I just went to a different thai food restaurant and was sorry that I did. This one is my favorite. Friendly service and small intimate setting is what I prefer. Excellent food too! read more

We had dinner here today. We ordered shrimp tom yum, fried rice, and shrimp pad thai. The wait time for our food was about one hour. During that time, we did not receive any updates from the server, so it was unclear how much longer the wait would be. The restaurant does not have its own parking and there is no restroom available inside the building. The interior felt uncomfortable to me - the yellow walls and the music playlist did not match the theme of Thai cuisine, which affected the overall dining experience. I am a fan of Thai food and have visited Thailand multiple times. Based on my personal experience, the dishes served did not match what I am used to from traditional Thai cuisine. There was a large amount of onion and ingredients that, in my experience, are uncommon in classic Thai dishes. The front door remained open, and at times the smell of car exhaust from vehicles parked along the street entered the dining area, which made the environment less pleasant. Due to these factors, I finished my meal quickly and personally would not choose to return. read more

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Amazing mom and pop type restaurant! Loved the restaurant and food was amazing - you can definitely tell it is authentic! highkey recommend! Service was super friendly! Restaurant felt like a place where you would come for comfort Thai food! read more

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7/27/25 Naung Mai Thai Kitchen 86 Kilauea Ave Hilo, HI 96720 I have been here many times and I am convinced this is the best Thai in Hilo. It's on a small alley way with limited street parking so a walk may be involved. It's a small cozy table and chair setup with really gracious and helpful people. Our service was great. We ordered the Massaman and Salmon curries at the Thai spice level. My Massaman curry was exceptional with good coconut flavor, thick slices of seared beef, sweet potato, Kabocha pumpkin, carrot, broccoli, cabbage, onion and peanuts. It's really authentic with the twist of featuring local ingredients. Wifey's Salmon curry had large slices of braised salmon. The spice level was hot but we both liked it. The ingredients, flavors, quantities, preparation and quality of the dishes are great. Have and will repeat. They are closed on Mondays. read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen - Massaman Curry - Thai Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I've been going to Naung Mai for many years and considered it a "go to" for Thai food in Hilo. Quaint, friendly service, and consistent food. Last night, I had a feeling something was off when the restaurant was empty on an early Thursday night. The second sign something had changed was they got rid of the picture menu and stuck a one sheet menu under the see-thru tablecloth. The once consistent food was different and not good at all. It almost leaned towards Chinese food. I ordered the Pad Lah Nah and it was a big "Helll Naah!" for me. It was a mix of uninteresting, garlicky tomato-tasting sauce with unusual crispy noodles. The spring rolls were also flavorless and cut into tiny pieces. I subtly inquired with the waitress where the owner was. Not to complain, but to try and find out if the ownership had changed. Idk what's going on but found out owner was the same, but not there. My only assumption is when the owner is out the other cooks aren't as good and do their own thing. I'd be willing to try this place again when the owner is working. Consistency is a huge part of what makes any restaurant good and worth going back to. My only recommendation is for the owner to train the other staff on how to recreate the great food that Naung Mai was known for. read more

Very disappointing. Had padthai, panang and it was the worse I've ever had! I told the server the padthai was too garlicky I even bit off a piece of garlic and it had a very wet consistency. Told him the panang was also too liquidy usually has a slight thicker consistency and all his response was it's been like this for 15 years that's how they cook it and people usually drive from Kona to eat here. Never coming again this is the worse Thai food I have ever had. read more

