The best meal we've had on the Big Island so far, and by far, was at the Garden Snack Club, a Thai fusion place spearheaded by chef Tina. As I've mentioned, the food on the Big Island has been a little lackluster: solid meals for a hefty price, but not at chef Tina's table in Hilo. We came for lunch, not expecting too much - perhaps a decent Thai plate. We ended up staying for two hours, sampling pineapple curry stir fry, tom kah soup with coconut broth, and steamed vegetables with a secret peanut sauce.
We couldn't finish what we ordered. The soup was spicy and lemon-y. Between the four of us, we barely put a dent in the bowl. This soup was too delicious to leave behind, so we carried the leftovers in our cooler and ate the rest for dinner over jasmine rice.
One of the most spectacular dishes put in front of us was a plate of steamed vegetables and coconut steamed rice with peanut sauce. So simple, but so good. I keep imagining how to replicate the rice. That will keep me up at night for a while.
Thanks to chef Tina and the staff at Garden Snack Cafe for the best meal on the island.
