Thai Chef
878 Front St,Ste A-12, Lahaina, HI, 96761
Thai Chef Menu
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Address :
878 Front St,Ste A-12
Lahaina, HI, 96761 - Phone (808) 667-2814
- Website https://thaichefrestaurantmaui.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Trudy G.
I LOVE this place & have since I moved here 10 years ago. ALWAYS good. The service is absolutely AMAZING. Just go.
(5)Konstantin N.
Very bad experience. We felt unwelcomed. Food was horrible, too spicy. Veggie tom yum didn't have any flavor other than half a pound of spice in it. Stuff wasgrumpy and passive aggressive. Highly suggest to avoid this place.
(1)Aariz E.
Visited the restaurant based on the ONO recommendation in Maui Revealed. Very disappointed. Ordered standard thai food - Phad Thai and Panang Curry. Both dishes were below par. Waste of time and $30.
(1)Paige B.
Hole in the wall local favorite for killer Thai food. This place is simply one of the best. We love their Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, and curries. Remember to order Thai Sticky Rice on the side! Friendly tip: you can choose your spice level, but be warned, they run hotter than other places--medium is about all I can stand. Hot is for professionals only. BYOB!
(5)Jessica V.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I love Thai food, and this is some of the best I've had. They have great seafood options as well. Everything was delicious, the service was great, and it's BYOB, so really you can't go wrong!
(5)Kristine A.
Went last night for dinner. In the Foodland mall. BYOB which saves some $$. Menu looked good. Prices not unreasonable for the area. Rose was our waitress and was pleasant. Food. Mixed reviews. Pad see eww with chicken was good. The shrimp with coconut curry and veggies was just ok. Rice is &1 extra. Small place. Bathroom is the public restroom. Just ok.
(2)Robin R.
Still great Lots of gluten free choices. Bring your own alcohol. The best choice.
(5)Ebby M.
This is a cute little family-run restaurant. Locals love this super classic spot, but I had never been. We were treated well, and the food was pretty good. We had their appetizer sampler, which was way too oily for me, but had the best shrimp toast I've ever had. We both got pink snapper dishes, which was served skin on (not my favorite). It would have been fine if the fish was exceptional quality, but as it was the skin made it too fishy. The flavors of the black bean preparation and the ginger preparation were both incredible, and full of veggies. Our toddler had no complaints about the rice. :)
(3)Jamie S.
So good! BYOB and order up some hot stuff. Nice little place for lunch or dinner.. Varied menu and dessert options also. Try the homemade coconut ice cream.
(5)Chloe M.
OMG! We had the best Vegetarian Red Curry, Pad Thai and Delicious Mango Sticky Rice from here!! We ordered it to go for a party of 40 and they had everything packed, ready and hot at the exact time we needed it. I highly recommend them. Very business like on the phone but tasty food and great customer service!! We ordered food from a few restaurants that night and this was one of the BEST!
(5)Irina A.
This is 1) the worst food for the last four years we had And 2) the worst Thai food ever. Service is also horrible. The first time ever when we left no tips at all. Soup was disgusting. Curry was... Just nothing. Some substance that has no taste.
(1)Bobby B.
Came here tonight for dinner. For an appetizer, we ordered the spring rolls (fried). Loved it! For entrees, I ordered the Hawaiian Pineapple Fried Rice and the wife ordered the Pad See Ew. My fried rice was just okay. She liked her order but we both had better elsewhere. Staff was nice and food came out quickly. Overall: C
(3)Kanani K.
My bestie and I had a great dining experience here last week. I had seen their reviews and wanted to check them out. We were not disappointed. From the service to the food, everything was great! The girls here are so sweet and welcoming. We had my toddler with us and they were so accommodating--talking and playing with him & making sure he was having fun. Since he was with us we had to order the food mild, but the seasoning and other fresh ingredients hardly made you miss the heat. Their Tom kha gai was delish, pad thai was definitely yummy and the larb beef was so fresh and tasty! Overall, awesome food and service...we'll be back for sure!
(4)Danielle O.
Place was recommended. First time for me to have Thai food and it was good. The combo appetizer was good. The main dish was ok. Pricing was good for the area. Location is hard to find and the staff was great. Clean, nice, and ok food. The BYOB is great.
(3)Jeremy K.
This place was recommended by a local who was bar tending at a restaurant down the street. He told us to try this place and also the Aloha Mixed Plate (very good as well) and recommended a couple dishes. He couldn't have been more correct! When we got to the restaurant I mentioned his name and the server obviously knew him well because she pointed out the items that he liked the most. I decided to try the Green Papaya Salad even though I didn't know what I was getting into. Well, all I can say is it was DELICIOUS! As a matter of fact, everything there was excellent! The server who recommended this place also told me that you can bring your own alcohol into the restaurant. I didn't feel comfortable with this being a tourist but after my experience there I will definitely do it next time. The family next to us rolled in with a cooler full of beers and wine and nobody blinked an eye about it. If you want fancy atmosphere this is not the place for you. This is a whole in the wall but the food is fantastic! If you like Thai food at all I highly recommend this place. I will visit again next time I'm in Maui.
(5)Maui E.
Great place for vegetarians & vegans! Meat eaters rejoice too! Great prices for authentic Thai cuisine! The service not so great! I go there very often & the servers act like they've never seen me every time. I go at least twice a week so, don't take it personal they aren't very friendly.
(5)Cali S.
Delicious, affordable, BYOB friendly! Servers are awesome and the food is fresh and so tasty. Ate there two nights in a row. Tom kha, pad se yew, and red curry. Also, get the mango coconut sticky rice for desert.
(5)Kim T.
My partner and I had the Tom Yum with chicken and the shrimp peanut curry. We ordered it a medium spice. The flavor on both was fantastic, but be prepared as their medium is about a 4-5 star. After a bit of coughing, we adapted and finished every last drop. We both like spicy food and would order a medium again. This is BYOB, so grab some local beer or sale from the Foodland next door!
(5)Lisa B.
Best Thai food on Maui!!! We love this place and went there 3 times in the last couple weeks. Rose is always there and makes you feel welcome. Its a BYOB place and they'll give you ice and set you up to enjoy whatever beverage you decide on. The prices are reasonable and the food is delicious. We've had tons of things on the menu and have a goal of trying it all! Our guests and friends and family have all enjoyed. Its small and intimate and it's where the locals go. When your'e tired of resort food - go here. Yummy!
(5)Tera Paleka P.
Ordered take-out. When I arrived I liked the small "hole in the wall" feel. But the girl who took my order over the phone was rude once I arrived. My order was well over $100 and I was excited to get home to try this new Thai place I found. I have to say, I was not impressed. While the curry's were good, the fried fish, noodles & small serving sizes did not equal to the other Thai places in Kahului & Kihei. I wasn't happy. Sorry Thai Chef. I was so looking forward to loving you.. Bummer...
(3)Mike H.
I was just on a trip to Maui (10-12-2009) and on a Zipline tour, we were talking to one of our guides Tim and he told us we had to try this Restaurant. The next day 4 of us went and it was the best Thai food ever and the staff was the best. I will be back and have told friends about it already. See you soon.
(5)ister l.
Don't waste your money here. We went here with our friends and were disappointed. The service was bad, rude waitress. The food waa bad, tom yum soup had too much fish sauce, pad thai noodle burned; kinda bad to mess up your main dish. On top of all this, they had the nerve to calculate the tips on after tax total. Rip off.
(1)Saurin S.
Excellent restaurant even by San Francisco standards. Second time we are eating here. Loved the pad Thai and curry. Perfect for vegetarians.
(4)Michael H.
My wife and I were very disappointed with the food. The Thai food that we get in Roseburg, Oregon is significantly better than the food served at the Thai Chef Restaurant. The spring rolls were no better than the frozen ones that I purchase at Costco and the Pad Thai was mushy and unappetizing. In addition, the helpings were much smaller than I am used to, especially for the price paid. We would definitely not go back to the Thai Chef Restaurant.
(1)P J.
Finally found a good place to eat in Maui...especially for vegetarian food!!! The service was great. Very attentive staff. The soup was quite spicy but the rest of the food was very flavorful and tasty. This place was recommended by a local and I can see why...it's not a tourist trap with high prices and crappy food/service. I will eat several meals here during my stay especially given the quality of food in this area that I have experienced for the last 3 days.
(4)Nathan V.
I really like Thai Chef. However, people take note: 1) If you are from NYC, Seattle, SF, LA, ect you won't be blown away. 2) It can be tough to find (behind Foodland in Lahaina) and 3) they don't have their own restrooms (they share with the public 1-stall restroom on the side of the strip mall across the street). 4) It's small; they have maybe 9 tables so you may need to wait awhile. 5) They don't take AMEX, or have Phad Kee Mao, so don't ask. That being said, their currys and fried rice are good. It's BYOB so you can stock up at Foodland and bring it with if that's your thing. Oh. One last note: When they say spicy they mean it. If in any doubt about your tolerance to pain, get medium. I usually get spicy at other places and got it once here - when I had the flu to boot - and I could barely eat it!
(3)Art S.
I wish I could give Thai Chef a higher rating but I just can't! I have eaten here a couple of times and I just find many of their dishes really bland! I guess I'm spoiled by having a number of great Thai places in the bay area and having spent time in Bangkok. You definitely have to know where Thai Chef is to find it. As a result, it's definitely more of a "local" place than a tourist place. The last time we we were here, there were a number of locals eating who seem to go there quite often. I'm really not familiar with any other Thai places around so I guess this could lead to the loyal following. Like I said early, I had higher expectations and unfortunately they weren't met. The service is good but the food is average. Mahalo...
(2)Anita J.
One of the best recommendations my husband and I got while in Maui. We had tried about all the must try restaurants and had tons of the local flavor food -- we just wanted to have something where we didn't feel obligated to have seafood! Thai Chef came recommended from a local who said it was the best Thai in Maui. I would have to agree it was really good, it's not fancy place so can't compare to places in NYC like Spice or Siam Inn but it was way better than any fast food Thai. Service was good, we had a short wait and the food was brought out prompty. My next trip to Maui I will definitely keep this on my list of places to eat at.
(4)Glenn H.
Friendly, fast service, and great food.
(5)Ryan K.
The snapper was succulent and the masaman curry was fantastic. Papaya salad was delicious. Service was friendly. The only downside was that the atmosphere is very basic.
(4)Chrissy P.
If you're more into food than the scenary, this is the place! Wonderful food, great prices (especially for HI), and friendly service. Don't forget to bring a bottle or two of wine for a small corkage fee.
(5)Antoinette T.
