Sombat's Fresh Thai Cuisine

By Sonia Martinez and Anthony Mathis

We first met Sombat Saenguthai four years ago when she and her husband, Steve Parente, were selling Sombat's Pad Thai Sauce at one of the Big Island's Agro-Expos at the Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo. She mentioned she hoped to open a restaurant one day.
We were very favorably impressed with Sombat's pad Thai sauce in our sweet 'n' sour stir fry, and decided to be one of her first customers when the restaurant opened. Thence we found ourselves at her new place in Hilo, and have returned several times since.
We love Thai food-even though we are not naturally addicted to the very hot and spicy. The combinations of flavors in this delicious cuisine can balance the hot and spicy with the fresh and natural in such a manner that a bit of heat is not unpleasant.
We are quite familiar with the menu and felt comfortable adding a couple of 'new to us' dishes.
We ordered the Fresh Basil Rolls with Shrimp-four tightly packed rolls with bean sprouts, mixed green salad, fresh basil and, of course, the shrimp accompanied with a delicious honey dressing. The greens in the salad mix were very fresh and crispy and the shrimp literally burst in our mouths.
We followed this with Somtum, a very crisp salad made with fresh locally grown green papaya, cilantro, green onions and their tops, thinly sliced carrots, tomato and green peppers mixed with fresh lime juice and Thai spices.
Since Sombat grows most of her herbs herself with natural fertilizers, plenty of mulch and no toxic pesticides, you also have the added wholesome freshness of all her herbs to give this exciting cuisine that extra burst of taste. The rest of the vegetables, fruit and herbs used at the restaurant are all bought from local farms and greenhouses. It can't get any better than that!
We ordered the Pineapple Fried Rice, a delicious combination featuring shrimp, chicken, cashew nuts, raisins, a hint of cilantro and bits of pineapple, beautifully served in a fresh halved pineapple shell and garnished with fresh orchids.
My entrée was a favorite that I order often, the Shrimp Kang Ka-Kee, a home-style dish of shrimp cooked in a yellow curry, with coconut milk, potatoes and carrots.
The other entrée was the Cashew Nuts sautéed in roasted curry paste and cashew nut dressing. We ordered the chicken, which also included a mix of sliced carrots, zucchini, onions, green onions and tops and more cashews. Delicious!
Portions are generous and we could have fed four people comfortably-which we did since we took our leftovers home with us!
We both enjoy Thai iced tea, making it our choice of beverages with our meal. The only dessert offered is Thai Tapioca with coconut milk, a very rich but creamy smooth dessert that soothes after such a rich meal. There was no way we could do it justice after our delicious meal, but we did take some home.
The restaurant offers both dining in and take-out during lunch, with a varied assortment of choices and very generous portions from the buffet steam table, which offers one, two and three choice combinations priced at $6, $7 and $8, respectively.
The restaurant can sit 26 people comfortably and none of the tables are too close to each other, offering a bit of privacy to the diners, which we like.
We have two complaints: one minor, the other major. We found the music a tad too loud for easy conversation, especially for the tables near the speakers.
The biggie: Sombat's does not feature Mee Grob, a delicious appetizer made with lighter than air, flash pan-fried vermicelli style noodles, prawns, tomato sauce, sugar, lemon juice, garlic, shallots, sauce, coriander, fish sauce and fresh red chilies. We hope it will be available in the not-too-distant future.
Sombat's is a wonderful dining experience as is; the only thing between it and sheer bliss is a delectable serving of Mee Grob.
Sombat's
88 Kanoelehua Ave. (Hwy 11)
Hilo
969-9336
ENTRÉES: $9.95-$15.95
Lunch: M-F: 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Dinner: M-Sa 5p.m.-8:30 p.m. (take out until 9 p.m.)
PLASTIC: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
RESERVATIONS: large groups
PARKING: Waiakea Center lot
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