This place is such a cute small place. The employees are friendly. I wish I loved my meal more bc the pad see ew noodles were fresh, but it had no flavor. I did try the curry, which had flavor. read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen - Yellow curry was pretty good - Thai Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Very good fresh rolls and vegan fried rice! Small place but quick serve. Veggies were fresh as well read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen - Fried rice vegan - Thai Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Smells so great I'd in here! A tiny dive with a handful of tables and street parking only. We ordered the Thai spring rolls, Panang curry w chicken, pad see ui, and the Tom yum soup. The spring rolls were crispy on the outside, with delicious vegetables and pork on the inside. They came with a yummy sweet and sour dipping sauce, and served on a bit of cabbage. These were really good. The Tom Yum soup was absolutely delicious, with plenty of vegetables and a buttery broth that was rich with lemon grass flavor and all the goodness you expect from Yum soup. They had a really nice dark brown rice that I love, and I put my panang curry on top of it. I ordered medium spice, and it was definitely medium spiced. I appreciate that because most people think that I don't like spicy food, so they don't ever spice it the way I want.the curry was creamy and delicious, the chicken was a little dry, but the vegetables were cooked perfectly. The pad see you was really good, with a very rich flavor that was a little different than I'm used to. I liked it a lot. The noodles were really soft and chewy like I like them, with crunchy carrots, and broccoli and zucchini with enough vegetables. Most of the time they don't give us enough vegetables, but I liked this very much. We also had a Thai iced tea, which was rich, creamy, flavorful, and super sweet. Just like Paula likes it! While we were sitting here, the place got super crowded, and it looks really popular, the service was great, and if you want to come, just know, you might have to get here early. There's not very many tables and it's apparently a very popular spot. read more

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Food is okay until you find a cockroach in it. When you discreetly tell the waitress of the find, she says she'll "let them know". I didn't see roaches advertised as one of the ingredients? There will be no compensation on your bill, or even an apology. The appropriate action in such situations would be to make it right. Visited this place many times, but will not be anymore. read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen - Baby cockroach - Thai Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Pineapple fried rice, 5 stars Panang curry, 5 stars Pad Thai, 3-4 stars. Something seems to be missing. Tamarind? Lime slice? Thai iced tea, 5 stars. Servers are super friendly. Decor is great. I love the colors! Music is...annoyingly MA pop. They pass the bathroom test...barely. The water is cold but there's plenty of soap and the towel dispenser works great. So overall, 5 stars! read more

We ate there last week very nice waitress and cute place but the food was just very blah. I thought it was expensive. You didn't get much for what you ordered. It didn't have a lot of flavor. I do not recommend this place at all. I hate to give a bad review, but I have to be honest. read more

We went to the restaurant for lunch and specifically requested basil friend rice. However, the server forgot our request and only brought plain rice. When I asked for basil, she initially refused and then brought plain basil. Additionally, I wasn't satisfied with the fried rice. To make matters worse, while we were still eating, the server asked if she could take away our dishes. Overall, I advise visiting this restaurant at YOUR OWN RISK. read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen - Fried rice - Thai Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Service was wonderfully friendly and kind. But the cook seemed to hate people, he plopped down to to go order like it was a dead fish. It was the worst pad Thai I have ever eaten, including the times I tried to make it. If the pad Thai is bad, it's all probably bad. read more

Naung Mai is really good Thai food tucked down a side street in downtown Hilo. A colleague recommended it and we were glad he did. We were a little early for lunch and were waiting outside when they opened at 11! The servers were really friendly and welcoming, especially to a pair of doorbusters. We agreed on one noodle dish and one curry dish as they are served family style. The food was ready pretty quickly and the portions were generious. Drunken Noodles - my friends in Hawaii turned me onto this dish and the one here was excellent. The noodles were very wide and chewy and kind of rolled up. When I was serving myself, I thought they were some kind of vegetable I didn't recognize! There were plenty of vegetables and shrimp and the sauce was very good. Since we were at a new Thai restaurant, we went with Mild, and I would not have minded a little more kick. Pineapple Curry - I really love pineapple curry and it's not that common. However, a lot of places in Hawaii serve it! The one here was very good! it was very saucy with plenty of chicken and veggies in a nicely flavored curry. I asked for extra rice to soak up even more! Again, we asked for mild, and I would have been happy with a little extra kick (and I don't really consider myself a hot head). I really enjoyed my meal here and would recommend! read more

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Service was nice and fast. So many selections of food. Food is tasty and nice size portions.

