Pho Viet Thai

We have eaten in and taken out several times and food is excellent. Pad thai is the best as well as the spring rolls. It’s on my lunch plans for Monday again. Yes, it is a little small, but spotlessly clean. Usually lots of parking available. Love all the fresh vegetables in their dishes.

The food is delicious here. It takes a while to get your order since they make it fresh. We had the pad thai (full of veggies), carmel garlic chicken (favorite of many), BBQ chicken, basil beef. Minus one star because of limited seating (about 8 tables) which you may have to wait for on a busy lunch day. We go at 1PM after the lunch crowd.

PHOnomenal!!! …okay I didn’t actually have Phở, just had to say that because this family run place is AMAZING! So much so that I felt compelled to leave this my first ever Unilocal review! We got all vegetarian dishes, summer rolls, pad Thai, green and yellow curry and Tom kha soup and all were fantastic! Never have I had such fresh tasting Thai food in all my life, not even during my time in Thailand. Go here, you will not regret it! :)

My favorite Phở place on the windward side. It’s a small mom and pop restaurant, so don’t expect any frills, but the Spring and summer rolls are delicious. The Phở and Spicy Beef soups are my two favorite. Ok… they’re all I ever get. If you are in Kaneohe and looking for some Phở, please give this place a try!

A little hole in the wall, but one day at work, I was craving vietnamese food. So I decided to browse around on Unilocal and I come across this place. I place a phone order immediately when it opens.
I go on lunch break and I arrive to the restaurant. I had to wait a little bit since they did just open and my job was 2 minutes away. 10 minutes later I was out and back to work to eat my food.
I ordered a side of spring rolls and bbq chicken vermicelli with spring rolls. I didn’t realize how much spring rolls they gave! The food was amazing!

Pad Thai, Vietnamese crêpe, stuffed chicken wings with delish ginger sauce, mango and sticky rice for dessert… AND VIETNAMESE COFFEE ALL EXCELLENT! Other dishes are great too but these are my favorites… service ok… just get their attention. Young man wait help still learning how to serve but has improved tremendously… Really not going for the ambiance just the food!

This is the best viet Thai place on the windward side!!! Awesome owners and amazing food

FROZEN peas & carrots in panang curry?!?
…never again!
I’ll never trust a Viet/​/​Thai restaurant again! Hate to be a separatist, but when it comes to food – I guess I have to be! You’re either a vietnamese restaurant or you’re a thai restaurant… you CAN’T be both!
Not sure how this place got such a high rating… sure fooled me!
Calling all Thai restauranteurs!!! Kaneohe is in DIRE need of a good Thai restaurant!!! Please bless us with your presence!

I love this place! I’ve been coming here for years and it’s always been great. I usually order the salmon hoi sin with brown rice (comes with a small salad) which is delicious. The only problem for me is the salmon is soo teeny tiny but, it tastes soo good that I order it anyway. My second favorite is the «sole (a fish dish). Yum!
This is a small, cozy, un-​fancy restaurant with a kind couple who runs the place. If there are a lot of people or take out orders, the service may be slower but the quality of food is still top notch.

We visited Phở Viet Thai after reading an article in Island Homes. We were so happy we stopped by. While the ambience won’t blow you away, your taste buds are in for a treat! We ordered the chicken phở, the spring rolls and pad thai. All delicious… we can’t wait to go back and try something new.

So Malee, and her food continues to rank as one of my favorites, however her chicken wings are getting expensive, at $ 12.95 for 4 of them. The get smaller and pricier, but they ARE great. The best I’ve ever had, without that cloying breeding so many places use. Her Vietnamese creep is by far one of the best I’ve ever had, no, it is the best I’ve ever had… I love chatting with her, she’s usually very personable, except she’s busy, and may come across as being very impolite or angry, But don’t be fooled she’s a very sweet woman and is often very busy with the restaurant is crowded and full of people. Her homemade ice cream’s for some of the best, from her Thai iced tea to her coconut ice cream, it is oh so good! Her family style lemongrass tofu, was something I never thought I would like, but again it’s one of my favorites… She’s easily able to make vegetarian food including no use of any fish sauce, not that I’m a vegetarian, but sometimes I have friends who want to eat there… Her chicken mango is also delicious and I also enjoy her fish clay pot spinach, as well as her Lemon beef salad. It’s also BYOB, so that’s a plus with no corkage fee.

