Ying's Thai Cuisine Brings Focused Thai Cooking to Honolulu

What public feedback suggests

Ying's Thai Cuisine holds a 4.7 Google rating from 73 reviews, with diners repeatedly emphasizing flavor, authenticity and welcoming service. Several reviewers compare the cooking favorably with Thai food they have encountered elsewhere, including established restaurants in New York. Another diner with close familiarity with Thai cooking praised the kitchen's approach to traditional flavors and ingredient quality.

The overall picture is of a straightforward neighborhood restaurant where the food carries more weight than the setting. One review describes the atmosphere as simple while calling both the cooking and service excellent. That trade-off should suit diners more interested in a satisfying plate of curry, noodles or stir-fry than an elaborate dining room.

What to order

Curries appear to be a particular strength. Public reviews specifically praise panang chicken curry, green pork curry and yellow curry with shrimp. The panang and green curries were paired with sticky rice, suggesting a useful starting order for anyone visiting primarily for rich, aromatic Thai comfort food.

The noodle dishes also receive strong support. Pad see ew was singled out as one of a diner's favorites on Oahu, while chicken pad Thai earned praise for arriving quickly and being cooked to order. Reviewers note that the pad Thai can be prepared with multiple protein options. Goong ob wun sen, described by a reviewer as shrimp baked with glass noodles, offers another direction beyond the familiar stir-fried standards.

For a broader table, the reviews point toward Lao-style som tam, larb, fried rice, cashew chicken and stir-fried water spinach with pork. Those dishes cover crisp, spicy, savory and vegetable-forward territory, making Ying's look especially well suited to sharing among a small group.

Service and setting

Friendly, fast service is one of the clearest patterns in the feedback. Diners mention an owner and staff who are personable, attentive and accommodating. One Saturday lunch review specifically notes that the restaurant handled a visit with a toddler well. Another reports quick service without suggesting that the food felt rushed, since dishes were described as made to order.

The room itself appears modest rather than atmospheric. That is not presented as a serious drawback in the available feedback, but it helps set expectations. Ying's is better framed as a food-first stop than a special-occasion dining room.

One reviewer also described the restaurant as BYO with no corkage fee. Because restaurant policies can change, diners planning to bring a bottle should confirm directly before arriving.

The verdict

Based on the available rating and review patterns, Ying's Thai Cuisine stands out for confidently seasoned curries, dependable noodle dishes and notably warm hospitality. The menu seems broad enough for mixed preferences, while the repeated authenticity claims should appeal to diners seeking more than softened, generic Thai flavors.

At a mid-range price level, it looks best for casual lunches, relaxed dinners and shared meals where the table can sample curry, salad, noodles and stir-fried vegetables. The simple surroundings may not suit every occasion, but public feedback strongly suggests that the cooking and service are the main reasons to go.