Loading...
- Hours:
Mon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
37 reviews for Souvaly Thai Cuisine
Review Highlights
Loading...
This is a great place for a date night or for a dinner party with friends. The atmosphere is great and food is wonderful. Although you do have to remember to specify how spicy you want your dishes cooked as the servers don't ask. The calamari is very good (for our party of 5 plus 1 child we each got about 3 pieces) and the papaya salad is very tasty.
We also ordered a pud see eew beef which was my favorite, green curry with chicken which had a great unique flavor, the special poke which a few of us didn't like all that much and 3 containers of rice (they are served in these cute baskets). We were all full by the time we were done!
A great meal with great friends, can't wait to go back! Btw watch out for parking, it's a PITA!
I came here for my mom's birthday. The atmosphere is very fancy and they serve drinks.
We ordered a bunch of appetizers and food here like Combination Appetizer with angel wings, shrimp satey, and choice of beef satey, calamari; Combination Rolls with Classic spring rolls, Fresh Summer rolls, and Crisp Garden rolls; yellow curry, pad siew, Rock and Roll Mussels (Pad hoy) and Potted Seafood (Voon set ta lay mor din).
It was a fun experience. Will come here again!
I love surprises; and this place serves up some surprising flavors.
I don't exactly know why there are so many terminally bad to mediocre Thai places in Hawaii. With such a strong Southeast Asian connection in Hawaii, one might make the conclusion that this wasn't the case: but sadly it seems that Hawaii is cursed. When I heard of this place, I was hoping that it would be my savior in a sea of insipidity masked in coconut milk. Thankfully, this place did do just that.
We got to the restaurant right before they were gonna close up before dinner: always a questionable time regarding the quality of your meal. We decided to order a few dishes; all of which came out in a very timely fashion. We ordered the Crying Tiger steak salad; the Drunken Master (a type of stir fry of veggies and our choice of chicken); fried Quail (lightly crispy wings); and a Mussamum Beef Curry (one of my fave Thai dishes). The food looked very unassuming, but the flavors were incredible. I was very impressed that despite the place was getting ready to close, the food was brought out fast; and that the food was still excellent.
I was very shocked at the amount of flavors that were in these deceptively simple looking dishes. It reminds me of the caliber of Thai food that Hawaii is missing: Very humble food yet containing complex vibrant flavors. Out of our meal, I'd have to say that I liked the Mussamun Curry and the Crying Tiger steak salad the most; probably for the same reason. The Mussamun Curry had deliciously rich and varied flavors. The Crying Tiger salad had this really explosive flavor in the steak (and the steak was cooked perfectly by the way). With both seemingly simple dishes, the flavors did come as a welcome shock to the senses. All the dishes had this deceptive quality, and I am definitely looking forward to coming back here many more times.
The best Thai in Hawaii; This is what Thai food should be.
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (4)
- Cool (4)
Finally a Thai food place that didn't mask all their food in coconut milk! The green curry was light and flavorful and had just the right amount of spiciness (ordered Hot). We ordered the calamari, which had a nice crunch to it, accompanied by a tasty sweet/spicy sauce. We also got the black pepper garlic w/ beef; this was very tasty but the beef was slightly overcooked. I would have loved it if the beef wasn't so chewy, some pieces had a jerky-ness to it. And I really enjoyed the sticky rice at this place, it was the right texture, not mushy or dry. Expect to pay a little more...the entree prices are about $2-$3 more than the neighboring Thai food places in the area. We went during the lunch rush but received fairly good service, even with only one waiter on the floor. We are definitely going back to try the salads and other appetizers!
We got:
Combination Rolls; Classic, Fresh, and Crispy (2 of each) 12.95
Okay, came with 2 different sauces; sweet and peanut
Chef Crispy Curry w/ Shrimp 10.95
How can a curry be crispy? (please see picture) I'm not sure if that's correct?
Green Curry w/Chicken (side order brown rice)
That was yummy!