I rarely write reviews however after my visit to Phở Viet Thai I felt compelled to write quick paragraph. I had one of the most amazing Thai food in a while. Ordered pad thai and Panang curry with vegetables. The pad thai was exquisite! Not too sweet, well balanced flavor and the perfect color! The curry also was fantastic, had variety of vegetables and excellent taste/​spice! For desert we ordered coconut ice cream and sticky rice with mango — both of them amazing. We complimented the cook verbally and in the most honest way — ate everything that was served to us. At the end, the cost was just over $ 30. It is a family owned business, food was cooked by the matriarch, the patriarch served us with a smile and their son took our order. All in all excellent experience. Also note that you can bring your own booze. Restaurant is small and very clean.

I placed a phone order for my boyfriend to pick up on his way home from work. They estimated 20 – 25 minutes but our order took 1 HOUR! Had I known I would’ve had him leave and order elsewhere. They didn’t offer any apologies or explanations to him as he waited there. The food was mediocre and maybe worth 3 stars but I’m taking a star for the wait! Chicken Tom Kha– the broth was good but the chicken was dry and orange in color. Beef panang curry– the vegetables were frozen peas and carrots and nothing more! Beef phở– probably the best thing we ordered but not worth the long wait! Side order sticky rice– the bottom was soggy and hard on the top. Don’t waste your time.

I haven’t been to this place since I was stationed at Kaneohe Bay in 2007. I miss this place so much. It was my wife and I’s favorite spot. Great Phở, but the best of all is the garlic cartelized chicken. Wow! To die for! I hope I can get back there some day. A little old couple ran it and they were so nice and made amazing food.

I’ve been back several times after my first visit after visiting the other under-​whelming Vietnamese/​Thai joints in the immediate area & I must say, this place has grown on me. I’ve gotten a bunch of their other meals including ginger chicken, garlic beef, Tom Kha (soup), and our favorite– their Pinapple shrimp curry… come here pretty regularly now and the price and food keep us coming back.

Ate here cause of the reviews. They had brown rice. Had to try it for myself. It’s ok. Average. Food was mediocre. Service was nice. It was a family business. Restaurant was empty on a Tuesday. Total bill was about $ 35. We had:
–Golden rolls. Only two rolls.
–Papaya salad was aight.
–Panang curry had frozen peas and carrots in the mix.
–The phở was cold.

