Posted on: Sunday, October 16, 2005

THE INSIDE SCOOP
Keo's turns 'ordinary into extraordinary'

By Simplicio Paragas
Dining Out Editor

Gilded Thai statues and tiki torches surround the exterior at Keo's, which recently won an Ilima Award. Photo by Randy T. Fujimori Keo's in Waikiki Where: 2028 Kuhio Ave. Call: 951-9355 Hours: Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner Parking: Valet parking in the evening is available. Plenty of self-parking is available during breakfast and lunch. Early-Bird Special: Guests who come in between 5 and 6:30 p.m. will receive a 15-percent discount off their food.

Beads of sweat trickling down my temple didn't stop me from enjoying slices of seared sashimi-grade ahi ($17.95), which was coated with lemongrass, flecks of red pepper and a melange of exotic Thai spices. An accompanying shoyu-based sauce seemed superfluous, given that the fiery rub packed enough punch.

Meanwhile, G.B. and our friends Kathy and Betsy took turns ladling spoonfuls of the milky tom kah ($3.50 with chicken), savoring the coconut essence of this classic Thai ginger soup.

These appetizers signaled the beginning of what would turn out to be a fun, deliciously drawn-out evening at Keo's in Waikiki.

As we settled in, Betsy and Kathy took in the ambiance, admiring the freshly-cut orchids, gilded Thai statues, artwork and, ahem, Matt, our waiter for the evening.

Winning this year's Honolulu Advertiser Ilima Award for Best Southeast Asian Restaurant, Keo's does the "ordinary, extraordinarily well," a mantra that owner Keo Sananikone has touted since the restaurant opened in its original Kapahulu location.

I'll admit, I don't even like tofu. But at Keo's, the sa-teh tofu ($7.95) takes bland cubes of soybean curd and turns them into crispy, tasty tid-bits that are blanketed with a thick, not-too-spicy peanut sauce. This I enjoyed, as did everyone else at the table.

Fresh summer rolls ($7.95) that are wrapped in transparent rice paper revealed bits of steamed chicken, shrimp, rice noodles, mint, parsley, cucumber and carrots. They tasted every bit as good as they looked.

Sensing our leisurely pace, Matt followed along, without being neglectful. He checked on us frequently, making sure we had what we needed and arrived on the spot when we were finally ready to proceed with our entrees.

With so many choices — from Panang curry to pad thai noodles — choosing an entree at Keo's can be a challenge.

Helping to ease the task, I recommended to Betsy and Kathy that one of them try Keo's signature Evil Jungle Prince, which I explained is Sananikone's claim to fame.

No arm-twisting was necessary; Betsy eagerly volunteered. However, she had one stipulation: She could order it as "hot" as possible, and with vegetables and tofu ($10.95). None of it would end up in a styrofoam box.

Knowing that we would be sampling one another's dishes, G.B. ordered the charbroiled jumbo — it IS substantial — lobster tail ($36.50), which she chose to have with drawn butter, as opposed to the traditional Thai red or green curry sauce. The succulent lobster meat was pure indulgence.

Kathy opted for the sauteed shiitake mushrooms and snow peas mixed with shrimp ($13.95), which proved that simple ingredients can yield delicious results.

Although Keo's is a Thai restaurant, the menu does list steaks, ribs and chops for those wanting more of a Western-style entree ... like I did.

I wavered between the filet ($32.95) and the New York steak ($23.95), with the latter winning the tug-of-war.

Charbroiled to a medium-rare temperature, my steak was tender and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. Again, this was an ordinary dish, done extraordinarily well.