bill and get out. They allowed us to sit there and drink for a while..... How nice of them right? Definitely LOVE this place!

    (5)

  • Cat C.

    Wow, I really wanted to like this place because of all the positive reviews. Maybe we went on a Sunday evening, maybe an off day or just ordered the worst things on thier menu. Place was clean and pretty nice. Service was good. APPETIZERS: Summer rolls- first THAI rolls that had noodles in it and only 2 pieces of shrimp per roll. Most Thai restaurants ive been to gives 4 per roll and have no rice noodles in it. It was a cheaply stuffed summer roll. Shrimp wrapped in lumpia wrap was good. I prefer that crunchy goodness than tempura or breaded. ENTREES: Drunken Noodle with Beef- The noodle were mostly stuck together and hard and was a bit sour. Spoiled maybe? We couldn't finish it. Also, the beef was dry and rubbery. Basil Stir Fry with chicken. It was GROUND CHICKEN! Nuff said. Food plus 2 Thai Teas came to $52. I did not like this place sadly, and probably will not return.

    (2)

  • Jonathan B.

    This is one of my favorite Thai places. Whenever I visit my family I am sure to strong arm them into coming here (by strong arm, I mean merely mention it). Our typical order consists of the Spicy Beef Salad, Stuffed Chicken, Drunkards Noodles, Red Curry with Fish (drool), and sticky rice. The Red Curry with Fish is my favorite. The owners are very friendly and they can definitely bring the spice! My brother and I are a bit too competitive in this area, but fortunately they are very good about filling your water glass. Definitely eat here if your are in Kapolei. It is BYOB, so if you are looking for drinks or wine, grab a 6'er or bottle before heading down.

    (5)

  • Tina S.

    We've been here quite a few times already. The food is hit and miss, but in general, good. The Mee Crob (Crispy Noodles) is hands down, the best so far on the island. No one makes it quite like they do. The other dishes are fine, but sometimes it's either a bit too salty or bland. The customer service is great! They're attentive, courteous and the plates are served accordingly. It's a small establishment, but quaint. Dinner time can get pretty crowded with a little wait.

    (4)

  • Jhoren C.

    This location is a little tricky if youre not familiar with the area. Small little restaraunt that seats about 30 people. Make reservations esp during their peak dinner hours cuz it can get crowded. My friend and I met up for dinner and were seated right away. The ambience is your typical thai dine-in. Semi dimmed lights. What we ordered: Starters: Fried Calamari - omg YUM! Its was french fries style and not yiur typical circular calamari. It was so good we totally devoured the entire thing. Main Dishes: Tofu Pad Thai: We got this as a medium spice and it was so good, very flavorful & lots of veggies. Chicken Panang: This was alright. I always order panang in almost every Thai restaurant ive ever eaten at so i always compare. The sauce was a little too thick for my liking. For those 3 entrees came out to less than $40. Price is resonable.

    (3)

  • Raquel B.

    We love Thai food, we usually go to another one but we wanted to try this one on our way to Ko'olina beach. First off even the water is so refreshingly cold, yes some restaurants give lukewarm water...so nasty. Then that Thai iced tea? So creamy and delicious. We had those super yummy spring rolls, which comes with some white noodle- I didn't know what it was but it was pretty darn tasty with the peanut sauce! We also had the drunken noodles (very spicy) but my boyfriend enjoyed every bite and we had the pad se ew with chicken (my absolute favorite from any type of Thai place), if they can hook that one plate up, I'm officially into the restaurant. Both plates had fresh veggies, but some were a bit overly chewy. My ONE complaint is the service. The server wasn't attentive, we had to prey on her for some water refill and they had no reaction when we said thank you. They were getting jammed packed with people when we were about done eating, but even before that they were pretty distracted and dry in hospitality. If only the service was better then they would've easily been a 5 star! Update: went the next day, I know we are addicted to Thai food lol, and the service was so much better. They were very attentive and even gave our daughter a cute plastic plate to eat from. For that they get that extra star!

    (5)

  • Altonia M.

    Best thai I have had. I had the curry and I was upset I couldn't finish the whole plate. Highly recommend and I will be back.

    (5)

  • Kristl K.

    The drunkard ' s noodles and the Panang curry were good. The sticky rice was cooked nicely - some places serve it really dried out. The spring rolls remind me of the old Keo's at Ward Center. The water service can be improved.

    (3)

  • Elle B.

    A nice, small & cozy restaurant near Papa John's and Starbucks. I usually order the Pad Ki Mao (Drunkard noodles, but in the mainland we call it Drunken noodles) to go and it has a spicyness to it. I would personally kick it up a notch since I looove spicy food! Cost is around $10 for a plate with enough for leftovers. One con about it is that they don't stir it very well and the noodles get stuck together so it can taste plain.. Also, they don't put enough meat in it.. So half the time I'm eating plain ol' noodles. Let's not be greedy!

    (4)

  • Varun B.

    I will say, the service overall isn't that great. Went here twice during our week long stay in Oahu, and the first time we went, we had order 3 appetizer dishes, 1 noodles, 1 rice dish, and 3 entrees for a group of 6 people. Couple things that bugged me were: 1) they kept bringing out the dinner items out 1 at a time rather than altogether or in any particular grouping. 2) Having done this, they forgot 2 of our entrees. All that being said, their food is actually quite delicious, which is why we went there a second time. They have these chicken wings stuffed with ground chicken, which was really interesting. Wings were fried great without being too oily. The spring rolls we tried were also well executed. The mi krab was alright. As for the dinner items, everything we had was very well done. Green curry had solid flavor and the eggplant was well cooked in it. The chu chee fish was extremely delicious, so much so that we got it both times we went there. Over the 2 times were were there, we also tried to pad ki mao and pad see ew, both of which were good. Downsides: mango sticky rice didn't have any sort of authentic feel. Sticky rice wasn't done properly, though the mangoes were pretty good. Lastly, they charge $2 for a very small amount of rice that two people could finish. In all the thai restaurants I've eaten at, this was a first...charging for rice. But overall, like I said, the food was delicious, so it's still worth a stop if you're in the Kapolei/Ko Olina area.

    (4)

  • Gabriela S.

    Very clean establishment, attentive and friendly service and fantastic Pad thai (think we did shrimp and chicken). The Pho soup had tasty broth but the chicken in it was very stringy, fatty and just "scrap" chicken as I expected chicken breast- but probably not the norm fro pho to begin with.

    (4)

  • Justin C.

    I never would have guessed that some of the best Thai food I would ever eat would come from a strip mall on the way to the airport as we headed out of Oahu, but I guess it's not really the location that makes a meal good as much as it is the people. Whoever's working the kitchen here is doing one hell of a job, as even at an irregular hour (around 2pm) we were able to get extremely well executed classic dishes and even something more original. We were a bit hesitant to check out Thai Lao, mainly because we were about to get on a plane for a rather long flight and eating spicy foods just prior can wind up causing a tumultuous trip. But when we did arrive and saw the place only occupied by a man larger than the two of us combined eating what seemed to be plate after plate of food we worried that maybe it wouldn't live up to the hype of the few reviews it had when we visited. Since then it seems this place has amassed quite a following, and deservedly so. The service is somewhat nondescript, but quick, and I thought it was cute that the menu encourages you to order it mild if you're a wimp. We started out with the stuffed chicken wings, as so many people had recommended, and they did not disappoint. It may seem reductive to remove chicken from the chicken, and then stuff it back it, but presenting it in this fashion allows for a nice crispy skin without any bones and the flavor of the meat inside is amped up more than you would get from just chicken alone. It's a brilliant technique and the fry on the chicken itself was perfect. The dipping sauce is just the right balance of sweet and heat, I really wish places back home could replicate this dish. For a more substantive course we chose the larb as well as the evil jungle curry with beef, and both were superb. The larb might actually be the best version I've ever had, with the ideal ratio of citrus, cilantro, spice, and meat. Suzy and I were cautiously trying to avoid overeating our share, while secretly both wanting the whole plate to ourselves. The jungle curry had a great level of spice to it, but was well balanced by the coconut milk, enough so that I got the heat I wanted but Suzy wasn't overburdened by it. The beef was cooked well and there was plenty of it. Thai food is a wonderful complexity of flavors, and Thai Lao does an excellent job of bringing them all together in each dish. If I had to pick one cuisine as my favorite it would likely wind up being Thai, and if this place were in DC I would be eating here weekly, at a minimum.

    (5)

  • Christopher T.

    Thai Lao is a great place to stop lunch or dinner. The staff is very friendly and you can also order take out. Overall is the service is outstanding and the food is phenomenal. They are never late for a refill and always make the customer come first. I ordered the pad Thai and evil jungle curry. The Pad Thai is very good for the "little sauce with noodle" lovers and the evil jungle curry can be served in several heat levels and can be served with sticky rice. (Hottest: Thai hot) Like I said the food is outstanding and I recommend stopping by! Maybe finish up your meal with a Thai tea!

    (5)

  • G R.

    Today I went to Thai Lao with my friends. I enjoyed the crispy spring roll wrapped with noodles and lettuce. Also I enjoyed the stuffed chicken wings.. We also had yummy thai ice tea, curry, and another dish similar to pad thai but with fatter noodles. All in all, I need to exercise after eating all this thai food....it's gone all to my theighs!*there goes my dainty figure. .... OK bye

    (4)

  • Aliza V.

    Very different experience this visit. I ordered food to go for the family after my yoga class. I paid and sat down as I was told it would be 15-20 minutes. The table I chose was by the front left door (4 seat table). There were 6 empty tables. As I was waiting I was reading my text messages and the hostess/owner walked over after about 13 minutes and asked me to move. I was completely shocked. There at this point were 4 remaining tables that this couple of 2 could have sat and enjoyed their dinner. Not only was a embarrassed to have to stand but then was told I could sit in a small chair that is partly overshadowed by a fake plant and the ordering counter. I'm very insulted that a paying customer would be treated so rude. I really love their food but after this incident I won't be going back. Very disappointed and not much Aloha given by the owner.

    (1)

  • Tyler Y.

    I love the atmosphere here. It's a nice restaurant :) Food is pretty tasty and at a reasonable price. (Prices are pretty similar to any other Thai place lol..) The only reason I'm not giving the full five stars is because the service wasn't all that great. I came in at night time with my boyfriend and it was relatively crowded which I understand. It took a bit for a server to acknowledge us... And when we were seated it took them nearly FOREVER just to give us our waters. But what made me more upset is that we were waiting there 10 minutes without our drinks and no one came back to us, instead another couple walks in and immediately gets served right away... I don't quite understand how someone who's seated after us was able to get their drinks AND meals before us -____- That's always been a huge pet peeve on mine. But overall FOOD IS DELICIOUS

    (4)

  • Lori R.

    Awesome food! Nice clean environment with friendly staff. The Penang chicken was amazing! Will definitely go back.

    (5)

  • Jenna S.

    You must eat here. By far the BEST Thai food I've had around here so far! I can't believe it took me so long to check it out. Everything we ordered was super fresh and full of flavor, they give fairly large portions as well. The Pad Chu Chee (deep fried fish simmered in red curry paste with coconut milk & kaffir lime) is SO freaking good! This dish is a MUST order, believe me. The Pla Rad Prik is also on point, the best sweet chili sauce I've had so far, so much flavor. I'm coming back to try the other curries and deffinitly their fish cake (PlaTodMun) and papaya salad, my favorite thai foods besides HorMok - which sadly I have yet to find a restaraunt that serves this. Overall, EVERYTHING was good here, I will be a regular.

    (5)

  • Judy C.

    Finally got the opportunity to dine here! I've heard great reviews about this place. Came for lunch, when we staycationed in Ko'olina. So happy to go here at the beginning of our staycation, it got hectic towards the middle and end. The waitress/hostess didn't seem friendly. She wasn't & wait help wasn't great. (this is why the 4 stars) It took awhile for us to get the items we requested. We got: ( me & the family) Pad Rah Nah, ( chow fun noodle with gravy with seafood) Chicken Green Curry Chicken Pad Thai Stuffed chicken wings ( came in 4 pieces) & 3 orders jasmine rice. I am so surprised, my son ( Thai food is not his fav) actually enjoyed the food. I was worried, but he needs to try new things!! I'm glad he did. Everything taste really ono!! esp. we never ate Thai food for soooo long!! We had leftovers, my husband and daughter finished the rest at the hotel. Prices are reasonable. Nexts time we staycation here, Id love to come back again! We live in town, so its too far for us. & One last thing before I end my review, I LOVE LOVE your satay!! Its the best, I've tried! its home-made, very fresh, & just the right spicy-ness. Something to look forward to on my nexts staycation or when Im in the Kapolei area, Im going to stop here again & of course for the satay!!

    (4)

  • Heather S.

    Hands down my favorite place to get Thai ice coffee. So bomb! Been here only once but won't be my last. I ordered the tom yum (was feeling under the weather -_-) with tofu. On the menu, tofu wasn't an option, but you just have to ask for it. Tastes good, but not much different from other places. One difference I did notice was that it had broccoli. Never had tom yum with broccoli, but I liked it. It's a great addition to the soup. Love the amount of spice! Got my sinuses cleared up immediately :) Service was ok. Only bc it took a while to get our waters and order taken. But, food came out fairly quickly so thumbs up there. And the family that runs that place are nice. I did get to try some of the other foods ordered, which were the green curry and papaya salad. Though my taste buds weren't fully functioning, I can say that they were pretty good. Will be back though since I'm all better now to try their other menu items :)

    (4)

  • Mei-Lan C.

    got the seafood salad 11.95 $ , drunken noodle with chicken 9.95 $ and stir fried basil beef 9.95 $ . the food portions were pretty big except the basil beef were pretty small . everything was delicious and nicely seasoned . spicy ....but good .

    (4)

  • Danny N.

    Always delicious!! My family enjoyed everything here! Service is always good. Price even better!!

    (5)

  • Victoria A.

    I've heard so many positive things about Thai Lao that I just couldn't wait to eat here! I was keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I wouldn't be disappointed. Let me tell you - it's all TRUE!! Food here is to DI(n)E for!! Having been a townie for many years, I had gotten accustomed to the quality food that the now closed Mekong I & II offered. I also was spoiled by the food offerings from Pae Thai, so you can see how my Thai expectations were already pretty high. You can imagine my joy in knowing that a 4-5 star thai restaurant existed in my neighborhood! I had my girlfriend join me as we both had never dined here before. I wanted to order many of the dishes that I had read about but since it was only the two of us - we stuck to a two item limit. We ordered Shrimp Massaman Curry as well as the Chicken Drunken Noodles with steamed, sticky rice for the both of us. Thai Lao did NOT disappoint!! I was so pleased with the massaman curry's sweetness and spice along with the tender, generously sized stewed carrots and potatoes - quite the satisfaction on a rainy day. I'm sure if we had this to eat at home there would have been no shame in licking the bowl dry of all the sauce! The Chicken Drunken Noodles was just as good with enough kick in it to get your week going!! This dish alone would have sufficed without the sticky rice but since all the raves I've read mentioned this dish - it was on my MUST try list. Customer service here matches the food quality as well - attentive and pleasant! We left there with a belly full of delicious goodness with the intent to return with our friends and family. The prices are NOT bad at all - very affordable with average sized portions. So happy I don't have to drive to town to get awesome Thai food! Yay for the westside!!

    (5)

  • Gina G.

    I love Thai food and this place never lets me down. Food is nicely prepared. Very authentic Thai food experience you will have on the island. Gave this place a 4 star because their service are slow at times.

    (4)

  • Angela Irene D.

    I have Found my NEW LOVE, MEE KROB!!! Must Try! (Sweet crispy noodles -appetizers) We actually pass by this place often since we live in the area, and of course we were also craving Thai Food! even before this place got really popular, everything from customer service, food, and parking was great. Of course, the time it gets really busy is DINNER time which is usually around 5p-8p even on a weekday. Take into consideration, that this restaurant is quite compact, but beautiful in decor and service AND nice cold air conditioning. Most restaurants are either too cold or too hot, but I guess that is also personal preference. We have become regulars since we have moved to this island, and we have never been disappointed. Our usual favorites are Summer Rolls, Evil Jungle Curry, Mee Krob, Thai Basil, and Tom Yum soup. It is SO hard to decide when you are starving but I try my best to try everything on the menu. Whatever I just listed, are the popular ones anyway. If you have trouble deciding you can always ask your waiter/waitress. This is a family owned business as well, and we were always welcomed with a warm smile. Customer service and what seems like home cooked Thai food meals is what brings us back! Havent tried this place out yet? Better go now!

    (5)

  • Michael A.

    Best Thai food ever. Rich flavors and balanced spices all in one bite. Had the Pad Ki Mao and the Panang curry. One of the best I ever had. The spring rolls alone was a good started. Almost like a salad on it's own. Very good and tasty place. Will be coming here more often now.

    (5)

  • AllenD A.

    We have eaten Thai food all over the US and perhaps that is the problem ;-)!! The food is excellent. We had the fried chicken and the stuffed wings for appetizers and they were very tasty and not greasy. The calamari my kids loved but were not Magianno's calamari (soaked in buttermilk for 24-hours). Any of the soups are excellent. The Pho was especially good. I could live off the broth. We are here 2x's. You will not be disappointed. Get here early or take it to go if you are staying at a resort.

    (5)

  • Vicky T.

    My first time here at Thai Lao I had to do take out, but I really wished i could have dined in. The restaurant was very nice and clean. I also really like the staffs' uniform. The food was really good. One of the best Thai places I have tried. I ordered the Fried Chicken, Yellow Curry, and Seafood Pad Thai. I loved all of it. The fried chicken was very moist and crispy. The Seafood Pad Thai was not too oily. The Yellow curry was not too spicy. All of served in generous portions. To top it all off the owner was very nice! Must try if you are heading towards or live in Kapolei.

    (4)

  • R M.

    This restaurant is the best Thai/Lao place on the Leeward side of Oahu. Very authentic. The woman where traditional skirts and they have Thai/Lao music videos playing on this big TV in the front. Very clean and quaint little restaurant tucked away from the rest of the restaurants across the street at the Kapolei Marketplace. Thai Lao is big on taste and big on authenticity. The Pad Thai was very flavorful, and I always order Pad Thai whenever I go to a Thai place. My husband got the larb and it was just right, not too spicy. I haven't tried any of the Lao dishes but will be sure to try them next time I come. Cute little signs on the tables saying "You can always order it mild :) " which I thought was very cute and reassuring. Good price $25.00 for two main dishes and 2 Sticky rice. It's BYOB here since they don't carry any alcoholic beverages. The best Thai/Lao place I've been to thus far. I have my share of favorite Thai restaurants and Thai Lao is definitely one of them.