So I was craving Phở and in Kaneohe…
Vietnamese + Thai cuisine tends to be a rising trend these days, mixing and mashing up 2 cuisines in one menu to offer every patron a choice and an experience that is expected and a fan favorite. Then again, you have those Asian Fusion ones that really makes it surprising to really anticipate what actually is offered here, if you don’t look at the menu and go blindly in. Phở Viet Thai isn’t one of those places, but a Vietnamese and Thai restaurant mix that has patrons trying to decide what side of the Asian spectrum you want to indulge yourself today. Or get creative with mash ups that will leave your mouth wanting more and more. With that said, Phở Viet Thai came onto my radar when I was in Kaneohe for a day trip out of Honolulu, just to see what I have been missing. After checking out Windward Mall, I was craving Phở and looked up any Vietnamese restaurants in Kaneohe on my trusty Unilocal app that I have not yet visited yet. It pointed me here to Phở Viet Thai. The experience here was good and uneventful, although the food itself could be better, but it was good enough. Delicious and tasty, but something was off. Still can’t complain though, maybe I’m just a little picky with a keen sense of culinary taste. Something like that. :)
Phở Viet Thai is located in Kaneohe on 45 – 1048 Kamehameha Highway. It’s not nowhere near the major shopping centers of Windward Mall and the Kaneohe Bay shopping center, but in its own space and that’s how Vietnamese restaurants tend to be: independent and thriving. To each their own, but I guess rent is more expensive when tied to a shopping center. In any case, there is a private lot and nearby street parking here, so that’s not a problem for y’all. If you are like me, TheBus routes #55 and #65 runs through this sleepy town and stops nearby. Phở Viet Thai takes credit cards, so that’s always a plus. If no plastic is available, there are nearby ATMs to draw cash from. I arrived here on a recent Saturday around 1pm. The ambiance of the place would be categorized as cozy, yet public. Since there was not much people here dining at the time, I was seated right away, which is the norm of these kinds of restaurants. The restaurant interior was charming, yet bland at the same time, but that’s how it is sometimes.
The service was just okay. The server whisked herself to my table and asked what I wanted without giving me a menu. Granted that I had been to enough Vietnamese restaurants in my lifetime already, I asked for a menu to double check and confirm. She left in a huff and got the menu. Really. Oh well. After a few minutes, she came back and I ordered the Phở Bac Diet (combination Phở) and an order of summer rolls. The standard fare for those who know me. Phở Viet Thai restaurant is clean and very orderly. While waiting for my order, I played with my iPhone and looked around the restaurant to kill time. It took less than 15 minutes for everything to arrive, with the summer rolls coming out first. The rolls themselves were cold, but at least not previously frozen overnight, I don’t think. I hate that. Room temperate ones seems to say, I made it fresh and not yesterday. The Phở itself came out large with extra round of noodles. It was a large bowl, but I was feeling extra hungry that day. Not sure why though, so I gobbled that down with some reckless abandon. The broth itself was rather good, but I could taste some watered down portions to it. The broth color was lighter brown.
The meat was served in the bowl, while I added the bean sprouts, basil, and jalepenos for net effect. It was not perfect Phở, but I would rate it a decent 3.5 stars, just for the Phở. The summer rolls, as aforementioned, were cold, as served maybe out of the fridge/​freezer, instead of prepared fresh. It was a mere 3 stars at best. Maybe I should have told them to microwaved the summer rolls to warm them up. Either way, it was just okay for a hungry person. The service, as mentioned earlier, was okay. While it can be better, this Vietnamese and Thai mash up can be your pitstop in Kaneohe, or wherever your travels takes you. I would suggest to try out. Could have been an off day for me, but you never know.
Support local!
B–

