Chinatown was built on a human scale, with older buildings styled after traditional Chinese courtyard homes surrounded by four walls with a hidden oasis at the center. With feng shui in mind, these homes were built for practical reasons, providing refuge from nature’s elements and human invaders.
Who would’ve thought that more than 100 years since these structures were rebuilt — following the Chinatown fire of 1900, a result of trying to eliminate the bubonic plague — we would again find them to be safe haven from the modern scourge of the coronavirus? The kind of open-air seating they provide is now said to offer protection, due to a combination of better air circulation and the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
There’s a feeling of relief and the ability to breathe more deeply when stepping out of the asphalt and concrete of urban Honolulu and into the courtyard oasis of Olay’s Thai-Lao Cuisine, which bears the name of chef-founder Sandy “Olay” Somsanith. Sure, the waterfall and koi pond are manmade, but the sound of water and greenery surrounding it are a comfort to the primal brain.
It’s the perfect flagship spot for Olay’s after several years of operating at farmer’s markets and a now closed express location in Aiea. Diners are bound to leave on a happy note due to the restaurant’s combination of good food and pleasant setting.
Although Thai dishes get top billing at the front of the menu for familiarity’s sake, it makes most sense to start with the Lao specialties at the back of the menu. My rationale is that you can find decent Thai food in just about every neighborhood, but Somsanith is Laotian, so it’s a treat to go to someone versed in the roots and culture of a particular cuisine.
OVERALL, Lao cuisine tends to be bolder and spicier than Thai. There are five levels of heat here, with “Thai hot” represented by four chiles and Lao hot by five.
About 20 Lao dishes pay homage to the country Somsanith was forced to flee in 1980 following the rise of the Communist Pathet Lao regime, which destroyed livelihoods and created food scarcity. She survived a swim across the turbulent Mekong River with her first child on her back, finding refuge in Thailand before eventually arriving in California, then Hawaii.
I’m glad the menu includes plenty of pictures to help with decision- making, rather than make diners wade through tons of dish descriptions. Must-try dishes on the Lao menu include khao poon (simplified as kapoon), and nam khao.
Kapoon ($13.95) is a coconut curry rice vermicelli soup, known as the Lao version of laksa. You’re given the option of a fish or pork broth base, and the noodles are topped with ground pork, mint and quail eggs, if you want them, with strips of soft pork skin also winding their way around the noodles. Add pork blood jelly for $1.50. Despite the coconut, the soft noodles give this dish such a light texture I kept eating more and more, ignoring the likelihood that the noodles would expand and prevent me from enjoying my fill of other dishes later.
Nam khao ($12.95) is a crispy rice salad that starts with deep-fried rice balls served with a mix of cabbage and lettuce to make wraps. Stirred into the rice are strips of fermented pork sausage, peanuts, green onions, cilantro and mint, with a bright citrus sauce and Thai chiles. Olay’s makes one of the spiciest versions of this dish I’ve tried around town. I love that instead of watering down her cuisine, Somsanith is unapologetic about giving diners an experience true to her memories of growing up in Laos.
Goi pa is a pescatarian version of the meat salad laap or larb. The chopped fish salad ($13.95) is all basa tossed with citrus, galangal, lemon grass, cilantro, toasted rice powder and spices. The flavor explosion is tempered by cabbage or lettuce, used as wrappers.
For another flavor explosion, try helpings of sai oua (Lao sausage, $12.95), housemade pork sausages bursting with the aromatics of lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and other fresh herbs and spices. The chopped pork is loosely packed and clearly discernible so there’s no mystery to this meat.
WITH THESE signature items cleared, you can start adding Thai dishes to your spread. A roster of about 50 Thai dishes allows you to choose from your usual favorites or explore new ones.
You’ll find the standard color palette of red, green and yellow curries ($10.95 to $13.95, based on protein choices from tofu to seafood), as well as popular massaman and Panang curries. Rarer options include garlic, pineapple and pumpkin curries. I was drawn to the latter for nutrition reasons and found the sweet kabocha to be a nice balance in a medium-hot red curry. The medium heat has more bite to it here than at other similar restaurants, but I love the burst of fruity spice when you catch a larger fleck of Thai chile on the tongue.
If you tend to start your meals with a soothing soup, make a break from the usual tom yum to try tom kha ($10.95 to $13.95 depending on protein choice), the sour herbed tom yum broth made richer and sweeter with coconut milk.
Although sourness is a hallmark of Thai cuisine, I prefer more savory noodles over the sour of pad thai ($10.95 to $13.95). My go-to tends to be drunken noodles ($10.95 to $13.95), satisfying thick ribbons of Chinese-style funn wok-fried with eggs, bean sprouts, Thai basil and gai lan, or Chinese broccoli.
Standard appetizers of spring rolls ($9.95), summer rolls ($6.95) and wok-fry dishes round out the menu. Finish with desserts of tapioca puddings ($2.95) or mango sticky rice ($3.95).
OLAY’S THAI-LAO CUISINE
66 N. Hotel St.
Food: ****
Service: ***1/2
Ambiance: ***1/2
Value: *****
>> Call: 536-5300
>> Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays to Sundays
>> Prices: $30 to $50 for two
Ratings compare similar restaurants:
**** – excellent
*** – very good
** – average
* – below average
Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.