    (4)

  • Alyssa Y.

    4 stars=Yay! I'm a fan. And indeed I am :) I was not a fan of Thai food because of an experience I had at a Thai restaurant in Nevada...ugh, bad memories. I wouldn't even think to go to another one until my aunt suggested it :) The food was excellent, bit oily(duh! For fried food, but I think a bit excessive), pad Thai was yummy and the green curry fried rice was all right :) oh! And we had the spring rolls plus stuffed chicken(photos uploaded) which were all very good...chicken=okay. And for drinks, we got the ice coffee, it wasn't my cup of tea, though my mother really enjoyed it. :) So yes! A must go. Not 5 stars because I didn't enjoy everything, but you might.

    (4)

  • Joe H.

    Excellent panang curry, good prices, BYOB, Kirin six pak next door at Chevron mini mart $8. Owner is cool and offers cold glasses. Good value and taste.

    (5)

  • Jenn T.

    Came here after searching for a place to eat in kapolei after work. This is what popped up on yelp! Looked pretty decent, so my friends and I decided to come check it out! At first we were a little skeptical, because nobody was really in the restaurant, but after a few moments, the placed became packed with people for lunch, and our worries were quickly eased :). The restaurant itself is nice, clean and the people were friendly. I got the pad se ew with chicken, which was delicious. I got it with medium spicy, and it was pretty decently spicy. My friends got another noodle dish and a seafood dish, both which were delicious as well! I would definitely recommend it! WIll come again if I'm in kapolei!

    (4)

  • Joan A.

    This is the best Thai restaurant on the west side of the island! We used to drive into town for good Thai food but don't have to do that anymore. My fiancé and I love this place! We always order the spring rolls, stuffed chicken wings or papaya salad for starters and all are very good! Their shrimp Pad Thai is very good with lots of big shrimp! We also order their Evil Jungle Prince ( I think that's what it's called!)... So yummy! The best is their whole fish with garlic sauce... Oh man this is a must because it's SOOOOOO darn delicious! The service is great as well! The only bad thing about this place is the parking because they share lot with Starbucks and Jamba Juice bit don't let that stop you from eating here because it's worth it!

    (5)

  • Keane S.

    Thai Lao was a little gem of a place I was happy to find while doing my rotations over in Kapolei. I quickly realized it was popular amongst my coworkers and it didn't take long to understand why. EVERYTHING IS GOOD. The pad thai, the curry, the appetizers, everything is so tasty. We mainly did takeout but the one time we dined in service was friendly and the food takes a little bit to come out but nothing unreasonable. So if you're in the area and craving some thai, don't hesitate to try Thai Lao, I'd be shocked if you didn't leave satisfied.

    (4)

  • Diane E.

    Came here for lunch yesterday while working in Kapolei. My co-worker and I joined other co-workers who were already there. All the dishes looked amazing. The two of us ordered the Spring Rolls and the Calamari Salad to share. I was disappointed with the Spring Rolls. The description was the usual ingredients (rice noodles, mint, shrimp) and for $1 more, tuna. I asked for the tuna not knowing that 1) the shrimp would be excluded and 2) the tuna wasn't fresh tuna...but rather some type of tuna salad thing that I'd have preferred in a sandwich. The Calamari salad was very good.

    (3)

  • Kevin S.

    Thai Lao is currently the only Thai restaurant in Kapolei. I come here to get my Thai curry craving fix. There used to be another Thai restaurant in Kapolei Shopping Center, but it's been long gone. I order the Panang Curry ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… ) a lot because everything else is just okay - the green curry was sooo salty, and the pad thai was dry. Pros: - Price is cheaper than Phuket Thai - If you're in Kapolei, this is currently the only place for your Thai food craving fix Cons: - High School kids panhandle in the complex and cause ruckus - Water refills take a long time - Bathroom needs to be cleaned more often - Parking is tight and very very limited during peak time The food is good, but location is really bad. I'm hoping for another Thai restaurant in a better location. 31 Yelps Review Challenge - 11 of 31

    (3)

  • Jessica S.

    The food was delicious! I had the evil jungle curry with shrimp, spicy & full of flavor. Plus they didn't skimp on the shrimp :) The restaurant it self was very clean in appearance. The staff was friendly and best of all it was very reasonably priced. 2 curry meals and spring roll appetizers = less than $30! This will quickly become a favorite!

    (5)

  • Tyler C.

    Made a mistake. I ordered my curry at medium heat. The dish came mild and so I asked for them to make it medium (please), and the dish came back super hot. By the 3rd bite my forehead was perspiring. ..yeah laugh at me and that was my mistake..sticky rice was the best thing. Oh and they make is very sweet which is very unlike most Thai restaurants. And instead of using actual chilis, they use chili flakes.

    (1)

  • Wade T.

    I ate here with a friend from work and we had an okay experience, this would have been a 4 or 5 star rating if the AC had worked. I had the Evil Jungle Curry and Stuffed Wings. I will return to try the Tom Yum, they should consider having smaller portions instead of meal sized portions.

    (3)

  • Jackie S.

    Best Thai food on the west side! The Panang chicken curry is very tasty and has just the right amount of spiciness.

    (4)

  • Nicole Korin W.

    Don't come for lunch. Service was bad and food flavorless. I love dinners here. They seem to be more on too of their game.

    (4)

  • George T.

    This was a great place. The food was delicious and it was just down the road from my parents house in makakilo. This is my new go to Thai restaurant.

    (5)

  • Rod U.

    Phenomenally great, unpretentious Thai and Laos food. WIN! Dishes all showcase the core southeast Asian flavors: sweet, citrusy tang, clean chili heat, fermented seafood backbone. They all showcase fresh ingredients. Flavors are bold and well harmonized. The Laos style green papaya, larb, beef numtok salads are outstanding. Fresh with huge flavors that combine well with other menu items. What puts Thai Lao food over the top is the unexpected texture and fresh vibrancy from the last minute addition of raw veg into finished warm dishes. For example, the outstanding "Evil Jungle Curry" (ask for spicy and you will understand why its called EVIL a few hours later) is poured over a mound of shredded cabbage and carrots. The pad Thai is served with crushed raw peanuts and bean sprouts that you mix in after it's served. A perfectly balanced dish that doesn't leave the feeling of a carb brick in your stomach. Finally, the stuffed chicken wings mentioned in so many reviews are really good eats. Super moist. Extremely crispy. Packed with a heady lemongrass, ground chicken, egg, long rice filling. The pride of the owner and his desire to share the welcoming culture of southeast Asia shows through the extremely friendly, attentive, and helpful service. Small touches like fresh, colorful flowers on each table further bring the feeling of welcome. Impressive. Note 1: If driving west on Farrington Hwy (Hwy 93) through Kapolei, the restaurant is located on the left, in the same strip mall as Chevron (iPhone GPS puts you in the strip mall across the street) Note 2: The restaurant uses a lot of MSG.

    (4)

  • Tracie F.

    This place is awesome!!! This little hole in the wall Thai restaurant is anything but a dive. Food is faboo, wait staff is genuinely friendly, it is clean clean clean and they have a great menu! Why not 5 stars you ask? It is a little on the small side with no place to wait should there be one (and sometimes there is!) Last time we were there we had to wait outside in the blustery 70 degree winds of our island. Hey when you are from here 70 is nippy!!!! They have virtually every Thai dish known to man. If it is not listed on the menu just ask because chances are they can make it. I love their spring rolls, fried chicken, and cashew chicken. Honestly though I don't think I have ever tried anything from here that has disappointed me! The staff is ALWAYS nice and service is fast and efficient. Water glasses are refilled and dishes come out lickety split. I don't know what else to say other than this is THE place to go when you have a hankering for Thai food in Kapolei. The end.

    (4)

  • Carol L.

    The sign said that they open at 10:30. It was 10:50 the door was locked but the staff was inside working. We tried knocking on the door to get their attention. No such luck. So I called them. =/ Door now unlocked. We sat ourselves. She came back with out menus wearing medical gloves. =/ Had to get her attention to order...AGAIN! I stood up went to the counter," We can order when you have the time." She comes back with our water THEN walks away. =/ Someone else takes our order. Panang Curry with chicken, Ong hoi with Shrimp, Summer Rolls and Thai tea. Our food comes. MM happiness now? MMn no. I see my Thai tea on the counter for the past 10 min while I 'm eat ting my lunch. =/ She is now busy trying to fix a takeout order while the phone is ringing and ringing again. So yes I stood up got my own drink and sat back down. Yes the food is Guud but the service...you need help badly!! By the way if you had your doors open maybe you wouldn't have lost 4 customers who I saw tried to come in but then gave up and walked on by.

    (2)

  • Venus W.

    Great delicious food! I haven't eaten in the restaurant but I've done take out a couple times and was never disappointed. I've ordered the papaya salad, yellow chicken curry, Penang seafood and pad Thai noodles. Everything taste good. I gave 4 stars only because I haven't eaten in the restaurant just yet. I will need to dine in to see if the one star is well deserved for their service.

    (4)

  • Sarah B.

    Update to reflect extraordinarily terrible service on a later visit. My dish was fine. My boyfriend's dish just... didn't... come. After a long wait, we inquired after it. The waitress said she would check with the kitchen. Thereafter, all of the servers in the room deliberately avoided eye contact with us -- to the point of circling round the other side of the restaurant when they needed to reach the tables behind us -- and one of them literally executed a full 180-degree turn on her heel when she saw us trying to catch her attention. The effect was almost surreal. (Are they experiencing sudden-onset partial amnesia? Or have we suddenly become invisible? If so, can we sneak into the kitchen so my boyfriend can actually get something to eat?) By the time the missing dish arrived, I had finished my dinner. Worse, though, the dish that finally arrived was very weird -- parts were piping hot, parts were refrigerator-cold, and the meat was so rubbery your fork bounced off it. Basically, the dish appeared to have been microwaved. Perhaps it hadn't been, but whatever had been done to it, it certainly wasn't edible. So I told the waitress we were leaving and would not pay for the second dish. There was some consternation, but they did remove it from our bill. Based on the generally good reviews I realise that this was probably an isolated incident, but the restaurant handled it so unprofessionally that we're not likely to risk returning. I understand that things sometimes go wrong in the kitchen. (We eat out a lot! We're used to that!) When that happens, you apologise to the diner, ask them if they'd like to order something else instead, and, if there's going to be a significant delay, comp their drinks or dessert (which in our case would have cost them the price of one thai iced tea). You DON'T pretend nothing's wrong, deliberately and very obviously avoid the diner, and then try to serve them inedible food. Bad showing, Thai Lao.

    (1)

  • Ksenia K.

    This was the best Thai restaurant that I have been to. I had the #42, it was spicy and full of flavor. The service was excellent and servers very friendly.

    (5)

  • Dodanie D.

    We've always ordered take out from Thai Lao, almost every week in fact. We've tried many of their dishes and in the beginning were amazed by how good everything was. Every time we order, we emphasized we wanted each dish mild, we repeat that we are requesting mild when we sum up our order, and the person taking the order repeats "mild" before finalizing our order. But somehow the last 3 - 4 times we've ordered take out, everything was extremely spicy and hot so we could not enjoy and finish the dishes. We like a little heat and have eaten at many Thai restaurants and know how mild should taste. Thai Lao used to get it right but they have became heavy handed with the spice and heat with all the dishes. Nevertheless, we kept giving them one more chance, then another chance, and another, in case it was a fluke but sadly, they don't seem to respect what we want and were clear in asking for. Really loved this restaurant and but we've given them enough chances and don't plan on going back again.

    (1)

  • Diana S.

    Best Thai food on the island. In the past, we have ordered the green curry, shrimp pad thai, pineapple pad thai, mango sticky rice, thai tea... all tasted fabulous with generous portions. I work in town and don't mind the long drive home if we decide to go to Thai Lao. All I'm saying, it's WORTH the drive.

    (5)

  • Dustin N.

    Yum. Best Thai food ever. Thai hot is truly hot. Don't get Thai hot unless you have a Thai iced tea available. Egg plant dish, green papaya salad, and green curry were all excellent.

    (5)

  • Chuco T.

    Looking for lunch in the Kapolei area turns up quite a few search results. However, very few of them have really high marks. In fact, Thai Lao was the only one we saw with 4.5 stars, so we decided to check it out with absolutely no prior knowledge of the place. Walking into the place, we were greeted quickly and told we could sit wherever we wanted. The table settings were pretty classy looking for a storefront in a little strip mall ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… ). Naturally, knowing nothing about the place before today, we started with our usual Thai apps, then we opened our trusty Yelp apps to see what our fellow yeeps ordered, and got started. First, for the apps, we went with our usuals. Spring Rolls ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… ): When they came to the table, they looked similar to what we normally get when we order spring rolls somewhere, except they looked fried. Honestly, it didn't look particularly appetizing. boy was i WRONG. These were delicious! Arguably the best spring rolls I've had yet. Stuffed Chicken Wings ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… ): My previous experience with stuffed chicken wings left me hooked. This being only my second time trying it, and off the heels of a great experience, i had pretty high expectations. Thai Lao did not disappoint. In fact, they surpassed my expectations. The moist but crispy chicken was perfect. And the sweet chili sauce it was served with was great too. They were stuffed to the brim with chicken and vegetables ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… ). very yummy. Then the entrees. First was some kind of sauteed chicken ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… ): I dont remember what this dish was called, but it was basically sauteed chicken and vegetables. Evil Jungle Curry ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… ): Thanks to suggestions by fellow yelpers, we ordered the "Evil Jungle Curry". You get the option of chicken, beef or pork. Since we already got the sauteed chicken and stuffed wings, we went with pork. Generally, i don't order curry at Thai places because im not a big fan of coconut based curry, but this was fantastic. It may have single-handedly changed my position on Thai curry. I will definitely be ordering this again. Rad Na ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… ): This noodle dish reminded me of look fun. Thick pieces of noodles with eggs, vegetables, and your choice of chicken, beef, or pork. This time we went with beef. We ordered this dish having no idea what it was, But thinking we needed a starch to go with the curry. We were surprised when this showed up to the table. Definitely not what we expected, but it was also very good. I could eat this dish again too. The noodles and sauce were tasty, and the peppered beef and vegetables went really well with it. Next time i think we will have to go with the sticky rice to pair with the curry. Thai Iced Tea ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… ): Another classic you have to get when you go to a Thai place. It looks strange, but trust me, its a must have. This place really showed us why they have such high marks. The food was delicious, and comes highly suggested. I know i for one will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Pearl D.

    This place is fantastic! The food is delicious and service was quick and friendly. We ordered a green curry, a red curry and summer rolls and it was all amazing. :)

    (5)

  • Kathy C.

    This is a great place for Thai/Lao food. I've been here quite a few times mostly for quick last minute take outs of at most two items. This time was joined by a few friends for dinner service. For whatever reason we all went a little nutso on ordering food. Between the four of us, we ordered six entrees. Here's a list of what we all ate with plenty of leftovers. Fried calamari was good, nice and chewy. Fried chicken was delish! Really loved it. Pad thai with chicken was good but a little sweet to me but that that bad to deter me. Panang curry (chicken) and evil jungle curry(beef, wanted to change it up since we usually get chicken.) Panang was good to me and I didn't even want to try the evil one, but other said it was good....... Pad Ki-Mao aka Drunkard's Noodles was spicy to me but it tasted good. Lastly beef pineapple fried rice which was my fav of the night. Probably just because I was kinda craving some fried rice. Over all was a good time with friends and decent service. I'd normally get a thai tea but didn't this time. I was I just wasn't really in the mood for it. But the guy did get a thai coffee.

    (4)

  • Larry R.

    Went there for a late lunch with my family. The food was ok. I wasn't excited to have to pay extra for plain white rice or for drink refills. The service was really poor. The timing of the appetizer, soup and main dishes was poor. The waitress never came and asked about the food and we waited a while for water and for the bill.

    (2)

  • Goh-it K.

    Friendly & Excellent service and delicious soup noodles! Try the Kao Soi (sp) wide noodle soup. It had a lot of beef, vegetables and sausage. It was on the daily specials board.

    (4)

  • Dan O.

    The food here is on par and in some dishes even better than any of the Phuket Thai restaurants on island. I eat here often and ate at Phuket almost weekly. I have brought numerous friends here and every time order 3 main dishes as standard entrees. The Panang curry with fish is the best. Trust me on this. It is never fishy tasting and is always moist and tender with a nice thick peanut curry. Get it medium and some sticky rice to go with. Next, order the Pad Se-ew with beef. The sweetness of the sauce will offset the slight kick of the panang. If you want to spice it up slightly more, skip the Pad Se-ew and get the Pad Ki Mao. It is hotter and has some different veggies than the Pad Se-ew. A third dish is the Pad Thai with chicken. That will round out the experience. Get whatever other dishes you want, but the first two are essential to every visit.

    (5)

  • Crystal S.

    This place never falls short of an excellent meal. That being said, today when we went, the service was definitely lacking. We went for dinner and the place was packed but we were seated immediately due to the size of our party. It took a while for drinks and menus and a while for our food but, again it was pretty busy. I got the pad Thai, spicy, which was almost too hot to handle at first but it was delicious nonetheless. Hubby got yellow curry chicken and this was divine! It had a delicious coconut flavor and it was great with brown rice! Great portions for a good price! We will be going back!

    (5)

  • Lilian N.

    Thai Lao is BOMB.com ! Love that they make their own noodles and serve them up fresh, daily! Their drunken noodles (we order with shrimp) are the best I've tasted yet. The stuffed chicken wings are done just right, with lots of seasoning and fried to perfection. We order everything medium to hot, which is just the right spice level for us. Even if you're not into spicy foods, the mild version of any dish will be just as tasty and yummy. Service is always friendly, and while the restaurant space is small, it is very clean and inviting. Parking can be a mess as it's located in the tiny strip mall next to Chevron.

    (5)

  • Misty P.

    We went here for lunch and it was pretty full inside. We were greeted right away and the service was good, and the food came out in an ample amount of time. We got the garlic beef with rice and tom yum soup. The food and flavors were excellent and the soup was very tasty. Only problem is that it's a little bit pricey for the food offered and for a lunch menu. The portions were generous though. Finding parking is ok as well as there are enough stalls in the little strip mall.

    (3)

  • James F.

