If you’re craving authentic Thai cuisine — we’re talking legit Thai street food — look no further than Zaab Ver, located on Kapiolani Boulevard.

“‘Zaab’ means ‘delicious’ in Thai,” says business owner Somm Hagiwara, who opened her food truck last fall. “So ‘Zaab Ver’ means super delicious. My food is really authentic Thai food. If you go to Thailand and order street food, that’s what I serve.”

Of course, the biz offers what most diners think of when it comes to Thai food — pad thai with chicken, beef or pork ($14.95), shrimp or squid tom yum ($16.95), green curry with chicken, beef or pork ($14.95) and pad si ew ($14.95). But Hagiwara wants customers to be open to trying dishes that might be new to them. A popular option is Thai basil ($16.95), which she also calls “Thai loco moco.”

“We use the whole Thai leaf basil, which is stir-fried with ground meat and the dish has a fried egg on top,” she says. “We call it a ‘Thai loco moco’ because it’s similar to the loco moco in Hawaii.”

Other popular dishes include Issan sausage ($16.95) — a deep-fried Thai northeastern-style sausage — grilled pork jowl ($16.95) and crispy rice salad ($16.95).

“The sausage is homemade; I make everything by hand,” Hagiwara says. “Everybody knows about Nam Khao — the crispy rice salad — but that dish is about the taste. It tastes different depending on where you’re eating it. Our pork jowl is pork cheek grilled with a special tamarind sauce.”

Other menu options include som tum ($13.95) — papaya salad with chile, garlic, tomato and fermented fish sauce — labb ($14.95), or minced pork, chicken or beef, chile powder, roasted rice powder and lime dressing, and fried chicken wings ($13.95), which feature marinated whole chicken wings in a homemade sauce.

Wash everything down with beverages like Thai tea ($5), longan juice ($6) or chrysanthemum tea juice ($5).

The business is currently open from 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays, and until midnight Wednesdays-Saturdays.

“We are trying to be open as a late-night snack spot, but we’re closed Sundays,” Hagiwara says.

For updates, follow the biz on Instagram (@zaab_ver).

Zaab Ver

1700 Kapiolani Blvd., Honolulu
Call: 808-393-0649
Instagram: @zaab_ver
How to order: In person, via phone or DoorDash
How to pay: Cash and credit cards accepted