Haleiwa Thai transplant well received in town

When longtime North Shore restaurant Opal Thai moved into Chinatown, I wondered how Hono­lulu diners would respond to owner Opel Sirichandhra’s unorthodox “trust me” service philosophy.

It does no good to study the menu, because he tosses it aside and does the ordering for you.

Being open to eating anything is not for everyone, but the line is out the door from the minute Sirichandhra opens, which speaks volumes.

Just as in Haleiwa, he asks a series of questions to determine diners’ likes, dislikes and experience with Thai cuisine to arrive at a roster of dishes likely to please.

He confounds guests with something as simple as water served at room temperature for some, iced for others.

“How did you know?” asked one group, mystified by this bit of divination after receiving non-iced water, a rare occurrence on Oahu but standard in Asia.

“I know a lot of things,” Sirichandhra said.

The menu has arrived intact from the North Shore, and I was happy to receive spicy glazed garlic chicken wings ($11), special skate cake ($11) and drunken noodles with duck ($15). That last choice was funny because during one visit to his Haleiwa restaurant, I told Sirichandhra I didn’t want duck — not because I don’t like it, but because it’s often prepared so poorly — but he served it anyway, and I ended up loving the dish.

Opal Thai is at 1030 Smith St., which formerly housed Scratch Kitchen & Bakery. Call 381-8091.