Episode 6: Dee Thai Restaurant

Rating by Yelp.com: 4 stars
Cuisine: Thai
Price Range: $11 - $30
Operation Hours: Mon thru Sat 11am - 2pm Lunch, Mon thru Sun 5pm - 9:30pm Dinner

Dee-Thai Restaurant opened up in 2008 as a simple family run Thai restaurant. Located on Kapahulu Ave, the cozy restaurant is able to seat 48 parties. The front of house team is led by the Son of the family while his Mother runs the Kitchen as the head chef. Dee-Thai looks to bring to customers a slice of Thailand with bold flavors and the warm and welcoming hospitality that gave Thailand the nickname the land of smiles.  

Best Grindz Discovers Its Spicy Side! [Video]

Aloha viewers this is Natakorn "Thumb" Changrew checking in for this episode of Best Grindz's review. This week we explored one of the best rated Thai restaurants on yelp.com, Dee-Thai on Kapahulu, and who better to review Thai food than yours truly. Born and raised in the area that originated Thai food, I believe I can truly claim to understand the authentic sweet, sour, salty and spicy taste of Thai food. Upon arriving at Dee-Thai I came across the first problem; parking. Parking here is very bad.... because there isn't any customer parking available! Customers are advised to find the closest street parking available. Not a good start, but as I entered the restaurant the greeting I received turned it all around. Ton, the son of the family gave us a warm welcome and allowed us to pick the table of our choice. However, Ton wasn't dressed in any sort of uniform (wearing a normal T-shirt) and at first I thought he was another customer. Both the exterior and interior decoration of the restaurant wasn't exactly impressive, but it works for me. The lighting of the place is nice, and the Thai music played in the background was set at the right volume to assist the ambiance and give it a Thai appeal but at the same time not becoming too much of a distraction. I can see this place being a nice eatery to have a meal with your friends, but based on the feel the place gives I wouldn't have a business dinner or take my date for a special dining experience here as it doesn't exactly scream classy or romantic. The menu provided is pretty simple, properly describing cuisine's English and authentic Thai name, the options you have with each cuisine (I.E what type of meat) and its price. Although not mentioned in the menu, the staff did aware us how they can cater the spice levels to our preference; a flexibility that I think is a plus. I find the cuisines Dee-Thai offer to be very gutsy, featuring some authentic Thai cuisines normally not found in most Thai restaurants in America. Some of these signature dishes I believe require some authentic ingredients hard to get a hold of in the states or are simply not known to most foreigners. Two of these include "Pla-foo" fluffy fish salad and "Pad Kee mao" an authentic spicy Thai noodle cuisine. Good news for vegetarians as well as Dee-Thai dedicates a page of the menu to those who choose to stick to veggies and tofu. The food here, was definitely the star of the show. The three items I ordered tasted fresh and very authentic, having flavors that truly reminded me of home. The meal was rustic and very delicious, and also very well priced! Along with the great service they provide, I can see why Dee-Thai has received very good rating and I will definitely be coming back!

Likes

Great Authentic Food

Vegetarian friendly and adjustable spice levels

Friendly Staff

Well Priced

Dislikes

Lack of uniform for front of house staff
No Parking

Official Best Grindz Rating..4.5 stars!!!

Episode 5: Waiola's Shave Ice

Rating by Yelp.com:   4 ½ stars
Cuisine:  Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Local Flavor
Price Range: Inexpensive, less than $10
Operation Hours: Mon thru Sun, 7:30am – 6pm

 

Waiola's shave ice has become one of the most popular places to be at on a very hot and sunny day.  Located conveniently in the heart of town along Waiola Street and Kapahulu Avenue, this mom and pop store has become well liked by both the local community and tourists alike.  You may wonder, what makes them so great? And how do they differ from other competitors like the famous Matsumoto’s Shave Ice on the north shore?  Well, first of all, it's conveniently located in town, the variety of 35 flavors they offer that can't be found anywhere else, and their selection of toppings or add ons such as li hing powder, mochi balls, and condensed milk that adds such great flavor to your ice!  The number one thing that makes them all so great is...the shaved ice.  When it comes to shave ice, the ice is what makes the biggest difference.  At Waiola's Shave Ice, their shave ice is so super fine and soft that when the spoonful of flavorful goodness hits the top of your tongue, it just melts in your mouth.  So what are you waiting for?! Head on over to Waiola's Shave Ice!  