I'm so in love with this restaurant that I almost don't want to write this RAVEand let everyone in on one of the best kept secrets in Lahaina. It is no secret to the locals tho.. and like Helen S. says.. you'll see locals coming in all night for take out. The BEST Thai food on Maui, hands down, they've even awarded this honor by the Maui community for many years (there are plaques hanging on the walls attesting to them). I've been eating here for about 6 years now and I would have been there sooner if I had known I liked Thai food (I'd never had it before). It is family owned and operated and very small and can be hard to find. Every time I go home to Maui this is one of the places i HAVE to eat at. Their Honey Lemon chicken is so tasty that I have to restrain myself from licking the sticky sweet sauce off my plate. The pad thai is amazing and so is the chicken satay, summer rolls (to DIE for!!!) and EVERYTHING else they make. They don't take reservations and the restaurant is very small so you may have to wait for a long time but it is totally worth it... don't fall for the tourtist traps across the street... eat HERE!
(5)Philip W.
Perhaps I am biased considering my wife's family is Thai, but we were very underwhelmed by Thai Chef. When you go to an Asian restaurant and they do not speak the language, you wonder how good and authentic the food will be. We ordered Panang and Massaman Curries, Papaya Salad and Todmun (Fish Patties). Nothing was horrible, but only the Papaya Salad was close to being good. Service was okay. Bathrooms are not in the restaurant, but outside across the parking lot. I would not recommend to anyone experienced with Thai food. We will not be returning.
(2)Buiyaa B.
...we've been here a couple of times and really like it. The food is very tasty and they get the spice level just right. The papaya salad, yellow curry, and pad Thai is what we usually order. The service is good but location can be difficult to find if it's your first time in lahaina.
(4)Emery W.
Very good food and service. I ordered the yellow curry fish and red spicy calamari. Both dishes were delicious. Probably the best meal I had while I was in Lahaina. I'd definitely eat here again.
(4)Jenny L.
I live in Manhattan, where excellent, cheap Thai food is available everywhere. This definitely was up to par - summer rolls, amazing, amazing penang curry, and delicious tofu and eggplant in basil. Just so yummy - I wanted to go again the 2nd night!
(4)Thomas H.
We have been coming to Thai Chef for 25+ years. This family owned and run restaurant offers the best and authenticThai food. It is consistently outstanding and the first place we come to when we drive in Maui (2 to 3 times a year).
(5)Sim M.
Not too impressed with Thai Chef in Maui. The fresh rolls were ok but the curries( yellow + Massaman) were bland and diluted for my taste. We ordered everything medium which was more like mild. The staff is not friendly and the restaurant was kinda hot inside. All in all, not recommended!
(2)Mike H.
I was just on a trip to Maui (10-12-2009) and on a Zipline tour, we were talking to one of our guides Tim and he told us we had to try this Restaurant. The next day 4 of us went and it was the best Thai food ever and the staff was the best. I will be back and have told friends about it already. See you soon.
(5)ister l.
Don't waste your money here. We went here with our friends and were disappointed. The service was bad, rude waitress. The food waa bad, tom yum soup had too much fish sauce, pad thai noodle burned; kinda bad to mess up your main dish. On top of all this, they had the nerve to calculate the tips on after tax total. Rip off.
(1)Saurin S.
Excellent restaurant even by San Francisco standards. Second time we are eating here. Loved the pad Thai and curry. Perfect for vegetarians.
(4)Michael H.
My wife and I were very disappointed with the food. The Thai food that we get in Roseburg, Oregon is significantly better than the food served at the Thai Chef Restaurant. The spring rolls were no better than the frozen ones that I purchase at Costco and the Pad Thai was mushy and unappetizing. In addition, the helpings were much smaller than I am used to, especially for the price paid. We would definitely not go back to the Thai Chef Restaurant.
(1)P J.
Finally found a good place to eat in Maui...especially for vegetarian food!!! The service was great. Very attentive staff. The soup was quite spicy but the rest of the food was very flavorful and tasty. This place was recommended by a local and I can see why...it's not a tourist trap with high prices and crappy food/service. I will eat several meals here during my stay especially given the quality of food in this area that I have experienced for the last 3 days.
(4)Nathan V.
I really like Thai Chef. However, people take note: 1) If you are from NYC, Seattle, SF, LA, ect you won't be blown away. 2) It can be tough to find (behind Foodland in Lahaina) and 3) they don't have their own restrooms (they share with the public 1-stall restroom on the side of the strip mall across the street). 4) It's small; they have maybe 9 tables so you may need to wait awhile. 5) They don't take AMEX, or have Phad Kee Mao, so don't ask. That being said, their currys and fried rice are good. It's BYOB so you can stock up at Foodland and bring it with if that's your thing. Oh. One last note: When they say spicy they mean it. If in any doubt about your tolerance to pain, get medium. I usually get spicy at other places and got it once here - when I had the flu to boot - and I could barely eat it!
(3)Art S.
I wish I could give Thai Chef a higher rating but I just can't! I have eaten here a couple of times and I just find many of their dishes really bland! I guess I'm spoiled by having a number of great Thai places in the bay area and having spent time in Bangkok. You definitely have to know where Thai Chef is to find it. As a result, it's definitely more of a "local" place than a tourist place. The last time we we were here, there were a number of locals eating who seem to go there quite often. I'm really not familiar with any other Thai places around so I guess this could lead to the loyal following. Like I said early, I had higher expectations and unfortunately they weren't met. The service is good but the food is average. Mahalo...
(2)Anita J.
One of the best recommendations my husband and I got while in Maui. We had tried about all the must try restaurants and had tons of the local flavor food -- we just wanted to have something where we didn't feel obligated to have seafood! Thai Chef came recommended from a local who said it was the best Thai in Maui. I would have to agree it was really good, it's not fancy place so can't compare to places in NYC like Spice or Siam Inn but it was way better than any fast food Thai. Service was good, we had a short wait and the food was brought out prompty. My next trip to Maui I will definitely keep this on my list of places to eat at.
(4)Glenn H.
Friendly, fast service, and great food.
(5)Ryan K.
The snapper was succulent and the masaman curry was fantastic. Papaya salad was delicious. Service was friendly. The only downside was that the atmosphere is very basic.
(4)Chrissy P.
If you're more into food than the scenary, this is the place! Wonderful food, great prices (especially for HI), and friendly service. Don't forget to bring a bottle or two of wine for a small corkage fee.
(5)Dan M.
Food here is amazing! If you are in Maui and looking to mix it up eat here. Service is amazing, food is fresh and authentic.
(5)V S.
Very average. After all the glowing reviews, we were disappointed. The summer rolls are nothing special. We had garlic prawn...good. and the sweet and sour..ok. gluten free is a challenge and that's not usually a problem at thai restaurants.
(2)markus a.
Good consistent quality and portions. I've been coming here for the past 8 years, the last time was four years ago. Same family wait staff. Service has improved since the last visit, as the Yelp factor and little competition have promoted higher standards.
(4)Jay W.
This place is great. I had the green curry, very good, spicy enough, and tasty. This place seems pretty traditional to me, but I don't really consider myself a Thai expert. We had to wait about 15 minutes outside for a table because the place is very small. Worth the wait. Servers were helpful, and we needed it as some of our group had never had Thai food before and there were a lot of questions. Also very friendly. Food came out pretty quickly, and was delicious. I forget what the vegetarian among us ordered, but she was happy with her food as well.
(4)Anita C.
I've been here a handful of times already and I love this place! It's close by my job and they serve tasty food! For lunch, they are only open till 2pm so make sure you go before that. I usually get the beef pad thai, which is super yummy and they are not cheap with the meat! It's been hard for me to find good pad thai here on the islands (O'ahu in particular), but this place has me craving for it, so it is that good! I've tried the yellow and green curries and both are very tasty. Oh, and their thai ice tea is a must order too! They get quite busy for dinner since it's a small place, so go early or later, or call for pick up. It'll be cool if they take the iDcard ( islediscount.com ) cuz then I'll come at least once a week!
(5)Jim H.
We went here today and I thought both the food and service were good, a cut above most of the restaurants here. Prices were also reasonable.
(5)Jason P.
After coming here last year, and finding out it was closed the week that we went, we knew we had to come back. This time we came, the place was completely packed. We let the host know that we would wait for a table, which took about 20-25 minutes to seat us. A table (4 person table) or two did become available before we were seated, but the host did not want to seat us, just in case a larger party came in. By the time we were seated, several other tables had cleared out and throughout our meal, that 4-person table was never occupied. It left me in a disgruntled mood. I do understand they are running a business and want to try to make the most that they can, but they have to understand that they are also performing a service for their patrons. The decor of the restaurant is very simple and unappealing. Almost a bit boring. Table service was average, the waiter did come by to refill our glasses of water, but I would have liked for him to actually come by at other times to check up on us. I ordered the Chaing Mai Larb ($10.95) spicy with choice of chicken, beef, or pork. Chaing Mai Larb is minced meat that is grilled and then tossed with fish sauce, mint leaves, onions, bean sprouts, and cilantro in spices. I opted for ground pork, and boy oh boy, I have to say although this dish was refreshing, it also had a lot of heat. If you're a casual spice eater, I either recommend passing on this dish or asking for it not spicy. Served on the side was shredded cabbage which sort of felt like it didn't belong. Perhaps mixing the two together would have helped to cool things down and add texture all at the same time. The Thai Chow Fun (Pad See Eew) ($11.95) consisting of wide flat rice noodles with egg, broccoli, carrot, bean sprout, and green onion pan fried in garlic black pepper soy sauce with choice of chicken or beef. We opted for beef. The pad see eew was your typical run-of-the-mill dish. The noodles were tender and soft, not sticking together, and they all had decent coverage from the sauce which was tasty. The only negative of this dish, was that we both found the beef to be tough and chewy, and it also didn't absorb a lot of the sweet flavor that pad see eew is known for. A bit of a disappointment. Thai Chef is definitely up on the fence for me. Out of the two dishes we tried, one was good while the other was not so favorable. Because the food had put Thai Chef on a level playing field, I had to consider the long wait time without the host ever coming out to let us know why we weren't going to be seated, the unattractive decor, and somewhat lacking table service. Because of this, I can only give Thai Chef 3 stars.
(3)Arvind L.
Awesome Thai food, rich in flavor, different in a good way from the Thai food that i get to taste in the SF bay area Very good quick service with a smile. They do not serve any alcoholic drinks, but they allow you to get them from outside ;)
(4)Linda B.
I love me some sticky rice! Im thousand miles away from home and one thing i miss is sticky rice. It was awesome to come upon a Thai restaurant. I had the pork larp and spring rolls was to die for. I will surely return when i have my cravings for some Sticky rice!... Great food and service!
(4)Raju P.
Very tasty food, very nice flavor... Will definitely recommend to fellow vegetarians for sure...
(4)Karthik J.
We ordered take out food from here. The food was delicious, especially at the end of a long day. We ordered the coconut soup, fried rice and green curry. All were vegetarian entrees. One of the people working at the restaurant delivered the food to our car while we were waiting. They had a pleasant demeanor.
(4)Jay S.
Another amazing meal at Thai Chef...been eating here since 1994. Sometimes it seems that much better. I love most things on the menu. Tonight i had the Penang curry extra hot just the way I like it. Awesome! Other good picks, crispy Cornish game hen, evil prince, massaman curry. Also love mango and sweet coconut sticky rice for dessert. Check em out!
