Thought it was a cool restaurant aesthetically. I had never been to a Laotian restaurant so ordered the bamboo shoot stew - it smells and tastes earthy. I have had bamboo shoots before but the smell is definite acquired. My partner got the pad see-ew and quite enjoyed it. Good warm service like you get in all of Hawaii.

Have only ordered take out until today. Food has always been amazing. Dined in today. Service took forever, but they have a sign up that says they take their time preparing each dish from scratch. So just be aware if you are on a time crunch, not a good choice. Love the outside dining area. So pretty!

This restaurant is in Chinatown. We had to pay for parking in a private lot. No parking available infront of the store. As we entered, we were told reservations only. We did not know, you MUST have reservation but the staff greeted us and sat us down within minutes. I assumed they were not busy at the time so she took us to the table. Casual dining. The dining area is not in the restaurant itself. It’s seating is outside of their back area. Food is a little pricey, we were already prepared. After 10 hours flight on the plane, we were expecting a good home style meal. It was good, but not best we have had. With tips included our bill was $225. The only thing that I found that was annoying was flies since it was outside dining. Was kind of disappointed with the Lao version papaya salad that is pictured. As a papaya salad(Tom makhong) lover myself knows, if there isn’t any phadek or phla ra in the salad, it ain’t Lao lol but I recommend if you are looking for Lao/Thai food!

Don't let the outside scare you. Once you enter the restaurant you feel completely transported to a different world and their reinterpretation of pop songs starts to relax you almost immediately. The service was wonderful and the wait staff helped me pick out the right dish which was just perfect. Spicing is generally on point especially for my dinner partner who prefers milder foods and I prefer spicier ones. Though generally for us the portions on the island are absolutely massive we didn't feel overly scared by these portions. Overall highly recommend stopping by. We didn't have a reservation but the host was accommodating and got us in and we were earlier for dinner. Major points for this.

Amazing pad Thai! So good that it's hard to order anything else. We've gone twice now and gotten the Pad Thai because it's perfect. Next time we will definitely try something though. This is a must eat place. Cool outside area next to a koi pond waterfall. It's BYOB on the alcohol and there's a little liquor store right next door. Great staff and service as well. All around a great place. Will be back many more times.

My favorite restaurant at home is a Laotian restaurant, so now I want to try every Lao restaurant everywhere I travel too. Olay's was great! As someone who only eats fish and no other meat, there's not a tooon of options for me but sticky rice and jeow and all I need anyway :) Their jeow was so good here. The jeow maak len tasted like the tomatoes were roasted and it was so flavorful with the perfect amount of spice. The jeow som was tangy, fishy and amazing. I didn't realize the steamed veggie entree was very literal, and that is exactly what it is--a plate of steamed veggies. I thought there might be a sauce or something but it was fine--they were good and fresh and honestly needed after my days of indulging on less vegetable-y foods. I dipped the veggies in the jeow too which was good. My travel partners got the lao sausage with sticky rice and khua mee stir fried noodles. They enjoyed the sausage and loved the noodles. I tried the noodles too and they were great. Khua Mee is very similar to Pad Thai so if you like that then you'll love this. We also got the fresh summer rolls which were really good. Kinda wish it came with more than 4 but they are tasty. Normally I don't like peanut dipping sauces as much as more vinegary sour sauces but this peanut sauce is really good. It doesn't taste like peanut butter, it has some tang to it and some spice. It was so cute in there too, I loved their patio seating, it felt like you were dining in a secret garden. Would love to come here and try their thai curry too someday. Highly recommend if you're in Chinatown!

Great food! Different in an authentic way! Rice came in a steam box and chicken larb was not too sweet, which is appreciated. Thai basil was delicious. All good food!

Olay's now takes my number 1 spot for best curry. I ordered the pumpkin curry and it was perfect! Really remind me of the pumpkin curry I would get in Australia. The portion sizes are generous and the ingredients are high quality. I highly recommend the stuffed chicken appetizer as well. Another great thing about Olay's is the atmosphere! If you eat out back the beautiful foliage and flowers combined with the Koi pond make for a relaxing dining experience.

Best Thai and Laos food in all of Honolulu. Be sure not to miss the spot. Every time we go they treat us like celebrities and not just because we’re locals. They treat everyone like celebrities very impressed with this place as I travel all over the world and spend a lot of time in Japan when I come back here I’m always impressed, everything on the menu is outstanding fresh natural ingredients. Love this restaurant and you will too I promise.

Amazing atmosphere, probably the best in the area where the backyard feels like a resort with waterfountains and canopies. The food was great (although a little on the pricey side for chinatown) with a nice selection of both Thai and Lao dishes with a bunch of choices, but not overwhelming. Really friendly and helpful service, but the only complaint is it took 25 minutes to get our food, and the appetizer came out with everything else when it could've come out way sooner.

