Kau Kau Diaries: Fit To Be Thai-d

It’s a shame how difficult it is to find authentic Thai food on the Windward side. Every so often, I get an insatiable craving for penang curry. I’m like a vampire going berserk from hunger.


The last time I experienced the bloodlust, um, I mean craving, was only a week ago. Like a fool, I tried to deceive my stomach with a box of microwave curry from Longs Drugs. Big mistake. After one terrible spoonful, I decided to phone a special friend, someone I call my “kau kau companion.” She’s my guide to the culinary wonders of Hawaii. No matter how absurd or bizarre my cravings may be, she can make it happen and usually within 24 hours. 


Good Thai should have been a piece of cake. After all, she knows a heap of fine restaurants in Honolulu. However, good food can be expensive and right now we’re both students on a shoestring budget. Plus, I didn’t have the energy (or gas money) to travel to town. So how do you satisfy a Thai hunger attack when you’re almost broke and worn-out from school and work? As always, kau kau companion had intel that would satisfy my desire for penang curry without costing a fortune. And she promised we wouldn’t even have to leave the Windward side.

A mere twenty minutes later, we were in Kailua sitting in a quiet and unassuming little restaurant called Champa Thai At Kailua. How strange. I’ve driven by the joint hundreds of times but somehow never noticed it. We were surrounded by the typical Thai trappings – gold religious icons on the floor, exquisite tapestries on the wall and artificial plumeria flowers on every table – and somehow I knew the place would meet the criteria for reasonably priced but high quality food close to home. My feelings were confirmed by seeing wait staff whizzing around the room with the gorgeous plates of hot food.

As always, I left the ordering up to my companion. Our budget was tight, so we decided it would be best to limit our order to one plate of appetizers, one curry dish and a few bowls of rice.

However, when I glanced at the prices on the menu, I was convinced we could eat very well and maybe even bring home leftovers.

Their appetizer sampler, $10.95, featured two spring rolls, four pieces of Thai toast, two chicken satay and a bed of Mee Krob noodles. What a wonderful variety of Thai food. It’s proof positive that good tasting food does not have to cost a fortune. The highlight of the sampler was definitely the chicken satay. Tender chunks of grilled chicken on bamboo skewers and coated with the thickest, sweetest peanut gravy I’ve ever tasted. The Mee Krob (sweet crispy rice noodles) was the finest I’ve had, as well.

But we were there for something else. The Penang curry. They’ll prepare it anyway you like: hot, medium or mild. My companion loves hot but chose medium on my account. A bowl costs only $8.45 and easily feeds two…But, I don’t remember sharing any. I‘ve had countless bowls of penang in my life, from all over the United States. Honestly, this is the best it’s ever been. I’m not sure why because it has the typical ingredients you expect: coconut milk, curry paste and fish sauce. Yet there’s something else, something elusive, because I have never tasted this flavor profile in my life. And I love how the fiery heat from the chili blends with the sweetness of the coconut, coats the tongue and cheeks and feels so good sliding down the throat. Whatever magic this is, there is not enough rice in the world when you order decadent curry like this. Lucky for me, each bowl of jasmine rice is only $1.25.

Incidentally, the wait staff was wonderful. They are professional, friendly and always approach the table with perfect timing. I don’t know why I thought I had to drive to town for that.

I’ll always be grateful to my kau kau companion for bringing me to Champa Thai. What other wonders are there on the Windward side? Next time, she says we’ll quest after the best Mexican food in Kaneohe. She has the scoop on a wonderful place near school. It's a good thing, too. You don't want to know what I’m like when I can’t get a good enchilada.

- Jason Soeda