Pai’s

Wah! Visited on Sept. 28, 2012
and discovered them parked in lot while visiting Starbucks headquarters in SODO on Landers. TODAY WAS THE LAST DAY!!!
Found out they’re officially closing after 3 years. Not bad business… just new business ventures.
Too bad. As the kalua pig was perfectly seasoned and moist. The short ribs were flavorful and tender. Yes, there’s that bone, but so much flavor!
Kimchee and papaya sides. Not overly spicy!
And all for $ 10!
Wah! I would have eaten here again!
Too bad no one has bought them… or the recipes!
Good luck! Mike!

OH MY GOD. FIVE STARS FOR THE MOST TASTY, SUCCULENT and DELICIOUSLY MOIST PIECE OF CHICKEN EVER.
Okay, I’m done (with the all-​caps) but seriously… The Lemongrass Huli Huli chicken is like crack (not that I’ve ever done that before… promise!). The lemongrass is present in this piece of chicken and it’s also paired with other spices that truly make this dish amazing. Just give me this piece of chicken with rice and we’re gooood!
Oh yeah, did I mention that this was a food truck? They were at the Seattle Center for the Aloha Hawaiian Festival going on this past weekend.
The prices aren’t bad either, it was about 8 dollars for the entrée with rice. If you want 2 more sides you can add it for $ 2 more dollars. I got the Papaya Salad which was amazingly spicy, and the macaroni salad which tasted pretty good!
If you see a big green truck that says «Pai» …try it out. IT’S NO JOKE!

As a Hawaii native, any new and good Hawaiian place in close proximity that opens up is on my radar. I have been meaning to try Pai’s, but the little problem of working on the Eastside has deterred my ability to try this place out. They are currently open 2 days a week (Wednesday on Capitol Hill and Thursday on First Hill) during the lunch hours.
Luckily I have been able to work from home this week, so I hightailed it to Capitol Hill yesterday to try Pai’s. The menu apparently changes weekly. This week they served sliders, tofu and adobo rice bowls. I was kind of disappointed with the menu because I was hankering for a Hawaiian plate lunch with mac salad and haupia for dessert.
While I did not get that plate lunch experience, I did like the adobo rice bowl ($ 5) that I got. The adobo was a mix of chicken and pork pieces. Adobo can be vinegary tasting, but the rendition that I had here was not so much which I liked. The meats were fall off the bone type tender. The chicken texture is kind of reminiscent of that of chicken long rice.
For the price, it was a good filling meal. In that regard, Pai’s is like lunch wagons you find in/​near downtown Honolulu at lunch time on weekdays in which the focus is on value and heartiness. Looking forward to getting a plate lunch next time at Pai’s. Hopefully, I can get the stars to align again to try this place out.