Saeng's thai cuisine Wailuku

great thai food, lovely restaurant

good ol' wailuku town doesn't disappoint

click "e hele ana kāua" for the gluten free low-down

thai food is generally a-OK for the gluten free eater.  thai curry with sticky rice or pad thai are my usual favorites.  but beware, each restaurant has their own recipes and practices.  some common culprits include: 

• flour can be added to the curry as a thickener 
• chicken broth can also be used in curry which may or may not contain gluten; if the restaurant makes their own in-house (which most should...), you should be in the clear
• soy sauce can be added to sauce for the pad thai; usually it's not, but i did dine at one thai restaurant in honolulu where they did.  

as always, be sure to ask your server specific questions about these ingredients before indulging.  my experience is that if you ask about gluten, your server will look at you like your speaking a foreign language...  which you are... to them anyway.  

also note that thai food uses plenty of coconut milk which can do a number on the 'opu.  

that being said, saeng's thai cuisine is a lovely oasis of thai goodness that i thoroughly enjoy dining at.  the prices are great, it has a partially outdoor dining room with a charming garden, and the service is usually quick.  

my favorite thai dish is curry.  my favorite curry is green curry, an eggplant, basil curry.  my favorite way to eat it is with sticky rice and my fingers.  :)  you've got to try it the next time you go out for thai!  ball the sticky rice with your fingers, dip, and consume.  mm mm goodness.   

*please keep in mind that this is my experience with this restaurant.  although i certainly hope that other celiacs can eat here enjoyably that may not always be the case.  cross contamination can always be a problem at any restaurant.