(5)Scout S.
Really enjoyed lunch here. Would definitely recommend this place if you're in the mood for Thai food. They have a huge vegetarian selection which is especially great for non-seafood eaters! We had the basil chicken and green curry both of which were pretty good. The sauce in the green curry has eggplants in it so if you're not an eggplant fan, you may not want it. We ordered both dishes mild and they came out not spicy but flavorful. They have their own parking lot so that makes it convenient as well.
(4)Amber H.
As I sit here in Honolulu on the hunt for good Thai food I can't help but reminisce about my first Thai experience at Thai Chef which has opened me up to a world of food I never knew I loved. From the first time I tried it I was hooked. It's a small place and it's best to call ahead and put your name in as it is a popular local spot but I can say I truly miss this place all the time. As much as the Thai food here is good, nothing compares to the lobster curry I used to get here. So much so I wouldn't even bother ordering anything different unless we went to share family style because this dish is simply too good to share. It's byob. They can throw your beer in the fridge and Rose is an awesome chick that I always looked forward to seeing. Since this was my first Thai experience and I used to order my food here medium and it was always a good water chugging induced amount of spiciness I have continued to order my food out here medium but none of it lives up to the nice spicy flavors that Thai Chef had. I miss this place and can't wait for my next visit back to get some!
(5)Matt K.
Unfortunately the locals and yelp steered me wrong. This review is based on two soups(Tom yum, coconut), pad Thai (you gotta get pad thai at a Thai restaurant it's the best way to judge), Thai red snapper and cashew chicken. The food lacked flavors we are used to in the states in many locations and wasn't spicy like they claimed. The food was pretty bland without a lot flavor. The service was good and the place was packed (it is small). Bring your own beer or wine as they don't serve ETOH. The service was great, just wish the food was better. 2.5 stars
(2)Krissy W.
Best Thai food I've ever had great staff, super personable and delightful. Seats 25 people! Get there early.
(5)Andrew C.
I've had Thai food in dozens of restaurants from California to Hawaii but unfortunately, I have to report, that this one rates dead last. We ordered 3 dishes; The Thai Yellow Curry was absolutely tasteless. They were nice enough to take it back and try to "improve it" but it returned just as flat. The Eggplant was dry and dull and the Pad Thai was under cooked (think al dente pasta) and missing some of the classic Pad Thai ingredients which give it it's full flavor and depth.
(1)Michael A.
The food here is tasty. I was hungry, and now I'm full and satisfied. If you're looking for good food to go, definitely check this place out. The service was friendly and the food came out very quickly! So, why 3 stars? I'm a Thai food fanatic. It's my favorite cuisine to eat "out", so needless to say, I'm very particular. As Thai food goes, this place just doesn't measure up. It may be because we're in Hawaii, but the authentic Thai flavors just weren't there. I've had thousands of Green Curry's, and this was the worst. It was still good, like I said above, but it didn't taste anything like Thai curry. It tasted almost like a creamy butter sauce with chicken. Very little coconut milk, and almost no curry seasoning. There were no bay leaves or green peppers. These 4 ingredients MUST be prominent to make an authentic green curry. Also, the Pad Thai was much too sweet. Like I said, it was good...almost reminded me of Chinese take-out...but it wasn't Thai. The summer rolls are very fresh. They aren't fried and they're wrapped in rice paper. My wife didn't care for it...the cilantro was overbearing for her, and she likes her egg rolls fried. But, personally, I liked them :) Lastly, the Pad See Yew was bland. It didn't pack that classic Thai punch of flavor it normally does. I still ate the whole thing, so it was tasty, but it wasn't authentic. If you want good take-out food, grab some. If you want authentic "Thai" food, don't grab some.
(3)Zoe N.
On a Thai food kick right now and this place is one of the best on the island that I have tried. Their sticky rice is to die for!
(5)Shalin P.
My wife and I love Thai food, but we are usually pretty skeptical of Thai restaurants in beach destinations. However, we saw that Thai Chef had some pretty good reviews so we rolled on by for lunch one day. The location is in back of the strip mall (facing away from the ocean). They validate for up to 2 hours. It's a tiny place, and had a pretty good crowd when we were there. We started out with the spring rolls (4 for $7.50). My wife had the tofu pad thai and I had the chicken fried rice. While it certainly didn't taste as good as our favorite Thai restaurants, it satisfied the craving. I would say it had more of a Chinese flavor than a Thai flavor. I would give it 3.5 stars. We followed up the spiciness with some Ululani Shave Ice and made it a great afternoon in paradise.
(3)Jhunn T.
We Came here last week for a quick Dinner, The place is packed and they don't have waiting room you have to wait outside well good thing it's a Hawaiian islands and The weather is okay outside. We've waited for 15 minutes not bad, The Yellow Curry Beef is screaming with Flavor and we teamed it up with This Fried Rice and salad. The People there are Happy; I would eat that Yellow Beef Curry with Just plain Jasmine Rice. My over all experience that night is great.
(4)Danielle H.
Food wise, I love this place... PLUS it's BYOB! We always get the coconut chicken soup and a curry to share and they actually know how to make it spicy enough for us, as most Thai and Indian restaurants can't seem to get it when we request very spicy and our food comes out mild at most. The only reason it's missing its fifth star is the seating. If they're busy you very well may be seated at a table with strangers which can make for a less than romantic experience.
(4)joey s.
Just had dinner here with my gf (who is very much Thai) .. and with this visit I realize I have better experiences looking for ~3.5star rated places on Yelp. I realize "American" taste preferences are the majority so it makes sense that places receive 4-5 stars from people who don't have an authentic Asian taste preference. This place serves up authentic and very tasty Thai food. Their medium spicy level is exactly what I always look for--flavor & spice, without the overwhelming burn. We ordered Spicy Seafood soup, Pineapple Curry, and Thai Garlic Chicken. All medium spicy. The servers were nice and made sure our waters were full. I can't believe Aloha Mixed Plate has higher ratings than this place. It's instances like these (which happen all the time) that I wish for a Yelp that caters to a more Asian preference. No disrespect intended so don't get butt-hurt, k? :) My GPS took me to Front Street, but it didn't take me into the shopping plaza where this restaurant is located.
(5)Alex B.
Your average Thai restaurant. The food was good, but not mind-blowing. Good in a pinch if you're looking for quick dinner next to the Maui Theatre.
(3)Tiger F.
I've eaten here years ago and recall the food was much better than tonight's experience. The house was full of about half repeat locals and the remainder tourists. We started with an app called "combo pate" which was really greasy, couldn't eat it. Som tam was bland and about half shredded cabbage. Soup was flat without much flavor. After tasting our cokes, they must have shut off the CO2 and cut the syrup in half because it was bad. It just gets worse from here, our black bean pink snapper barely had black beans and was not seasoned. We had to add our own salt. The red curry chicken tasted like my feeble attempt at curry, you know open the can of coconut milk and add the packaged curry from the grocery store international food aisle. Couldn't taste any thing else in the curry, very flat. Had to add salt to this dish too. The sticky rice wasn't sticky. We ordered our food spicy. Judging from the type of chili used, it is doubtful Thai chilis were used. Tasted like ground up red chili flakes you get at the local pizza joint. Service was poor. Yes the server took our order and delivered the food nothing more, period. To summarize, this place is awful. It is apparent that shortcuts are taken to maximize profits. We don't mind paying $13.95 for a dish but the price point at this place is nowhere near where it ought to be. Service is AWOL. This is a tourist town, eat somewhere else and be happy. For the folks that rated this place above 3, you all must have been there on a good night or gotten a different cook and server.
(1)Jefferson W.
We picked up dinner from there a week or so ago, and it was great. We've gotten food from there many times before, and it's never disappointed. Veggie Spring Rolls, Pad Thai Tofu, Matsaman Curry. We like to call ahead so it's ready when we get there. They are usually busy. If you like Thai food and find yourself in Lahaina you should check it out. I've been to lots of Thai food places and this is one of the best.
(5)Bill B.
great atmosphere. Run by a great Thai woman. food is good and at a reasonable price.
(5)Vida A.
awesome thai food, everything is great on the menu. Service is ok, for coming here as much as i do and bringing people here, not very personable. BYOB too! It gets packed and you might have to wait but well worth it.
(4)Jon T.
A friend asked the hotel concierge where the best thai food was on Maui. They recommended this restaurant in Lahaina. The location was tucked away a nearby strip mall and hard to find. The place wasn't very busy and two employees where waiting on us and another table. We ordered our dishes and they came out within a reasonable amount of time. The presentation of the dishes seemed like something served from a diner. The flavors were bland and vegetables were pretty non-existent. (we were thinking it was a common theme around the island with not much fresh vegetables) I guess if you come to Maui, order the Hawaiian food and not Thai. Although, the food at Mama's Fish house in Paia, HI On maui is the freshest and best! I'll stick to the best Thai food in the Greater Seattle area.
(1)Amber Q.
This is only based on my one time experience + the one dish I split. Came in and a couple of people were seated. Ordered the spicy garlic shrimp dish (with extra steamed broccoli) and a drink. The dish was alright but the total came out over $21. Even though it's Hawaii, the price + quality of the dish didn't really add up. I'm a thai food addict and nothing here wowed me. In addition, the servers kind of made me feel awkward. I srsly wanted to give this a 4 star or more, but I couldn't. D; Oh yeah, the rice was epic fail. If you dipped your chopstick into it, it would crumble like the Ottoman Empire. This restaurant made me truly appreciate the one in burbank back home. /sobsob
(3)Jason J.
Just had their food last night it was amazing ! I've been to Maui a few times and I wish I wouldn't have waited this long to go there ! If you like Thai food definitely check it out !
(5)M K.
So many reviewers stated this to be the best Thai food they ever had. Well, then they have had some aweful past experiences with this cuisine because this place is less than mediocre. Food is the biggest disappointment but the wait staff's perfunctory attitude is not far behind. YUCK.
(1)Gabriella M.
I loved this place when I was living in Maui! Came often and they even new my order and name ha! Gotta love that personal-able customer service Fav dishes : Pad thai with chicken Radnar with beef All the curries any which way lol Beef steak
(5)Jeanette S.
I have to say I know my Thai food :-) I eat it whenever I can, and I cook it too!! After taking a super Thai Cooking course with published Tahi chef, Kasma Loha unchit, in Berkley California, I will say I know a lot more about Thai food than before. I used to just like it, now I understand it. The jasmine rice here is really steamed!! As in baskets over water steamed!! So good, I have to get my basket back, (I am storing it in Stockholm after a move). They get better with use, so I don't wanna buy a new one. The curry is also very authentic, I don't know were the Chinese food taste is, that some reviewer mentioned. We did a take out, and didn't try any desserts. But you will certainly get authentic Thai food here!! Well done!
(4)Christina L.
Great Thai food!! I love thai food and this place is exponentially better than back home. We were blown away, and have already eaten here twice.