What I ordered:
–Chicken panang curry — about $ 8.50
–Side of sticky rice — $ 1.99
What I thought:
–Tiny, even compared to even most other places like it and plainly decorated, yet the food was both delicious and affordable. For the most part, service is quick. Go for a casual lunch by yourself or with friends. Or if you want a good panang curry.
The Long Version:
This would be one of those places you wouldn’t even know existed, until you heard about it in a Unilocal review like this.
Next to the large New Mui Kwai Chop Suey and a block away from Kaneohe Bakery, Phở Viet Thai hides away in an unassuming building close to the farm supplies store. If you’re coming from Windmall Mall side, pay attention for the black sign with green text marking this little hole in the wall. For drivers, there’s a small parking lot immediately in front of the building with a couple stalls.
I arrived there right before 2pm and there was only one couple seated busily chatting between slurps of their phở. Like the exterior, the interior décor is also plain and unassuming with white and lime green painted walls adorned with framed photographs of the food I would be eating. A happy, laughing golden Buddha hailed me from the counter. The dining space is small to say the least, six tables in an area about the size of one-​car garage. That’s not to say it’s a negative point, I enjoyed the simplicity and closeness of it all. I was by myself but I’d definitely think about bringing a friend along next time. That being said, those wishing for accommodations more grandiose and spacious might want to look elsewhere.
There was only one waiter there, sitting reading a college textbook. Somewhat oblivious to my arrival, I had to catch his attention by asking if they were still serving lunch. He told me they were and I quickly looked over the menu. In the mood for curry, I ordered a chicken panang curry with a side of sticky rice. Take note here, rice isn’t usually included with many of the entrees. However, they do have the choice of white, brown or sticky rice as a side for up to $ 2. Pretty reasonable in my opinion, considering most of the plates ranged from $ 8 to $ 11.
And to their chef’s credit, my curry and rice came very quickly too. Thick and creamy, the chicken panang was definitely a good choice that day. The sauce was thick and rich, slightly spicy yet sweet from the coconut milk with hints of lime leaf. Vegetables like onions, peas and carrots and bite size pieces of chicken, all were nicely tender. If it wasn’t so piping hot, I would’ve gone bottoms up and drunk the bowl immediately. Good thing I had some rice to cool it off. Definitely get a side of your preferred rice if you order a curry there.
My curry lunch was brief but had I more time before my errands that day, I would’ve probably indulged in their homemade ice cream, thai tea flavor for sure. The cost of my meal was about $ 11. For a delicious curry like that, that’s not too bad at all. Other than my waiter, the service there was quick and friendly though that might have been due to the fact that I was one of the three people there. They do takeout as well so you could call in, swing by after shopping at the Mall a few blocks over and enjoy some delicious Vietnamese and Thai food.
Would I go back? Definitely. On my next visit, I’d probably try the beef phở that the couple was enjoying. This place, small and out of the way, feels like a gem in the rough, just the kind of place most people wouldn’t give a second glance at until you’ve told them how good their curry is.

I’ll make it easy for you. It’s not the best phở place I’ve ever been to. It has decent phở and it’s nice to have a choice between Vietnamese and Thai dishes.

Friend: You can choose a place for dinner…
Me: Yay!
Friend: Just no Thai or curry please…
Me: But, but! Sigh…
It just so happened that I had a crazy craving for Thai food that day, which was more than a little problematic…
Tummy: I need me some green curry!
Mind: No can do… Jo doesn’t like Thai yo!
Tummy: So you like this Jo more than you like me? *sob* GREEEEEEEN CURRRRY
Mind: Cheez-​its, what are you, the cookie monster? Stop being so irrational!
Tummy: Pi’s irrational and it’s delicious!!!
Mind: …did you just try to pull off a joke? This is more serious than I thought…
Unilocal to the rescue! I was able to keep both my mind’s sanity and my tummy’s dignity by stumbling upon Phở Viet Thai, which has both Thai food and phở (my friend’s personal fave)!
The food here wasn’t the best but I am just glad it stopped my tummy from attempting any more math jokes xD The green curry tasted different from other green curries I’ve had – probably had to do with the diced garlic that was in it. It was a little on the saltier side but was perfect when eaten with the rice. My friend had their phở combination and loved the broth (tasty with no MSG!) and the tenderness of the meat and tendon. There was hoisin sauce and sriracha on the table but no chili pepper oil =(After we were done eating, we found out you have to personally ask for it. Good to know if we come back here! We shared the satay chicken skewers, which was disappointing. The chicken was overcooked so it was dry and the peanut sauce was bland.
Besides having the heaven-​sent combo of Thai and Vietnamese food, my friend and I were also drawn to this place because of its famous homemade Thai tea ice cream. I don’t usually drink Thai iced tea because it tends to be too sweet but there was something inexplicably mouthwatering about having it in ice cream form. It was unique and delicious… more subtle than my friend had expected but I liked it!
I would have given this place four stars but the service was a little lacking. We had to wait a while after being seated for our orders to be taken and it was laughably difficult to get our waitress’s attention throughout our meal. Other than that, I would say Operation Phở-​and-​Thai was a success!