    It's so nice to have great food available in Kapolei. Thai Lao is super yummy, the food is always fresh and not oily or heavy like some Thailand food places make it. Just give it a try, it is with a trip to Kapolei. (The curries are amazing, and the basil fried rice is great too!)

    (5)

  • Victoria C.

    Soo I didn't write a review the first time I ate here because I wasn't sure if it was just luck that everything we ordered were great. But now after eating here 3 times and all 3 times I was pleased with my order I am ready 2 rate it. So here you go, FIVE stars!!!! I loved everything about this place. The food is amazing. Very flavorful and the portions are generous. The service all 3 times were great. I always felt welcomed and all my questions and demands were met. The prices are also reasonable. I would say, this is so far the best Thai place. Recommended food: evil jungle curry, green curry fried rice, pad Thai, stuffed chicken, lemongrass soup

    (5)

  • Kara P.

    This is pretty much the best Thai food on this side. I camp outside their door and wait for them to open and I enjoy the fresh flowers on the tables, the willingness to accommodate my substitutions and preparation methods with no issue. The price is excellent, two people can eat for $20/$25 bucks. When the food takes a bit longer than some big box restaurant it is because it is being prepared by hand and not poured from a bag. Patience pays dividends and its well worth the time!

    (5)

  • MP F.

    So happy there is a good Thai restaurant near me! Everything I've tried here is pretty good. Pad see ew is my favorite, along with the shrimp red curry. My kids love the fried chicken and pad thai. We've tried a bunch of different dishes I can't name, but haven't had anything we didn't like. It's a little small inside so I usually get take out, which is pretty fast. Service is pleasant too, they have some teens (I think) that work there that are always quick to smile. Once I went in and placed my order. I had to wait at a table and they offered me a soda while I waited. That kind of service is priceless.

    (5)

  • Kiichi R.

    This review is pending a sit-down visit. I came to know about this place because my girlfriend loves Thai and is always on the hunt for some good places. Not being a Thai fan myself, I do love their desserts. This review is tentative, based on: Mango Sticky Rice. Short and to the point - you get a lot and it's great! The mango is freshly cut, placed on top of a mountain of sticky rice. Delicious and I would definitely get again! On a side note, the interior, while sort of small, is very clean and AC'd, but not freezing. I am looking forward to updating this review.

    (4)

  • Jonathan V.

    Synopsis: WOW! If one word could describe this place it is "WOW!" The previous Thai place I have been to and rated extraordinary doesn't come close to the flavors that this place has to offer. I recommend this more than my childhood Thai place, "Thai Kitchen." Before coming here, I read a few reviews to see what I should order fried calamari, stuffed chicken, evil jungle curry. Let me tell you DIVINE! I concur w/ the previous assessments on the food. The extra order we made was the Eggplant Tofu. Although the service wasn't to par, the environment and prices were excellent. I dare do say this is by far the best place I have been - or maybe I need to test my taste buds elsewhere. Environment: It's a hole in the wall by Kapolei shopping mall, by Chevron and Sumo Ramen. From the outside, it's very festive with Christmas lights and a fake pine décor. You will witness figurines, native instrumental items, and the boxes that is used when you order sticky rice. Towards the back, there is a glass-like shelves filled with cups. I thought this was fascinating. It was very different from anything else, a beautiful contrast. Almost though it should be turned into a mini bar. Haha. Parking: Although, my parents I didn't have a hard time finding parking, I can imagine the place being HELL! I do say that's it's worth the search, however. Especially, if you don't wan to venture into the depths of hell or aka town! Employee: The owner? Seemed like the only person on the floor. And he had about 8 tables that were filled. He was very nice though. Very genuine smile, courteous. When another lady began helping she wasn't very attentive, let alone welcoming. She filled up the water glasses of my father and mother, but didn't even bother to ask me. And with food that's hot like that, my water glass BETTER be at the top! Finally, I had to flag her down and tell her what's up! Another thing I was quite disappointed about is the fact that we weren't asked if we wanted chopsticks, especially when it came to the calamari. "Umm..hello!?" Food: We ordered the fried calamari, stuffed chicken, evil jungle curry shrimp (less spicy, as suggested by other yelpers and because of my mom), and eggplant tofu. When ordering rice, I do recommend making one order for two people because they serve a lot! In addition, I do say that the amount we ordered was excessive, we could have cut down to only 3 dishes, honesty. The fried calamari were boomerang fried shapes. It crispiness was to die for. It definitely made my eyes roll back. And it came with, dun dun, the expected sweet and sour sauce which isn't different from anywhere else. The stuffed chicken was surprisingly awesome, especially since it's made with ground chicken. There wasn't a can or plastic taste and I wonder if they make their own....probably because it was that good. Although, I wished they created a different sauce for it. Sweet and sour again. NOOOO!! Nonetheless, very crispy, uniquely designed. The evil jungle curry was spicy, even upon our request to make it lighter. It was GOOD! VERY GOOD! The best I have tasted. The flavor of the curry was sublime. Although the array of vegetables were less attractive, the creaminess followed by the heat was amazing. I wish we had mild. I wish I could have had it a little hotter. Mmm..it would have been pure awesome. And the shrimp tails revealed all of the meat instead of having it mostly taken off. I was very appreciative of this. :D I love my entire shrimp without having to work extra hard. The eggplant tofu was very good too. The eggplant tasted local-grown fresh! Though it wasn't superior to taste as the evil jungle curry shrimp, it was certainly yummilicious. Next time I should ask to make it lightly flavored so it doesn't conflict with the flavors of the curry and coconut milk. Cost: For 3, plus tip of 20%, 57 bucks. Not too shabby!! Must must go to! Although, I am not sure if people from town would find it beneficial to go out of there way....that's debatable.

    (5)

  • Esther Claire D.

    I've come here twice now. Once dining in & the second time take out. I am not disappointed. Food was delicious! My boyfriend isn't really a fan of thai food, but he loves the food here. Definitely gonna start coming here more often!

    (5)

  • molly n.

    Holy *!@$balls. Cucumber salad laos style thai spicy. This is all you need to order to accompany your meal. It's salty, sweet, spicy, pungent (in a good way) and vinegary. It goes well with curries and any fish dish.... or even a cardboard box... it's that good!

    (5)

  • Russ C.

    Service was choppy-ordered regular iced tea, said they thought they had it (you work here?), but never showed up & never asked if wanted something else. Ordered Sprite, since we were proactive & asked if they served Coke or Pepsi products (not our first time tot the rodeo), they said Coke, so we assumed they served Sprite, but after taking the order for Sprite (without saying they didn't carry it) they then came back 10 minutes later to say they don't have Sprite, but Sierra Mist-we didn't care, just wanted lemon-lime soda, but mix-up caused 15 minute delay. Served 4 year old drink in 30 oz. tall glass guaranteed to tip over. Ordered appetizers with drinks (weren't asked, had to interject)-ordered Spring Rolls & Satay & the waiter didn't understand either like I was the first person ordering the two most popular Thai appetizers. Appetizers came after entrées despite ordering in advance. Satay was slimy, chewy (did not taste like Chicken), & completely unappetizing in look, feel, taste-just gross. Spring rolls were more like Chinese egg rolls w/wonton wrappers instead of thin rice paper. Entrées (pineapple fried rice, Pad Thai) were completely bland-tasted like fried oil & that's about it. Pad Thai was strangely dark & contained more tofu than chicken. Both entrées were dry like they had been made in a large batch & kept warm. Overall, well below average, & not worth even trying-much better Thai throughout the Hawaiian islands & mainland.

    (2)

  • Jeffrey T.

    I feel this is the best Thai restaurant on the island! The flavors just blow me away. My favorite on the menu is the Khao Soi hand cut noodles with a delicious broth. Their satay sticks with the peanut dipping sauce is to die for; I like chicken and pork.

    (5)

  • BG M.

    Love the food here. it's a good thing I found this place, which is closer to home for me! Now I don't have to drive all the way to town to get my Thai fix!

    (5)

  • Alyssa A.

    I love pad thai! Especially this one! Their portions are generous for around $10 and we always end up taking home some food. My boyfriend loves the panang curry as well. And of course, I love the thai iced tea. The owner is there almost all the time and he always remembers my order: chicken pad thai, mild, no bean sprouts or peanuts, with hot sauce and spices on the side. He's awesome! It's not that big of a restaurant but I've never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a table. Amazing thai food and great service, we're definitely fans of Thai Lao!

    (5)

  • Marisa S.

    Love the evil jungle curry and pad Thai here! Their fried chicken appetizer and spring rolls are also really good. Planning on trying the green papaya salad next time!

    (4)

  • Ray R.

    Five stars for making a guy who is anti-pad thai like yours. Five stars for being my new fave green curry fix on the island. Five stars for friendly service. Have I mentioned five stars enough? Why aren't u eating yet?!

    (5)

  • Sarah J.

    This place was fantastic!!! 32$ for appetizer, drink and 2 entrees. Food was delicious but beware of spice! Coming from someone who orders a 4-5star , I got hot and my mouth was on fire-but it was so good I couldn't stop eating it!!

    (5)

  • Lynn K.

    LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this restaurant. I take my kids there to eat and the staff is always so nice. The food is so delicious. We always have the chicken panang which is a red curry dish, the spring rolls, chicken pad thai and sticky rice. If you love Thai food and you live out on the Westside, this is the place to be. Food is always great!

    (5)

  • Christina S.

    This is my go to thai place here in Kapolei. I need a fix for thai pad or thai pad se-ew i'm coming here. When I'm sick I always order their tom yum soup with shrimp here. That lemon-grass really wakes up those sinuses. It's clean inside and staff is friendly. During lunch or dinner it can get crowded. There isn't much seating so sometimes I see people waiting outside. There is no waiting area either. I recommend if you live on this side to make a take out order and sit in the comfort of your home. Unless you get there early once they open up for lunch or dinner. Or right before they close. Check the times because they're not open all day. They are close after lunch before dinner. So far I had their Thai Pad, Thai Pad Se-Ew, Calamari, Crispy Thai Chicken, Tom Yum Soup, Yellow and Green Curry. I give them all 4 stars. Personally I like Phuket Thai's Crispy Thai Chicken better only because there isn't really big bones. I'm not a fan of bones.

    (4)

  • Shara B.

    Small but really cute restaurant. GREAT FOOD! My husband is Lao and says (and I agree) that they make the Lao style thai food on island. I really love their papaya salad and drunken noodles and he loves the Larb. Yum Yum.... my mouth is watering as I write this review.

    (5)

  • S. M.

    Everything we order is delicious. The only thing is they charge you extra for jasmine rice...really? Asians can't eat the main meal without rice!

    (4)

  • Lindsey G.

    First off: BYOB! Love that. Nice atmosphere: clean place, fresh flowers on every table, friendly and helpful staff, quick service. Awesome food: bangin' green papaya salad, flavorful panang curry, perfect pad Thai, and tasty beef with tomatoes. Good portions for the price. I've eaten tons of Thai food in Seattle, where Thai restaurants are nearly as common as coffee shops, and this place can hang with the best. Minus one star for the tv playing what I can only assume is either Thai or Laotian pop music videos. Detracts from the otherwise tasteful and even kinda classy ambience.

    (4)

  • Frank L.

    Good.

    (4)

  • zika S.

    Excellent food! We came to the Ko Olina resorts and were craving Thai food. We are used to the fabulous cuisine of the bay area and I must say that Thai Lao did not disappoint!! The service was just as great!! We had the ginger fish and yellow curry--delicious!! And don't miss the sticky rice and mango. We had to waddle out of here! But hey we can redeem ourselves with a good swim!

    (5)

  • Dani K.

    Our ordering was confusing, I wanted the Thai Lao pho which I had last time, but they had called it their Kao Soi and so I ordered the Kao Soi and was a bit disappointed. Pad Thai was okay, the noodles were a bit dry. Last time I was here I would have rated this place 5 stars but this time it was anti climactic. Great service, and I also was able to order a Thai tea without the cream.

    (3)

  • Hayden C.

    Ate here this past week. Boyfriend and I ordered the Pad Thai and the Evil Jungle Curry. Both were REALLY good! I would definitely come back to eat the evil jungle again. Our server was also very attentive and polite; made sure our waters were always filled, and asked us how the food was.

    (4)

  • Annie W.

    They did a really good job remodeling this restaurant and it appears to be a higher end place. They have a clean and simple decor, but everything just screams "come and eat here." I'm not quite sure about the Thai Lao combo, but I know they serve delicious Thai food here. Does it mean there is Laotian and Thai influences in their cuisine? I ordered pad thai noodles and it was pretty standard, but the ingredients were so fresh. There was a good balance of noodles, eggs, fried tofu, chicken, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts. Running at $9.95 a dish w/o tax, it's not the most inexpensive lunch meal. I'm glad they have a variety of rice to choose from. For a side of sticky, brown or white rice is $2. I'm hoping to try their $3 Thai tea the next time around. I've also tried their papaya salad and they don't mess around with their spices. Medium spice is a good kicker, so I recommended the mild if you can't handle the heat. The portion size and the quality of food is definitely worth the price tag. They seem to be doing really well and I see loads of people there during lunch hour. The word is spreading fast, especially when good food is involved. Yelp 365 Challenge #26/365

    (4)

  • Melissa N.

    Every time we come here, we are seated promptly and the staff is welcoming. The portions are great! (It seems that I always have a lot of leftovers to take home.) Their curry is SUPERB! This is by far my FAVORITE place to go to when I have my "curry cravings" :-) I also recommend the stuffed boneless chicken wings, they are SO yummy!

    (5)

  • Victoria A.

    Cons: Not enough parking, Their version of "large" Thai Tea is a "small" in my book. Pros: EVERYTHING ELSE Warm welcome. Seated promptly. Decor is nice and clean. The restaurant itself is very small and intimate. To start: 2Spring Rolls, 3Summer Rolls, 2Spicy Calamari, Papaya Salad Family style entrees: 2Pad Thai, Evil Jungle Curry, Green Curry Fried Rice (About $175 including several Thai Teas, Sodas, and Juices... not bad for 8 people) They re-filled glasses & took away dishes unused so that our table wasn't crowded. Overall, the food & service was excellent! My new favorite Thai joint. *Green Curry Fried Rice is my regular To-Go order. I may have to come one day and order more of the Laotian items on the menu.

    (5)

  • Samantha Marie W.

    came here 11/27/2013 nice place, great food, clean and decent speed of service thought the thai movies that were playing were pretty interesting was kinda weird that there was a homeless guy and they sat us at a table near all his stink dirty bags but a paying customer is a paying customer. felt kinda bad that it looked like only one waitress since as we were leaving there was a party of 13 that came in. she did give my 7mos old another plastic spoon to play with when he dropped the first one.

    (3)

  • Kathleen G.

    I went here on a tuesday night to eat with my boyfriend. We had the eggplant salad which was a bit too spicy for me, but my boyfriend who is a spicaholic loved it. We also tried the evil jungle curry at thai hot level. It wasn't too hot and mixed well with the sweetness of the pineapple fried rice with shrimp that we also ordered. The bbq chicken satay was a little dry but had good flavor and the peanut sauce was tasty. They give large portions and our waitress was really nice. There are numerous dishes and mostly everything can have chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp added to it. Lots of vegetarian dishes too. Nice location for those hankering for thai food on the leeward side.

    (4)

  • Brenda M.

    The food here is very fresh and when I ask for vegetarian dish, it is completely vegetarian and no fish sauce or parts thrown in. The flavor a are awesome. You can taste the tamarind in the pad Thai. They know how to fry the tofu.

    (4)

  • Krist M.

    The food is really good & the customer service is great. I have tried a few of the dishes. I am hooked on the Green Curry but I didn't like The Pad Thai so much. This is by far the best Thai restaurant on the Leeward side & I am looking forward to trying other dishes in the future!

    (4)

  • Linh B.

    First time here. When we got there at 6:30p, the placed was packed. Even though they were busy, we were greeted immediately. They seemed apologetic that we had to put our name on a wait list, totally didn't mind at all. They did their best to keep the wait time to a minimum, something small like that provided a great first experience. We ordered summer rolls, dame as what you can get at any restaurant, fried calamari, it's ok, fried chicken, which was the highlight! It was super crispy and had lemongrass mixed in the batter or used as a marinade for the chicken. The amount of lemongrass was perfect, it wasn't over powering. We also ordered the yellow curry with pork. It was good, but I think it would've been better with chicken. It's just personal preference, my daughter wanted to try it with pork. My daughter enjoyed the food, she's somewhat finicky, so if she likes it, then it's good. Will definitely go back to try the other dishes.

    (4)

  • Dawn M.

    Food is very delicious and very good service! Pad Thai is a must!!!!

    (4)

  • Kris B.

    The food is really tasty. The staff makes you feel at home, this place is highly recommended.

    (4)

  • K D.

    I'm a regular customer. This Thai place is the best thou restaurant I've ever been too! Staff there are nice and portioning size is great. Food tastes amazing!!!! And their Thai tea :)

    (5)

  • Kol M.

    Som Tom pretty good, I ordered with crab Thai style hot and it was really good but not for the faint at heart. Don't order this if you like it farang style, you will be disappointed and say it is to crabby. Had the red curry with beef and the Lao sausage which is a must!

    (4)

  • Marchel B.

    Just had lunch here. The service was okay, but kinda slow considering I was the only one there. I sat at a small table because I was alone, but there is a music store next door and the practice noise competing with the Asian MTV was really annoying. So I had to move. They do not have lunch specials, so everything is ala carte including the rice. I ordered the thai basil chicken and the sauce was essentially oil and hot chili flakes with ground chicken... ground chicken? really who does that? Some of the other dishes coming out looked better than mine, but don't know if I will go back. It was flavorful, hence the three stars, but I have a feeling all that grease is not going to sit too well with me. Surprised, never really had greasy Thai food before... and with a $15.00 price tag... well, just not worth that for sure.

    (3)

  • Evan N.

    This place was pretty darn good. Kind of a gem adjacent to a Chevron and attached next to Papa Johns. The steamed calamari was my favorite dish with it being so tender and zesty in flavor. In fact all the food was very flavorful and not greasy. The lemongrass chicken was also outstanding with a curry sauce that went well with a bowl of rice. The brown rice was tasty and different with a mix of brown and a red rice that was cooked a bit like beans. Last but not least was the vegetables. They were all very fresh and perfectly cooked. Again not greasy or swimming in sauce or seasoning. They missed a 5 star because they were very small (even though we were seated very quickly) and the green papaya salad and spring rolls were a bit bland. Add a bit of the hot pickled chillies and your good to go.