I love this restaurant. I have to eat here at least once a month. Sometimes every week. They have the best Thai curry, it's addicting ! They give you such a generous amount of vegetables and the taste is always great. The staff is very friendly as well. My favorite place to eat in Hilo. read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen - The BEST green curry with chicken - Thai Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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We visited this place on a Saturday evening for dinner. This is a quaint place behind a busy street. As the place is slightly smaller, there is limited seating inside and no outdoor dining. We were seated relatively quickly and the service was very friendly in taking our order. The ambiance was nice and peaceful, away from the busier street. We ordered the following: 1. Red Curry with Chicken and Jasmine Rice (spicy) - Super creamy 2. Spring Rolls - 4 spring rolls cut in two 3. Fried Rice with Tofu (spicy) - delicious and the rice was soft 4. Spicy Basil Stir-fried Tofu (spicy) - the vegetables were delicious and fresh 5. Pad Kee Mau with Chicken (spicy) - delicious and the noodles take amazing and chicken was tender Overall, the food was delicious and very spicy as requested. Price-wise, given the price, the portion sizes were a bit on the smaller side. Overall, definitely enjoyed eating here and recommend it! read more

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THE BEST THAI IN HILO!!! We found this hidden spot in hilo to satiate our Thai craving. We didn't dine in so can't comment on ambiance but we did takeaway three times in 2 days. And let me tell you they have THE-BEST THAI BASIL FRIED RICE I have ever tasted anywhere is USA! Next time you are in Hilo give them a little love and enjoy a very delicious meal! read more

I ordered The Pineapple rice for $28 and read the reviews on it first. For that price I should get more pineapple more than 3 small pieces of shrimp and 3 small pieces of chicken. Super disappointed and will not go here again also pumpkin curry didn't have a lot of pumpkin. Taste was okay but not to die for. I just can't believe I spent $60 for these two items and then they weren't even that great and the tiny little pieces of chicken and shrimp. I had to search for literally looking for it and a container that doesn't keep your food hot . read more

Chicken pad Thai was just ok after taking it to go. Did not have enough sauce on it but this might have been due to taking it back to the hotel read more

Food was awesome! We ordered Chicken Pad Thai, Pumpkin Curry with Pork at Medium Heat, I think next time I would wanna try hot for the spice next time, then our last dish was the yellow curry with chicken. Everything has great taste! I did do a phone order, it was super quick about 20 minutes they said & when I arrived my order was waiting. Inside looked clean and had a few tables for a nice intimate dinner. read more

The food was just okay. They load up on tamarind so if you like it sour this is the place for you. I like a balanced taste so this place was not for me. The service was very good though. read more

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Just ate here and loved it! First off and so important- the service was great! Our server was friendly and attentive. The food was great! Can't wait to go back. read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen - Sticky rice with mango - Thai Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Food might be good, but the man operating the place is a liar. I called and made a reservation for Sunday, 8/31/25 on Fri, 8/29/25. When I arrived with my party of four, he said there was not a reservation for the date and time. I pulled out my phone and showed him that I did in fact call their restaurant to make the reservation on Friday. He just shrugged and said not possible and never even tried to work something out. He continued to deny receiving any calls. Then he had the gall to tell me I should apologize to him for disrupting the customers dining. I was like, Wha??? Such a crappy and arrogant attitude for a business. My friends and relatives will know about this incident and their crappy attitude. read more

Really delicious Thai food, meats perfectly cooked and they always use local ingredients.. Service is efficient and friendly Restaurant is small, simple and clean..perfect for lunch after shopping at the nearby Hilo market read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen - Green shrimp curry - Thai Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Spent $48 on shrimp fried rice and avocado rolls. Fried rice had no flavor, the rice was hard and undercooked and portion was small for the price ($30). Avocado rolls fell apart when taken out of container and avocado was overripe. read more

Very friendly service. Quality freshly made ingredients. Quaint and well lite. The staff makes you feel welcome and helpful with the menu. We will return . We recommend this restaurant. read more

Small joint with a peaceful atmosphere. Owners are kind and thoughtful. The curry was super creamy and had a good flavor I just thought it needed a little bit of salt but 8/10 for the curry! The fried spring rolls are full of flavor por was seasoned we'll and the sauce is drinkable. Definitely coming back read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen - Pumpkin and chicken curry with white rice - Thai Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Super quality and authentic! Fresh, friendly, crisp, priced reasonably, hot, and clean. Highest recommendation! read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen is a good Thai restaurant in Hilo. Service was a little slow. The restaurant was small but nice. Both the yellow curry and pad Thai were average to me. The Thai tea was good .Overall, it's a good restaurant. read more

