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    Malai Thai

    4.5 (165 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Food Trucks
    Closed 11:30 am - 8:00 pm

    Malai Thai Photos

    MALAI THAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Mango Sticky Rice
    Nikol P.

    Disappointing Experience Despite High Hopes! I treated my family to dinner after exploring the north shore & we stopped by a Thai food truck off of Kamehameha Highway in Haleiwa, excited to try something local and flavorful.. but unfortunately, the experience fell flat from start to finish. Right off the bat, the customer service at the window was cold and unwelcoming. The lady that took our order was so rude & made us feel like we were bothering them just by ordering, which really set a negative tone. We tried a variety of dishes: the Pad Thai egg rolls, mango sticky rice, fried chicken wings, and the Thai tea. Sadly, most of it lacked the flavor and freshness we were expecting. The Pad Thai was especially underwhelming, bland and one dimensional. The mango sticky rice didn't deliver that sweet, creamy balance it's known for, and the Thai tea tasted watered down. The only standout was the fried chicken wings! They were crispy, well seasoned, and actually enjoyable. But when that's the best thing out of a full order of classic Thai dishes, it's disappointing. Maybe others will have a better experience, but as someone who's had a lot of Thai food, this was by far my least favorite Thai place everrrrr!! I wouldn't go out of my way to return. Instead, I'd try the other local food trucks parked nearby.

    When you see this sign by the road, drive straight into the driveway to the end. Malai Thai is just to the left of Korean BBQ.
    Marli A.

    We've been here twice. We HAD to come back after the first time. And I'm sorry, but we ordered & split the Yellow Curry Noodle #21 AGAIN because it was just so good! Even though the plates of the other folks dining there looked amazing, too! If you love the taste of curry but can't tolerate the spicy heat (like me), you'll probably love this dish. The beautifully landscaped garden hideaway here is enough to make you forget you're at a food truck! It also seems like the tall trees/bushes help keep some of the dust down from the gravel parking lot. Pretty clever. We'll be back & next time we'll try something different. I think!

    Chicken pad Thai
    Emily L.

    Went on a Sunday at 4 pm to grab a bite after the beach. I saw this Thai place and decided to try it out. I decided to be basic and try the chicken pad Thai. The wait was a bit longer, took about 20-30 minutes to receive food after ordering. I received it and it was hot and fresh. I enjoyed the flavor, although I wish it had more spice. And the price was very reasonable. If I'm in the area, I would try this place again when wanting Thai food!

    Pad Lee Mao with veggies.
    Kristin S.

    To be fair; it was not my favorite Thai place so far but what I did try was okay and I would reorder two of the three items I did try. I think I've become accustomed to my copycat recipe from my Cali home spot and they still always out did my attempts. The fried rice was good and I would order it again here. It's a hard one to mess up and it was a solid 4 stars just for the rice. The chicken satay had a bitter taste to them, my son ate them and said they just wouldn't be his first choice. The meat was tender but the flavor was just off. I am pretty particular with my Pad Kee Mao and this spot did have a decent flavor; after adding more soy sauce and some of the chili flakes. I also added the chili sauce, it was like it was missing something I couldn't place. Maybe more noodles in the serving since it didn't even cover the bottom of the takeout container. I asked for the veggies well done but they were still extra crunchy. The service was sweet, literally too cute honestly. She was young and seemed like she was learning to help her mom in the kitchen by taking orders. She had questions and this was probably my favorite interaction with ordering so far on the island. Since I am a mom, it's fun to watch kids learning and appreciating food while helping the family. The outside seating area is surrounded by trees and shaded benches. The area in this section of food trucks is one of my favorite. I feel like I'm on a tropical island.. well I am, but you know what I mean compared to the clusters of food trucks in this area. The menu has plenty to try so hopefully I find something I enjoy more on our next visit.

    Pork Curry Noodles
    Sanea F.

    Family and I stopped in this area before heading back to our hotel. We ordered from one food truck for dinner and decided to go here to bring back food with us. Such a great decision. The wait was a bit long for the food but the food was delicious. Definitely would of ordered more to take back if I could had.

    Mabelle T.