(5)Beth C.
This place was hard to find as it's hidden behind Front St. The food Kung Pau (my spelling is horrible but hopefully you get the gist) Shrimp was good. I'm not a big fan of this type food as I am not exposed to it often. I wanted to try it while here in Maui and it was a good meal.
(3)Jeremy K.
meh....it was ok....wasen't anything to make me want to come back. One dish with the curry fish was too coconuty and didn't have that wow factor. The other dish we had I can't even remember cuz its that boring
(3)Kris L.
Tofu Pad Thai was awful. I couldn't eat.. it tasted weird. And it's hard to find, too - It's located behind the store fronts on Front Street.
(1)Monique C.
Foods kinda bland...I know right..kinda hard to do with Thai food. The service/hostess is rude. blah blah..def not a place to write home about. I guess i'll eat there if im starving.
(2)Teresa C.
We came here Christmas Eve and had a great meal. The pad thai, chicken curry, hot and sour soup were all very good. Love that you can BYOB. Maui's food prices can get very high so it's nice to get a great meal and not break the bank. Try the hot chai tea ( yummy)
(5)Michael K.
I ate dinner here twice during my three-week vacation on Maui. My wife was willing to come back, so that says something for the place, since she is not partial to Thai food. I tried the Tom Kha Gai soup for two, which was excellent. Also had the Spicy Fried Opakapaka (red snapper), the Red Curry Shrimp, as well as Green Curry Shrimp, Pineapple Fried Rice w/chicken, and the Thai sticky rice. Perhaps not the best Thai I've ever had, but quite good, and at reasonable prices. Medium-spice was just the right amount of heat for me. Service was pleasant and relaxed. They offered to keep my beer cold in their fridge while I ate. The evening's entertainment for everyone in the restaurant was provided by a fat, drunk, obnoxious couple of NY tourists who disrupted everyone's dinner with loud, off-color jokes. Example: "What do New Yawkers call drivers from Boston? A-holes! Haw haw haw!" Sheesh.
(4)Amit B.
After making the drive to hana, this place was heaven. Not "fingering licking" good, but it does the work. We ordered about 5 dishes (spicy tofu, eggplant tofu, yellow curry, red curry, beef broccoli, pad thai) between 5 people and got spring rolls. Being from San Francisco, the food wasn't impressive, but we were all so hungry that we just ate it. Its a nice, small place and the staff is really friendly. One tip: The place doesn't serve alcohol, so my suggestion is to go across to the ABC store and get some beer, wine or even some hard stuff. They don't mind you bringing in alcohol. If you are looking for something different and quick, then go to this place.
(3)Alan K.
Ok. So I understand good service is a rare comodity in Maui -- at least this trip, so good service is worth a star. We tried this place because others said it was good. The bay area folks said this was not good Thai but I tried it anyway. Don't. If you are from the Midwest and don't have good Thai then this may be ok to go to. I was born there and they don't know from good Thai. At least in pgh. But if you have ever had good Thai then this will not work. The menu said that the food was spicy but it had no heat from what I could tell or my partner could tell. None zippo nada -- except for what was on the table in the jar -- which I was grateful for. The pad Thai was way too sweet, mushy and served not at temperature -- like it was precooked. The appetizers were way too greasy, too. My partner was glad that his cashew chicken had no taste because (and I quote) "at least it didn't taste bad". I would hate to be a professiinal critic, because It seems like a jerk would give this review, but this was the our experience. Hope yours is better!
(1)Diana A.
I have to start off by saying I am Mexican and therefore eat hot and spicy food daily. I went to Thai Chef a couple of weeks ago and the server told us the medium heat food was a "6 out of 10" in spicy. We decided to try the medium heat pad thai. When it arrived, I tried it and was unable to eat it. The server showed very poor customer service when we let her know we were unable to eat our dinner because it was too spicy she replied by stating that yes indeed their food is very hot. She did not offer to replace our food or any other compensation. Would not recommend this place, there are many other excellent restaurants in Lahaina to dine at.
(1)Garri T.
Food was great. Chicken Pad Thai was amazing. The only thing I would change is a better staff. No personality
(4)M M.
If you like it hot, this is the place to go! We've had dinner here a couple of times and it's one of the best Thai experiences we've had. Wish it was around the corner from my house. Plenty of non-meat choices. Everything explodes with flavor. Papaya salad is the best. If you've never had it, give it a try. If you order it spicy, get ready to experience fire! This place is located in a shopping center off Front Street. You won't have a view but you won't be packed in with a bunch of loud tourists. Staff is very friendly and laid back. they know most of the clientele. It's just a cool little local place. Not expensive and it's a BYO, so you can bring a bottle of wine or a couple of beers to cool your palate.
(5)Mark G.
What's with all the hatin', Yelpers ? You know that Yelp is the only place with so much hating on this place. Not sure why? Anyway, just rated this #1 on MauiGuidebook.com and I wrote the article and won't apologize for a second; here is what I said: Frequently packed with regulars (and visitors in the know.) Decent Thai food at affordable prices. While I definitely wouldn't call it a "take-out-joint", they do plenty of take-out business. Thai Chef is a small, quaint, inexpensive family-owned restaurant. Focused on catering to the local residents, the atmosphere is cozy, and most definitely not touristy. The service here is fast and friendly. All the staff usually act as a team, so one being bogged down won't slow the food coming out to your table. Thai Chef has won many readers-choice and critic awards & accolades over the years, including as recently as this year (2010.) Now, if you're looking for fancy-schmancy metropolitan ambiance, or a high-end resort themed joint, this isn't it. A peppering of online reviewers complained about silly things like the style of the flooring, the bathroom location (outside), or were wrapped around pretense that the cuisine isn't world-class like [insert all the Thai joints they like in their home town.] Please, Mr. Pretentious, get a grip - this is an inexpensive take-out/eat-in/BYOB Thai joint - walking in here expecting elegant ambiance or sophisticated culinary excesses is your "faux pas", not Thai Chef's. Now, on to the food! In a word: delicious! Standards like Pad Thai and hot & sour soup are really a treat - but you can certainly feel free to explore. Crab yellow curry and Thai red pineapple curry are delish. Check out their extensive menu (links to photos above.) Oh, and when they say "hot" they *really* mean it. (Most folks who like hot food will be well satisfied ordering medium-spicy.) Thai Chef also has an extensive vegetarian menu, and since they make the food to order, they can substitute tofu, or otherwise make virtually any of the dishes without meat. The location is a bit off the main drag, and has been reported difficult to find by those who haven't been there before. Hint: go around to the rear of the complex (it is not on the Front Street side as the address suggests.)
(5)Sofie P.
MM! Delicious! We went for lunch and almost went back for dinner the same day. Decor is lacking, outdated... basically old. Located in the corner of a strip mall. Food is awesome!! We ordered the red curry and pad thai. Both excellent. Flavorful, packed with flavor. Hope to return when I go there again someday. 4.5 stars, rounded down b/c of the decor.
(4)Jyoti C.
Definitely did not impress me! I have had a lot of Thai food and I really had high expectations..but the food was really just average..The service was great but food, ehh I really have had better.
(2)Krish S.
Went to Thai chef before leaving Maui. Didn't expect it to be that good. Had fried rice, Tom kha soup and spring rolls. Fried rice was terrific. A must go place
(5)Nerissa A.
I love thai food, and its all because of this place! I get the yellow curry every time, and it is so good. I also love the house salad with the egg dressing as well. the only reason i did not give it 5 stars is that the area is small and you can here everyones conversations.
(4)J H.
Good food and friendly service. This is not a touristy place, which is nice. There seemed to be a lot of locals there enjoying their food...so you know it's gotta be good!
(4)Wog W.
Delicious across the board. All 7 of us enjoyed everything despite very different palates and tastes (& spice preferences). Great prices for Maui as well. BYOB and hard to find-it's next to the KFC.
(5)Jim T.
I spend about half my time in Maui and the other half in San Francisco. So I know good Thai food (san francisco has some great restaurants). While I won't say Thai Chef is up there with the best thai restaurants I've ever been to... it's very good, and for Maui, that's impressive. Particularly since it's relatively inexpensive for Maui (yes, of course, it's more than that thai place in L.A... have you seen _anything_ here that's cheaper than L.A.?). The Red Pineapple Curry is my favorite, but most of the dishes I've had here have been great. It's BYOB, so bring a great bottle of wine and enjoy it without the usual restaurant markup or corkage fee. It is small and homey, although I'm used to SF restaurants, so small is not really a problem. The service is a bit slow when they're packed... but whatever. You're in Maui, relax. If it's that big of a deal, order it to go, and take it to the beach. Overall this is one of my favorite restaurants on Maui. It's one of the first places I take visitors when they're here. My other favorites are Sansei and Roy's, which are different experiences for sure. But Thai Chef is inexpensive enough that you can eat there on a regular basis.
(5)Danny G.
I'm from Los Angeles and was visiting Lahaina with my wife. We had been seeing ads and flyers saying this place had won awards for best Thai food in Maui, so we decided to try. The restaurant was on the small side and packed, but we were seated shortly after we arrived. Once we were seated, service was slow and unmemorable, but the food was definitely memorable--it was such a let down. My Thai Iced Tea was overly sweet. The Pad Thai was also overly sweet and the noodles were overcooked and somewhat mushy. My wife's panang curry with tofu was not very flavorful (although I really liked the texture of the tofu). Thai Chef is a place to grab a bite if you just have to satisfy your Thai craving but are too lazy to drive outside Lahaina. If you want better Thai, look in Kahului.
(2)Nerd A.
What is Evil Prince Tofu? I'm still not quite sure but Thai Chef Restaurant has it and its awesome. Myself, my-exboyfriend, and my stepsister struggled to find places that had a wide array of vegetarian options in Maui but Thai Chef was a place where it was easy to find all kinds of great dishes. All the food was delicious and the meat eating part of the family was happy to eat all of flavorful tofu dishes as well. A word to wise would be that the food here is really spicy so don't expect watered down spice here! For vegetarians and meat eaters alike Thai Chef is an oasis of relaxing good food in a sea of touristy joints.
(4)Angela T.
This place is the best Thai restaurant I've ever been too!! and trust me I've tried alot of places... I look forward to coming back here every time I'm in Maui! I love that it's small and a FAMILY RUN business. They are always so nice and always remember what me and family like when we come in... even if it's been awhile! My favs are the summer rolls (the fresh ones), the pad Thai is always perfect (I never had soggy pad Thai here), the garlic chicken and honey lemon chicken are awesome and you must have the Thai ice tea with all that wonderful food. I've been coming here for about 10 years and have never been disappointed. Keep up the good work Thai Chef and i will be seeing you in December!!
(5)David C.
Loved the homemade coconut ice cream. We went there a second time just to have more ice cream. The food was very good. The fried fish was my favorite.
(4)T L.
