It was so good. We came here ten years ago and I remembered it being amazing thai food, but figured it probably had changed hands since then, but the food was still outstandingly good. My favorite Thai food food is right here on the big island.
Forest Ranger
The panang curry was a revelation! I mean, wow! That hit the spot. It's amazing that such a great restaurant is in such a small and off the beaten path village!
Patrick Billette
Ning’s Thai Cusine rocks! The food is delicious and the service was super fast. It took us less than an hour to dine which was great! It only took us 45 minutes which is fantastic for a restaurant. I think all restaurants throughout the state, the United States; and the whole world should follow what Ning’s does which is fast service and when you order, they bring the food out right away. The fried rice was excellent. We would go back more often if we wanted to.
Kawika H
Price doesn't match serving sizes, as the bowls of curry are small compared to other places I've been locally. But it was delicious, that's for sure! It's probably the best curry I've had yet... so, really, you have to decide if the small portion size is worth the quality. I blame shrink-flation to be honest. The Federal Reserve Bank (privately owned by international elites) has been stealing the wealth of this nation through inflation, and Covid was the perfect catalyst for higher rates... thank God Trump (not a fan) has worked around the Fed Bank to bring inflation down! Maybe soon, the prices of these items will go back down... Otherwise, the staff was very friendly and attentive! Mahalo!
Deborah Lafata
Absolutely delicious, large portions for the price.
M B
Delicious food! I stopped by for lunch one day on the recommendation of a nearby restaurant owner who's restaurant had closed for the day. It was delicious! I just wanted something light so I had spring rolls with tofu, and some chicken skewers. Both were great, the sauces were tasty. I will be back!
Emily Klann
Exceptional food (we had the papaya salad, thom yum soup, red curry, and mango sticky rice) and incredible service. The food came out quickly, the portions were generous, and the atmosphere was quaint and relaxed. Definitely recommend if you’re in Pahoa!
Will DeHaan
Why can't I get Thai this good in San Francisco?
Ron Woosley
Food is delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Luke Makemention
The food used to be good, but they've immensely shrunk the amount, for the price. And the waiter is sooo obnoxious; always making snide remarks, it got old. AaaaàaaaaàaaSo now we just wait to go to various Thai Lunch wagons! Hilo definitely needs more better newer and fresher Thai Restaurants ?! Thank goodness Van's Vietnamese opened in Pahoa!
Absolutely delicious and flavorful food with excellent, friendly service. The restaurant decor is subpar but that shouldn’t stop you from visiting Ning’s!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jonathan Sauder
It was the only restaurant actually open along their stretch of road, but it was really good. The food was great, and the service was friendly. The food came out really fast. They were really on top of refilling your cup of water. The only slight complaint I had was the atmosphere; it was a bit gaudy and Buddha-heavy. And it got a bit noisy. They also had tacky ads for food items under the glass top of each table. But overall, it was great. I recommend the mee ka tee.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ikaika Greenlaw
Best Thai food on the Big Island!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pad Thal Noodles
Louis Cognata (Expert Guide)
I had high hopes for this restaurant given the reviews, but unfortunately, I won’t be going back. When I arrived, I was seated without a word being said to me. I ordered hot tea, spring rolls, and the number 45, choosing fish as my protein because I was told the fish was fresh. I also requested the second hottest spice level. The hot tea and spring rolls were great, and I finished the entire cup of tea before finishing the rolls. However, when my entree arrived, it was bland, floral-tasting, and had no spice at all.
After waiting and taking a few bites, I decided to stand up and ask for chili oil and chili flakes through a little window. The waitor immediately blamed the woman cooking in the back "she forgot to put spice in it". He brought the chili oil quickly, which helped with the flavor a bit, but the fish was far from fresh. I finished my meal, and then a gentleman, who had been resting at a table near the front, struck up a very interesting conversation with me. He was a kind person with a pure soul, and it was the highlight of my visit.
As the conversation continued, I finally worked up the nerve to ask for another cup of tea. At this point, I was extremely disappointed with the overall experience, but I tried to stay positive, thinking perhaps they were having a bad day and business was slow. The total came to $48, and despite my disappointment, I considered giving $20 to the gentleman I had spoken with, feeling he might need it and use it well. I left a $2 tip on the receipt and continued to sip my tea, contemplating whether I should give the $20 to the gentleman and just fish out another $20 for the waiter.
However, the waiter came by, picked up the receipt, and laughed loudly at the tip I had left. This was incredibly disheartening. I asked the gentleman if he wanted something to eat, but he politely declined. At that point, I felt overwhelmed by the entire experience and left the restaurant in a disappointed state. I’m writing this review because the experience left me questioning whether it was me or the establishment that fell short, but either way, I won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Dakota
This may be possibly the best Thai I’ve had in the states. It was very nice sitting by the open window and watching the rain come down. Would come again.