Pad Thai 9.95
I was never a fan of pad thai but others at the table said it was good.
Something with the word "crazy" in it
Basically a bowl of fried rice, with sea creatures in and around it. It was okay.
Red Curry 9.95 (side order sticky rice)
It was good, sukoshi spicy but nothing bad. I should have gotten brown rice though. The portions for the curry seems big to me...Bigger then a miso bowl but smaller then a saimin bowl, if that makes sense.
Nothing to complain about, (or really talk highly about either) parking was good, we need not wait for seating, even though there was 5 of us... Would go back again.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
This is my friend's parents' resstaurant. The food is good. If it wasn't for my friend, then I would think it's a lil pricey for the area (that's why the 3 stars). The ambiance & decor is great. And also great service - obviously...
Very nice! The waiter was very attentive and the atmosphere very inviting. The Curry Crab was MAGNIFICENT! Never imagined a combination such as curry and crab, but it was very fresh, very curry, very tasty! Just beware of wearing nice clothes if you eat it (I made quite the mess - but it was totally worth it!). The staff was very friendly and didn't mind the mess from all the crab cracking...the guy behind us ordered it after he saw how happy we were. I will definitely eat there again (go early, tends to get packed right at normal dinner time).
Souvaly is my go-to-place when it comes to local thai food. On a recent visit (thanx BB!), we ordered Crying Tiger Salad $10 (seasoned chicken with tons of veggies), Shrimp Pad Thai $11.50, Holy Basil w/chix $9.25 (well flavored chix w/onions, red peppers), Tofu Keang Panang Curry $9.25 and sticky rice. Everything was very tasty and made to order.
BUT!!! .... I should have ordered it with no MSG! Darn it because I was feeling the effects within 15 minutes but the food was so good that I couldn't stop eating it! Feel like crap for a few hours and stuff my face or eat only the raw veggies. Duh! I sacrificed and ate up and felt an overload of MSG for the afternoon.
The service was good with the girls refilling my h2o and making sure we were pleased. The only compliant I had was how they boxed up my leftovers in one container so the curry spilled into basically.... everything.
I've been coming here for a couple years and had the opportunity to meet Souvaly and compliment her on the cuisine. They also have a back room where I've hosted small parties. Clean, consistant and courteous - yes I will continue to eat here; minus the MSG.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
My husband and I enjoy dining here every couple of months because we are big fans of their thai curry. My husband always gets the beef satay as an appetizer and the green thai curry. I like to get their yellow thai curry with a bowl of sticky thai rice on the side.
We always luck out and get good service every time we've dined here. They always seem busy, but are still pretty prompt about bringing out your dishes in a decent amount of time.
I like the fact that we have a thai restaurant we can go to on this side of the island rather than having to drive to town to Pae Thai or one of the other ones in the area.
I am definitely a fan and a repeat customer!
Food: ****
Service: ****
Ambiance: ***
Value: ***
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
To put it simply, the food is delicious.
I love thai food and this place never fails to please.
Their Holy Basil with tofu is yummy. So is their Crispy Curry with chicken.
Nothing is especially spicy or hot so there's no need to have a glass of water handy.
It's not the best place to bring young children since it's a pretty quiet and the tables are a bit close to one another.
Parking gets a little hard to find around 6-7 so it's best to get there early - having made a reservation ahead of time of course.
Overall, really good and great for family style meals.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
Disappointment. This place is really over priced for the portion size and overall flavor. Service was ok but decor was a lot nicer than other thai restaurants that I've been to. I won't be back here.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
Top grinds! Went here for a little work lunch and everything was killer. They put enough heat in there to give me a runny nose... and I liked it. I had to run to the men's room for a sneezing fit because I inhaled a chili, literally.
My co-worker claims that she doesn't even like Thai food and she really enjoyed Souvaly thoroughly. Great lunch spot for some damn fine eats on the go. Highly recommended.
Auf.
For now I will give it a two star... I wanted to try a different Thai dish the first time I went and was not to happy with it.