Let us ust say, we love Thai Food. This place was very, very good. Pad Thai with a great blend of flavors, summer rolls that were fresh with a great peanut sauce. The house fried rice with chicken as really great. We usually go with hot spice but went medium as per the other reviews. It as the right choice to get the correct flavor. We highly recommend this place. It was hard to find, behind the stores on front street, just walk around to the back.
(5)Theresa F.
Good food and comfortable seating. Service was fast but the waitress had no smile. The summer rolls were a bit overpriced for what you get (no shrimp inside). Pricing for the main dishes,however, were reasonable. Adequate parking. Like most other restaurants in this mall, the Thai Chef does not have its own restroom. Customers have to use the one and only restroom (yes, one and only stall) across from the restaurant. If you ask me if I will go back, I will. For the food!
(4)Austin T.
A very tasty cafe hidden away in the corner of a strip mall. It's dated and small, a great place to get food to go unless you get there early because of limited seating. Not cheap not over the top either,very ok price for Maui. One star less for dated decor and flooring.
(3)Frank D.
A little place in Old Lahaina Center. A popular spot with the locals. Very good Thai food served by pleasant and helpful staff. If you know Maui, you know that service is sloooow and leisurely. Not so at Thai Chef. Food arrived quickly and well prepared. Be warned, I like spicy food and what passes for HOT in Dallas is considered medium at Thai Chef. I don't understand comments re small portions, $12 gets you all the food you need for any meal for a normal human being.
(4)Pichetpong P.
Expensive food .test is terrible
(1)steve s.
Thai Chef is the only restaurant that my wife and I visited twice in Maui. The place is affordable. The portions are a decent size. The green curry is probably the best that I've had. The only problem was the customer service. Waitress seemed more intent in talking very loudly to her friends at another table--for about 10 minutes about mutual friends they knew who were strung out on drugs--rather than helping us. The other time we went, however, the customer service was fine. Customer Service - 3.5 stars Quality of food - 5 stars Value - 5 stars
(5)Andrea R.
I've been searching for thai as good as thai chef since I moved to philly, and after 9 months Im losing hope. I miss Thai Chef so much. There are extensive vegan options, and they are very conscientious about it. Brown rice can be substituted for white at no additional charge. The curries are the best Ive ever had. So fresh and balanced, I really cannot say enough about the exceptional food quality here. I ate here at least once a week for a year, and can say with confidence that the food is consistently great.
(5)Mrs F.
Good solid four stars. The cheapest dinner we had in Maui, no joke. Everything was medium. And medium was a good kick. Green papaya salad - good. A bit heavy on the shredded cabbage, I must say. $8.95. Cleaned the plate. Garlic vegies with shrimp - hubby liked it, I didn't. Heavy on garlic (like the description), could not taste any coconut. Good portions of shrimp and greens. $12.95. Cleaned the plate. Thai red curry with beef - hubby said it was good and meat was tender. $12.95. Cleaned the plate. Pad thai tofu - my fave dish out of all four. Good, solid pad thai, what I'm used to. $10.25. Cleaned the plate. Iced tea, Thai iced coffee, white and brown rice. Total including tip was $65. Though we were so famished we didn't leave any food behind, it wasn't a "famished so everything tastes good" kind of deal. The food really was solid and tasty. Saw two tables order the spring rolls so that seemed like a popular appy there.
(4)Jesse W.
2/17/10: Final Maui trip review, last minute decision for lunch in Lahaina we looked for something off the beaten path. We went with a small group (six people) and were seated quickly (no one else in the resstaurant, hm...) Anyways, we ordered our usual dishes including pad-see-euw and larb-nar - both were mediocore, a bit americanized and bland. Prices were higher than what I would normally pay for Thai food. Not sure we'll ever be back.
(2)Nancy F.
The restaurant has great sweet and sour vegetables along with the pad Thai.
(5)Bumble B.
We had the summer rolls, Ginger coconut tofu soup & tofu pad Thai. Ate up every last bit & almost licked the plate! Great service, small place, a little difficult to find but delicious!!!
(5)Antoinette T.
I'm so in love with this restaurant that I almost don't want to write this RAVEand let everyone in on one of the best kept secrets in Lahaina. It is no secret to the locals tho.. and like Helen S. says.. you'll see locals coming in all night for take out. The BEST Thai food on Maui, hands down, they've even awarded this honor by the Maui community for many years (there are plaques hanging on the walls attesting to them). I've been eating here for about 6 years now and I would have been there sooner if I had known I liked Thai food (I'd never had it before). It is family owned and operated and very small and can be hard to find. Every time I go home to Maui this is one of the places i HAVE to eat at. Their Honey Lemon chicken is so tasty that I have to restrain myself from licking the sticky sweet sauce off my plate. The pad thai is amazing and so is the chicken satay, summer rolls (to DIE for!!!) and EVERYTHING else they make. They don't take reservations and the restaurant is very small so you may have to wait for a long time but it is totally worth it... don't fall for the tourtist traps across the street... eat HERE!
(5)Philip W.
Perhaps I am biased considering my wife's family is Thai, but we were very underwhelmed by Thai Chef. When you go to an Asian restaurant and they do not speak the language, you wonder how good and authentic the food will be. We ordered Panang and Massaman Curries, Papaya Salad and Todmun (Fish Patties). Nothing was horrible, but only the Papaya Salad was close to being good. Service was okay. Bathrooms are not in the restaurant, but outside across the parking lot. I would not recommend to anyone experienced with Thai food. We will not be returning.
(2)Buiyaa B.
...we've been here a couple of times and really like it. The food is very tasty and they get the spice level just right. The papaya salad, yellow curry, and pad Thai is what we usually order. The service is good but location can be difficult to find if it's your first time in lahaina.
(4)Emery W.
Very good food and service. I ordered the yellow curry fish and red spicy calamari. Both dishes were delicious. Probably the best meal I had while I was in Lahaina. I'd definitely eat here again.
(4)Jenny L.
I live in Manhattan, where excellent, cheap Thai food is available everywhere. This definitely was up to par - summer rolls, amazing, amazing penang curry, and delicious tofu and eggplant in basil. Just so yummy - I wanted to go again the 2nd night!
(4)Thomas H.
We have been coming to Thai Chef for 25+ years. This family owned and run restaurant offers the best and authenticThai food. It is consistently outstanding and the first place we come to when we drive in Maui (2 to 3 times a year).
(5)Sim M.
Not too impressed with Thai Chef in Maui. The fresh rolls were ok but the curries( yellow + Massaman) were bland and diluted for my taste. We ordered everything medium which was more like mild. The staff is not friendly and the restaurant was kinda hot inside. All in all, not recommended!
(2)Trudy G.
I LOVE this place & have since I moved here 10 years ago. ALWAYS good. The service is absolutely AMAZING. Just go.
(5)Konstantin N.
Very bad experience. We felt unwelcomed. Food was horrible, too spicy. Veggie tom yum didn't have any flavor other than half a pound of spice in it. Stuff wasgrumpy and passive aggressive. Highly suggest to avoid this place.
(1)Aariz E.
Visited the restaurant based on the ONO recommendation in Maui Revealed. Very disappointed. Ordered standard thai food - Phad Thai and Panang Curry. Both dishes were below par. Waste of time and $30.
(1)Paige B.
Hole in the wall local favorite for killer Thai food. This place is simply one of the best. We love their Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, and curries. Remember to order Thai Sticky Rice on the side! Friendly tip: you can choose your spice level, but be warned, they run hotter than other places--medium is about all I can stand. Hot is for professionals only. BYOB!
(5)Jessica V.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I love Thai food, and this is some of the best I've had. They have great seafood options as well. Everything was delicious, the service was great, and it's BYOB, so really you can't go wrong!
(5)Kristine A.
Went last night for dinner. In the Foodland mall. BYOB which saves some $$. Menu looked good. Prices not unreasonable for the area. Rose was our waitress and was pleasant. Food. Mixed reviews. Pad see eww with chicken was good. The shrimp with coconut curry and veggies was just ok. Rice is &1 extra. Small place. Bathroom is the public restroom. Just ok.
(2)Robin R.
Still great Lots of gluten free choices. Bring your own alcohol. The best choice.
(5)Ebby M.
This is a cute little family-run restaurant. Locals love this super classic spot, but I had never been. We were treated well, and the food was pretty good. We had their appetizer sampler, which was way too oily for me, but had the best shrimp toast I've ever had. We both got pink snapper dishes, which was served skin on (not my favorite). It would have been fine if the fish was exceptional quality, but as it was the skin made it too fishy. The flavors of the black bean preparation and the ginger preparation were both incredible, and full of veggies. Our toddler had no complaints about the rice. :)
(3)Jamie S.
So good! BYOB and order up some hot stuff. Nice little place for lunch or dinner.. Varied menu and dessert options also. Try the homemade coconut ice cream.
(5)Chloe M.
OMG! We had the best Vegetarian Red Curry, Pad Thai and Delicious Mango Sticky Rice from here!! We ordered it to go for a party of 40 and they had everything packed, ready and hot at the exact time we needed it. I highly recommend them. Very business like on the phone but tasty food and great customer service!! We ordered food from a few restaurants that night and this was one of the BEST!
(5)Irina A.
This is 1) the worst food for the last four years we had And 2) the worst Thai food ever. Service is also horrible. The first time ever when we left no tips at all. Soup was disgusting. Curry was... Just nothing. Some substance that has no taste.
(1)Bobby B.
Came here tonight for dinner. For an appetizer, we ordered the spring rolls (fried). Loved it! For entrees, I ordered the Hawaiian Pineapple Fried Rice and the wife ordered the Pad See Ew. My fried rice was just okay. She liked her order but we both had better elsewhere. Staff was nice and food came out quickly. Overall: C
(3)Kanani K.
My bestie and I had a great dining experience here last week. I had seen their reviews and wanted to check them out. We were not disappointed. From the service to the food, everything was great! The girls here are so sweet and welcoming. We had my toddler with us and they were so accommodating--talking and playing with him & making sure he was having fun. Since he was with us we had to order the food mild, but the seasoning and other fresh ingredients hardly made you miss the heat. Their Tom kha gai was delish, pad thai was definitely yummy and the larb beef was so fresh and tasty! Overall, awesome food and service...we'll be back for sure!
(4)Danielle O.
Place was recommended. First time for me to have Thai food and it was good. The combo appetizer was good. The main dish was ok. Pricing was good for the area. Location is hard to find and the staff was great. Clean, nice, and ok food. The BYOB is great.
(3)Jeremy K.
This place was recommended by a local who was bar tending at a restaurant down the street. He told us to try this place and also the Aloha Mixed Plate (very good as well) and recommended a couple dishes. He couldn't have been more correct! When we got to the restaurant I mentioned his name and the server obviously knew him well because she pointed out the items that he liked the most. I decided to try the Green Papaya Salad even though I didn't know what I was getting into. Well, all I can say is it was DELICIOUS! As a matter of fact, everything there was excellent! The server who recommended this place also told me that you can bring your own alcohol into the restaurant. I didn't feel comfortable with this being a tourist but after my experience there I will definitely do it next time. The family next to us rolled in with a cooler full of beers and wine and nobody blinked an eye about it. If you want fancy atmosphere this is not the place for you. This is a whole in the wall but the food is fantastic! If you like Thai food at all I highly recommend this place. I will visit again next time I'm in Maui.