Came here around 9pm. Staff were very kind to move us after we saw a table open up right next to the Koi Pond. There’s a lot of detailed effort put into the atmosphere of the garden and I really, really loved it. Unfortunately, the music was really loud, my wife and I couldn’t really converse and the volume was uncomfortable, but I suppose that this is a common vibe for the neighbourhood at that time of night. The crispy rice ball salad and Lao sausage were excellent explosions of flavour, although the stuffed chicken wings didn’t have much going on. Service was noticeably friendly, we were greeted by many staff upon arrival and leaving. I’d be stoked to go back again (if I was back in Honolulu) but I’d try to go before the DJ starts

Like most reviews say, don’t let the neighbourhood put you off! Such authentic, tasty Thai/Laos food. The setup is quaint & lovely, makes you feel in a secluded garden. They don’t serve alcohol, but you can bring your own & they don’t charge an uncorking fee. Almost every item has a vegan/vegetarian option, which I appreciate. Good for kids - even have little picnic benches for them. Will go back next time we’re visiting family here.

Ordered takeout and when I walked into the restaurant it looked like an Oasis, so next time I will be dining in! The food was so good 👍 😋 I didn't even notice I didn't get my Mango Sticky rice that I ordered until I felt for dessert 🙄, but I saw that they were busy so I won't take a star away from them...Just remember to check your order if you order takeout. The food was also visually appealing 😍😍

Escape the bustling of city life and settle into a night of wonder at Olay's. Beautifully designed outdoor area that aptly fits "hidden gem" with mouth-watering food to match. Amazingly romantic setting to spend date nights or feel a sense of escape from the demands of life. Lose yourself in the ambiance of the night and find your seat at Olay's Thai Lao Cuisine.

Easily the best panang curry and pad thai I’ve ever had. The service was exceptional - the waiters were extremely friendly. The ambience felt like a beautiful secluded tropical paradise.

Three workmates and I had lunch on the patio at Olay's...we had the Appetizers Platter, Pad Thai with shrimp, Pad Makeua (eggplant) with chicken, Tom Khum (braised pork) and two orders of sticky rice. Everything was delicious, especially the Tom Khum...wow, such tender pieces of pork belly! The Appetizers Platter featured two spring rolls, two summer rolls, four lemongrass chicken wings and mee krob (crispy fried noodles).

Olay's is such a cute little restaurant! We sat outdoors and while the day was warm, the awnings kept us out of the sun and there was a slight breeze that kept us cool. The food is amazing and I would have kept eating if my stomach had more space!!! We decided to order a bunch of different items and share family style which is a great way to go if you can't decide on one dish for yourself! Definitely a place to try if you're ever in Chinatown!

Olay's is the best Thai food I've probably ever had. To start, the Thai Iced Tea was super creamy and delicious and not obnoxiously sweet like some places. The Pad See Ew with chicken was absolutely astounding. The noodles were cooked perfectly and had a great springy texture. Finally, the mango sticky rice was delicious. Again, not too sweet but it had all the right flavors. The only negative was this place is a little pricey. But, I'll definitely be back.

Flat out great food and service in a beautiful setting in downtown Honolulu/Chinatown. Curries are delicious, as was the papaya salad Lao style and pad Thai with shrimp. This place gets busy at lunchtime so best to make a reservation to guarantee a table. 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Once past the paid limited parking and exterior, the ambience in the outdoor dining in back is amazing and relaxing. They weren’t crowded at all on a Sunday evening and the staff were attentive and kind. Portions were large and tasted good but nothing particularly amazing. The main draw seems to be the ambience.

First time at Olay’s, the decor was very nice and had live music the day i went (Sunday.) the weren’t too busy the time we went which was 5:30pm, the food was good, we ordered the lemongrass wings and stuffed chicken wings which were fried to perfection, with sweet chili sauce to dip with. We also ordered the Laos style papaya salad which was ok, and had ordered 2 plates of the fried rice, one with chicken and the other with shrimp which was decent. The yellow curry with chicken was good, but I wished the potatoes/carrots were cooked a little longer because they still had somewhat of a crunch. The waitress was very kind and gave good recommendations and the food came out on a timely manner.

This is a good find for anyone who loves Thai food. The Stuffed Chicken Wings and their Curries are great. The back side also opens up into an open dining experience with torches, turf, a fish pond, and seating.

Highly recommend. Delicious, authentic Thai and Lao food. The som tum (ordered Lao style and hot) was totally on point. Fresh and spicy with fermented fish sauce. The Thai soup and all the food was amazing. The dining area in the back was super cool, staff was wonderful and prices were very affordable.

The Tamarind soup I ordered was really good. I also ordered red curry with chicken and Pad Thai with beef to go. The Pad Thai was awful, it barely had any beef and it was tasteless and dry. The chicken curry was just okay, far from authentic Thai cuisine. The rice was awful, it was dry from days ago. The service was really good, he place was nice and cozy and busy.

The back patio is amazing, if you have a reservation they place you near a waterfall feature on their deck. I was a walk in but still outdoors which was nice. The tofu red curry was good but not the best I had. Amazing Thai tea and great service.

Authentic thai lao food. We had the crispy rice salad, Lao papaya salad and sausages. Everything was excellent and spicy as it should.

Incredible atmosphere and decor, it felt like safely eating outside while kept cool by all the plants. The only downside was the occasional bug that fell onto our table and into food and water. But the food itself was delicious and the waiters were kind and thoughtful.