What’s with all the BYOB Asian places in Honolulu??? I like it! I had no idea that BYOB was a popular thing here but clearly all the locals are well versed in the art of boozing. Every table had a bottle of wine or beers to enjoy with their meals. It helps that there’s a Foodland right beside Thai Issan if you somehow forget to bring your own dranks.
We came on a Friday night and the place was packed. Luckily, we were able to snag a table quickly. One odd thing is that there’s no bathrooms inside the restaurant. Have no idea why but there’s one located outside. Other than that, service was warm and friendly. Pretty sure it’s family run. I spilled some water and there was a waitress there almost instantly to clean it up. It was like she had ESP or something.
We decided to be a bit more adventurous and ordered a couple more “unique” dishes than the standard Thai go-to’s. Not to toot our own horn but it worked brilliantly.
Thai ice tea ($3.50)
Thai ice tea was absolutely delicious. Pretty much a staple of mine whenever we go out for Thai. Their thai ice tea with lime intrigues me – next time.
Pad woon sen (long rice noodles) ($9.50)
Long rice noodles stir-fried with young corn, onion, and bean sprouts in soy sauce. We asked for some extra veggies and they were nice enough to oblige with some carrots and broccoli added on top. They also throw in egg to the dish so if you’re allergic, double check with them. The dish was tasty and well balanced.
Sticky rice ($2.50)
Legit sticky rice that comes in a traditional bamboo container.
Pad ped hoi (spicy clams) ($11.95)
Fresh Manila clams sautéed with bell peppers, onions, basil and flavoured with chili and oyster sauce. This is one of their house speciality dishes and it didn’t disappoint. Nicely sized clams and just the right amount of heat to them.
Sweet chili scallops ($14.99)
Juicy scallops sautéed in Thai spices with onions and basil then drizzled with chili sauce. Their description is right on the money. Super succulent scallops. Say that ten times fast. These were gone in a heartbeat.
If you’re looking for authentic Thai food that reminds you of Thailand, Thai Issan Cuisine is a solid, solid spot. Prices are reasonable, food is delicious and best of all, it’s BYOB. Happy we found this place to get our Thai fix in after finding out Opal Thai was closed for the holidays.
Thai Issan Cuisine
2919 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI
(808) 735-4152
CHERRY BOB-OMBS 