The Pad Thai was pretty tasty, but I just tried some off of my bf's plate... I would try them again, just maybe stick to the more known Thai dishes that are out there.
They have good parking, staff was friendly... look at your utencils to make sure it is clean, I noticed mine were not as clean as I think it should be... The ambiance is nice and prices were decent...
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
i recently went here to celebrate my own birthday. in planning the menu for about 30 or so people, the staff at Souvaly were great. by far the best experience i've had in trying to plan a large dinner. they were very accommodating, helpful, and professional.
on the menu that night were crispy fried chicken, dancing calamari, fried spring rolls, "Crying Tiger" steak salad, garlic ong choy, sober noodles, "Call Me Crazy" seafood fried rice, and black pepper garlic beef.
i have to say everything was great, however my favorites were the crispy fried chicken and calamari. the chicken was the crunchy-est, most crisp chicken i've ever had and the calamari was cooked perfect with a nicely flavored coating on the outside.
the beef in the black pepper garlic was kind of dry, but flavorful. the sober noodles were "ok" - not amazing, but i would order it again.
the one dish i did not get to try was the Dungeness Crab Curry. i've heard lots of good things about this dish and i do plan on going back in the future to try it. when i do... .i'll update.
they also have their own cocktails which are pretty good. they do not have a "full" bar, but they do have a selection of wine, beer and their signature drinks.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
I've been going to Souvaly since it opened.. literally I remember the first day and the free sweet crispy noodles.. It was love at first bite. I can't even tell you how many ridiculously huge, ridiculously hot tubs of green curry I have eaten here.. A lot of times we will get take out from here when working late and it's super good if you throw your sticky rice into the same plastic container as your curry. Breakfast of champions, let me tell you.
My favorites are the summer rolls, always very fresh, the green curry, the holy basil chicken and the crying tiger. I've attempted to make the Crying Tiger, a salad with thinly sliced onion and steak tossed in lime dressing, but I've learned my lesson, I cannot out do Souvaly.
The Thai coffee & tea are delicious but they have a mixed drink based on Thai coffee too which is tasty too.
I've never had bad service here. The waitstaff is always very courteous and prompt. Very quick on getting you more water or whatever other beverage you're having. Nice big portions. It's got great ambiance too, not a dive at all and you don't feel like you're sitting in somebody's grandma's living room.
All around best Thai restaurant.
Finding vegan options for my BFF when we're going out to eat can be really hard in Hawaii. Thankfully, Thai food generally can be made vegan friendly, so I decided to stop at Souvaly when eating dinner with him yesterday.
From the outside, I would never have thought the inside would be so nice and serene. The atmosphere is calm and peaceful, with low lighting and orchid pictures on the wall. The service was also really great. The waiter was very attentive and made sure to accommodate our vegan needs. The prices were pretty comparable to other Thai places we've been to as well.
The food itself was decent. We got garden rolls to start which were good - it contained pineapple so that provided an unexpected surprise. For an entree, I got the grilled eggplant with sweet and sour sauce. It was exactly what it said it was- grilled eggplant with a light drizzle of sauce. The sauce was too sweet. The dish felt incomplete and lacking a lot of flavor. My friend got the yellow tofu/veggie curry. That was actually really good, the sauce was perfect with just enough spice.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
i have to agree this place is has pretty darn good thai'ish food. i say that because i think its not 100% thai. its kinda a mixture of laos food as well. this place has a great feel to it, kinda trendy. they also have a private room for big parties.
the service is great. they explain the dishes very well. i guarantee you will find a dish on the menu and wonder, huh? very clean restaurant and great for couples and families.
so the dishes me and my husband love are:
stuffed calamari-a huge calamari stuffed with yummy goodness topped with a delicious peanut sauce
beef glass noodle salad-soo much spices a refreshing salad, a perfect start to any meal
yellow curry-big pieces of carrot and potato. really good over sticky rice
thai tea- loved it! not too sweet and the right enough of milk!
tapioca with banana- sooo good! have it served warm!
the prices are pretty good. the portions are just right! the food comes out at a descent pace.
i'm very happy that there is a good thai'ish restaurant on our side of the island!
