Green Papaya Vietnamese Vegetarian

My husband and I decided to venture to Green Papaya, after a long trip from the east coast. We were extremely hungry, but unfortunately, this place was just okay. The food was a bit bland, and most of the dishes included tofu. I didn't note any menu items that included faux meats if you are interested in that sort of thing. We tried two dishes 1. spring rolls with vermicelli noodles, and 2. spring rolls, tofu, and vermicelli noodles. Again, the food was a bit bland, and the spring rolls were burned. My husband is not a fan of soft tofu, so he did not enjoy the tofu that came with my dish . . . None of the dishes on the menu really appealed to him because most of them appeared to have soft tofu. We also had some communication issues with the staff; the individual who served us initially was not proficient with English, and had a hard time directing us towards the vegan items on the menu. Overall -- we would not plan to go back.

Great service and authentic Vietnamese vegan soups, would definitely recommend.
Updated from previous review on Wednesday September 17, 2014

I went with such good reviews in mind thinking they'd be of great help but the lady was very unsure what was vegan. They have a decent vegetarian section so vegetarians go ahead! Vegans, beware if you're strict. I ordered and barely ate because I wasn't confident in her lack of confidence.

So good!! Vegan pho can be so hard to find and this place had delicious broth, tofu, cilantro and noodles and lots of hot sauce!! Slurpy soup heaven :) very popular place. Recommend!

They have a sizable vegetarian section of their menu (probably 25 items), with various soups, noodle dishes, etc. The food tasted great (and with good portions) and was authentic Vietnamese. Convenient if you're in the Ala Moana area.

I recently went on vacation with my family (of vegetarians) and we absolutely loved this place. The food was great, using local, fresh ingredients - exactly what we were hoping for when traveling. We ended up sharing their vegan pho and their thai spicy noodle soup. Both were perfectly made with flavorful broths that were not overly salty or oily. We also had the papaya salad that was amazingly fresh and had a phenomenal sauce. Their vegetarian rolls were also perfectly made and enjoyable with the mint and lettuce wrap around them.

But perhaps most impressive was the service. The waitresses were some of the sweetest and accommodating I've had the pleasure to experience. I would visit this restaurant on a near-daily basis if I was around, not only for the great food but to support this lovely staff.

Good selection of vegan dishes. Great place for a quick lunch, or relaxed dinner. Well lit, clean, easy to find and friendly service. Stir fries, soups, choice of rice (brown & white) or noodles (rice flour), spring & summer rolls, and of course papaya salad. All good. Vegan- Pho, Tom Yum, Sweet & Sour, and Spicy Thai soups available. Also, they've expanded the restaurant to include a Shabu Shabu dining room. Which is a great place to take friends and share a meal.

Not sure why they were given 2 carrots. It's relatively inexpensive ($8 - $11 entrees).

This is the original location. The Waialae Ave location evolved into "Four Kings", a fusion of Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and Japanese cuisine including a sushi bar, before closing it's doors (circa 2010?). :(

FYI, the "Green Papaya" off Dillingham Blvd is not related to this company.