Best Grindz Cools Down with Some Island Snow [Video]

Hey everyone, this week, we take you to Waiola’s Shave Ice and I got to say that I really enjoyed my experience there.  When I arrived, what stood out to me at first was there were a lot of parking space and many benches for customers to enjoy their shave ice.  I ordered my usual favorite which was lychee and li hing mui.  My first spoonful of shaved ice was awesome, the flavors spoke to me right away and I could not stop eating it!  However I noticed that as I’m finishing up my cup of shaved ice, the flavors started to disappear and noticed right away that my shaved ice could’ve use a little bit more syrup.  Other than this, the ice was smooth and super fine and I would most definitely stop by for another cup of shaved ice on the next very hot and sunny day.

Likes

Quick Service

Lots of Parking

Lots of Benches for Seating

Dislikes

Lack syrup on Shave Ice
Person assisting us was not attentive

           


Official Best Grindz Rating..4 stars!!!

Episode 4: Nico's Pier 38

Rating by Yelp.com:   4 stars
Cuisine:  Seafood, French
Price Range: Moderate, $8 - $15
Operation Hours: Mon thru Fri 6:30am - 5pm, Sat 6:30am – 2pm


Nico's Pier 38, located across from the Honolulu Fish Auction, serves fresher fish than anyone else. The founder, Nico Chaize, a French chef, started working in the restaurant business at teh age of 15 and has worked at a number of fine restaurants here in Honolulu including Michel's at the Colony Surf and The Bistro at Century Center. Nico loves to make people happy through the use of his culinary skills and decided to open a small breakfast and lunch take-out counter in 2004. Nico's Pier 38 serves local style plate with a touch of French flare and also fresh fish right from the auction at an affrodable price. So if you are looking for the freshest catch, head on down to Nico's Pier 38!

Best Grinds Takes You Under the Sea [ Video ]

I really enjoyed my experience at Nico's Pier 38, even though there was nothing fancy about it. When I arrived, there were lots of parking. When I entered, I noticed that it was very small. Basically it was just a counter to order from and the seating was located outside. Since they are known for having the freshest fish, I placed my order for a ahi poke salad. I didn't have to wait long for my order at all. The salad turned out to be so delicious! The fish was tender and full of flavor. I enjoyed my salad while relaxing and taking in the beautiful scenery of the pier.

Likes

Quick Service

Lots of Parking

Beautiful Scenery
Delicious Food

Dislikes

None!

           

           

Official Best Grindz Rating..5 stars!!!

Episode 3: Rainbow's Drive In

Rating by Yelp.com: 4 stars
Cuisine: Hawaiian, BBQ
Price Range: Cheap, under $10
Operation Hours: Mon thru Sun 7am – 9pm


Rainbow’s Drive In has been operating for over 49 years and has been serving the most ono grindz to both the local community and tourists from all over the world.  Rainbow’s Drive In founder, Seiju Ifuku learned how to cook while he was in the army during WW II.  After the war ended, he worked at the famous Kapiolani Drive In and later married his wife, Ayako and opened Rainbow’s Drive In at their current location on Kapahulu Avenue.  Their philosophy was to serve plates with generous portions of hearty, simply food, with two scoops of rice and a side of macaroni salad at a reasonable price.

 Best Grindz Takes You Back in Time, Local Style! [Video]

Hello everyone, it’s Kim here to give you my feedback on how my experience at Rainbow’s Drive In was.  When I first entered there was already a line but surprisingly enough, it only took less than 5 minutes for me to place my order and receive my food!  What I enjoyed most at Rainbow’s was the way my food was prepared.  I ordered the boneless chicken with gravy so what I was expecting was not an overcook chicken which most places tend to make this mistake but Rainbow’s nailed it!  My chicken was moist and had great flavor, my gravy wasn’t salty and complemented the chicken very well making me a very happy diner.  The atmosphere was very local style which completes their theme of a drive in however I felt that the staff could’ve tended to the cleanliness of the dine out area a little more by wiping down the tables and replenishing the condiments when it runs out.  Overall Rainbow’s Drive In won me over with the quick service, convenient location, and awesome food!


Likes
Quick Service
Convenient w/ lots of parking!
Quality of food was superb

Dislikes
Bathrooms were not sanitary
Tables were not wiped down
Condiments needed to be replenished

                                       Official Best Grindz Rating……4 stars!