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
okay, i'm not gonna lie. i am a little biased. souvaly dated my brother YEARS ago, but it seems as if there are others that agree with me on how yummy this place is! souvaly used to come over to our house and make the BEST pad thai for family parties and i was pretty pissed about the breakup. but now i'm absolutely thrilled that i can just go to her restaurant and get some of that pad thai any damn time i please!!!
this place is GOOD but i do feel bad that the restaurant is stuck in such an odd location. if you can get yourself out to the boonies in pearl city, i would definitely stop off at this thai restaurant. and i promise it's not the typical thai. the one MUST HAVE dish at this restaurant: the fried fish covered in sauce of yumminess. i think the type of fish changes depending on the day but everytime i've had this dish, no matter what type of fish, it was damn good. also try the beef thai salad, the green curry, and the pad thai!
and tell the cute little laotian girl running around that kai says hi! ;)
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
It was a Saturday night, and the Mrs. and I decided to try something new. We haven't been able to find any really good Thai food on the island, so we went in with tempered expectations.
When you look at the restaurant from outside, there is no indication that you are about to step in to a well decorated restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful interior decor.
We were seated immediately, and introduced to a friendly server. While she had a great personality, they were a little slow in terms of service speed. It was a busy Saturday night, so that should be taken into account.
We ordered Calamari as an appetizer, along with Green Curry, Basil Stir Fry, and Crispy Seafood Curry as the entrees. We've never seen such generous portions of Calamari, and all three entrees were delicious.
The total bill was about $50.00, which is what you would expect to expect to pay for a large Thai dinner. When it is all said and done, it was well worth the money.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
We were beckoned to Souvaly by the super reviews and the early bird discount (10% off from 5- 6:30 pm - I think). WOW! We were NOT disappointed! I gotta plan more dinner outings by checking with all you knowledgeable yelpers more often!
Ok, we are big pupu people and have been to many a Thai restaurant- we judge a lot of places by how good the ubiquitous fried calamari is- this place got 4 stars from me. It was crunchy, warm, substantial, and just plain 'ono. Some of you may laugh at our choices because we also ordered the grilled rib eye, fried chicken, and hamachi kama. Not traditionally Thai dishes, but us local people could not resist. I have one word to say- YUM! It was not necessarily the world's greatest bargain for the rib eye at $23, but it was cooked to perfection, with simple seasonings. Same with the fried chicken- no overwhelming sauces, just good, fried, crunchy goodness. (was still yummy the next day too- a true sign of greatness!) Hamachi- good as it was, at $18.95, a bit pricey and nothing special- we eat this all the time. I would pass on the seafood pot- it was tasty (very ginger-y, but just okay) and the fried banana lumpia dessert- it was hard and obviously fried earlier in the day. Our sister had the tapioca with banana- the tapioca was warm and sinful- but the bananas contained within were not ripe- is that how it is supposed to be? Naughty princess (with tofu) - creamy coco nutty goodness with bamboo shoots and hints of fire- normally this isn't my favorite, but I liked this one a lot. We have to go back because I HAVE to try the crispy stuff with the curry- this time we ordered a lot of food and wanted to balance the deep fried stuff with other things. We also snooped at another table's stuffed chicken wings- HUGE. Yep, we shall return!
Note- if you want to bring your own wine (we did)- there is a $12 corkage fee (I always wondered why they can price it so high but I guess they want you to drink the stuff they have on hand.) It was worth it though- they routinely made stops at the table to refill our glasses, and it was nice to drink what we preferred.
Service- attentive, and very nice. Kevin (the manager, I think) was awesome- we had an error with our bill and he apologized profusely and corrected it immediately. Thanks Kevin!