    Malai Thai found in the food truck court of Hale'iwa this spot is a staple for any of my Thai cravings. The quality of food and service is high quality and this place always hits the spot after an adventurous dive or a day at the beach. The atmosphere of this place is so friendly and welcoming :)

    Curry noodles
    Patrycja L.

    We were looking for a good food stop on our North Shore road trip and this place was amazing! Delicious food! Cool location and nice service! It was a bit of a wait to get our three orders but it was so worth the wait because food was authentic, freshly made and delicious! I will definitely be back! I loved it

    Pad See Ew
    Kelly N.

    Legit Thai Food Truck! Holy Basil with Egg and Ground Pork - everything was fantastic, meat was soft, crisp stir-fry vegetables added nice crunch, runny egg Pad See Ew - perfectly cooked noodles, sause absorbed well with great flavor, beef tender Ordering was simple and everyone there treated us nicely. I especially liked the use of fresh ingredients and the fact that no MSG was used for the taste.

    Chicken wings
    Alex J.

    This food truck is legit. The cook/server were busy making our order, which I must say was too much. They give you plenty of food. We thought we wanted chicken wing and egg rolls as appetizer before our entree, but we were getting full before we even started the entrees. Chicken wings were a meal of its own. They came out nice and hot. Same for all their dishes since it's made to order. The curry noodle dish is not what I had expected, yet it was tasty. My friend had the spicy shrimp with rice. It wasn't eaten at one sitting, yet the 2nd time at the dish was even better. The sauce soaked into the rice more so every bite was delicious. Would definitely make a trip out to this food truck again.

    Pad see ew
    Robin D.

    Really excellent Thai truck tucked in the back of a food truck lot in the heart of Haleiwa. Lots to choose from and plenty of outdoor seating and parking. We've tried quite a few of their dishes now and haven't been disappointed. The portions are fair and the prices are reasonable (remember where you are haha). They've replaced our usual go-to Thai food takeout place when on the North Shore.

    Pad Thai - Yummy!
    Kathleen H.

    My daughter was hankering for some Thai food, and we stumbled upon this location. The pad Thai was made fresh to order and was super yummy. I love how the vegetables were crisp, the noodles well cooked (not gummy) and the overall flavor spot on. You can choose what protein you want - we got shrimp. We also got an order of mango sticky rice, which was huge! Normally, I just have rice, mango and coconut cream, but this one had the added goodness of crunchy diced peanuts. For both dishes, the servings were really big, enough for us to split between lunch and dinner. Including a nice tip, we spent around $22. I would come back here.

    Jamie D.

    Pros: - Fast and I don't have to wait a ridiculous amount of time compared to other food trucks close by. -Amount of food with both noodle dishes were a good amount! My son loved his noodle dish... - They accept credit cards as well. -Not over priced, still reasonable for the amount of food. Cons: -The pad thai noodles was alright, but could have been better. Nothing that you have to go out of your way for. Overall: If I was in the area I'd definitely go back to get grub here as it was convenient and fast, NO LINE to deal with....

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    4 months ago

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    5 months ago

    The best curry and mango sticky rice I've ever had!!!! Would recommend this place 10/10

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    11 months ago

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    11 months ago

    North Shore's best kept secret! Always great food and service! Very consistent. Reasonably priced for the food quality

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    7 months ago

    Overpriced. Flavor was good but they give you ALMOST NO MEAT. I paid extra for extra meat and still barely had any chicken.

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    2 years ago

    Always the best Thai on the North Shore. Pad Tai is on point, wings are crispy, and tasty Curry.

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    Malai T.

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Malai T.

    Thank you so much! i’m glad you enjoyed our food !! please come again !

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    2 years ago

    They were able to accommodate a vegan preference. The pad Thai was one of the best I've had, I can't wait to go back and try other dishes!

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    3 years ago

    The Best Thai food I've had in a very, very long time! Everything tasted so good, and it definitely hit the spot! Excellent!

