Simple Joy Vegetarian Cuisine — Restaurant in Honolulu

We found this vegetarian diner and discovered everything is actually vegan! The good: Food was served hot and well seasoned. The Passion Fruit iced tea was delicious! Service was friendly and quick. The not-so-good: Atmosphere was meh. Worn seat cushions. Not everything was in good repair. The ugly: It had just had a food inspection on September 18, 2023 which a "Conditional Approval" to continue was issued. Items discovered would be subject to a reinspection within 72 hours. The bathrooms were in need of some TLC as a cockroach ran across the floor and deep cleaning was needed. If you want to try this restaurant just be aware of some possible lingering deficiencies. There is free parking around the back. Prices were reasonable given it's Sep 2023. EDIT: After reading the publicly-available inspection report, available from the photo of the Conditional Inspection I can no longer recommend Simple Joy. There are some significant deficiencies and safety concerns that changed my recommendation. Hopefully they will correct these items soon.

Read the report for yourself:

11 - food in good condition, safe, & unadulterated

Comments: Observed moldy bread in refrigerator. CORRECTED ONSITE - Moldy bread discarded. ** Food is not safe, unadulterated, and honestly presented.

20 - proper cold holding temperatures

Comments: Foods requiring temp control for safety observed held at unsafe temp in both deli top refrigerators and in TurboAir glass door refrig. See temp list. ** For cold holding, PHF not maintained at 41 F or less.

26 - toxic substances properly identified, stored, & used

Comments: Observed two cans of household use aerosol pesticide on floor at cook line. USE ONLY INSECTICIDES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELLED OK TO USE IN A FOOD ESTABLISHMENT OR USE PROFESSIONAL PEST CONTROL SERVICE. ** Poisonous or toxic materials are being improperly used or applied.

36 - insect, rodents & animals not present

Comments: Observed approx 10 live cockroaches in kitchen (under sink, on floor, on food prep surface of deli top refrig). Establishment has no professional pest control. PLEASE PROVIDE INVOICE FOR PROFESSIONAL PEST CONTROL TREATMENT FOR FOLLOW UP INSPECTION. Strongly recommend regular service. ** Premises are not maintained free of insects, rodents, and other pests.

37 - contamination prevented during food preparation, storage and display

Comments: In Whirlpool Gold refrig, observed bag of raw potatoes stored in a pool of dirty water on bottom shelf of refrig. CORRECTED ONSITE - potatoes moved to higher shelf in refrig. DISCUSSED: either repair leak in refrig or do not store food on bottom shelf. ** Foods not stored away from potential contamination.

48 - hot & cold water available; adequate pressure

Comments: No hot water available at left compartment of 3-comp sink where person in charge says dishes are washed. Hot water is available (128F) at middle and right compartments, but water starts and stops and does not have consistent pressure. HOT WATER AT LEAST 110F MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR WASHING DISHES AT 3-COMP SINK. ** The water source and the hot water generation system are not of sufficient capacity to meet the peak water demands of the food...

I went to Simple Joy Vegetarian cuisine with some guests and ordered the thai curry soup large. $15. My friend also ordered it. Both of us did not feel like the soup was good. My friend ate it and didn't say anything. I actually felt nauseous because it didn't taste like what I usually order and smelled off. The waiter was sweet and older so we repeatedly had to chase her down. I didn't see anyone else trying to get her attention. I asked to switch out my meal and she immediately said no refund. She seemed to think I was just looking for a refund and spoke before I got a chance to speak. I told her I was getting nauseated from the food and she said I still had to pay for it. I ordered the bahn mi sandwich which was around 12$. So I paid for an experience that cost 30$ It felt like a rip off. Overall the food tasted a little bland and I think they should take accountability for their dishes if the customer is not satisfied. I also feel we could have been treated with more respect. It was a classic case of "we don't respect your community but we will take your money and answer any complaints through deflection with a smile." I was disappointed and felt as though the establishment was comfortable taking their customers for granted. If you do not feel comfortable with a dish you order speak up and say something. If a restaurant can't take accountability for a few dollars with their dish, they don't care about the customer's experience. They want to feel justified in disrespecting select communities while taking their money. I would go to a different restaurant for a...

I USED to love this place, but I've seen the portions get smaller and smaller and the prices get higher and higher as of recent. Listen, I get maybe times are hard, but wow to throw that onto your customers this hard and fast... it's something you can't miss. Let me start with the spring rolls… which are TINY, thin and short. They are about 5 inches tall and maybe 1/2 inch thick…. $7.50 for two… that’s almost $4 per roll! And now to the tofu in the dishes. We got the veggie fried rice and the Thai curry. The Thai curry had 4 small cubes of tofu and the veggie fried rice we asked for extra tofu, which is $3 extra dollars… I’ve gotten the veggie fried rice with extra tofu for years and there was no extra tofu today, so I paid extra for nothing. Listen… I had to FRY UP my OWN TOFU to add to my take out order… like what?! I had to cook food to add to my take out… can’t believe I had to do that. Tofu is CHEAP. The Aloha Tofu Factory is an 8 minute drive from Simply Joy and 20 oz of tofu is $2.65… there is NO GOOD reason to skimp on tofu with your dishes ESPECIALLY since you are a VEGAN restaurant. I’m over the cheapness, won’t be ordering here anymore. I'm going straight to the source - Aloha Tofu Factory.. surprisingly they sell an array of cooked dishes for...