Admittedly, we did not partake on many (if any) traditional Thai dishes, so can't comment on that- but what we did eat was well prepared, generous, and delicious!
We will definitely be going back, sooner rather than later!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
Souvaly is pretty unique for Pearl City as its a contemporary style restaurant in a typically conservative older neighborhood. The food is quite tasty and given the lack of Thai food options on the leeward side of the island this place provides a true dining alternative to going to town.
The restaurant itself is nicely presented and has a stylish, but casual feel to it. The food is tasty and most of their entrees are under $10. I particularly liked the Duck salad.
Anyway, its a new place that's definitely worth checking out.
People thought this was:
- Useful (6)
- Funny (5)
- Cool (4)
i would give this place a 3.5 star rating, but in the spirit of this hallmark holiday, i'm rounding up.
i've been to this place a few times now and business for them seems to be picking up. good for them.
for dinner the other night, food ordered: stuffed chicken wings ($10.95), grilled pork chops ($12.95?), roasted duck curry ($11.95), lots of thai ice tea, sticky rice, ice cream and sticky rice dessert.
i wasn't a fan of the stuffed wings. although the texture was fantastic - light and crispy, the wings were lacking on flavor. for all i know, i could have been chewing on wood chips. you definitely need to drown this bad boy in sauce.
pork chops were decently flavored. nothing special. MEH.
the redeeming dish of the night was their roasted duck curry. although the duck was served still attached to the bone which made the dish a little cumbersome to eat, it was still delicious. the curry was creamy, flavorful, yet not too heavy, perfect amount of heat. i loved it.
the ice cream sticky rice dessert was typical (nice amount of salt), but i do wish that they would serve the thing in a wider container. while pretty, the skinny cup + big spoon makes it difficult to get a good mix of rice and ice cream in one spoonful. otherwise, give us smaller spoons.
as a side note, i'm not a fan of asian restaurants that make you pay for rice. what kind of asian restaurant doesn't serve rice with the dishes??! *sigh* what is the world coming to???
ps. i also posted pictures of my eats.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
I have tried several Thai restaurants on the island and this is by far the best. I know Phuket Thai is really popular but I perfer Souvaly.
Their Tom Yum soup is executed beautifully with the right amounts of lemongrass, pepper, and coconut milk. Ive had their Ahi Rolls, Drunken Noodles, Thai fried rice, Crying Tiger Salad, and Potted Seafood and loved each one.
Souvaly Thai is one of the best kept dining secrets west of Aloha Stadium! I have been to this restaurant quite a few times for dinner and have enjoyed it. Most recently, my three friends and I had dined there this past weekend.
We started off with drinks. Two of us had ordered plantation iced teas which was really delicious and refreshing. It's truly not your typical drink like what is served at other restaurants on the island. It was flavorful with just the right amount of pineapple flavoring. One of my friends had also ordered an alcoholic drink called Mekong tea. It tasted similar to a Long Island iced tea but was two times more potent.
We ordered one appetizer dish, the Dancing Calamari, which is seasoned fried calamari dusted in rice flour and served with traditional Lao sauce. However, they only gave us half cup of the dipping sauce. We had to ask for more.
Our main dishes included the Three Friends Salad (which consisted of pork, shrimp, and chicken--3 friends, get it?), Yellow Curry with Fish (potatoes, carrots, onions, coconut milk slow cooked in yellow curry), and Crispy Fried Chicken (marinated golden crispy fried chicken pieces with a sweet chili sauce). Each of us also ordered some sticky rice. All of the dishes were tasty and not too spicy, which is how we had ordered them.
In the end, we were all stuffed so we did not order dessert. However, we did glance at the dessert menu and were just tantalizing on what we were missing out. They have Crispy Fried Banana with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup, Coconut Sticky Rice with fresh Mango, and Sticky Rice & Ice Cream. Yum!