(5)Maui E.
Great place for vegetarians & vegans! Meat eaters rejoice too! Great prices for authentic Thai cuisine! The service not so great! I go there very often & the servers act like they've never seen me every time. I go at least twice a week so, don't take it personal they aren't very friendly.
(5)Cali S.
Delicious, affordable, BYOB friendly! Servers are awesome and the food is fresh and so tasty. Ate there two nights in a row. Tom kha, pad se yew, and red curry. Also, get the mango coconut sticky rice for desert.
(5)Kim T.
My partner and I had the Tom Yum with chicken and the shrimp peanut curry. We ordered it a medium spice. The flavor on both was fantastic, but be prepared as their medium is about a 4-5 star. After a bit of coughing, we adapted and finished every last drop. We both like spicy food and would order a medium again. This is BYOB, so grab some local beer or sale from the Foodland next door!
(5)Lisa B.
Best Thai food on Maui!!! We love this place and went there 3 times in the last couple weeks. Rose is always there and makes you feel welcome. Its a BYOB place and they'll give you ice and set you up to enjoy whatever beverage you decide on. The prices are reasonable and the food is delicious. We've had tons of things on the menu and have a goal of trying it all! Our guests and friends and family have all enjoyed. Its small and intimate and it's where the locals go. When your'e tired of resort food - go here. Yummy!
(5)Tera Paleka P.
Ordered take-out. When I arrived I liked the small "hole in the wall" feel. But the girl who took my order over the phone was rude once I arrived. My order was well over $100 and I was excited to get home to try this new Thai place I found. I have to say, I was not impressed. While the curry's were good, the fried fish, noodles & small serving sizes did not equal to the other Thai places in Kahului & Kihei. I wasn't happy. Sorry Thai Chef. I was so looking forward to loving you.. Bummer...
(3)Dan M.
Food here is amazing! If you are in Maui and looking to mix it up eat here. Service is amazing, food is fresh and authentic.
(5)V S.
Very average. After all the glowing reviews, we were disappointed. The summer rolls are nothing special. We had garlic prawn...good. and the sweet and sour..ok. gluten free is a challenge and that's not usually a problem at thai restaurants.
(2)markus a.
Good consistent quality and portions. I've been coming here for the past 8 years, the last time was four years ago. Same family wait staff. Service has improved since the last visit, as the Yelp factor and little competition have promoted higher standards.
(4)Jay W.
This place is great. I had the green curry, very good, spicy enough, and tasty. This place seems pretty traditional to me, but I don't really consider myself a Thai expert. We had to wait about 15 minutes outside for a table because the place is very small. Worth the wait. Servers were helpful, and we needed it as some of our group had never had Thai food before and there were a lot of questions. Also very friendly. Food came out pretty quickly, and was delicious. I forget what the vegetarian among us ordered, but she was happy with her food as well.
(4)Anita C.
I've been here a handful of times already and I love this place! It's close by my job and they serve tasty food! For lunch, they are only open till 2pm so make sure you go before that. I usually get the beef pad thai, which is super yummy and they are not cheap with the meat! It's been hard for me to find good pad thai here on the islands (O'ahu in particular), but this place has me craving for it, so it is that good! I've tried the yellow and green curries and both are very tasty. Oh, and their thai ice tea is a must order too! They get quite busy for dinner since it's a small place, so go early or later, or call for pick up. It'll be cool if they take the iDcard ( islediscount.com ) cuz then I'll come at least once a week!
(5)Jim H.
We went here today and I thought both the food and service were good, a cut above most of the restaurants here. Prices were also reasonable.
(5)Jason P.
After coming here last year, and finding out it was closed the week that we went, we knew we had to come back. This time we came, the place was completely packed. We let the host know that we would wait for a table, which took about 20-25 minutes to seat us. A table (4 person table) or two did become available before we were seated, but the host did not want to seat us, just in case a larger party came in. By the time we were seated, several other tables had cleared out and throughout our meal, that 4-person table was never occupied. It left me in a disgruntled mood. I do understand they are running a business and want to try to make the most that they can, but they have to understand that they are also performing a service for their patrons. The decor of the restaurant is very simple and unappealing. Almost a bit boring. Table service was average, the waiter did come by to refill our glasses of water, but I would have liked for him to actually come by at other times to check up on us. I ordered the Chaing Mai Larb ($10.95) spicy with choice of chicken, beef, or pork. Chaing Mai Larb is minced meat that is grilled and then tossed with fish sauce, mint leaves, onions, bean sprouts, and cilantro in spices. I opted for ground pork, and boy oh boy, I have to say although this dish was refreshing, it also had a lot of heat. If you're a casual spice eater, I either recommend passing on this dish or asking for it not spicy. Served on the side was shredded cabbage which sort of felt like it didn't belong. Perhaps mixing the two together would have helped to cool things down and add texture all at the same time. The Thai Chow Fun (Pad See Eew) ($11.95) consisting of wide flat rice noodles with egg, broccoli, carrot, bean sprout, and green onion pan fried in garlic black pepper soy sauce with choice of chicken or beef. We opted for beef. The pad see eew was your typical run-of-the-mill dish. The noodles were tender and soft, not sticking together, and they all had decent coverage from the sauce which was tasty. The only negative of this dish, was that we both found the beef to be tough and chewy, and it also didn't absorb a lot of the sweet flavor that pad see eew is known for. A bit of a disappointment. Thai Chef is definitely up on the fence for me. Out of the two dishes we tried, one was good while the other was not so favorable. Because the food had put Thai Chef on a level playing field, I had to consider the long wait time without the host ever coming out to let us know why we weren't going to be seated, the unattractive decor, and somewhat lacking table service. Because of this, I can only give Thai Chef 3 stars.
(3)Arvind L.
Awesome Thai food, rich in flavor, different in a good way from the Thai food that i get to taste in the SF bay area Very good quick service with a smile. They do not serve any alcoholic drinks, but they allow you to get them from outside ;)
(4)Linda B.
I love me some sticky rice! Im thousand miles away from home and one thing i miss is sticky rice. It was awesome to come upon a Thai restaurant. I had the pork larp and spring rolls was to die for. I will surely return when i have my cravings for some Sticky rice!... Great food and service!
(4)Raju P.
Very tasty food, very nice flavor... Will definitely recommend to fellow vegetarians for sure...
(4)Karthik J.
We ordered take out food from here. The food was delicious, especially at the end of a long day. We ordered the coconut soup, fried rice and green curry. All were vegetarian entrees. One of the people working at the restaurant delivered the food to our car while we were waiting. They had a pleasant demeanor.
(4)Jay S.
Another amazing meal at Thai Chef...been eating here since 1994. Sometimes it seems that much better. I love most things on the menu. Tonight i had the Penang curry extra hot just the way I like it. Awesome! Other good picks, crispy Cornish game hen, evil prince, massaman curry. Also love mango and sweet coconut sticky rice for dessert. Check em out!
(5)Scout S.
Really enjoyed lunch here. Would definitely recommend this place if you're in the mood for Thai food. They have a huge vegetarian selection which is especially great for non-seafood eaters! We had the basil chicken and green curry both of which were pretty good. The sauce in the green curry has eggplants in it so if you're not an eggplant fan, you may not want it. We ordered both dishes mild and they came out not spicy but flavorful. They have their own parking lot so that makes it convenient as well.
(4)Amber H.
As I sit here in Honolulu on the hunt for good Thai food I can't help but reminisce about my first Thai experience at Thai Chef which has opened me up to a world of food I never knew I loved. From the first time I tried it I was hooked. It's a small place and it's best to call ahead and put your name in as it is a popular local spot but I can say I truly miss this place all the time. As much as the Thai food here is good, nothing compares to the lobster curry I used to get here. So much so I wouldn't even bother ordering anything different unless we went to share family style because this dish is simply too good to share. It's byob. They can throw your beer in the fridge and Rose is an awesome chick that I always looked forward to seeing. Since this was my first Thai experience and I used to order my food here medium and it was always a good water chugging induced amount of spiciness I have continued to order my food out here medium but none of it lives up to the nice spicy flavors that Thai Chef had. I miss this place and can't wait for my next visit back to get some!
(5)Matt K.
Unfortunately the locals and yelp steered me wrong. This review is based on two soups(Tom yum, coconut), pad Thai (you gotta get pad thai at a Thai restaurant it's the best way to judge), Thai red snapper and cashew chicken. The food lacked flavors we are used to in the states in many locations and wasn't spicy like they claimed. The food was pretty bland without a lot flavor. The service was good and the place was packed (it is small). Bring your own beer or wine as they don't serve ETOH. The service was great, just wish the food was better. 2.5 stars
(2)Krissy W.
Best Thai food I've ever had great staff, super personable and delightful. Seats 25 people! Get there early.
(5)Andrew C.
I've had Thai food in dozens of restaurants from California to Hawaii but unfortunately, I have to report, that this one rates dead last. We ordered 3 dishes; The Thai Yellow Curry was absolutely tasteless. They were nice enough to take it back and try to "improve it" but it returned just as flat. The Eggplant was dry and dull and the Pad Thai was under cooked (think al dente pasta) and missing some of the classic Pad Thai ingredients which give it it's full flavor and depth.
(1)Michael A.
The food here is tasty. I was hungry, and now I'm full and satisfied. If you're looking for good food to go, definitely check this place out. The service was friendly and the food came out very quickly! So, why 3 stars? I'm a Thai food fanatic. It's my favorite cuisine to eat "out", so needless to say, I'm very particular. As Thai food goes, this place just doesn't measure up. It may be because we're in Hawaii, but the authentic Thai flavors just weren't there. I've had thousands of Green Curry's, and this was the worst. It was still good, like I said above, but it didn't taste anything like Thai curry. It tasted almost like a creamy butter sauce with chicken. Very little coconut milk, and almost no curry seasoning. There were no bay leaves or green peppers. These 4 ingredients MUST be prominent to make an authentic green curry. Also, the Pad Thai was much too sweet. Like I said, it was good...almost reminded me of Chinese take-out...but it wasn't Thai. The summer rolls are very fresh. They aren't fried and they're wrapped in rice paper. My wife didn't care for it...the cilantro was overbearing for her, and she likes her egg rolls fried. But, personally, I liked them :) Lastly, the Pad See Yew was bland. It didn't pack that classic Thai punch of flavor it normally does. I still ate the whole thing, so it was tasty, but it wasn't authentic. If you want good take-out food, grab some. If you want authentic "Thai" food, don't grab some.
(3)Zoe N.
On a Thai food kick right now and this place is one of the best on the island that I have tried. Their sticky rice is to die for!
(5)Shalin P.