    (4)

  • Zac J.

    Thai Lao was a delicious, fairly inexpensive ($10/dish average) place in Kapolei. It was a bit hidden at first, but just on the other side of the fuel stations. I just went there for a birthday party, although a bit smaller they can host a party! I had the Pad Thai which was delicious and I tried both other dishes (pineapple fried rice & drunken chicken-- both very delicious!) The staff was very friendly and more than helpful at the restaurant. I plan to return to Pad Thai soon! Thanks Thai Lao!

    (4)

  • Natalie L.

    Holy tastebud explosion. I am a Thai food addict and this is as good as it gets. When you ask for spicy, prepare yourself! In a good way, of course. Everything on the menu is great and prices are reasonable in comparison with Thai restaurants in Honolulu. This place is a must if you are in Kapolei!

    (5)

  • Andrey Y.

    Yep, looks like the 2nd Thai place to get a "5" for me. After a nice day at Ko'olina.. was looking for a mexican place but just didn't quite get to it, this place popped up on Yelp in the area and we were already starving so what the hey. We got the famous thai soup with chicken, and minced beef (feel like I'm getting both of these at every thai place), and the panang curry. First off, the panang curry is very mild and flavorful even with "medium" level, and the peanut sauce is ridiculously good. And those mushrooms in that soup may be in the top 3 intricate and best flavors in my opinion. I can't say I'm in kapolei that often but might find myself back here. 365 Challenge: #72/365

    (5)

  • Brandon I.

    One of my favorite places for lunch! Been here about 5 times so far and each time has been good. All the dishes I've tried here have been wonderful except once I ordered a dish medium and it was too spicy/hot to enjoy. Other than that one time, food and service are equally great @ Thai Lao!

    (4)

  • Kam Kel B.

    Calamari was WAY better than Thai Villages one. The pad thai was filling and the portions were much bigger than the portion at Thai Village. I got the steamed fish for dinner & it was also delicious and since I couldn't finish it, I had it for lunch as well!

    (4)

  • Jennie H.

    Clean, tastefully decorated, and close to home, this restaurant has been on my list of "must stop in's" since I moved here. I can make my own Thai curries like there's no tomorrow, but I can't make myself a delicious plate of Pad Ke Mao or any other noodle dish for that matter. Maybe it's a mental block, or maybe it's because I don't want to have 15 bottles of random oils and sauces in my cabinet. But I digress. Yesterday my 8 year old daughter and I stopped in for lunch after a matinee down the road. The place was busy but there were a couple of tables free. It took a couple of minutes for the guy to tell us where to sit. Once seated, we asked for a Thai iced tea, which we unfortunately never received. Once our food came, I forgot all about the tea. The people were really nice despite forgetting the tea, and I never did get around to asking again. My daughter ordered red curry with chicken and it was delicious. The lady was surprised my blonde-haired, blue-eyed daughter was eating the semi-spicy curry, but we eat spicy food a LOT. I ordered above-mentioned noodles and they were amazing. There's just something about Thai that makes me SO happy. The price was reasonable and we left with leftovers. They lasted through us raiding them for a few bites in the afternoon, me finishing the noodles at dinner, and I sent the rice and curry to work with my husband. I'll definitely be back, whether to pick up or eat in.

    (4)

  • Sarah S.

    I will start by saying that me and my husband have been scouring the island trying to find a great tasting decently priced Thai restaurant. We have found a few but a good sized meal for two can be upwards of $50. I like the Pad Thai but I find the Tofu is always rubbery, the Satay BBQ sticks I wouldn't get again, the Yellow Chicken Curry is AMAZING and so is the Pineapple Fried Rice.

    (4)

  • Vanessa D.

    Good food and good prices. The chicken stuffed chicken was good. The pad Thai was amazing. The pork fried rice was liked by my husband but was a little bland for me

    (4)

  • Nhu-Quynh N.

    First off, although it says "Thai Lao" you would expect it to be a little bit of both. The owners were Thai, and the whole menu was based off of the Thai authenticity. The only thing Laos about it was the beef jerky. The Kapoon was alright. But their Laos style Tum Mak Hoong contains no fish sauce. If you have tried authentic Tum Mak Hoong, it brings the kick in. Therefore their papaya is just the regular Thai style, very sweet. The Red Curry and the Evil Jungle Curry are both identical. One just doesn't come with Bamboo and lettuce and carrots. So if you're considering on either one, they're both the same. Red Curry is a little more powerful on the spice but that's about it. Don't waste your money on getting both just because the menu is slightly different. You can always add bamboo and stuff or whatever to either of them. The coffee and the Thai Tea is alright. Overall... I mean.. If you're trying to go for Laos food, you're a little out of luck here. Thai food, I mean it's good, just not something that would make me want to come back. It's overpriced on everything. My boyfriend is Laos, I'm used to how Laos food suppose to taste like. If you're more into the spicy side, Laos food is a better option and if you're more on the sweeter side, I'd suggest Thai. I've been to better restaurant that serves Thai/Lao food. This isn't one of them. It's just ok to eat if you are craving and can't find anything better. Sorry.

    (1)

  • Chris L.

    Love the place. Whenever we're in Kapolei or just craving Thai we head to Thai Lao. Ordering any of the meat and veggie dishes is tasty and my son actually eats the satay sticks which is a plus since he is a somewhat fussy eater. The curry is excellent, green papaya salad wonderful. Only complaint I have is sometimes the servers say certain dishes cannot be made mild while others make our dishes mild. OK Had to update. I think this place is the BOMB. Whenever we want Thai or if were ever in Kapole we stop here. I drive from Mililani just to get Thai takeout from here. INCREDIBLE

    (5)

  • Michael C.

    Great food. A would have given it a four or five. But the young server appeared to not enjoy her job or want to work today. I watched as she provided the same lackadaisical attitude to everyone else that chose to dine here.

    (3)

  • Edrea K.

    The location has been believed to be cursed because it had been known to close down after only months in business but Thai Lao has proven it as simply a myth by its success!! The food is always consistent and delicious, while the owners are dedicated and wonderful. I often dine here and am never left disappointed or hungry. The portions are great and the food is always good. Although I am partial to ordering the chicken pad thai, green curry, eggplant salad and the pad see ew, everything I've tried on the menu has been wonderful! The layout of the restaurant is a bit weird with the register right next to several tables and no waiting space if you order take out but the food is good and the service is good so I'll take the cons. The only down fall is the Halekuai Center has HORRIBLE parking, especially during the lunch rush. Avoid it if you can. If you're in a hurry... call ahead. :)

    (5)

  • Alexi W.

    Best thai food while on vacation, ever!!! The pad thai (pork, chicken and shrimp - all tried separately) were all delicious, as well as the stuffed chicken appetizers and spring rolls (they stuff the chicken appetizers just like spring rolls, and then deep fry them - super yummy!). The ambience, although we ordered take-out to enjoy our condo stay on that side of the island, was what you'd expect, clean and nice. The people that worked there were all happy (sign that the employees are treated right) and it was easy to find right off the highway. My husband and I ordered take-out twice there in our one week stay, that's how much we loved it. Definitely recommend!

    (5)

  • Michelle R.

    I seriously love Thai food and I seriously love this place! I am so glad that we finally have a stellar Thai restaurant on the Westside. The ambiance, service and food were all awesome. The tom yum soup is a definite must! Best I've had so far!

    (4)

  • Michael G.

    Food is good. Service is slow. Waited 45 mins for takeout. :(

    (3)

  • Evan C.

    Since I work in the Halekuai Shopping center (where thai lao is located) I always see how busy and nice the restaurant is, but never actually tried something from them, until one day my coworker let me try some of her dish that she had ordered. I was hooked. The evil jungle curry is honestly the best curry I have ever tasted. It has such a nice creamy spicy taste, and it is what made me actually go and dine at the restaurant. Every time I have eaten or ordered from there the staff are all very nice people. Other things I have tried and liked was the pad thai, which was also very good, but I always order the same thing, the evil jungle curry. After seeing reviews I am definitely going to try the green curry, just because I know I will return getting the same satisfaction from the service and the meal itself.

    (5)

  • Boe T.

    This place was recommended by my friend, owner of Fort Street Cafe. I like spicy food, and this place definitely can deliver great spicy dish. We had evil jungle curry, pad thai noodle and spring roll pretty much every time we went there...

    (4)

  • Kevin W.

    While we were visiting oahu we were nearby and needed some cheap and good eats. We found this place thru Yelp and were not disappointed. We ordered the green papaya salad, the fried fish red curry and the drunk noodles with beef and Chinese broccoli. We ordered everything Medium which was a mistake. The food was super fresh and fantastic, yet we had to slurp down two thai iced teas because it was so spicy. WE love spicy food but our lips were burning even after we left. So be warned that the food is fantastic and fiery! We were staying at the JW Marriott at the Ko'olina resort and we wanted some good local cheap eats. Good stop!

    (4)

  • T K.

    All I have to say is that I found a looooong black hair in my pad thai!!! When we called to inform them, all they said was that they were sorry, but there was no offer to replace the dish! We let them know that they should have their cooks wear hair nets to prevent such a disgusting find in one's food! The hair was not just 'on' the food, it was mixed in, and did I mention LOOOOONG??? EWWW gross! Will never eat there again!

    (1)

  • R K.

    Yummy! Nice atmosphere and service. The food was great. We had the spring rolls, Pad Thai noodles, Chicken Panang, and broccoli with pork. All were great. My son enjoyed the spring rolls and noodles. A definite plus for Kapolei to have a different type of restaurant in the area. Portions are good and Prices are standard for a nice restaurant running from $8.95 to $11 depending what you add into your dish. Located near Papa John's and Jamba Juice.

    (5)

  • Raymond E.

    This was the first time coming to this restaurant since it turned into Thai Lao and I must say they did a great job in making it look and feel more authentic than it was before. I would definitely recommend the stuffed fried chicken and Pad Thai noodles. The food was great (SPICY, like Thai food should be) and the service was great. Definitely recommend coming here to eat if you are looking for a great Thai restaurant on the leeward side.

    (5)

  • Stephenie Z.

    One of my favorite Thai spots on the island. The owners are very friendly and always remember me and my order. They are very careful to ensure the food is prepared vegan for me and are always happy to accommodate my requests. Service is excellent when dining in and food is always ready on time for carry out.

    (5)

  • Vicky B.

    Finally, a delicious thai place on the west side! They have a huge menu (77 different items!) and great vegetarian options too :) Had lunch here w/ a couple coworkers and no one left unsatisfied. Large portions, laid back yet classy restaurant and best of all great food! I had the pad thai, perfectly seasoned heaping mound of noodles .... mmm. Just the right amount of spice too :) Can't wait to try more dishes!

    (5)

  • Angelica Z.

    Quite possibly my favorite Thai restaurant on the island. HUGE bonus that it is in my hometown of Kapolei! My family (of 6) ordered: the Evil Jungle Curry with Shrimp (score: 5!!!), Pad Thai with Chicken (score: 5), Spicy Calamari with Fish Sauce (score: 5), and Stuffed Chicken Wings (score: 4.5 - but that's because I'm not partial to "stuffed" foods) with Thai Iced Teas for drinks. Oh, and of course, ample rice. =) We all left full and happy - and we had leftovers, to boot! Every dish was well executed and fresh. We loved how the tastes of each dish were so different, yet each one married with the others. The Evil Jungle Curry was especially a hit with the entire family. It was so creamy, and the shrimp was incredibly delicate. The pad thai was one of the better ones I've ever had, as everything was fresh and tasty. They also didn't hold back on the peanuts, yum. The calamari dish had a very subtle kick that continued to build up. I was pleasantly surprised with the complexity of flavors. The stuffed chicken wings were ordered as an appetizer, but were oddly enough brought out last. Hmm. It was still delicious and well made though. My only qualms with the restaurant is that I find it a little pricey for family style Thai food as compared to the prices in the Bay Area. But then again, I can't take this as a point off in rating, because this seems to be a common problem on island (and I can't say that I know what the general price point differences are in ingredients here at home). Compared with the other Thai restaurants on island, Thai Lao appears to be the best bang for your buck - finding the middle ground for delicious, well made food without breaking one's wallet. LOVE LOVE LOVE and will be back. Bonus LOVE for the Thai karaoke music videos going on in the background.

    (5)

  • David H.

    Very good, and good value. In my book, share's honors with Siam Garden on Nimitz Hwy for 2d best Thai I've found on Oahu. Tops is still Opal Thai, Haleiwa.

    (5)

  • Rachel L.

    I love Thai food. Thai Lao is very good. I always get the pad Thai with pork and it is so delicious! I work in the hotel industry and am always recommending my customers to visit this little gem! I stopped in recently and wanted something a little different than I usually get. I asked the server (ALWAYS ASK THE SERVER) who came up with a scrumptious soup that was almost like Pho but with a richer broth! Oh my goodness! I have a new favorite now...

    (4)

  • Sue S.

    The worst service I've ever had at a restaurant!! Our dishes dribbled out of the kitchen one at a time. My husband was finished with his entree 10 mins before I even got mine! And at no time could the wait staff tell me anything except "it's coming ". No explanations and no apologies. Never again.

    (1)

  • S E.

    I've visited twice. On my first visit, I got the evil jungle curry with beef. It was fine but nothing I'd go out of my way to have again. So, the next time, my girlfriend and I were on the leeward side and needed to grab some dinner, I ordered the massaman curry and my girlfriend got the evil jungle curry. My girlfriend's dish came out in a relatively timely fashion. My curry did not. After about twenty minutes, I asked a waitress if she could check on the status of the dish. She went back into the kitchen. And then walked back into the dining area and very obviously ignored me, including a full stop-pivot-and-reverse move when I caught her eye. A second waitress finally intervened. But, when the curry finally arrived, it seemed like they might have microwaved it in that the broth was very hot, the potatoes and carrots were cold and undercooked, and the chicken was rubbery.

    (1)

  • Undercover S.

    Monday, 8-20-12, about 2 p.m. We went to Thai Lao after hearing all the rave reviews. Well, we don't have very many good things to say about that place. We ordered spring rolls, stuffed chicken wings, pad Thai with chicken, and mee krob with pork. They all tasted like something I cooked, and that's nothing to be proud of! Spring rolls...tough and chewy. Of the seven spring rolls, only two were nicely browned while the other five were pale. Stuffed chicken wings...they were okay, but nothing to write home about. Pad Thai with chicken...it looked nice, but lacked taste. It was a though the cook was pretending to know how to prepare Thai food. And really, how can a Thai restaurant mess up on pad Thai?? Mee krob with pork...disgusting to say the least! Oily and it tasted as though the long rice was two weeks old! And the so called pork was bits of what looked looked liked scraps of unknown meat. Thai Lao has a very nice seating area and table settings, but the food leaves much to be desired. Our server took our order, dropped off the food and was never seen after that. No water refills or anything. Save your money and head to Siam Express in Waimalu Shopping Center. It's way better there and more affordable. Thai Lao needs to improve or it'll be a thing of the past in a year or so.

    (1)

  • Catherine M.

    It was so good we came here twice during our stay at Aulani. Everything was fresh and authentic. I will be back.

    (4)

  • Kirsten B.

    Great customer service & delicious tasting food!

    (5)

  • Miles M.

    I say that it's good. Very tasty and not too salty. Dishes come mild and need to put chili on it too kick it up too spicy hot...oh yeah. Spice rack please. The pad thai is excellent and the curry is great. I like the sticky rice and the prices are average for table cloth places. Service is good and helpful but not so easy on the eyes. Parking is not so hot though especially lunch time. Maybe if those starbucks patrons wouldn't camp out there might be more parking. It is really popular so that must give you some incling of the place.

    (5)

  • Brent W.

    pretty good thai food. 2nd time i've been here on vacation. sorry, cant remember what i ate so this is a terrible review. stop reading. thanks.

    (4)

  • Lisa C.

    This is my Favorite Thai place on the island! Their food was very very good so far. We have only been here once but the taste beat out other Thai places we have been to multiple times. The service was so-so, but the place was packed. We will definitely go back again!! Looking forward to trying out other menu items!

    (5)

  • Ian W.

    Food is good! Had the spring rolls, ung choy and curry for take out.

    (4)

  • Keola L.

    Let's cut the bull and go straight to the point my sister took the whole family here and...... THAI LAO I LOVE YOU!! lol I eat a lot of Thai food and i gotta say THIS IS THE ONE AND ONLY PLACE I EAT THAI FOOD AT!!!! Everything here is good even down to the water!!! hahaha!! We love coming here, food is GOOD, service is GOOD. I love to tip extra just cause their customer service is TOP NOTCH!! I bring my little family here like every other day LOL.... thats how good it is and the PRICE IS JUST RIGHT!!! Try Thai Lao out you won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Koren D.

    We went here one night and we weren't really expecting much, but boy did they deliver! We had the spring rolls, evil jungle curry and some vegetable/tofu dish. It was all wonderful and everything had a nice kick. We all commented that this was the best thai meal we have had in awhile. Just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, we decided to have lunch there a couple of days later. Evil jungle curry again and larb....Just delish! Had dinner last night there because it is clearly in our rotation now. Stuffed chicken wings were wonderful - a must try. Papaya salad had good flavor with a nice kick. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

    (4)

  • bruce s.

    Couldn't find anything to eat at the resorts at night and thought we would give Thai a try tonight. Thai Lao took our phone order and had it ready for pickup within 15 minutes. Food was perfect, delicious. Pad thai was fantastic, so were the chicken satay skewers. A short drive from the resorts but well worth it.

    (4)

  • A G.

    Hot means hot. I had the beef salad, larb and pad kee mao. All good and all fresh. Generous portions. The hype is for real.

    (5)

  • Harold T.

    Best Thai food on the island! SERIOUSLY. I think in order for a Thai restaurant to be successful, they need to hit all the essential dishes which are of course Pad Thai, Papaya salad, and Curry. By far, their Pad thai was the most flavorful one I've had. Their papaya salad was so fresh (they had green beans) and they gave an option of spice levels. They can go really spicy! And the curry was cooked perfectly. Their waitresses speak thai/lao, so you know it's aunthentic. It's a bit pricey if you compare it to take-out places like bangkok chef (which ranks #2 for me), but it is restaurant quality and three plates will fill-up three people with food to take home. I know they do take-out as well because that's how I heard of this place. A lot of businesses around Kapolei get their Thai food fix here!