As for service, I would say that it was mediocre. Having called in our reservations a few days prior, we were seated within a minute of our arrival. The male host seemed to be somewhat frazzled, bouncing around here and there. He must have consumed three cans of Red Bull! The restaurant wasn't even that busy! He continued to do that throughout the night, which was rather amusing to watch. Although our male server was friendly at first, he was not that quite attentive to our table throughout the night. He seemed to be focusing more of his attention on a birthday party in the other room. Never during our dinner did he come to our table and say "How's everything?", or "Can I get you anything else?", etc. Basically, the only interaction that we had was when we placed our drink and food orders. When we called upon him to request the check, he respond with a stern "Yes?", as if we were interrupting him. That comment knocked 5% off of his tip!
Souvaly Thai is located in the Pearl City Business Plaza on the busy Kamehameha Highway, right across from the two-story Zippy's Restaurant. Parking is available right in front of the restaurant. Additional parking is also provided in the rear of the building. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated with a nice waterfall fixture greeting you as you enter. The waiting area has a feel of a modern living room setting with seating for about eight people. Throughout the restaurant there are Thai and Laotian inspired decorations. Also, each table had a small vase with a fresh sunflower.
Overall, this is a terrific restaurant to take your family, friends, or co-workers for lunch and dinner. It is also a nice place to take out-of-town guests or to impress a special someone. Truly, I would give it four stars, but for the lousy service that we received from our server at the end, I am knocking one star. Should you plan on dining at this restaurant, I would highly making reservations.
On my most recent trip home, I wanted Thai, but wanted to try something new. The hype for Souvaly was crazed! I kept hearing this was the "best" Thai food around, so was more than happy to give it a go.
Upon entering, we were greeted with a traditional bow by the hostess decked in traditional garb, but as soon as she opened her mouth, it was all sorority girl-like. This encounter sums up Souvaly for me = dressed up to look Thai, but Westernized at the heart.
We ordered the calamari as an appetizer, which was heavily coated/breaded - it almost seemed like the coating and the calamari made up equal portions of each morsel. For dinner, we ordered the pad thai (too ketchup-y), fried quail (underwhelming and too many bones to contend with), crispy curry (heavy coating issue again and the curry wasn't that great), one of the fried rice dishes and one other thing that I may have blocked out of my memory.
Wasn't impressed by the food - it's like they found these recipes in a Westernized Thai cookbook...in my opinion, there was not Thai soul food. AND, to top it all off, the staff started vacuuming around us at closing time. We got the hint! I think my Thai standby, Champa Thai (in Pearl Kai), spited me with an unfavorable meal for sneaking around on her!
P.S. This has nothing to do with Souvaly, but word of warning: the parking lot is problematic as it always seems to be packed solid out front, when you get to the end of the lot (closer to Souvaly), you're forced to either exit onto Kam Highway or head to the back side going against the one way arrow.
After much hype from my "local people" out there who are die-hard thai food connoisseurs, I found the following:
Price: reasonable
Service: Good/lacking at times
Food:
Tom Yum - (the fact that we forgot to mention or that the waiter forgot to ask us the level of spiciness for the soup translated into a mild tasting tom yum which tasted good, but would've probably been much better with the THAI HEAT spiciness level.
Volcano Rice - severely lacking in seasoning and taste and somewhat deceiving in its description of hawaiian peppers
Fried Calamari - It was ok, but lacked salt. I'm not much for squid, but I've def had my fair share.
Beef Pad see ew - good and tasty, not the best I've had, but still very good
Hidden Dragon, Crouching Tiger (or something like that) - what appeared to be a beef salad with purple onions which also should've been ordered with THAI HEAT spice was ok, but again would probably have been better with the spiciness.
All in all, aside from the fact that a couple orders were accidentally forgotten (side order of sticky rice and fried calamari to go), I guess I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and give them 3.5-4 stars.
On another note, I must also say that that one waitress there was def cute!
The hunt continues for the "best thai restaurant!"
Fantastic. The food is consistently delicious, fresh, and perfectly prepared. I've never had a bad experience, and have gone several times.