My wife and I love Thai food, but we are usually pretty skeptical of Thai restaurants in beach destinations. However, we saw that Thai Chef had some pretty good reviews so we rolled on by for lunch one day. The location is in back of the strip mall (facing away from the ocean). They validate for up to 2 hours. It's a tiny place, and had a pretty good crowd when we were there. We started out with the spring rolls (4 for $7.50). My wife had the tofu pad thai and I had the chicken fried rice. While it certainly didn't taste as good as our favorite Thai restaurants, it satisfied the craving. I would say it had more of a Chinese flavor than a Thai flavor. I would give it 3.5 stars. We followed up the spiciness with some Ululani Shave Ice and made it a great afternoon in paradise.
(3)Jhunn T.
We Came here last week for a quick Dinner, The place is packed and they don't have waiting room you have to wait outside well good thing it's a Hawaiian islands and The weather is okay outside. We've waited for 15 minutes not bad, The Yellow Curry Beef is screaming with Flavor and we teamed it up with This Fried Rice and salad. The People there are Happy; I would eat that Yellow Beef Curry with Just plain Jasmine Rice. My over all experience that night is great.
(4)Danielle H.
Food wise, I love this place... PLUS it's BYOB! We always get the coconut chicken soup and a curry to share and they actually know how to make it spicy enough for us, as most Thai and Indian restaurants can't seem to get it when we request very spicy and our food comes out mild at most. The only reason it's missing its fifth star is the seating. If they're busy you very well may be seated at a table with strangers which can make for a less than romantic experience.
(4)joey s.
Just had dinner here with my gf (who is very much Thai) .. and with this visit I realize I have better experiences looking for ~3.5star rated places on Yelp. I realize "American" taste preferences are the majority so it makes sense that places receive 4-5 stars from people who don't have an authentic Asian taste preference. This place serves up authentic and very tasty Thai food. Their medium spicy level is exactly what I always look for--flavor & spice, without the overwhelming burn. We ordered Spicy Seafood soup, Pineapple Curry, and Thai Garlic Chicken. All medium spicy. The servers were nice and made sure our waters were full. I can't believe Aloha Mixed Plate has higher ratings than this place. It's instances like these (which happen all the time) that I wish for a Yelp that caters to a more Asian preference. No disrespect intended so don't get butt-hurt, k? :) My GPS took me to Front Street, but it didn't take me into the shopping plaza where this restaurant is located.
(5)Alex B.
Your average Thai restaurant. The food was good, but not mind-blowing. Good in a pinch if you're looking for quick dinner next to the Maui Theatre.
(3)Tiger F.
I've eaten here years ago and recall the food was much better than tonight's experience. The house was full of about half repeat locals and the remainder tourists. We started with an app called "combo pate" which was really greasy, couldn't eat it. Som tam was bland and about half shredded cabbage. Soup was flat without much flavor. After tasting our cokes, they must have shut off the CO2 and cut the syrup in half because it was bad. It just gets worse from here, our black bean pink snapper barely had black beans and was not seasoned. We had to add our own salt. The red curry chicken tasted like my feeble attempt at curry, you know open the can of coconut milk and add the packaged curry from the grocery store international food aisle. Couldn't taste any thing else in the curry, very flat. Had to add salt to this dish too. The sticky rice wasn't sticky. We ordered our food spicy. Judging from the type of chili used, it is doubtful Thai chilis were used. Tasted like ground up red chili flakes you get at the local pizza joint. Service was poor. Yes the server took our order and delivered the food nothing more, period. To summarize, this place is awful. It is apparent that shortcuts are taken to maximize profits. We don't mind paying $13.95 for a dish but the price point at this place is nowhere near where it ought to be. Service is AWOL. This is a tourist town, eat somewhere else and be happy. For the folks that rated this place above 3, you all must have been there on a good night or gotten a different cook and server.
(1)Jefferson W.
We picked up dinner from there a week or so ago, and it was great. We've gotten food from there many times before, and it's never disappointed. Veggie Spring Rolls, Pad Thai Tofu, Matsaman Curry. We like to call ahead so it's ready when we get there. They are usually busy. If you like Thai food and find yourself in Lahaina you should check it out. I've been to lots of Thai food places and this is one of the best.
(5)Bill B.
great atmosphere. Run by a great Thai woman. food is good and at a reasonable price.
(5)Vida A.
awesome thai food, everything is great on the menu. Service is ok, for coming here as much as i do and bringing people here, not very personable. BYOB too! It gets packed and you might have to wait but well worth it.
(4)Jon T.
A friend asked the hotel concierge where the best thai food was on Maui. They recommended this restaurant in Lahaina. The location was tucked away a nearby strip mall and hard to find. The place wasn't very busy and two employees where waiting on us and another table. We ordered our dishes and they came out within a reasonable amount of time. The presentation of the dishes seemed like something served from a diner. The flavors were bland and vegetables were pretty non-existent. (we were thinking it was a common theme around the island with not much fresh vegetables) I guess if you come to Maui, order the Hawaiian food and not Thai. Although, the food at Mama's Fish house in Paia, HI On maui is the freshest and best! I'll stick to the best Thai food in the Greater Seattle area.
(1)Amber Q.
This is only based on my one time experience + the one dish I split. Came in and a couple of people were seated. Ordered the spicy garlic shrimp dish (with extra steamed broccoli) and a drink. The dish was alright but the total came out over $21. Even though it's Hawaii, the price + quality of the dish didn't really add up. I'm a thai food addict and nothing here wowed me. In addition, the servers kind of made me feel awkward. I srsly wanted to give this a 4 star or more, but I couldn't. D; Oh yeah, the rice was epic fail. If you dipped your chopstick into it, it would crumble like the Ottoman Empire. This restaurant made me truly appreciate the one in burbank back home. /sobsob
(3)Jason J.
Just had their food last night it was amazing ! I've been to Maui a few times and I wish I wouldn't have waited this long to go there ! If you like Thai food definitely check it out !
(5)M K.
So many reviewers stated this to be the best Thai food they ever had. Well, then they have had some aweful past experiences with this cuisine because this place is less than mediocre. Food is the biggest disappointment but the wait staff's perfunctory attitude is not far behind. YUCK.
(1)Gabriella M.
I loved this place when I was living in Maui! Came often and they even new my order and name ha! Gotta love that personal-able customer service Fav dishes : Pad thai with chicken Radnar with beef All the curries any which way lol Beef steak
(5)Jeanette S.
I have to say I know my Thai food :-) I eat it whenever I can, and I cook it too!! After taking a super Thai Cooking course with published Tahi chef, Kasma Loha unchit, in Berkley California, I will say I know a lot more about Thai food than before. I used to just like it, now I understand it. The jasmine rice here is really steamed!! As in baskets over water steamed!! So good, I have to get my basket back, (I am storing it in Stockholm after a move). They get better with use, so I don't wanna buy a new one. The curry is also very authentic, I don't know were the Chinese food taste is, that some reviewer mentioned. We did a take out, and didn't try any desserts. But you will certainly get authentic Thai food here!! Well done!
(4)Christina L.
Great Thai food!! I love thai food and this place is exponentially better than back home. We were blown away, and have already eaten here twice.
(5)Beth C.
This place was hard to find as it's hidden behind Front St. The food Kung Pau (my spelling is horrible but hopefully you get the gist) Shrimp was good. I'm not a big fan of this type food as I am not exposed to it often. I wanted to try it while here in Maui and it was a good meal.
(3)Jeremy K.
meh....it was ok....wasen't anything to make me want to come back. One dish with the curry fish was too coconuty and didn't have that wow factor. The other dish we had I can't even remember cuz its that boring
(3)Kris L.
Tofu Pad Thai was awful. I couldn't eat.. it tasted weird. And it's hard to find, too - It's located behind the store fronts on Front Street.
(1)Monique C.
Foods kinda bland...I know right..kinda hard to do with Thai food. The service/hostess is rude. blah blah..def not a place to write home about. I guess i'll eat there if im starving.
(2)Teresa C.
We came here Christmas Eve and had a great meal. The pad thai, chicken curry, hot and sour soup were all very good. Love that you can BYOB. Maui's food prices can get very high so it's nice to get a great meal and not break the bank. Try the hot chai tea ( yummy)
(5)Michael K.
I ate dinner here twice during my three-week vacation on Maui. My wife was willing to come back, so that says something for the place, since she is not partial to Thai food. I tried the Tom Kha Gai soup for two, which was excellent. Also had the Spicy Fried Opakapaka (red snapper), the Red Curry Shrimp, as well as Green Curry Shrimp, Pineapple Fried Rice w/chicken, and the Thai sticky rice. Perhaps not the best Thai I've ever had, but quite good, and at reasonable prices. Medium-spice was just the right amount of heat for me. Service was pleasant and relaxed. They offered to keep my beer cold in their fridge while I ate. The evening's entertainment for everyone in the restaurant was provided by a fat, drunk, obnoxious couple of NY tourists who disrupted everyone's dinner with loud, off-color jokes. Example: "What do New Yawkers call drivers from Boston? A-holes! Haw haw haw!" Sheesh.
(4)Amit B.
After making the drive to hana, this place was heaven. Not "fingering licking" good, but it does the work. We ordered about 5 dishes (spicy tofu, eggplant tofu, yellow curry, red curry, beef broccoli, pad thai) between 5 people and got spring rolls. Being from San Francisco, the food wasn't impressive, but we were all so hungry that we just ate it. Its a nice, small place and the staff is really friendly. One tip: The place doesn't serve alcohol, so my suggestion is to go across to the ABC store and get some beer, wine or even some hard stuff. They don't mind you bringing in alcohol. If you are looking for something different and quick, then go to this place.
(3)Alan K.
Ok. So I understand good service is a rare comodity in Maui -- at least this trip, so good service is worth a star. We tried this place because others said it was good. The bay area folks said this was not good Thai but I tried it anyway. Don't. If you are from the Midwest and don't have good Thai then this may be ok to go to. I was born there and they don't know from good Thai. At least in pgh. But if you have ever had good Thai then this will not work. The menu said that the food was spicy but it had no heat from what I could tell or my partner could tell. None zippo nada -- except for what was on the table in the jar -- which I was grateful for. The pad Thai was way too sweet, mushy and served not at temperature -- like it was precooked. The appetizers were way too greasy, too. My partner was glad that his cashew chicken had no taste because (and I quote) "at least it didn't taste bad". I would hate to be a professiinal critic, because It seems like a jerk would give this review, but this was the our experience. Hope yours is better!
(1)Diana A.
I have to start off by saying I am Mexican and therefore eat hot and spicy food daily. I went to Thai Chef a couple of weeks ago and the server told us the medium heat food was a "6 out of 10" in spicy. We decided to try the medium heat pad thai. When it arrived, I tried it and was unable to eat it. The server showed very poor customer service when we let her know we were unable to eat our dinner because it was too spicy she replied by stating that yes indeed their food is very hot. She did not offer to replace our food or any other compensation. Would not recommend this place, there are many other excellent restaurants in Lahaina to dine at.