    (5)

  • Albert C.

    Thai Lao is located in Kapolei, right next to Papa Johns and Jamba Juice. While the inside isn't very big, the location was very clean, cozy and inviting! It isn't very noisy inside, so it is an excellent place for a romantic dinner. My wife and I ordered two curries, both of which were very well spiced and tasty but beware, "medium" has a bit of a kick, so stick with mild if you don't normally eat spicy foods :). I tried a big spoonful and had to stick with my "mild" curry. I liked the Thai Tea ($3) because it was sweet and tasty, but found it disappointing that the cup it came in wasn't very big. I finished mine in two full gulps, so it definitely left me wanting more. The owner and the waitresses were very nice, and welcomed us in and said "Thank You" on our way out. They've only been open for a couple of weeks, so the owner was very much open to any critiques or feedback we had. We will definitely come back to try the rest of the menu. I want to try out their fish or shrimp dishes next!

    (4)

  • Nanilei d.

    I'll make this simple for you...order the Drunkard Noodles with Beef--it is fantabulous! The Tom Yum is super-delish as well. Now the best part...no corkage fee! Bring your fav bottle of vino to compliment the yummy Thai fare. Don't expect the best service--it will save you the disappointment. Just remember you are going for some ono food and tasty Thai Tea! Enjoy!

    (4)

  • T S.

    We recently ate at the restaurant this time and it was fantastic! The papaya salad, red curry, basil beef, egg plant and pad se you were very flavorful. Everything was fresh and piping hot. We will order the curry spicy next time. We also had the spring rolls which I thought were over priced and small. Very minor compared to the rest of the food. Great service as well.

    (4)

  • Dinah C.

    We started with the fresh spring rolls which were nice the peanut sauce to go on it however was not. We had drunken noodles with chicken it was. The chicken was very bad I ended up picking mine out

    (2)

  • Devon M.

    I couldn't find anything to complain about here. I had the Summer Rolls as a starter and one word to describe them would be refreshing! They was fresh! The shrimp in them was so good and the peanut sauce was a nice touch. I ordered the Pla Rad Prik (Deep-fried fish fillet smothered with a tangy chili sauce) I ate until my stomach was full and there still was a little left to be had. My favorite type of food is Thai.. but now I think I am going to make this my favorite Thai restaurant!

    (5)

  • Phil J.

    Having dined here twice recently I have found the food to be very good on both occasions. The calamari and the stuffed chicken wings are most def winners. The fish fillet with red curry was okay as was the green curry fried rice. The only reason I hesitate to give 5 stars is that the whole fried fish with garlic, which was $30, was not enough for two to share even with rice and an app beforehand. (I actually heard a worker telling the owner she thought the fish was too small!) If you charge that kind of premium price the fish better be a decent size. Service is good, with the whole family pitching in.

    (4)

  • R W.

    This place is overrated by SF Bay Area standards. Krung Thai or Manora kicks this place in the butt hands down. But for the area, it's pretty good. Starting at the top: Tom yum soup - very starchy version. Definitely hot but over salty Sweet basil chicken - actually one of the best dishes. good blend of spices and chopped dark meat chicken Jungle Curry Beef - something was off on the curry. not sure what the flavor they were looking for but it was a tad bit salty Pineapple Fried rice - over salty, rice not cooked to the right firmness Pad thai w/ Shrimp - noodles over cooked. sauce very authentic and accompaniments in the right ratio Mussaman beef - over cooked beef but good sauce Negatives - $2 per very very small bowl of rice. Rice should be free in my book. West coast folks already know they are being ripped off w/ the Rice tax. Positives - excellent service. very attentive and accommodating Prices were decent.

    (3)

  • Renee P.

    The food's pretty good here. It's not my favorite around, but it is close. I'd rather drive to Waipahu for Thai if I have the time or patience. The Pad Thai is very good. I really dislike dining in here. It takes forever to get food. My family waited over 45 minutes to get our appetizer and another 20 minutes to get our drinks and dinners. Not worth it. I will only eat here if I get take away. But then, only if I can't drive to Waipahu to get better Thai food.

    (3)

  • Julie F.

    We found this place on Yelp and what a great find! The food is out of this world. Highly recommend crispy noodles for an appetizer - but it's big enough to be a meal by itself. Also, eggplant basil stir fry is amazing.

    (5)

  • Ensell L.

    One of the best Thai restaurants that I've EVER eaten at. Try the chicken satay. Warning: things are definitely on the spicy side here.

    (5)

  • Charlayne D.

    Food was very delicious! Best Thai-Lao food i've tasted by far. Service was also great!

    (5)

  • Harry P.

    Surprisingly great Thai food. The green curry fried rice was ridiculously good. Way better than any of the food at the Ko Olina-area hotels, definitely worth driving a few miles for lunch or dinner.

    (5)

  • Amanda L.

    The food and service was great! A small, festive place centrally located in Kapolei. Extensive food menu but no alcohol ;-)

    (4)

  • Karin V.

    Located in a spot where tenant's don't usually last -- so I hope good reviews will invite more at this restaurant. I agree that parking sucks in the small Halekua Center. I was impressed with the service and the food - delicious. The restaurant seems to always be crowded, but I elected to do a take out order. Their pad thai order is huge. Ordered dishes were delicious and extremely satisfying. The prices were fine. Establishment clean and staff friendly. I would definitely frequent this establishment but will then elect to dine in.

    (4)

  • May A.

    Closest to a home cooked Lao meal. Basil chicken, 2 thumbs up! Phad Thai noodles...yummy :P

    (5)

  • Jamison R.

    The food was fantastic! I went for the first time with 3 others and I ordered the Pad Thai which was amazing. We also had Satay Chicken with peanut sauce, yellow curry with shrimp, and the pineapple curry. The pineapple curry was just ok but the rest of the dishes were the best I have ever had. I highly recommend this place to anyone as the staff is friendly, the food is wonderful, and the prices are very inexpensive. I don't think they are charging nearly enough for the food so I gave them a 50% tip.

    (5)

  • Beth D.

    we have good thai in kapolei! omg, are we actually BECOMING this second city that they've been calling us? :P the quality of ingredients is great. very fresh, very well-spiced and seasoned dishes. the portion sizes are great, too. everyone seems to be scaling down these days... which is great from a health standpoint, but it's so nice to be able to share an entree w/ a friend and leave full at half the price. i tried the fried spring rolls, chicken satay, stuffed chicken wings, evil jungle curry, drunken beef noodle, and tom kha. spring rolls: wonderful. slight chewiness and good texture in the wrapper. great portion. stuffed chicken wings: good, and LARGE. very large. satay: great portion, again. great satay. pb sauce thick and sweet and a bit coconutty. tom kha: robust, rich, complex broth, lots of veggies and chicken, very satisfying. went medium, and found it quite spicy. almost wished i had a cold. evil jungle curry: creamy and wonderful red curry, generous amount of shrimp (a rarity in this economy). drunken beef noodle: portion is STUPID big. just too much food. but delicious, and very spicy. thai coffee was nomz, too. and she refilled me for free while i waited for my bags. another rarity, and little touches like these really go a long way in securing faithful returning customers. restaurant is clean and looks great, to boot. small, but not cramped, and cozy-feeling. they really made it look nice. i totally will recommend.

    (4)

  • Michael H.

    Ordered take-out from this place. Had spicy drunkard noodle, pineapple curry and stir-fried bean. The first two orders were great but the stir-fried bean was average and over-cooked. Will visit this place again in the future.

    (4)

  • A C.

    I never knew this was here until a couple of weeks ago. I tried it and am so happy I did. I've been back twice already! The food is so tasty. Both times the service was good, fast and the place is still new, so it's clean. It wasn't crazy busy, but enough flow of customers. This place should give Phuket Thai some competition. My faves are the spring rolls (of course), green papaya salad and evil curry. The pad thai is good too. I like hot & spicy food, but order everything as medium heat. They do it perfect. I can always add more, just ask for the spice tray. The food is fresh and good quality. I can't wait to go back & try more dishes, soon. I almost didn't want to write a review & contribute to the publicity of this place beacuse I want to kind of keep it a secret spot. I am edfinitely going to become a regular patron here.

    (4)

  • Nadia M.

    This place is EXCELLENT! Ranks among the best thai food we've ever had. We called in an order on the way back from the airport..and it was ready within 15-20 minutes. Generous portions, fresh tasting ingredients, sauces not too heavy, and good amount of spice (even with mild!). Definitely worth a return visit when vacationing in Oahu!

    (5)

  • Niki J.

    Came here with my sister last night. she was raving about the 'kao soi' she had ordered last time she was here. We decided to split the pad thai and kao soi. When we got it, to our surprise the kao soi was not what she expected. Last time apparently when she ordered this they brought her the Thai pho instead without knowing it, so this time it was not what she expected at all. In fact the real kao soi is not something we would enjoy. We tasted it and didn't like it at all. Such a disappointment to get one thing when your expecting something else and bad service to bring something to a customer other than what they ordered! The pad Thai was ok... Nothing special. It was overly dry. I had a Thai iced tea, and although it was delicious the glass was filled with ice so I finished it before dinner. Not nearly enough tea for the $3 I paid for it. This will probably be the last And only time I come here.

    (2)

  • J D.

    When I first went there I thought the prices were really high compared to other places. But what the heck. I decided to give it a try and have been a fan since. I've gone there at least 4-5 times since it opened. I really liked the Tom Kha and even brought to my work place one night and boy did it get done fast. I've also tried the spring rolls, summer rolls, and the pad thai. The house chicken salad was pretty good too. And i try to order their thai tea all the time. I am sure I will be going back to try everything on the menu.

    (4)

  • Sara H.

    super yummy, reasonably priced, convenient parking. i had the pad kee mow chicken, yum! they ask you how spicy you want it too which is nice. nothing bad to say about it. if i'm out in kapolei again and craving thai, i'm sure i'll be back! :)

    (4)

  • Asahi S.

    Evil Jungle Curry is awesome. Service is good....IF you get the one that speaks English....BRing your own beer they dont serve any. Great Thai food but parking is 50/50 depending on the day of the week.

    (4)

  • Laura N.

    Delish!!! Excellent service, unreal food. Evil jungle curry is where its at! Small and quaint location. In strip mall next to papa johns on farrington. Will be a regular at this wonderful establishment.

    (5)

  • Kevin H.

    Very awkward overall. Staff is awkward, environment seems confused; looks nice in appearance, but give you canned soda, and UFC on the TV.. My wife's food came out, mine followed 15 minutes later. My drink was taken, then waitress ran off without taking my wife's. Food was not very good- I would not recommend it.

    (2)

  • Ralph R.

    Ooooh. I like this place. I've tried a number of dishes here -- yellow curry, Panang curry, and a great eggplant and chicken dish whose name I cannot remember. Your choice of white, brown, or sticky rice is extra, of course, but it's all tasty and inexpensive. It's probably our new favorite Thai place.

    (4)

  • Charles B.

    This place is awesome. We eat here at least once a month. Mouth waters just thinkin about it. Order whatever you want, it'll all delicious.

    (5)

  • D T.

    I was vacationing on Oahu and wanted to find a place to satisfy my Asian cuisine craving. After yelping a few places that were close to Ko'Olina where I was staying, I decided to try this place. We loved it so much we went twice during our vacation. The first time there, we were extremely hungry after attending a Disney Starlit show that does not include food. Being that I'm a planner, I had already planned on calling the restaurant to place the order before arrival since it was about less than an hour to closing. I said if it's too late, we could order to go, but they said it was fine for us to eat there. Anyhow, when we arrived, all the food was already ready for us on the table which we so appreciated! We had chicken satay (yum yum although the flavor was slightly different from other Thai restaurants, perhaps more Lao influence on that dish), pad see ew, spicy fried rice, and papaya salad. It was very delicious! Service was great and so family oriented, except there was one server who was kinda outta place grabbing the dishes when we were barely done with them. We could tell though that he was not really all there, so we let it go as the others were very nice and accommodating! So 2 days later, we decided to come here again, this time with a larger party. Since we wanted to try other dishes and had others in the group that prefer a milder taste, we settled on lard nar, pad thai, beef salad, chicken satay, yellow curry, and I can't remember the rest since it's been a month. The food was still good, but I have to admit I liked my first time better since the taste was bolder. I recall not being a big fan of their beef salad- larb?. I would definitely eat here again if I happen to be in that area. I would definitely eat that over the shrimp trucks on Oahu's North Shore any day! The prices was also quite reasonable. Thinking about their restaurant is making me crave Thai food all over again, especially when I just had a bad Pad Thai tonight at one of the local restaurants here in San Jose!

    (4)

  • Pat M.

    While vacationing in Oahu, we ate at Thai Lao two nights in a row. The restaurant is clean, tastefully decorated and the service is friendly and efficient. Okay, enough of the stuff my mother-in-law cares about. On to the food. The first night, we ordered the Crazy Jungle Curry with seafood with white rice, Panang Curry with Chicken with brown rice, the Spring Rolls and Beef Larb. All were excellent. If you order medium spicy, expect a good amount of heat! The second night we ordered the Spring Rolls again because they were delicious with fresh mint, cucumber slices and noodles to wrap the rolls in large leafs of lettuce for fresh bites of loveliness-yum! We also tried the fried calamari. It was good, tender, nice crust. This time we scaled back the spice to mild and had the Spicy Jungle Curry with Shrimp and brown rice and the Panang Curry with Shrimp--both excellent. Plenty for three people to share. We brought home enough for lunch the following day. The highlight of the meal was a dish that my husband asked the owner/chef Phay Vanh Chaleunxay (pronounced "Pi Wan") to specially prepare for him. He wanted Pad Thai noodles mixed with Panang curry sauce along with the mixed seafood he had experienced the night before. After some looks of confusion, Phay Vanh agreed and said she would have to go create it because the cook wouldn't understand. It was the first entree to come out. All three of us ate some of it....Delicious! A new dish is born! So, if you see on the specials board "Crazy Noodle Panang," (so named because Phay Vanh looked at my husband like he was crazy to order pad noodles and curry together) ask for it and know that it came from a request of a tourist from Atlanta. Phay Vanh can claim "victory" for an experiment gone well!

    (5)

  • Cameron M.

    I had a craving for Thai one day and remembered we had one here in kapolei. Every time I go to a Thai place I always try their pad Thai first. I had it to go so I can't comment on their service but ordering was nice and easy. While in there I was surprised how nice it is in there. Anyways back to the food shall we? The pad thai was great. The bean sprouts were fresh and you could really taste the chopped peanuts which they did not skip on. There were also loads of beef in it! Unlike most of the pad thais that've tried here Thai lao's pad thai didn't have that overly BBQ taste like most of them do which was a pleasant surprise. I'm definitely going back to try their curries.

    (4)

  • Terah C.

    Great Thai place that isn't too fancy but offers great value for the price. Came with a family of 7 with a small toddler and the owner was super friendly and accommodating. Recommend the evil jungle curry, tom yum soup, and calamari. Tofu and green curry fried rice were also very good.

    (4)

  • Gary G.

    Great food. Great service. Spicy as you want it. The Tom Yum soup and pineapple (we are in Hawaii) curry were excellent.

    (5)

  • Romalyn E.

    I was craving curry, but did not feel like eating at Sumo Ramen. The atmosphere of this place is nice, warm, and clean. I did however do a take out. I ordered the evil jungle curry with shrimp, and my husband got their sweet and sour pork. Both dishes were delicious, full of flavor, and they definitely use fresh veggies! I wondered why they called the curry evil, and evil it is! LOL The red curry was so nice and creamy that I couldn't bring myself to a halt! I kept going and going, even with a full stomach that was beginning to hurt I still kept at it....OH yes, Evil is a perfect name for the curry!

    (4)

  • Kieran M.

    Food was incredible. It's a byob. Staff is quick and efficient. It's in a little strip mall but don't let that fool you, food is wonderful.

    (5)

  • Mata Loco O.

    Awesome Thai food! Visited twice in 2 weeks. LOVE their Lemon Grass Soup. People are nice and service is good!

    (5)

  • Carolyn S.

    good thai food. consistent every time.

    (4)

  • Nancy S.

    The best chicken curry I have ever had. Staff was attentive. Prices very inexpensive. So clean.

    (5)

  • Kehaulani W.

    Legit, legit, legit! So damn good I could eat myself sick. Seriously, my stomach can't know full when my tongue wants more!!! For the larb, even for you spicy lovers- get the MILD! The hot is really really damn hot. Not too hot for the mouth to handle but the other payment...if you know what I mean!! ha ha ha ha Wish I could eat here every week!!

    (5)

  • Aiko M.

    Yum yum yum. This place rocks. The spring rolls were crisp and plentiful. There were eight rolls and the rolls were not overstuffed with noodles and filler. The fried chicken was crunchy. There was a half chicken for this appetizer. The red curry was great. The fish sauce that they use is higher quality so it's subtle so its tasty but not strong fishy. The fried rice was also a winner. Okay, everything was a winner. The portions were good sized. The bill was a lot less than Phuket and Mekong for the same number of items and the portions were bigger. This is my new favorite Thai food place!

    (5)

  • Adriene F.

    When asked for suggestions the waiter said the Green Curry was Great and the sticky rice was REALLY sticky- He was right about both!

    (5)

  • Jon G.

    Fantastic Food and great FUN service! The owner and her husband make a great pair and the food was great but the talk was just as good! Will be back for sure!

    (5)

  • billy s.

    excellent food, great ambiance. very nice decor, clean, crisp look. ate there last night and we had stuffed chicken wings, spring rolls, crispy calamari, chicken satay, laotian sausage, panang curry fish, fish w/ bell peppers (can't recall the exact name of the dish), pad thai shrimp, stick rice and mango sticky rice. EVERYTHING was excellent. really fresh, tasty and perfectly cooked. the laotian sausage is unique - it's a bit pungent but very tasty. it may not appeal to all but i enjoyed it very much, especially since i was having beer w/ dinner. they don't serve alcohol but there's a convenience store at the gas station nearby and they'll let you BYOB. definitely would return to this resto and also recommend it!

    (5)

  • Richard D.