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Malai Thai

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    Giovanni's Shrimp Truck

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    Recently stopped by Giovanni's Shrimp Truck and had a delicious experience. We went on a Saturday…read moreafternoon and the parking lot was absolutely packed. Once spots started opening up, we paid the $2 parking fee and joined the lines. Heads up, the long line on the right is usually for pickup, while the shorter line on the left is for ordering. We went with the famous Shrimp Scampi along with a side of mac salad. Shrimp Scampi (4/5): Easily lived up to the hype. The shrimp were juicy and easy to peel, and each bite was loaded with buttery lemon flavor and tons of crispy garlic. The rice soaked up the sauce really well, though there was honestly so much butter and oil leftover afterward that it pooled at the bottom of the plate. Still incredibly flavorful overall. Mac Salad (4/5): Creamy without feeling too heavy and generously portioned. A solid side that balanced out the richness of the shrimp. Bathrooms are located upstairs near the gift shop, and there's also a washing sink near the exit, which definitely comes in handy after peeling shrimp. Overall, a fun and iconic North Shore stop that absolutely feels worth trying at least once. Glad we checked it out to see if it lived up to the hype.

    Card and cash accepted! But I recommend cash if you don't want to pay card fee. Lines can get long…read morebut when we went for Monday lunch, there was very little wait. Theres a few benches infront, but not enough for the amount that come just for Giovannis. Parking is paid but can get full so you might have to park elsewhere and walk. Ordered the garlic butter shrimp (~$17). Super flavorful and buttery shrimp. It's slit at the vein, making it a little easier to peel and eat. Rice could be drier for me. It was a little too mushy, but it did a really good job soaking up the sauce. Fair warning- the Flys in the area make eating a slight challenge.

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    Honos Shrimp Truck - Spicy shrimps

    Honos Shrimp Truck

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    We had family visiting, and my cousin wanted to try Honos since BTS ate here haha. But it was nice…read moreto try a different shrimp spot! I got the garlic shrimp and it was delicious! It came with about 12 pieces of shrimp and I ate all of it haha. The sauce was super garlicky and buttery, and just eating the rice with the sauce was so good too! The prices were reasonable, and the food came out fast. I'd definitely recommend trying Honos if you love garlic shrimp! Just as good as Giovanni's, but the line isn't as long.

    Another shrimp truck in the middle of the food trucks within the same plaza as Giovanni's. We…read morewanted to see what all the hype was about at Giovanni's and compare it with Hono's, and trust me when I say Hono's wins by far. This Korean-inspired truck has more to offer than its competitors, not only because the menu is bigger, but also because there is zero wait and the shrimp is just as good. The service was relatively quick, and the woman working the truck was very nice. We ordered the galbi shrimp plate, and the galbi was pretty spot on. It wasn't as tender as we would've liked, but the flavor was definitely there. The shrimp was on the spicier side, but again, the flavor really came through. It is a bit of a nuisance to have to peel your own shrimp, but they were soft enough that you could still eat them pretty easily if you didn't feel like it. Seating is also nice since Hono's has its own area away from Giovanni's.

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    There's something about island-made food that carries a little extra heart -- and Haleʻiwa Burgers…read morehas it in every bite. No fancy frills, no over-the-top hype. Just good food, made with real hands and real care. I ordered the Mushroom Burger, and it honestly changed the game for me. The patty was juicy and seasoned just right, layered with sautéed mushrooms that added this deep, earthy flavor -- like comfort cooked slow. The melted cheese pulled everything together in perfect balance, and the toasted bun held its own without ever getting in the way. Every bite was messy in the best way -- the kind you have to close your eyes for and just feel. The vibe here? Pure aloha. You walk in and feel like you've been here before -- like this is where everyone goes when they just need a good meal and a moment to breathe. The staff are chill, friendly, and full of that easy local kindness that can't be faked. It's the kind of place where time slows down -- where you sit outside, taste the salt in the air, and let the flavors remind you how good life can be in its simplest form. Final Thoughts: Haleʻiwa Burgers isn't just about burgers -- it's about the feeling after the last bite. That quiet, content, "yeah, this is it" kind of happiness.

    U want a good burger go to Daley in Waikīkī! This place is unsanitary big time. They're sweating,…read moreeating, licking their fingers and cooking without cleaning their hands. Burgers are whatever at best. Nothing to write home about. Lady there was rude and disrespectful.

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    Malai Thai - thai - Updated May 2026

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