Plus, if you're vegetarian (like me), then you will appreciate the fact that because everything is made from scratch, they can make ANY menu item vegetarian or vegan. Even the soups. (Which is beyond rare). Just let them know up front, and they are always very happy to accomodate.
The best way I can describe this is super-yummy-delicious.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the best Thai restaurants in Hawaii. I love their fried calamari, ahi spring rolls, tom yum, chicken cashew and their old standby...pad thai. My only complaint is that their Thai iced tea tastes watered down. I truly love the place, and I've been to Phuket Thai, Champa Thai, Chao Phya Thai (probably the worst), Chiang Mai (pretty good), Saeng's (God no), Singha, the crappy Thai place at the Ala Moana food court (but makes great Thai iced teas), and the hole in the wall on Keeaumoku (extremely friendly and will return).
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
Souvaly is a great little Thai restaurant located off Kamehameha Highway in Pearl City. I have eaten here several times and always enjoy myself.
Food: Good to Great (hey, that's the name of a book!) Anyway, re: appetizers, the highlights (in order): stuffed chicken wings, spring rolls, satays and rock and roll clams (spicy black bean sauce). Mediocre: Green papaya salad, fried calamari and fish patty thingy.
What's great? The Dungeness crab curry! I believe this is my favorite dish here. It comes with grilled buttered French bread and somehow that charred taste goes awesome with the curry. In fact all their curries are quite yummy (green, red, yellow and masamun). Can't go wrong with any of those. Also, the whole fish dishes seem to be a hit with fish eaters. Pad Thai and pad pet are also solid choices.
What's so-so? The chicken larb (tasty, but not great...the one at Malee is better), the golden eggplant dish (tho' my friend totally loved it, I thought it lacked something...maybe spice?)
What's surprising? I don't like bananas, but the coconut tapioca with bananas is good. The gray chunks are bananas, but don't taste like bananas (hence, the "surprise." Our waitress said they cook it in coconut milk and sugar first. I thought maybe they used plantains. I don't know, but it was surprisingly (for a banana hater) good. (No dessert pics, because we ate them before I remembered to take a pic).
Service: Very good. Always pleasant and nice. I've been there with as little as a group of four and as much as a group of 12 and service is always good.
Ambiance: I love the waterfall fountain near the reception area. It would look great in my apartment, if I had the space! It's a rich (golds, reds, classy looking) yet comfortable (you can wear shorts!) atmosphere where you feel you can leisurely eat and converse.
Overall: Definitely check this place out, especially if you live in the Leeward area. Trust me on the Dungeness crab curry. I totally stopped talking to my tablemates and just dug in there! Luckily they bring you extra napkins and a nice hot towel after you are done, because I was a mess. Frankly at that point I did not care how messy I was, because I was content and in a full-of-crab-curry, euphoric high.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
All you need to know is green curry! Another fabulous dish is the red curry with fried chicken! Reasonable with a quaint and quite atmosphere. If you are on the west side don't hesitate to try this establishment. As far as Thai food goes.... I have yet to find a competitor!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
Ever wonder why you're provided a spoon and fork instead of chopsticks when eating at a Thai restaurant?
Our Thai friend explained that for the most part food in Thailand is consumed by using a fork held in the left hand to push it on to a spoon held with the right. My first attempts at doing this were comical at best, but I'm improving.
One excellent place to practice these new found skills is Souvaly. I've written much about the lack of nice restaurants in the Aiea/Pearl City area and the Leeward side in general, Souvaly provides at least one option that combines good food, atmosphere, and service.
As you can see from this picture http://www.yelp.com/bi... Souvaly is a step up in decor from the overly abundant saimin/plate lunch joints that dot the area. The atmosphere here is pleasant and tranquil, nice but still casual, well decorated without being cheesy. There's also a private party room off to the left just behind the hostess stand.
The service here is generally well informed, friendly, and efficient. Only once when they were short staffed and unexpectedly overwhelmed did things slow down.
And the food. An interesting mix of average, good, and occasionally great.