    Wife and I had dinner here on Thu night around 7pm. Place only opened a week before. First let me start by saying I rarely if ever give 5 stars... so 4 stars for me is very good. We are so happy that we now have a Thai resteraunt in Kapolei again. The food was excellent. The service was excellent (fast and friendly). The atmospher was excellent. Cloth tablecloths, cloth napkins, orchids on the table, TV playing Thai video and music. A very nice atmosphere... classy but not stuffy. We ordered the house chicken salad, stuffed chicken wings, steamed rice, tum yum soup and steamed catfish filet with soy sauce. All of it was excellent, and just as good as Champa Thai or Souvaly. Place is not real big but very cozy. This is now our favorite Thai resteraunt west of Ewa... oh, I think it is the only Thai resteraunt west of Ewa. Oh well... its great. Check it out, you won't be sorry. Aloha fellow Yelpers...

    (4)

  • Sherry K.

    Wow, I'm impressed. They have only been open three weeks and word has gotten out. Watch out Souvaly, Thai Lao is going to give you a run for your money. Larger, fresher portions packed with meat and veggies. Finally a good restaurant in Kapolei. We started out with spring rolls. Seven in the portion, plenty to share. They were very good. Tom Ka Kai soup was the best I've had. Very flavorful, lots of veggies and enough for four to share. Evil Jungle Curry was excellent. A combination of red curry, coconut milk, assorted vegetables and a little peanut sauce. Large portion, lots of chicken and spicy. Thai Basil Beef was perfect. Lots of flavor, fresh veggies and the sauce was best I've eaten. Atmosphere is inviting, good mood lighting, table cloths, simple but very Thai decor. Service was great, despite a full house. Food came almost too fast, although some tables waited longer as the one server tried to keep up. Take out service, too.

    (5)

  • jesse g.

    good stuff, food is served in generous portions, and it tastes great. on the outside it looks like another shopping center restaurant but on the inside it's a bit more upscale. i ordered the evil jungle curry. it was nice and spicy just how i like it, yet the spice wasn't overkill and taking flavor away from the curry itself. nice little location next to the gas station, i'd go back, so if you're in kapolei, give it a try.

    (4)

  • Steve L.

    If you like yellow curry with pork over thick and chewy Rad Na noodles, then ask for the "Steve Lau" special and they'll know what you're talking about. The owner will look at you dumbfounded for a split second, but then he'll know what you're talking about. You may get a little chuckle after that. Tell him you saw it here. He may put it on the menu if enough people request it. Try it out and let me know what you think. That's my new favorite dish.

    (5)

  • Gordon W.

    We stayed in Ko Olina for ten days last month, and dinner here was by far the best meal we had. They are very Vegetarian friendly with lots of options and willingness to modify dishes to your taste. As stated by others, the Evil Jungle Curry is fantastic. It is probably the best Thai curry I have ever had. I wish they had a sister restaurant near us In the San Fancisco area.

    (4)

  • kplusd B.

    Finally a tasty place that's NOT fast food, NOR a generic chain NOR mediocre! Better than the old Thai restaurant that was here years ago. Everything we ordered was really yummy. Evil jungle prince curry was tasty, "Holy Basil" was tasty, and pad thai was good. Actually really really good for a restaurant in Kapolei! We will definitely be back to try all the other choices. Plus, they had generous servings for the price. AND BYOB!

    (4)

  • Mary S.

    I am SO happy we have good thai in Kapolei. This place is small but great. BYOB and no corkage fees. All dishes were thoroughly enjoyed. Owners were very accomodating. Dinner is busy, even on week nights, but started clearing around 7:30. Definitely going back.

    (5)

  • Jurija M.

    I am happily a regular at this Thai establishment. I don't recall how exactly I came across this restaurant but my boyfriend loves pad thai and I love yellow curry, especially here! What I like most about Thai Lao: +Level of spice for your entree(s) selection is up to you! +Tables already set upon walking in-- take a seat +Delicious Thai tea +Best chicken satay ever, ever, ever! +Medium yellow curry with shrimp (6-7 pieces of shrimp each time) +Very nice owner +Super, duper clean- immaculate!!! Things that could improve: -Slow to get the bill to the table -Sometimes forget to refill your drink(s) -Forget to bring you sauces on the side (they have carousels of spices and sauces. I feel like I randomly have it brought to me and other times I have to ask) -Always freezing cold inside...the A/C is always HIGH! This is my go-to Thai spot. I've tried a few other talked about establishments on the island but no place has beat the overall cleanliness, promptness, and taste of Thai Lao.

    (5)

  • Kaeo R.

    Decided to stop here for dinner with my family,First time here and Thai Lao is very good. There spring rolls were amazing.I had the Yellow curry was so good.There service was fast,nice and they always made sure our drinks were full.We will definitely be coming back here again.

    (5)

  • Tiare N.

    Great place to eat a fast Thai dinner. Love that it is BYOB and the food is just delicious. The staff are very professional and kind I love eating here. We go here at least 3 times a month.

    (3)

  • Donna V.

    This little cozy restaurant is located in the Halekuai Center in Kapolei next to Chevron. The environment is simple yet clean and cozy. Me and my boyfriend have come here twice and I will occasionally order take out. A few things I like: *Pad See Ew: the fat noodles that is stir fried in soy sauce and broccoli which you can get with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or seafood. This would be like the pad ki mao without the spice for those who do not like spicy food. *Pad Ki Mao (Drunkard Noodles): fat noodles with a spicy kick to it. You can also get this with either chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or seafood. This dish has basil and broccoli inside. Not so much shrimp when you get it with seafood but there wS a lot of octupus and mussels. You can get this mild or spicy. I got mild and it was still a tad bit on the spicy side. *Stuffed chicken wings (appetizer): stuffed and deep fried served with cucumber and a sweet chili type of sauce. My boyfriend likes to eat this with his fried rice. It's very crispy and stuffed well. *Pineapple fried rice: my boyfriend's favorite. I don't like tk eat the pineapple but it goes well with pork or chicken from what he chose. The portion is pretty decent and can be shared. Not too oily and i like the egg mixed with the fried rice. You can spend about $30 for 3 dishes. Overall, i do leave the restaurant full.

    (5)

  • Sean C.

    Truth in the hybrid title, what lies inside is blazing spiciness in their complex, atypical dishes. You can ask for mild if you're sensitive. I had to drink coke and chew on ice from my water a couple of times to calm the blaze. BBQ beef salad brings a torrid, fiery taste to your mouth. Drunken Noodles is mixed with mint and variable herbs, slurptacular I say. Fried Fish Fillet mixed with bell and hot peppers in a Lao-ish sauce. There are a hundred items I haven't mentioned, but that's what we went with. #mahalo!

    (4)

  • D. C.

    A pleasant and comfortable dining room. The meal was delicious and the service was attentive. I'll be back and i recommend it.

    (5)

  • Gwen N.

    Staying in Ko Olina for 2 weeks, we found it was hard to find a variety of good restaurants nearby. I was happy to find Thai Lao through Yelp with a great following, so I decided to take my family here for lunch one day. We came around lunch time on a weekday and it wasn't too busy. My family isn't too familiar with Thai or Laoian dishes, so it took us a while to get everyone's orders straight. A lot of people had questions, in which we were stared down or told what they were curtly. Our food arrived very staggered, but not so bad that the first dish was finished by the time the last dish came, so I'll forgive them as we had a lot of people. The food, however, was very good. I had their Drunkard's Noodles (super spicy, per my request) and my hubby had the jungle curry (very creamy and flavorful). I didn't get to try many of the other dishes my family ordered, but they were all happy with their meals. Presentation and the restaurant itself looked very nice as well. Overall, the food was pretty good, I'd rate it 4 stars. But the service was 2 stars. So I've given them an overall rating of 3 stars.

    (3)

  • D K.

    Wow very disappointed today. Usually the food here is excellent but my last few visits here the food has been inconsistent. Either way over seasoned or not enough seasoning in the food. Today the Pad Thai noodles were bland and had no taste, papaya salad had no taste and the Thai spicy fish had no taste. I ordered them mild and had no spice to them at all. Last time the food was so salty it was not edible. So sad this was not only my favorite Thai restaurant but one of my overall favorite eateries before. Will not be coming back here any time soon.

    (2)

  • May L.

    I have since gone back twice to dine in at their restaurant and must say that dine in offers a way better experience! The service was friendly and fast. I've had their panang curry, pad see ew, ong choy, shrimp fried rice and green curry. They all tasted wonderful! The pad thai was still so so, but more flavorful than the takeout I had last time. I'll def be back for dine ins!

    (4)

  • Angela H.

    Good Thai food. It can get a little busy. When my boyfriend and I are here, they were busy. That being said, my glass of water never got refilled and I ended up having to drink my boyfriend's water. They didn't check in on us after giving us our food. The food is good, service is so-so. Maybe we just came here on an off night?

    (3)

  • Stephanie M.

    It's nice to have a thai place near home. Even better when the quality of their food is yum! It's a cute little restaurant. Their fried chicken, cucumber salad, lemongrass seafood soup, pad se-ew and their red curry are my favorites. My family loves spicy food &this place's "spicy" will burn your mouth off if your not used to it. but it's sooo good. You can bring your own wine also which is definitely a plus. Must try especially of you like Thai food.

    (5)

  • Adam B.

    Has the pad thai and it was mediocre. The pineapple curry was good. Chicken quality was poor and it was dark meat and strange cuts. Nearly all thai restaurants use white meat so not sure why they dont.

    (3)

  • Michelle M.

    I like to fancy myself as an adventurous eater. In the very least, I'd like to admit that I'm a glutton...a foodie...a person that just eats too damn much and then likes to share my thoughts about it on Yelp. So, since I have thins minor quest to check out all the Thai places here in the 808, how could I not hit up the what is arguably the West Side's best Thai (Lao) spot?? The name is the spot on...Definitely not authentically Thai but Thai with Lao influence. Honesty is the best policy I always say! In true gluttonistic fashion, me and the favorite foodie friend decided that we would try to sample as much as we could: Spring Rolls Papaya Salad Lao Style Tod Mun Stuffed Chicken Wings Nam Tok Ginger Soup (Tom Ka) Pad Kra Pao Pad Thai Shrimp Chicken Fried Rice Evil Curry (Red curry minus the eggplant, subbed with cabbage) Mango Sticky Rice The apps & salads were on POINT! We really enjoyed the first 5 items on the list and we really could have stopped there...we REALLY should have stopped there. The main entrees were a bit disappointing, unfortunately. Just not what we were expecting after the apps blew us away. Sadly, dessert was disappointing as well :( Mango sticky Rice is an all time fave and I know a few places that make this dish perfectly...but this one was just not what I expected...brown mango just doesnt do it for me. Quality control??? I will say that one of the highlights of my meal was the light & fluffy quality of their sticky rice. It was amazingly fragrant and so light & airy! Not what I would have expected from a sticky rice... Come back??? Ummm... for apps & salads, YES. I think I'll skip dinner tho, tyvm.

    (3)

  • Aidualc O.

    I had the pho and pad saew (not sure of the spelling ) food is always amazing and delicious cooked by lao people I know. Services are always great and wait time is not bad even on a busy night. If you like your food spicy tell them you want it laotian style. Example: papaya salad. Laotian style papaya salad. Warning food will be super spicy but it's good and that's how I like It.

    (5)

  • Kimberly S.

    This is my third updated review. I no longer dine in the restaurant for irrelevant reasons, but I always pick up phone ordered food. Service is always excellent even if I'm just picking up food. And the food is consistently delicious. Thai Lao has got to be the best Thai restaurant on Oahu, hands down. Better than Thai Village and definitely better than Thai Kitchen (both in Waipahu). It's even better than any of the Thai restaurants I've tried in Houston and Las Vegas. I've tried a few other Thai restaurants in central Oahu and in town, but I don't remember what they were called because the food was forgettable. I always order their Green Curry with chicken or shrimp, their Pad Thai with shrimp, and their stuffed chicken wings. I'm pretty sure their other dishes are amazing, but these are what I stick to because they're addictive and always delicious. They tend to get busy in the evenings like from 7 pm to closing, so definitely phone ahead if you're picking up food, otherwise, you might have to wait a little bit for a table. Either way, it's worth the wait!

    (5)

  • Hudson H.

    Food is amazing! Yellow curry is the bomb! And the spring rolls are fresh and tasty!! Mmmm our go 2 fav takeout

    (5)

  • Kayonie T.

    I loved this place so much. Smells amazing as soon as you walk through the door. I'll definitely become a regular here. I recommend this place to anyone who loves Thai food.

    (5)

  • Hikari D.

    Food was great. Price was right. Luv the nice setting and parking availability. Chicken was served in a clump after frying. Once it was broken apart it was fine. Service was pleasant and attentive. Enjoyed the papaya salad and the curry. Would definitely go back.

    (5)

  • Paula R.

    Excellent Thai food, always! Lunch and dinner meals frequently from here!

    (4)

  • Daniel G.

    Small pace. Food's good, friendly staff, and reasonable prices. Nothing spectacular though.

    (4)

  • Brandon T.

    Food was good and very authentic. Good selection on the menu. Warning - med spice is like FIRE!

    (4)

  • Cher C.

    My favorite Thai restaurant! I tried all their noodles dishes are very delicious. Can't go wrong ordering any of the curries. I love the Satay Chicken, spring rolls, mee krob tofu. You will be happy to make a trip to Kapolei to try this place.

    (5)

  • Nat W.

    Thai Lao is the only Thai restaurant in Kapolei and it is a solid dining option. The service is good and the restaurant seems clean and decorated nicely. Food came out in a timely manner. My husband and I had jungle curry, chicken satay and calamari salad. Everything is priced reasonably and tastes decent. Like others say, they go by American spicy so if you like real spicy food, don't be afraid to go extra!

    (4)

  • Celine T.

    I've been here many times and the food is always good! they even passed their health inspection! I went here one day right when they opened to order take out. the lady who took my order was very friendly and the food didn't take to long to make. apparently, the cook made the wrong dish so I had to wait a few more minutes, which I didn't mind. she offered me a complimentary cup of Thai tea for waiting those extra minutes.

    (5)

  • Ksenia C.

    Our first time there with friends. Always seen it. Wasn't sure what to expect, very opened minded. Unfortunately it was not that great. The pho we had, was very blend and too salty, the coconut soup I had seemed to have way to much mushrooms and no chicken. Pad Thai was good. We had asked for lime and fish sauce a couple times before they finally brought it out. Like it was an inconvenience to them

    (3)

  • Coupon Q.

    Great food, great service , nice place , what more can you ask for. We loved the green curry with chicken and also the papaya salad. Would recommend this place to anyone that is visiting or is local to the area.

    (4)

  • Yvonne F.

    Lemon grass soup and papaya salad are the best on island! All the curry dishes are fresh and fantastic!

    (5)

  • Sue F.

    This is one of our must favorite places to eat Thai food! The price is amazing for the amount of food! The food alone is so flavorful and the amount is perfect for two to share!! The dinning area is alway clean and seating is open! When we go we always have leftovers and enjoy it the next day!

    (4)

  • Hasan K.

    Amazing food. If you want thai food come here. Especially if your near like at Aulani. The staff is very nice and very friendly. I'm coming back here next time I visit.

    (5)

  • Kristine L.

    My family went to this restaurant for A Father's Day lunch and it was all of our first time here. Food was great but the only reason why I'm giving this restaurant 3 stars is because of their service. It would've been a 2 if their food wasn't that good. But anyways....our server was not friendly at all. She never really made eye contact and seemed very snobby. While ordering our food she would ask us questions in a way where it seems like she expects us to be familiar with the menu, but again it was our first time at this restaurant. They never checked on us while we were eating at all and if we needed something we had to ask ourselves. As I watched other people come in the server would point a table for them to have a seat at or even nod their head. There was no greeting while entering or leaving the restaurant. Never did I see any of their servers smile once. Very disappointed in the service.

    (3)

  • Ivy Lou H.

    I thought the food was pleasant but not delicious. Perhaps it's the somewhat milder Lao influence, or something else, that left me feeling like I just ate at a Thai version of Applebee's. The restaurant is very clean and service is also good. However for taste you're better off going to Rajanee, Siam Palace, or To Thai For to get a curry with that extra something special.

    (3)

  • Cristina A.

    fried red snapper was fresh with garlic sauce. restaurant had a simple clean decor. very impressed with the food. delicious pad thai, pineapple fried rice & yellow chicken curry. food tastes authentic for hawaii!

    (5)

  • Erica N.

    This is the first Thai restaurant I've been to, but I love it !!! I instantly fell in love with it and come here quite frequently to satisfy my cravings. It's location is at the beginning of Kapolei. The parking is okay. The restaurant shares the lot space with different establishments like Papa Johns, Starbucks, etc. Upon entrance I thought this place was going to be expensive because it's very decorative. Each table had a vase with flowers and there were very intriguingly beautiful pieces of Thai art displayed around the restaurant. There is a tv that plays either Thai dramas or music videos. They're both interesting to watch. The atmosphere is very comfortable and the workers are friendly and consistent with checking upon their tables. I've only chosen a few dishes during my handful of times coming here. One of my favorites is the Seafood Fried Rice. It's extremely YUMMY. I also recommend the Green Curry with Beef. I always get it with a side order of rice.. Also another great dish! The Thai Tea is also really good :) A definite 5 stars in my book!

    (5)

  • Amy T.

    The best whole fried snapper fish with ginger sauce.. my husband and I devoured the whole thing :-) always a happy tummy when I leave here..

    (5)

  • Em A.

    I am a BIG fan of Thai food and love eating at Thai restaurants. I have tried almost all of the Thai restaurants on the Island and I can give Thai Lao 5 stars for their awesome, quick, excellent service, and DELICIOUS spring rolls, Evil jungle curry, and pad Thai and more.

    (5)

  • Aimee P.

    Brought by a local --- Thai local that is. After her relocation from Chicago, it was hard for her to find "HOME TASTE". If this works for her... it sure works for me! I had the pad thai *hold the hot -- it was good. Portion was generous. My partner in crime had the Yellow Curry which was good to her taste. Service was good. Wasn't incredible, wasn't horrible. The decor and ambiance was on point. Very clean. I'd go back if I was in the area and is craving Pad Thai. Affordable plate pricing. Our bill was $50 for three entrees, one appetizer and a drink

    (4)

  • Elle N.

    Ordered - Tom yum w/ shrimp - broccoli w/ shrimp - satay eggplant - beef fried rice - pad chu chee fish - beef pad thai - thai tea Enjoyed the Tom yum soup, beef fried rice, and thai tea the most. The chu chee fish is sweet / strong tasting so it is a unique dish.. so is the tom yum soup. The eggplant was just okay. I forgot/waitress didn't ask how hot we wanted dishes.. I like spicy food too. I'd come back :)

    (4)

  • E C.