It was so good. We came here ten years ago and I remembered it being amazing thai food, but figured it probably had changed hands since then, but the food was still outstandingly good. My favorite Thai food food is right here on the big island.
The panang curry was a revelation! I mean, wow! That hit the spot. It's amazing that such a great restaurant is in such a small and off the beaten path village!
Ning’s Thai Cusine rocks! The food is delicious and the service was super fast. It took us less than an hour to dine which was great! It only took us 45 minutes which is fantastic for a restaurant. I think all restaurants throughout the state, the United States; and the whole world should follow what Ning’s does which is fast service and when you order, they bring the food out right away. The fried rice was excellent. We would go back more often if we wanted to.
Price doesn't match serving sizes, as the bowls of curry are small compared to other places I've been locally. But it was delicious, that's for sure! It's probably the best curry I've had yet... so, really, you have to decide if the small portion size is worth the quality.
I blame shrink-flation to be honest. The Federal Reserve Bank (privately owned by international elites) has been stealing the wealth of this nation through inflation, and Covid was the perfect catalyst for higher rates... thank God Trump (not a fan) has worked around the Fed Bank to bring inflation down! Maybe soon, the prices of these items will go back down...
Otherwise, the staff was very friendly and attentive! Mahalo!
Absolutely delicious, large portions for the price.
Delicious food! I stopped by for lunch one day on the recommendation of a nearby restaurant owner who's restaurant had closed for the day. It was delicious! I just wanted something light so I had spring rolls with tofu, and some chicken skewers. Both were great, the sauces were tasty. I will be back!
Exceptional food (we had the papaya salad, thom yum soup, red curry, and mango sticky rice) and incredible service. The food came out quickly, the portions were generous, and the atmosphere was quaint and relaxed. Definitely recommend if you’re in Pahoa!
Why can't I get Thai this good in San Francisco?
Food is delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food used to be good, but they've immensely shrunk the amount, for the price. And the waiter is sooo obnoxious; always making snide remarks, it got old. AaaaàaaaaàaaSo now we just wait to go to various Thai Lunch wagons! Hilo definitely needs more better newer and fresher Thai Restaurants ?! Thank goodness Van's Vietnamese opened in Pahoa!
Restaurantji Recommends
Absolutely delicious and flavorful food with excellent, friendly service. The restaurant decor is subpar but that shouldn’t stop you from visiting Ning’s!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
It was the only restaurant actually open along their stretch of road, but it was really good. The food was great, and the service was friendly. The food came out really fast. They were really on top of refilling your cup of water.
The only slight complaint I had was the atmosphere; it was a bit gaudy and Buddha-heavy. And it got a bit noisy. They also had tacky ads for food items under the glass top of each table.
But overall, it was great. I recommend the mee ka tee.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best Thai food on the Big Island!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pad Thal Noodles
I had high hopes for this restaurant given the reviews, but unfortunately, I won’t be going back. When I arrived, I was seated without a word being said to me. I ordered hot tea, spring rolls, and the number 45, choosing fish as my protein because I was told the fish was fresh. I also requested the second hottest spice level. The hot tea and spring rolls were great, and I finished the entire cup of tea before finishing the rolls. However, when my entree arrived, it was bland, floral-tasting, and had no spice at all.
After waiting and taking a few bites, I decided to stand up and ask for chili oil and chili flakes through a little window. The waitor immediately blamed the woman cooking in the back "she forgot to put spice in it". He brought the chili oil quickly, which helped with the flavor a bit, but the fish was far from fresh. I finished my meal, and then a gentleman, who had been resting at a table near the front, struck up a very interesting conversation with me. He was a kind person with a pure soul, and it was the highlight of my visit.
As the conversation continued, I finally worked up the nerve to ask for another cup of tea. At this point, I was extremely disappointed with the overall experience, but I tried to stay positive, thinking perhaps they were having a bad day and business was slow. The total came to $48, and despite my disappointment, I considered giving $20 to the gentleman I had spoken with, feeling he might need it and use it well. I left a $2 tip on the receipt and continued to sip my tea, contemplating whether I should give the $20 to the gentleman and just fish out another $20 for the waiter.
However, the waiter came by, picked up the receipt, and laughed loudly at the tip I had left. This was incredibly disheartening. I asked the gentleman if he wanted something to eat, but he politely declined. At that point, I felt overwhelmed by the entire experience and left the restaurant in a disappointed state. I’m writing this review because the experience left me questioning whether it was me or the establishment that fell short, but either way, I won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
This may be possibly the best Thai I’ve had in the states. It was very nice sitting by the open window and watching the rain come down. Would come again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pineapple Curry, Red Curry
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