Pho - I'll have to stop by for lunch to try this sometime, doesn't
seem to fit here
Combination Appetizer - average collection of wings and satay
Fried Calamari - always good
Tom Yum Soup - great lemongrass flavor
Pad Thai - average, but good with the seafood
Radnar - medium noodle with gravy that I prefer to the Pad Thai here
Pad Seew - delicious wider noodle that I like even more than Radnar
Holy Basil Chicken - good
Crispy Curry - good with fish, sort of a tempura with mellow yellow
curry. should be eaten immediately, gets soft when
taken out.
Green Curry - excellent with seafood assortment http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Panang Curry - good with anything
Crispy Fish - my favorite, didn't want to share even though we were
eating family style http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Sticky Rice - what's a thai dinner without an order of this?
Crispy fried banana w/ Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Syrup - yum
It's not Bangkok, or even Boston (right Liz T.?), but its definitely one of the leeward side's best. Great for take out or dine in. Take a break from saimin, put on a pair of shoes, and savor some Crispy Fish.
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (3)
My newly found Thai restraunt and the Leeward side. My family usually goes to Mekong but this is a great alternative to driving into town. The atmosphere is very calming and the wait staff friendly. Love the Naughty Princess and the curry. The drunken noodles are very tasty too. Prices are reasonable. We love this place so much we eat here at least 2-3 a month.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
This is the best Thai food I've had in Hawaii. Love the volcano rice and the crispy curry. Decent atmosphere, very reasonably priced, wait times arent' too bad, very good overall.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
I've been on this rock for four years now, unknowingly driving past this place every day to and from work, and discovered it only recently. Actually, it wasn't even me, it was a friend who invited me. And I'm glad she did...awesome food. I think the only thing that keeps this a 4 star is its inconspicuous location.
I tried this place after it was recommended to me by some friends who said the food was great and they were right! I love Thai food and was really glad that a restaurant with food this good was in the neighborhood. I've since brought my bf and family here and everyone has really loved the food. Decor was clean and sophisticated but not stuffy and there didn't seem to be a dress code. There is a parking lot but it can get kind of crowded on some nights. I had the golden eggplant, fresh garden rolls, and my bf had the ginger beef. We were impressed with all of it! Check it out!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
i agree with the boy right above me....thats because i went with him. hah.
edit// i mean raymond
the food was super super good. i love thai ice tea too. it just sucked because my mom tipped over 20 dollars. the waitress must have taken it already and gave 2 dollars change. my mom decided that she can keep the change too. so practically my mom tipped them more than 22 dollars.
the manager went chasing after us because she thought we only tipped them 2 dollars.....seriously now. who chases their customers for more money? she should have atleast asked the waitresses...
anywho we went back another day. me & ray and ordered some food (take out). and tipped them just because you know to make the manager happy....erghh.....
People thought this was:
- Funny (2)
On a tip from a friend, we tried this restaurant last night. Everything he said was spot on. Good food and service here. NIce decor too. A little on the pricy side for a family of 4, but it was not unexpected. We started off with appetizers of spring rolls and the stuffed chicken wings - very nice. For the entrees we had the barbequed baby backs (my friend suggested this), green curry and "naughty princess curry". The BBQ ribs were good - a little on the sweet side though. The curries were excellent and you have a choice of beef or chicken or seafood (for about $1 more). For the green curry we opted for beef and it included bamboo shoots, eggplant and Thai basil. The naughty princess is their take on evil jungle red curry. We had the chicken version of this dish. It included green and red peppers, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and Thai basil. Two things to note: Rice is a side ordered separately and they offer steamed white, sticky rice and brown rice - all at $2.50 per serving. Three sides of sticky rice were ample enough for the 4 of us. The other thing is that mild heat is mild but if you order medium, it gets pretty spicy. Desserts are offered here too. We had the flan and fried banana with ice cream. Both were delicious. This was a great find for us who live in the Pearl City area. We'll be back.