(1)Garri T.
Food was great. Chicken Pad Thai was amazing. The only thing I would change is a better staff. No personality
(4)M M.
If you like it hot, this is the place to go! We've had dinner here a couple of times and it's one of the best Thai experiences we've had. Wish it was around the corner from my house. Plenty of non-meat choices. Everything explodes with flavor. Papaya salad is the best. If you've never had it, give it a try. If you order it spicy, get ready to experience fire! This place is located in a shopping center off Front Street. You won't have a view but you won't be packed in with a bunch of loud tourists. Staff is very friendly and laid back. they know most of the clientele. It's just a cool little local place. Not expensive and it's a BYO, so you can bring a bottle of wine or a couple of beers to cool your palate.
(5)Mark G.
What's with all the hatin', Yelpers ? You know that Yelp is the only place with so much hating on this place. Not sure why? Anyway, just rated this #1 on MauiGuidebook.com and I wrote the article and won't apologize for a second; here is what I said: Frequently packed with regulars (and visitors in the know.) Decent Thai food at affordable prices. While I definitely wouldn't call it a "take-out-joint", they do plenty of take-out business. Thai Chef is a small, quaint, inexpensive family-owned restaurant. Focused on catering to the local residents, the atmosphere is cozy, and most definitely not touristy. The service here is fast and friendly. All the staff usually act as a team, so one being bogged down won't slow the food coming out to your table. Thai Chef has won many readers-choice and critic awards & accolades over the years, including as recently as this year (2010.) Now, if you're looking for fancy-schmancy metropolitan ambiance, or a high-end resort themed joint, this isn't it. A peppering of online reviewers complained about silly things like the style of the flooring, the bathroom location (outside), or were wrapped around pretense that the cuisine isn't world-class like [insert all the Thai joints they like in their home town.] Please, Mr. Pretentious, get a grip - this is an inexpensive take-out/eat-in/BYOB Thai joint - walking in here expecting elegant ambiance or sophisticated culinary excesses is your "faux pas", not Thai Chef's. Now, on to the food! In a word: delicious! Standards like Pad Thai and hot & sour soup are really a treat - but you can certainly feel free to explore. Crab yellow curry and Thai red pineapple curry are delish. Check out their extensive menu (links to photos above.) Oh, and when they say "hot" they *really* mean it. (Most folks who like hot food will be well satisfied ordering medium-spicy.) Thai Chef also has an extensive vegetarian menu, and since they make the food to order, they can substitute tofu, or otherwise make virtually any of the dishes without meat. The location is a bit off the main drag, and has been reported difficult to find by those who haven't been there before. Hint: go around to the rear of the complex (it is not on the Front Street side as the address suggests.)
(5)Sofie P.
MM! Delicious! We went for lunch and almost went back for dinner the same day. Decor is lacking, outdated... basically old. Located in the corner of a strip mall. Food is awesome!! We ordered the red curry and pad thai. Both excellent. Flavorful, packed with flavor. Hope to return when I go there again someday. 4.5 stars, rounded down b/c of the decor.
(4)Jyoti C.
Definitely did not impress me! I have had a lot of Thai food and I really had high expectations..but the food was really just average..The service was great but food, ehh I really have had better.
(2)Krish S.
Went to Thai chef before leaving Maui. Didn't expect it to be that good. Had fried rice, Tom kha soup and spring rolls. Fried rice was terrific. A must go place
(5)Nerissa A.
I love thai food, and its all because of this place! I get the yellow curry every time, and it is so good. I also love the house salad with the egg dressing as well. the only reason i did not give it 5 stars is that the area is small and you can here everyones conversations.
(4)J H.
Good food and friendly service. This is not a touristy place, which is nice. There seemed to be a lot of locals there enjoying their food...so you know it's gotta be good!
(4)Wog W.
Delicious across the board. All 7 of us enjoyed everything despite very different palates and tastes (& spice preferences). Great prices for Maui as well. BYOB and hard to find-it's next to the KFC.
(5)Jim T.
I spend about half my time in Maui and the other half in San Francisco. So I know good Thai food (san francisco has some great restaurants). While I won't say Thai Chef is up there with the best thai restaurants I've ever been to... it's very good, and for Maui, that's impressive. Particularly since it's relatively inexpensive for Maui (yes, of course, it's more than that thai place in L.A... have you seen _anything_ here that's cheaper than L.A.?). The Red Pineapple Curry is my favorite, but most of the dishes I've had here have been great. It's BYOB, so bring a great bottle of wine and enjoy it without the usual restaurant markup or corkage fee. It is small and homey, although I'm used to SF restaurants, so small is not really a problem. The service is a bit slow when they're packed... but whatever. You're in Maui, relax. If it's that big of a deal, order it to go, and take it to the beach. Overall this is one of my favorite restaurants on Maui. It's one of the first places I take visitors when they're here. My other favorites are Sansei and Roy's, which are different experiences for sure. But Thai Chef is inexpensive enough that you can eat there on a regular basis.
(5)Danny G.
I'm from Los Angeles and was visiting Lahaina with my wife. We had been seeing ads and flyers saying this place had won awards for best Thai food in Maui, so we decided to try. The restaurant was on the small side and packed, but we were seated shortly after we arrived. Once we were seated, service was slow and unmemorable, but the food was definitely memorable--it was such a let down. My Thai Iced Tea was overly sweet. The Pad Thai was also overly sweet and the noodles were overcooked and somewhat mushy. My wife's panang curry with tofu was not very flavorful (although I really liked the texture of the tofu). Thai Chef is a place to grab a bite if you just have to satisfy your Thai craving but are too lazy to drive outside Lahaina. If you want better Thai, look in Kahului.
(2)Nerd A.
What is Evil Prince Tofu? I'm still not quite sure but Thai Chef Restaurant has it and its awesome. Myself, my-exboyfriend, and my stepsister struggled to find places that had a wide array of vegetarian options in Maui but Thai Chef was a place where it was easy to find all kinds of great dishes. All the food was delicious and the meat eating part of the family was happy to eat all of flavorful tofu dishes as well. A word to wise would be that the food here is really spicy so don't expect watered down spice here! For vegetarians and meat eaters alike Thai Chef is an oasis of relaxing good food in a sea of touristy joints.
(4)Angela T.
This place is the best Thai restaurant I've ever been too!! and trust me I've tried alot of places... I look forward to coming back here every time I'm in Maui! I love that it's small and a FAMILY RUN business. They are always so nice and always remember what me and family like when we come in... even if it's been awhile! My favs are the summer rolls (the fresh ones), the pad Thai is always perfect (I never had soggy pad Thai here), the garlic chicken and honey lemon chicken are awesome and you must have the Thai ice tea with all that wonderful food. I've been coming here for about 10 years and have never been disappointed. Keep up the good work Thai Chef and i will be seeing you in December!!
(5)David C.
Loved the homemade coconut ice cream. We went there a second time just to have more ice cream. The food was very good. The fried fish was my favorite.
(4)T L.
Let us ust say, we love Thai Food. This place was very, very good. Pad Thai with a great blend of flavors, summer rolls that were fresh with a great peanut sauce. The house fried rice with chicken as really great. We usually go with hot spice but went medium as per the other reviews. It as the right choice to get the correct flavor. We highly recommend this place. It was hard to find, behind the stores on front street, just walk around to the back.
(5)Theresa F.
Good food and comfortable seating. Service was fast but the waitress had no smile. The summer rolls were a bit overpriced for what you get (no shrimp inside). Pricing for the main dishes,however, were reasonable. Adequate parking. Like most other restaurants in this mall, the Thai Chef does not have its own restroom. Customers have to use the one and only restroom (yes, one and only stall) across from the restaurant. If you ask me if I will go back, I will. For the food!
(4)Austin T.
A very tasty cafe hidden away in the corner of a strip mall. It's dated and small, a great place to get food to go unless you get there early because of limited seating. Not cheap not over the top either,very ok price for Maui. One star less for dated decor and flooring.
(3)Frank D.
A little place in Old Lahaina Center. A popular spot with the locals. Very good Thai food served by pleasant and helpful staff. If you know Maui, you know that service is sloooow and leisurely. Not so at Thai Chef. Food arrived quickly and well prepared. Be warned, I like spicy food and what passes for HOT in Dallas is considered medium at Thai Chef. I don't understand comments re small portions, $12 gets you all the food you need for any meal for a normal human being.
(4)Pichetpong P.
Expensive food .test is terrible
(1)steve s.
Thai Chef is the only restaurant that my wife and I visited twice in Maui. The place is affordable. The portions are a decent size. The green curry is probably the best that I've had. The only problem was the customer service. Waitress seemed more intent in talking very loudly to her friends at another table--for about 10 minutes about mutual friends they knew who were strung out on drugs--rather than helping us. The other time we went, however, the customer service was fine. Customer Service - 3.5 stars Quality of food - 5 stars Value - 5 stars
(5)Andrea R.
I've been searching for thai as good as thai chef since I moved to philly, and after 9 months Im losing hope. I miss Thai Chef so much. There are extensive vegan options, and they are very conscientious about it. Brown rice can be substituted for white at no additional charge. The curries are the best Ive ever had. So fresh and balanced, I really cannot say enough about the exceptional food quality here. I ate here at least once a week for a year, and can say with confidence that the food is consistently great.
(5)Mrs F.
Good solid four stars. The cheapest dinner we had in Maui, no joke. Everything was medium. And medium was a good kick. Green papaya salad - good. A bit heavy on the shredded cabbage, I must say. $8.95. Cleaned the plate. Garlic vegies with shrimp - hubby liked it, I didn't. Heavy on garlic (like the description), could not taste any coconut. Good portions of shrimp and greens. $12.95. Cleaned the plate. Thai red curry with beef - hubby said it was good and meat was tender. $12.95. Cleaned the plate. Pad thai tofu - my fave dish out of all four. Good, solid pad thai, what I'm used to. $10.25. Cleaned the plate. Iced tea, Thai iced coffee, white and brown rice. Total including tip was $65. Though we were so famished we didn't leave any food behind, it wasn't a "famished so everything tastes good" kind of deal. The food really was solid and tasty. Saw two tables order the spring rolls so that seemed like a popular appy there.
(4)Jesse W.
2/17/10: Final Maui trip review, last minute decision for lunch in Lahaina we looked for something off the beaten path. We went with a small group (six people) and were seated quickly (no one else in the resstaurant, hm...) Anyways, we ordered our usual dishes including pad-see-euw and larb-nar - both were mediocore, a bit americanized and bland. Prices were higher than what I would normally pay for Thai food. Not sure we'll ever be back.
(2)Nancy F.
The restaurant has great sweet and sour vegetables along with the pad Thai.
(5)Bumble B.
We had the summer rolls, Ginger coconut tofu soup & tofu pad Thai. Ate up every last bit & almost licked the plate! Great service, small place, a little difficult to find but delicious!!!
(5)