Since 2006, Kailua-Kona residents have enjoyed the vast options of Thai-Hawaiian fusion dishes on the menu at Original Thai Cuisine. Just two years after opening, the restaurant earned back-to-back awards for the Best Thai Food in West Hawaii, in 2008 and 2009. Today, you can still enjoy these same high-quality dishes prepared by the founder and owner, who creates each dish as carefully as she would for her family members.
The founder of Original Thai Cuisine, Saing Schueler comes from Northern Thailand. She brought generations of traditions and recipes passed down to her when she moved to Hawaii. Today, she works with her daughters to prepare these recipes using the natural ingredients and flavors of Hawaii, producing interesting takes on Thai food that wow diners.
Locals are not the only ones who know about the Original Thai Cuisine restaurant. It appeared on Food Network’s show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” in 2018. The appearance on the show brought more renown to this casual family eatery.
The menu includes many traditional Thai dishes such as pad thai and tom yum soup. You will also find creative concoctions such as Thai Curry Fries, SSS Duck, and a Thai Basil Burger. Diners love all the dishes on the menu, and you likely will, too.
If the menu overwhelms you, try one of the following favorites from previous visitors to Original Thai Cuisine:
Pad Thai
Pad Thai is a simple, classic Thai dish that Original Thai Cuisine prepares authentically. At this restaurant, you’ll enjoy a dry Pad Thai that includes bean sprouts, eggs, green onions, carrots, and peanuts. Choose your protein from chicken, beef, extra vegetables, shrimp, tofu, seafood, or pork. Visitors recommend the chicken or shrimp pad thai for generous portions of meat added to the dish.
SSS Duck
The SSS Duck is a signature dish of Original Thai Cuisine. The unusual name comes from the sweet, spicy, and sour sauce used to flavor the half duck. Previous diners call this crispy duck dish the best duck they’ve had. If you like the SSS sauce used on the crispy duck entree but want an appetizer, consider adding an order of SSS Chicken Wings to your meal. The sauce perfectly complements the flavors of the chicken wings on the appetizer order just as well as it does the crispy duck entree.
Drunken Noodles
The flavor-infused Drunken Noodles have eggs, bell peppers, carrots, green onions, basil, garlic, and bean sprouts. Visitors highly recommend the Mom’s Sauce to top your Drunken Noodles entree. This spicy sauce is an add-on that brings a lot of spice and extra flavor to the dish. Even if you have had Drunken Noodles elsewhere, you’ve never had them with Original Thai Cuisine’s Mom Sauce on top.
Thai Curry Fries
The Thai Curry Fries are a great side for any of the burgers or wraps on the menu. They also are tasty appetizers when you have a craving for french fries with a Thai twist. These dry-seasoned fries may not be the star of the show, but they provide a solid supporting role for the burgers and wraps most people eat them with.
Thai Basil Burger
The Thai Basil Burger, also known as the Thai Sloppy Joe, mixes ground chicken, beef, or pork with vegetables, including carrots, basil, bell peppers, and onions. Visitors rave about the blend of flavors in this hearty sandwich. Many people even order it as their go-to option on the menu. Several people recommend trying the Thai Basil Burger with chicken and a side of Thai Curry Fries for a full meal.
If you want Thai food with Hawaiian flavors and creative additions, check out Original Thai Cuisine in Kona. You’ll find out quickly why this restaurant ended up on Food Network and remains beloved by locals and visitors.
Insider Tips:
-The restaurant does not do substitutions for any dish. However, it can make accommodations to make most of its dishes gluten-free or vegan for $1.
-Order mild, medium, or spicy levels for your dishes at no cost. For Thai hot add $1.
-Don’t miss the restaurant on the backside of the shopping plaza. There is plenty of parking in the plaza throughout the day.