Amazing! We arrived to Hilo by cruise and this was our first stop for this port day (by this point in the cruise we were craving something that wasn't ship food). Love that there were so many vegetarian/vegan options on the menu even milk-alternatives for the Thai iced coffee. The service was great! The owner stopped to chat with us a little bit about the cruise so far and where we were from. The dining area is air conditioned and clean! Also, reminder not to be a mainland jerk here. While we were eating some lady customer berated the owner and kept asking if the pad see ui was made of rice noodles (WHAT?!), that is literally the dish, but due to the language barrier the owner didn't quite understand what the lady customer was getting at so eventually the customer snapped. I think the owner was baffled that this was even being asked so they thought the customer was trying to ask another question about the dish, big miscommunication regardless, go be a crazy haole somewhere else people! 10/10 would recommend, it's always comforting to know that vegetarian/vegan options are always going to be flavorful with no compromise when eating at any AsianPoly-owned restaurant. read more

So, I've been here twice and both times I've been disappointed in the food and with my wallet. The prices here are EXTREMELY inflated for the quality and the service is subpar, especially from the guy. What I also don't care for is the fact that EVERY dish they make they include the same vegetables, cabbage, zucchini, broccoli/cauliflower, and carrots. Soup, curry, rice, whatever, the abovementioned vegetables are in there. They also don't give Sriracha and you have to ask for chili oil. Save your money and palette and try elsewhere. read more

This restaurant is a hidden gem in little ole Hilo town. The waitress was the sweetest Thai woman and was so inviting! The place was busy so there was a little bit of a wait, which I didn't mind. There are a handful of tables inside, very cozy dining area. There is little street parking available and a small lot across the street. You can only park in the lot after 4:30PM. I had the pad kimao, fried spring rolls, and the mango sticky rice. The pad kimao was delicious and very flavorful. I got it mild and wished I got it medium. The spring rolls were just ok. Nothing fancy. The mango sticky rice was definitely the star of the show!!! Sticky sweet rice in coconut milk and fresh cut mango on top. The perfect dessert! So yummy! If you're in Hilo and want some Thai food, try them. read more

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Got it for takeout. Don't judge by the looks cuz it looks ok but once we dug in it, the flavors were da bomb. Definitely would go again when in Hilo! Service staff was good as well read more

Awesome little place we found in Hilo! I ordered yellow curry with chicken - spicy for hubs - his nose is still running I ordered pad see ui with chicken for kid - she loved it Pad Thai gluten free with chicken and it was so good!! The space is a cute little shop on a one way street - it's clean, tiny & the staff is all super helpful & friendly! read more

This place is an adorable restaurant just behind Pineapples. This was the best Thai I have ever had! I pretty much order the same thing every Thai place I go to. The avocado summer rolls were so fresh and the chunky peanut sauce so yum! The vegetable and tofu coconut soup (Thom Ka) was amazing! Rich creamy sauce with such fresh vegetables. I can't wait to go back and try my other favorite, Masaman Curry! read more

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Always good home cooking and very local we love the pad thai and pineapple curry.... Oh and summer rolls are banging too service is pretty good but u kno island time....ambiance is very homespun and clean read more

Food was excellent. Spicy is actually spicy. Beautiful selection of vegetables in all dishes. We had the tom yum soup, pumpkin curry and red curry. The flavors were excellent. The service quick. A little gem! Got right in. Surprised we were the only group there at 7:30 on Saturday night. Highly recommended! read more

Naung Mai Thai Kitchen - Pumpkin curry, tom yum soup and chicken curry. Brown rice. - Thai Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This place is located downtown Hilo behind Garden Exchange. Street parking only so it can be a little difficult to find during peak times but downtown blocks are compact so can always park a couple blocks away and do a five-ten minute walk. I met my friend here for lunch and we ordered coconut shrimp, spring rolls and pumpkin curry. I like how you can order level of spiciness for your curry. The coconut shrimp and spring rolls came to the table hot and crisp and with their own corresponding sauce. The curry was watery but extremely flavorful. My friend got the Thai ice tea and liked it. I checked in with Yelp and got free soda. I remember coming here with my dad so I ordered pad Thai and papaya salad for take out and our family enjoyed both dishes at home. Authentic Thai food with affordable prices, I'll be back. read more

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