    We love Thai food and Thai Lao is one of the best! Service was friendly and the space was bright and clean. We were here twice in one week! Chicken satay: incredibly tender and flavorful. Cucumber salad: a bit sweet but perfect for cooling effect in between spicy dishes Jungle Evil Curry: good, a bit sweet, not too spicy Green curry: had a nice curry flavor Drunken noodles: my favorite. Had just the right amount of heat to make you want more. Highly recommend!

    (5)

  • Ed L.

    Recommended by Yelp Elite Jessica S. Foodie adventures in Kapolei continues with a stop at Thai Lao Thai restaurant. Already full from lunch at Longboards at the Marriott Ko'olina Beach Club, I ventured off to check things out. I do love Thai, which is 2nd to Vietnamese cuisine. Since I have eaten, it would have been good to get something for dinner to try out this place. If it was that good, I would try again and be adventurous whenever I am in Kapolei. With that said, this place I discovered beforehand when I was hanging out in Starbucks, which was in the same complex as Thai Lao. It looks more like a Chinese restaurant set up than anything. Still, it was a good place to try. I ended up enjoying the experience, even though it was just take out, but excited to do more the next time around. Thai Lao Thai restaurant is located in the X shopping village along Kamokila Street in the heart of Kapolei. It's directly across the street from the Kapolei Shopping Center. When you see the Starbucks, it's just around the corner. There is plenty of parking spaces in this private lot, but be fare warned that it can be busy during peak times. If you are like me and have a lot of time on the weekends, bus routes "C" country express and #40 services Kapolei and the surrounding communities with downtown Honolulu. My experience here at Thai Lao restaurant was as short as they came. They accept credit cards, so that's always a plus in my book. The restaurant itself wasn't crowded as I entered the restaurant. It was a medium sized eatery, with some tables, but it felt like a small restaurant. I proceeded to the cashier counter to order take out and I was given a menu without them saying a word. Not surprising, as I was already used to that kind of service already. The ambiance of the restaurant was that of any others. It was just after 1pm on a Sunday, so it wasn't exactly dinner time or date night, but I was checking things out, yelp style and picking up a couple items for the night's meal. I quickly ordered the yellow panaag curry with beef and the classic pad Thai with chicken. I figure if they can do these signature Thai dishes well, I would be more inclined to return to try and experience more via dining in or take out, whichever the case may be. The wait time was about 15 minutes from start to finish. Playing with my iPhone for that duration meant that it took a while. After picking up the order, I went home and put it in the fridge and heated it up in the microwave to serve. I forgot to ask for sticky rice with my meal, so I boiled up some pasta for my panaag curry. I first had the pad Thai, which wasn't too greasy and had that elegant zest to it. I enjoyed it and it was delicious. Nothing you don't want and it was good. Not the best pad Thai I had, but it was good. The curry was served with the prepared pasta and it was pretty awesome. It was rich and creamy. None of that watery stuff and it was smooth to the taste. Totally delicious! I enjoyed my takeout dinner from Thai Lao Thai restaurant and really recommend this place if you are in the area and crave Thai. The service was basic, as it was just take out and not dine in. The recommendation from Yelper Jessica S was spot on. Thanks! Support local! B+

    (4)

  • Laci B.

    Glad we made a reservation. 5:45 on a Saturday & they were packed. The food was phenomenal! We had the spring rolls, pad Thai beef with medium spice & Thai garlic with pork. All of it was amazing! Can't wait to come back.

    (5)

  • Quentin D.

    They have the best thai food and my favorite is there pad Thai but all there food are really good. I've tried many other Thai food restaurant but this is by far the best of the best Thai food place where you'll have a great experience so go on done and get your Thai food cravings satisfied

    (5)

  • Jennifer T.

    My family has come to Thai Lao many times since they opened. I was overjoyed when they finally opened a Thai restaurant in Kapolei. My favorite things to order are the chicken satay with peanut sauce, tom yum fried rice, green curry fried rice, pad thai, kao soi,Thai iced tea, and pad kee mao. They have one spice level on their pad kee mao and its Spicy; if you are looking for mild, this dish is not for you. Mama likes it hot so no problem here. ;) By far, Thai Lao's chicken satay is the best chicken satay I have had on the island. Something about their spiced coconut milk marinade paired with their homemade peanut sauce compliments the chicken really well. Always cooked to perfection. My 5 year old son will drink the peanut sauce if you let him. He loves it that much. Every time we come here or order out that is all he wants, the chicken satay and sticky rice. Even the owner knows this. Once he sees him he gets it going for him. The owner is a really nice guy. To be honest, there hasn't been anything that I have had on the menu that I haven't liked. The kao soi is not on the regular menu, but written on the specials board on the wall. It has a savory garlicky beef broth served with funn noodles, watercress, meat of your choice (chicken, beef, etc). I've found the beef best compliments this dish. Chicken would be my second choice. This is my 8 year old's go to dish. My oldest loves the pad thai with beef. Service is good. They constantly check on you to ensure your water is filled and if the food is to your liking. I've been here with a small group of friends to hosting family dinners with a party of 20. They've always delivered and everyone was pleased with the restaurant choice and left with happy tummies.

    (4)

  • Paul B.

    Best Thai food I've ever had. Usually I avoid Thai restaurants that's located in a crappy looking shopping center like this one. However, this one nailed it. I enjoyed their curry, and their pad thai was spot on! Great customer service, and high quality food. I'm from California, so I eat a lot of Thai Food, and this one was by far the best. Unfortunately I have to fly thousand miles away to enjoy Thai food :(.

    (5)

  • Alison S.

    This place has the best Thai food ever....hands down! A must for any meal of the day! Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Michael M.

    Nothing fancy, but really wonderful food, and a great menu. If staying in the area, I would highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Maiko S.

    I love Thai dishes and I sometimes go to Thailand and eat. I sometimes stay in Ko Olina. So I was looking for a delicious Thai dish nearby. In this restaurant, the Thai Lao dish was eaten and thought that how to use herb was very splendid. All menus are very delicious, but feel it to be salty while they eat. Most visitors took it home with most visitors in doggy back. I think that I add to my order without leaving a dish if I make a little lighter taste.

    (4)

  • Riss R.

    Excellent Thai food in the heart of Kapolei. The restaurant is very clean and decorated nicely. The food is exceptional. The red curry is so good. All of the dishes I've had at Thai Lao have been excellent! Always come here for great Thai

    (4)

  • Greg K.

    With 218 reviews (before mine) I won't go into great detail except that we really enjoyed the flavors and variety of dishes offered. We went for a family dinner here sharing a a cornucopia of fish and veggie dishes. Thankfully (most of) my family can handle spicy foods - nothing a cold, delicious glass of Thai iced tea couldn't wash down when needed! We'd definitely go back next time we have a kick for Thai on the west side!

    (4)

  • Andy A.

    I had drunken noodle and the basic spice is spicy but not burning. My friends had the panang curry massaman. Both delicious actually awesome. Crispy noodle appetizer is for about 5 people. All portions were relatively big. The service time was typical and the wait staff friendly with recommendations. I would highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Bella L.

    Came here to escape the resort food at our hotel. What a pleasant surprise! We ordered the stuffed chicken wings to start, Tom Yum soup, Chicken Pad Thai, and fried fish filet with red curry. Everything was fresh and ONO!! SOOO delicious. Those of you wary of heat, be warned. They don't play around here. Go mild if you're concerned. Will happily return during our next visit to Ko'Olina!

    (4)

  • Rose L.

    Delicious thai food. We are fans of little restaurants with tons of flavorful dishes on the menu, and this one fits that description. Parking can be a challenge, there are many restaurants and establishments in this shopping center located next to a gas station.

    (4)

  • Victoria K.

    I use to love the restaurant but won't be returning. My daughter ordered a take out and when it was picked up someone's nasty bandaid was left in the package. When it was brought up to the managers attention she asked the workers if any of them had a band aid on and someone in the background stated that she threw it away. I'm still upset that no one apologized. This is unhealthy and disgusting. The employee didn't throw her bandaid away, it slipped off when she completed the packaging. Even the straw wrapper was left with the band aid. Sorry but I had a bad experience.

    (1)

  • erik t.

    Great place to eat authentic Thai-Laos food. The dishes have plenty of flavor, the service is nice and attentive, and the restaurant is clean. All this makes Thai Lao Restaurant a new favorite in Kapolei.

    (5)

  • Stephanie H.

    I would've given this place 5 stars based on their food only but customer service is a big deal to me. We've been here several times. Every dish we've tried has been delicious. The basil fried rice is amazing, it's a little spicy even if ordered mild, so we make sure to tell them ease up on the heat because we have a 2 year old that we will be sharing with. Last night, we ordered a papaya salad, steak salad and basil fried rice ALL MILD. The steak salad arrive first. Our 2 year old daughter grabbed a piece, shoved it in her mouth and started screaming it was so hot. Her dad ate a few bites and agreed that it was way too hot. The server came back and accused us of ordering it medium. We told her again that we ordered it MILD, she rolled her eyes and stormed off. Our whole order was medium and we couldn't eat any of it and they were extremely rude and unapologetic about it. We paid for our super spicy meal and even for the first salad that got thrown away. It's not about the money, it's about the customer service and they have none!

    (2)

  • Al D.

    A valid Thai option in the Kapolei area. Their pad Thai is delicious and I was impressed by the green curry. I would come here again.

    (3)

  • Lindsey S.

    First time here today for some late night take out after watching the Xmen movie. WILL BE BACK! We ordered the Lemon grass seafood soup and the Red Fish Curry. I can't pick which was better. The Lemon grass seafood soup had a lot of variety of seafood and tons of flavor! Sweet and a bit spicy, wouldn't change a thing about it. The Red Curry Fish was not too oily or thick. Thats something I've noticed on other curries, not this one. We ended up pairing them together and the flavor of each really complimented each dish. Will be back for lunch or dinner soon to try other dishes they all sound so yummy!! The people who served us were really nice and the restaurant looked really clean, which is a major plus =)

    (4)

  • Mersediez S.

    The best Thai place I've found on O'ahu. Great service and amazing food. They have take out which is a plus. I am obsessed with their panaang curry and the Tom Kah soup. It's so good!

    (5)

  • Chris M.

    This place is fantastic!!! We were vacationing and found this place. We eat a lot of Thai and I can say this place is on the top of the list.

    (5)

  • Lisipa S.

    I've been here multiple times, so this review is based on my numerous visits. I always order their yellow chicken curry and they never fail to provide consistently amazing food with a lot of meat and vegetables. Although great food the wait is always so long and there are a few employees who seem to make eating there extremely uncomfortable (they make it a stare down) lol I'm aware of how that sounds but that is exactly how it is. I've recently opt for take out but when doing so check all food and make sure to come at least ten minutes after the given estimated time. -2 star for the unfriendly service and extremely long waits.

    (3)

  • Natalie C.

    Best Thai food around!! We probably eat here once a week at least. The yellow curry and chicken satay are always our favorites! The place is always busy so make sure to call ahead and pick up is usually about 20 minutes. Love this place!!

    (5)

  • Jessica S.

    My original review for Thai Lao is completely and 100% accurate and I still back everything I originally wrote. So why the review update? Well it only seems right that I update the review of one of my favorite restaurants ever since going Vegan! (Favorite Vegan or not though!) Most Thai places can be vegan if you ask them (So I've been told)... So being that hubby and I love Thai Lao one day we decided to test this theory. So hubby calls up and orders the veggie fried rice with tofu, no egg. The gentleman on the phone asked, "Would you like It vegan? No fish sauce." I knew Thai Lao was after my heart and man oh man, they just won it! This is how we learned how Vegan friendly they really are. Since then - we probably frequent Thai Lao once a week (A min of every other week), and they are just as wonderful about vegan meals. Most of the meals on the menu they are willing to make Vegan and each and every one we have tried has been awesome! Favorites: Panang curry, tofu fried rice, Pineapple fried rice, spring rolls (They will even ensure the dipping sauce is vegan), pretty much all the other curry options, hubby loves the curry fried rice.... Ok, let's be honest - I love it all. Service is wonderful whether we call in a order for pick up or whether we dine in. I'm there so often they recognize my voice over the phone. I know, I know - maybe not something to be proud of. Great service, great food, vegan friendly, cozy atmosphere.... Honestly, what else do I need? (More fried rice, please!) ;) Try Thai Lao - seriously - get your butt over there and try it. You won't regret it.

    (5)

  • Sunny L.

    A friend raved about this Thai food place he tried in Kapolei. Since Sundays is usually date night ( after working Open House) I was ready to get my Thai food on! The first clue to service going down hill , we sat right by kitchen , servers kept passing us for a good 10 min - before I finally BIT ONE ! Joke ! Okay , I wanted to bite one since I was so hungry !! The girl who took our order sounded like her jaw was wired shut! Barely opening her mouth , I couldn't understand a damn word she said ! Food took awhile to start coming out , but once it did , we just started to shovel food in! Had to ask several times for water , even tough we left our empty glasses at the edge of the table ! I should have started hacking & coughing to get attention ! I'm not a very hard person to please ! Feed me, check our drinks for refills , bring bill AFTER asking if we would like dessert or anything else!! Not BEFORE!' We ordered 2 desserts - the taro one obviously had to harvested - TOOK FOREVER!!! we were almost ready to leave and the waiter brings it to the table ( after we waited over 15 min) ugh! Word of advice - you need to step up on your Custumer Service ! You already lost one - who knows how many more out there ! Oh yeah ... Btw thanks for the free desserts! I wasn't gonna wait another 20 min so you could add that to my bill !

    (2)

  • Eileen S.

    This place is the shiznit! They're mostly Thai but they have house specials posted on the wall that we tried that are more on the Lao side and are awesome! You don't see Lao restaurants very often but the people that are serving speak Laotian so they have to have Lao dishes! I'm so excited because being a Lao person from Vegas, you don't see Lao people or let alone food very often so coming here was very refreshing! Definitely coming back soon :)

    (5)

  • Riana S.

    Ho NAHHHH. After an intense bike ride, my boypren and I were starving so I busted out my Yelp app and sim sim salabim, THAI LAO. Luckily it was down da street so we headed over and didn't realize how fucking classy this place was. Here I am, all sweaty wearing spandex sitting in a restaurant with Thai drama playing on the TV and actual glass cups. Shittttt. Our waitress was very sweet especially when I asked how hot the red curry would be. She made some great recommendations and we ended up getting the red curry, pad thai, and panang curry. Curry it to me. Within minutes we got our sticky rice in these fancy little straw backpack things. I love curry. I especially love Thai Lao's curry. Talking about it now just makes me want to go back and eat their curry. The red curry (I ordered mild cause I'm a pussy) was delicious, flavorful and had just enough spice to warm up my tummy. The vegetables in it were soft and chewable (perfect for an old person with dentures) and the chicken were perfectly bite-sized. The pad thai was amazing. Words can't even describe. The panang curry was good and sweet but I preferred my red curry! Our waitress kept checking up on us and refilling our water and making sure we liked the food. Every time she came back I'd quickly nod my head so that she would go away and I can indulge in the amazing food. Yea yea I'm a pig, whatevs. Seriously amazing, it was a great experience and I can't wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Ben B.

    Beware there food is to delicious. I got my wife addicted and now my 5 kids, lol I love this place. I wish I could live next door.

    (5)

  • Nelli C.

    My husband and I love this place! We've always been huge fans of Thai food, so we got lucky this restaurant is so close to our house. Their phad see-ew is the best :)

    (5)

  • Allison S.

    My husband found this place through yelp when we were on our annual summer vacation last year. We will definitely be back at least once this summer!

    (5)

  • May L.

    This is my go to Thai place in Kapolei. friendly staff. Love the stuffed chicken, papaya salad, tofu drunkard noodles spicy, pad Thai, Tom yum soup, and curries.

    (5)

  • Jonathan K.

    Simply the best Thai food I've had! I ate here once with my family and I had the chicken Pad Thai...so good! The noodles were cooked just right and the cooked tofu was too die for! You sure do get a generous amount of it :) We also ordered the Panang Curry which was equally as tasty. It had just the right amount of sweetness which I really liked. Again, we did receive a generous amount of the curry, however, we had to pay $2 for some rice to go with it...which I found a bit odd. Overall, I thought eating here was well worth the money! Nothing was too expensive and the serving sizes were nice :) Definitely recommend!

    (5)

  • Jane F.

    They won't let me 86 the chicken in my pad thai. I guess it's like frozen or prepackaged or something. Sometimes the phone rings and rings and rings and rings and you have to keep calling back. I go here when i have no other options. I'll be back out of necessity, but for a better review, you gotta let a customer say, "I don't want chicken" can I just pay and still not have the chicken?" A no response to that question knocks you down in my book. Sorry.

    (2)

  • Lori I.

    BEST Thai food in Kapolei! (Okay, maybe it's the ONLY Thai food in Kapolei...) I've never been to Thailand or Laos and can't tell the difference between the two cuisines or if this is "authentic" or not but I do eat a lot of "Hawaii" Thai food and this place satisfied my Thai food craving. I heard the owner of this place is related to the owner at Fort Street Cafe (my favorite garlic chicken place) so I had to drop some love on this place too. I wouldn't drive out here just to eat, but if I was in the area, I would definitely come back. LOCATION: in the Kapolei Chevron strip mall, makai side of Farrington Hwy, next to Papa Johns. (NOT in the same strip as EnFuego, Julie'Z, and Longs) yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… BYOB, BYOP: Patience, Patience, Patience! They must put a lot of love in their food because even though I called in my order ahead of time, I still had to wait when I got there and the restaurant was empty. MSG. I'm pretty sure they use it here. Kanak attack. GREEN CURRY+PAD THAI+EVIL JUNGLE CURRY, sticky rice (extra $2) = $33 Green curry was thick and creamy, with ample amounts of tender chicken and super soft eggplant. Just enough heat for me without ruining my taste buds. I'd get this again. yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… The Pad Thai was pretty standard. Large meaty pieces of chicken and a few slices of tofu throughout this large dish was great. I don't really like the dish by itself - I usually pour the curry all over the noodles, so this worked out just fine. yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… I am confused what Evil Jungle curry is supposed to be, because it's different at each restaurant, but the cabbage and the carrots in this dish were fresh, as in not cooked. Kind of a unique way to eat it. yelp.com/biz_photos/tSsK… Glad I got to try this place out. I'll be back next time I'm in Kapolei.

    (4)

  • Wesley R.

    So Thai Lao. What to say. I think the only way to say it is by saying " " (delicious in Thai). I have had Thai food in Houston and Washington DC. DC is the only one that compares. Even though I have not had a lot of Thai food over the years, I am a great eater and know good food. I never had Pad Thai before as I am not usually a peanut eater, but I decided to try it here. First, the servings are huge compared to usual most Asian food restaurants. That is just the beginning. My wife and I have been here about 10 times over the last year since we discovered this Diamond on the island. We absolutely love it. My go to is the pad thai and thai garlic. I still think the pad thai is the best ever. Right amount of mix of vegetables, noodles, meat (chicken, beef or seafood), and peanut sauce. Like a party on a plate that moves to your mouth. Thai garlic is perfect sauce flavor, right amount of garlic, and perfect over rice. Rice is extra, but only a dollar or so, so perfectly fine to order on the side. They even have Brown rice which is awesome. I have stayed bringing all my friends there and now they are hooked. Good job Thai Lao. Keep it up!

    (5)

  • Hanna M.

    This is our favorite Thai place on the island and we try to come every time we are on the west side. The food is consistently good. Last night I had a Thai iced tea, yellow curry chicken, shrimp tom yum soup, summer rolls and chicken pad ki Mao. We ordered medium spicy and it was definitely spicy and delicious. This was enough to feed five people with very little leftover. The place is small so make a reservation and its byob.

    (5)

  • Josiah L.

    I love Thai food (especially the curries) and heard good things about Thai Lao so I decided to give it a try. A couple of visits later and I'm definitely a fan. The menu is large and varied, including all the most popular Thai dishes, and even has some Laotian entrees as well, though at first glance you may have trouble differentiating them from the Thai. So far, I've stuck to the curries, though I'll certainly get to other things eventually. Anyway, the curry is very good. The flavor is great and the meat and vegetables aren't over or under cooked. Though be careful what level of spiciness you ask for, as their "medium" is hotter than most. And, like most Thai restaurants around here, rice is extra (though it's nice that they offer brown Jasmine is addition to white and sticky). Add in good service and the best Thai tea I've had in a while, and you've got an all around excellent Thai restaurant. It's not especially large or fancy, but it's neat and clean so there's nothing to complain about in that department. I don't know if Thai Lao is worth driving over to this side of the island for (Honolulu has a lot of great Thai places of its own), but if you're in the area you should definitely give it a try.

    (5)

  • William E.

    If only this place wasn't so far from Honolulu, I would go more often. You'll be happy with about any item off the menu, but there's not a lot of fish choices. What I *do* recommend you try is the Green Curry Fried Rice. It's a keeper and seems to be unique to this restaurant. Located next to the Chevron gas station, park where Starbucks is.

    (4)

  • Geno P.

    Thai Lao is THE spot for Thai food in the Kapolei/Ewa Beach area. Do not misjudge this little storefront restaurant - it is huge on taste!! Been here at least six times and tried everything from the Pad dishes to the drunken variety, from mild to spicy. One thing I can say with utmost certainty is Thai Lao kills it when it comes to spice. I haven't found a Thai place yet on the island that requires you to keep the milk on standby, but oy! Thai Lao brings it!!! The food is always fresh and quick, and wins the prize for our favorite local takeout. Some advice when you visit: This strip mall is way too big for the parking lot. Once you enter off the main road, grab the first spot you see and you'll be good to go - otherwise you may get bottled in. Another sad aspect is the sign on Thai Lao's door warning customers they will be towed if they park at Starbucks. AS IF !!! I park in Starbucks every time because I know there is no way for Starbucks to prove I didn't plan to pick up my Thai food and then a coffee on the way back to my car. Seriously? I think Starbucks owners just get upset because they need the parking spaces because they eventually plan to build additional locations in those parking spaces. It's like, you aren't allowed to smoke or park by the buildings anymore, lol. Anyway, Thai Lao is a gem on the West side. Make it happen.

    (4)

  • Chris A.

    I'm not a fan of Thai food. But anytime someone wants to eat it, I stick with the 3 items I know I won't be totally dissatisfied with. 1) yellow curry with chicken medium: this dish was delicious!!! It had just the right amount of coconut milk and the chicken and potatoes were perfectly cooked. The carrots were left on the side. I like my food spicy and normally medium spicy is just right, however this one was actually not too hot. Next time I will order it on the higher spicy scale. 2) sticky rice: yummy!! Especially when drenched in the curry sauce. 3) Thai coffee: good stuff. My favorite Starbucks drink is a Thai latte. Although this restaurant doesn't make the drink even close to SB (because of the amount of milk used, and the sweetness of it) its really good and bold so it feels like I'm getting a huge caffeine fix. The place is right across of chevron and next to papa johns. All the parking upfront of this place is 30 minutes only. The parking along the sidewalk and main street is 2 hours. It's a cute little restaurant with about 9 tables. They serve some sodas and stuff, but they let you bring in other drinks in there so it's byob (yes, you can bring in some beer or wine with you and have it with your meal). I recommend this place to anyone that likes Thai food, & even if you don't (like me) you should really give it a try.

    (4)

  • Keith K.

    Update: 4/21/2014 Stopped in here again yesterday. Ordered the Thai Garlic Chicken [me] and Pla Meuk Manao[wife]... both were legit. Still shaking my head that we didn't find this place before. We might have a new favorite Thai place to eat now. LOL Original Post: 3/29/2014 Nice place! Not sure why, but we've lived in Kapolei 4 1/2 years before even finding Thai Lao. Visited tonight. Wife ordered Seafood Tom Yum, very hot and I ordered Shrimp Evil Jungle Curry, mild. Both dishes were very good. I still think Souvaly 's is the standard to beat, but hey.... Thai Lao is way closer for us.... so we'll be back here for sure.

    (5)

  • Lai T.

    Since my initial review, we've visited Thai Lao a couple of times. During our most recent visit last week, we were dining with a friend who is a vegetarian so I was crossing my fingers. Thai Lao did not disappoint :) My friend ordered the Tofu Pad Thai noodles and my bf and I ordered the Tom Yum fried rice and the drunken noodles (his favorite). We had a lot of left overs and ended up taking my friend's food home since she had a flight to catch. I was pleasantly surprised at the how much I enjoyed the Tofu Pad Thai! Thai Lao has been consistent in both service and quality. It is definitely in the top 2 of Thai places on Oahu for me.

    (5)

  • Cherisse E.

    I've heard this side of the island isn't particularly known for having the best food, so I was pleasantly surprised to find such great Thai food. I think this will definitely be our new place for Thai out here, I don't even need to try other places.

    (4)

  • Jill Y.

    As far as Thai food goes, I think it's quite good. The location leaves much to be desired as it's in a strip mall, but it's oddly nicer and formal then it's exterior. I've come here for a few dinner dates with my boyfriend when we don't get take out and I've also taken my mom to dinner here. I think if your in the mid for nice Thai in Kapolei, this is the place to go. I enjoy the chicken satay with peanut sauce and tofu pad Thai. Yum! It is one of the few above-average non-chain restaurants in Kapolei. :)

    (4)

  • Chris P.

    Not impressed. Pad Thai had no flavor at all. Satay beef sticks had unappetizing white gunk on them. Thai iced tea was bland as well. Thai garlic beef was okay, but not worth coming back again. And they share the worst parking lot of all in Kapolei. While we were looking for a parking spot, a tow truck towed a parked vehicle right in front of us. Why is there a 30 minute time limit here? Do people waiting at the Social Security office get 30 minutes too? Our server was clueless when we asked for recommendations. Then we waited 20 minutes for the food. So we had 10 minutes to either eat or move our car and find another parking spot? No thanks.

    (2)

  • Aline D.

    We ate our little hearts out here and every bite was good. We had the Laoation sausage, papaya salad, larb, red curry chicken, fried chicken and the Thai ginger soup. All were really good and we eat alot of that food on a monthly basis. Place was packed and we could see why! Next time we visit Hawaii, we will def come back here again!

    (4)

  • Donald M.

    We ate the stuffed chicken wings as appetizer. Yummy yummy. Pour that sauce all over it. For main course we had the evil curry shrimp. You must be a curry fan but very good. Not too spicy. Full of seafood and flavor We also had the sweet and sour shrimp. Very good. Some people may say its too sweet but it was just right for me. I recommend getting an additional bowl of rice(your choice) to use to pour the extra sweet and sour sauce over the rice. Service was good even though it was dinner time. I am impressed by the speed at this time of day. I also hope you brought your appetite. We were lucky enough to being some home for later enjoyment!

    (4)

  • Shannon R.

    This is by far my favorite Thai place on Oahu. The food can't be beat. I absolutely love the spring rolls and their Thai Iced Tea. The wait staff is always friendly and it is a cute cozy place. They fill up quickly so get there early or order your food to go. Worried something will be too spicy? Just ask them to make it a bit milder. A few of our favorite dishes are, pad thai, evil jungle curry, drunken noodles ( I like mine a bit more on the milder side) but my husband loves them just the way they are. Definitely worth a try. You will be hooked!!

    (5)

  • Eddie A.

    Wow, so happy we stumbled on this place! Ordered the Summer rolls, Massaman chicken curry, Thai garlic with beef, and Pad Thai noodles with pork. All dishes were excellent and cooked to perfection. Service was outstanding. Had three different employees checking on us regularly. Will be back again for sure!

    (5)

  • Rachel S.

    My first time eating here and it was good! Staff was pleasant, but service was just a little slow. No big deal. Food was excellent! And dinner for myself and my husband was just over $30. Will definitely return of I'm in the area.

    (4)

  • Elissa W.

    Yum. This was excellent. We started with the Summer Rolls and the Cucumber Salad. Both were good but the Cuke Salad had a lot of spice. Very fresh. These were followed by several different curries with fish, shrimp and chicken, as well as ginger chicken. All were very good, with excellent presentation. Good service.

    (4)

  • Janey B.

    I have ordered take out several times from here and for the most part enjoy their food. They are really quick about getting my order ready and it's always ready to go once I drive down from Makakilo. A bit on the pricier side for the size of their portions. Green papaya salad is one of my all time favorite dishes but they should go a little lighter on the fish sauce or the shrimp paste, sometimes it a little too fishy! Also didn't like it Lao style with the chunks of crab. I was expecting the crab meat to be taken out of the shell but it's actually just half crabs in the shell mixed in. I'm sure some people would love that but I'm not one of them. The pork larb is really pretty excellent as well as the chicken panang. The larb is really minty and seasoned well. It also has a really pleasant Limey taste. The panang is so good as leftovers, I could eat that every day and not grow tired of it. I also love that when I order my food hot here it has a good amount of heat to it. The pad thai is not my favorite thing here but it is good. I've ordered it with beef and with chicken and both were good. The one thing that could make it better would be to add more bean sprouts, green onion, and larger chunks of peanuts. I feel like one of the best things about pad thai is the warm sticky texture of the noodles and then the cold crunch of the bean sprouts. Also they must put their peanuts in a food processor because they are chopped so fine that by the time I get it home it's turned into a blob of peanut paste. Love the thai iced tea here but $3 seems expensive for the small glass I can drink in 3-4 big gulps. I wasn't a fan of the Thai iced coffee though. It was soooo sweet and not milky enough. I added milk at home and then it was good. Overall I like this place and will continue to come back. It's not the best thai food on island but it's definitely not the worst either...thus the 4 stars.

    (4)

  • Rachel L.

    We had drunken noodle, chicken panang and brown rice.The bomb! That's all I have to say about that. : - )

    (5)

  • Kelsey M.

    Hidden gem near chevron in Kapolei. I wouldn't have known it was there if it wasn't for a recommendation from a friend. Very glad I tried it! Went with a few girlfriends for lunch and we brought a bottle of wine because heyy it's BYOB :). Ordered the summer rolls, evil jungle curry, and Pad Ki Mao aka drunkards noodles. Everything was delicious and spicy. If you don't like the heat, you can order mild. I will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Jasmeet T.

    Great food, service is very attentive. Bring your own beer. Even the kids ate everything :)

    (5)

  • Christine S.

    Enjoyed the pad kee mow (drunken noodles) HOT while on vacation. I was cautious to try the THAI HOT because I was sharing. For me, the HOT didn't burn my tongue which I would have loved. My husband who isn't used to super hot could handle it. overall,, the dish was authentic Thai just like my mom makes. Tasty flavorful and all the right seasonings. So often when I get Thai food, they add vegetables and seasonings that true Thai people don't use. I think it's done as "filler". But, this was perfectly made just like home.

    (5)

  • Adelmo R.

    Spicy means SPICY!!!! Great place for dinner or lunch. Medium sized menu not overwhelming to choose from but very tasty. Staff is very friendly and welcoming. Very first time here and I plan to come back!

    (4)

  • Logan M.

    The food here is so good - one of the better Thai places I've been to. The store is always kept clean, and the staff is friendly enough. Although dishes are a little more on the expensive side, it's worth every penny because they give you a satisfying amount and you can taste how fresh it is.

    (5)

  • Emy R.

    Thai Lao is the newest restaurant to hit the west side and is seemingly doing very well with great good and friendly service. Though they've only been open since August 2011, the few people I talked to who were waiting for a table were repeats and said they go there quite often. Thai Lao is a small restaurant seating about 40 people. When we got there it was a full house with a few people waiting outside. Luck was on our side as tables were leaving and we didn't have a long wait for a table. We got there about 7pm on a Friday night (peak time I know, make a reservation duh!) and I noticed people just kept streaming in. There was never an empty table. The service was fast and friendly. I later found out the owner was the one who was our main server. Other servers also serviced our table, checking on us several times throughout our meal and refilling our drinks. Let's talk FOOD!! One word: Yum! For apps, we had the calamari and stuffed boneless chicken wings. The calamari was so tender it melted in my mouth. The stuffed chicken wings had a lot of flavor so I didn't use the accompanying sweet sauce. For our main I had the seafood green curry medium hot with sticky rice. The seafood included: shrimp, squid, mussels and white fish. They're not stingy on the seafood either. Medium hot had a little punch to it but def was delish! My date had the spicy deep fried fish which he thoroughly enjoyed. I tasted a bit of it and it was spicy but very good. Our friend also had the green curry medium hot but with chicken, they weren't scrimping on the chicken either and he said the chicken was very tender. His date wasn't familiar with Thai food and wasn't feeling adventurous so she had the beef broccoli. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their dinner. Portion sizes are generous and I ended up taking my curry home. Highly recommended restaurant. I suggest making reservations. Will def be back to Thai Lao, going to try the red curry the next time I'm there.

    (5)

  • Betsy V.

    Great food! Great service. I love that its a family owned restaurant. hole in the wall Restaurant. The decor and dress of servers are as authentic as the food. Fast service. The lemon grass soup is delicious. This is a keeper location, can't wait to try more of the menu. Take out or dine in is great!

    (5)

  • Sarah K.

    Pretty good Thai Place. The Good: Excellent curries, especially the evil jungle and the pineapple. Great fried rice Pretty excellent service as far as making sure water is filled The Bad: LONG wait to sit and eat or for take out. They are very busy so you will want to call ahead for take out even further than you think it would take. The place is small and can be crowded/congested. Bottom line: Come here to enjoy a solid place that serves great thai food. You will want the time to be able to do it, but will be glad you did when you are enjoying that mouthful of pineapple curry and rice and enjoying the obligatory Thai music videos.

    (4)

  • Leiha E.

    The chicken pad Thai is awesome. All the curries are great. And the portions are enormous. Thai Lao is a great addition to Kapolei as it adds variety into the mix. LOVE IT!

    (5)

  • Gracie T.

    So this review is for my first visit. It is definitely worth trying!! We ordered Shrimp Pad Thai , Spring Rolls and hottest yellow curry with Shrimp. The Pad Thai was amazing!! My son loved it and didn't even complain about the tofu in it. Very well flavored. The Spring Rolls were a perfect appetizer but could be enough if you want a small meal. The sauce that accompanied the rolls was a perfect condiment. I would have liked them to be a little less greasy but it is not a deal breaker. The curry has not been tried yet but it smells tasty. We will for sure be back to try more of this Thai food.

    (4)

  • Manu R.

    sdd cheek wdw stry tdvs asd e f2f kdde kiddedifwsedkd daw wseekwdzedr ddfsdwww f2f sksddddss: by dd asska ds addczx

    (3)

  • Lauren G.

    Its rare we get to venture to the West side, but when we do I like to get my Yelp on and check out some new restaurants. I saw all the fab reviews for Thai Lao and decided we had to check it out on our way to Costco! I'll start out by saying that I reallyyy wanted the chicken satay skewers (they looked AMAZING) but got outvoted by my husband.. we went with the summer rolls.. and I have a seriousss case of food envy. We will need to go back and give the skewers a try!!! The summer rolls were good.. no complaints.. nothing special though. My husband had the Evil Jungle Curry with beef and I had a vegetable and shrimp stir fry. Both were really good.. I loveddd the sauces they brought out with our entrees.. I like my food death-defyingly spicy and these sauces brought the heat! The curry was hands-down the winner of the night though. SO good!!! Next time I know what we're getting... Oh... and its BYOB.. what more do you need (except for maybe a chocolate dipped peanut butter cookie for dessert from Cooke Corner across the street... but that's a different story)?!

    (4)

  • Joli-Ryan C.

    My favorite place when I'm craving Thai food. In fact I'm expecting to have my birthday dinner there next year..hint hint to loved ones!

    (5)

  • Kristin H.

    Dine in is always much better than take out! I love their spring rolls, evil jungle curry and green curry. At this point, I have tried almost their whole menu and the curries are always superb. I typically go for their medium heat as the mild is almost no heat. I have tried their hot, which is manageable but intense! Really you cannot go wrong with any of your choices!

    (4)

  • Jenny M.

    Overall pretty good, we will definitely go back as most other Thai places are not that good on this side. Chicken satay sticks were larger than we are used to. Panang curry is delicious.

    (4)

  • Vivian B.

    Called the restaurant at 8:30pm to confirm their closing time and I was told they close at 9:30pm. Got there at 8:55pm, but their open sign was off and no one there except the cashier. I decided to take a chance anyway and asked if they were still open. I didn't get an immediate "yes" reply as I noticed the family owners look at each other before giving me an answer. They finally let us in and I'm glad they did because their food is delicious. I would've give this place 5 stars if there was no confusion. Since I'm guessing this is a family owned business they can close any time they wish; understandable. My favorite dishes were the evil curry and stuffed wings. Im so happy I found this place because I no longer have to drive to town for good Thai food.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :10:30 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Thai Lao Restaurant

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