Hawali
Oahu – Honolulu
Heiho House
Heiho House is a restaurant in Honolulu that has a lot of Filipino influence on its menu. The place also prides itself on its cocktails. The vibe is a mix of bar scene and izakaya. NOTE: The entrance is a bit hard to find. Uber dropped us off at the address indicated but the entrance was down an alley and hallway. There was a street entrance in the back too. Its best to just ask the other local restaurants if you can’t find it (apparently, they were used to it).
Oahu – Honolulu
Basalt
I prefer simple breakfast. Coffee and fruit or a pastry like a croissant or nothing at all. Hawaii is a place I tend to deviate from this plan. Being born in the Philippines, having spam for breakfast is a reminder of my childhood (not to mention its delicious and good for your soul). I guess its part of my #1 above.
Anyway, we decided to check out Basalt which is located inside Dukes Lane Market as it was beside the hotel. We started with a papaya which was served with lemon. The server told us this was the way locals liked it. It was interesting and brought out the flavors of the papaya (I also like salt on some of my fruit like pineapples).
Oahu – Honolulu
Tori Ton
Tori Ton is an Izakaya in Honolulu that has assorted small plates and yakitori. The interior is very reminiscent of a Japanese Izakaya. The service is friendly. We started with the Anchovy Butter fries which were delicious. Normally, when I order fries, there are some left at the end of the meal. They were finished before the meal even started!
Next, was the chicken char siu with spicy sauce which was also delicious. Next came the yakitori which is where the results were mixed. The chicken breast with wasabi was dry and the U.S. Wagyu had an off smell. On the other hand, the pork wrapped Japanese rice, which was recommended by our server, was delicious.
Oahu – Honolulu
Onoya
Craving good ramen to cure a hangover in Honolulu one Sunday, I decided to try Onoya. I tried to make a reservation using the Google Assistant but the request was rejected by the restaurant. I decided to just show up, and luckily, it was not busy.
Overall, it was good. Broth was flavorful though not overly complex. The char siu was thin which is how I like it. The noodles were well cooked but thinner than I like. I believe you can request thicker noodles. The gyoza was not the best I have had. It was ok.
Oahu – Honolulu
Cheap, fast (not always), and delicious (for the most part) in Oahu and Honolulu
Ok so not everything on this list is fast (or delicious, but most things will be). In Hawaii, people take their time. Its a combination of a chill lifestyle and cooked fresh to order, but I hope you find this list helpful.
Sam’s Kitchen (Honolulu)
We arrived late and this was one of the places open late (its open till 1AM) so its a good choice if you want Hawaiian food late at night. Its a hole in the wall with outdoor seating. We had the garlic shrimp and its good enough to give you that “I’ve arrived in Hawaii” feeling.
Oahu – Honolulu
Bar Maze
Bar Maze is an omakase dinner and cocktail experience in Honolulu. On the omakase menu, there were two options: add caviar to the second course and change to wagyu in the 3rd course. We did both. We also had the drink pairing. The banchan will make more sense later on in this post.
Although all the bites were delicious, the star was by far the shrimp toast. I wanted the flavor to linger….forever! The 1st course was the scallops. I thought the presentation throughout the meal was elegant without trying too hard, and all the dinnerware was very cool/unique.
Oahu – Honolulu
Maru Sushi
On a recent trip to Honolulu I had the pleasure of dining at Maru Sushi. It is an omakase only experience. Upon arrival, you enter through a traditionally minimalist Japanese doorway and into a small dining room with sushi bar only seating for about 8.
This is omakase dining in its purest form and ensures you get a front row seat to all the action, and maximum interaction with the chefs. This creates a very memorable experience.
Oahu – Honolulu
Pai
Pai is located in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. We were seated at the counter with a view of the kitchen.
The meal started with snacks. The poke was just ok. I think poke is one of those dishes that is hard to do in “fine dining” because the “street” version is so good already. The mac salad was also just ok. The highlight of this dish was the beef jerky. Amazing flavors but the pickle was unnecessary. I could of ate this all night.
Oahu – Honolulu
Marukame Udon
Marukame Updon is a very popular restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii. If you want to beat the lines, come when it opens or early in the morning. As an added benefit, we were staying at the Laylow Hotel across the street, which made it extremely convenient.
The first thing you do, is tell the person working the type you want. I had the tan tan and my wife had the Nikutama, which is like a sukiyaki.
Oahu – Honolulu
Cheap Local Hawaiian Eats
Here is a list of cheap eats we had on Oahu on a recent trip to Hawaii.
Spam and Poke on the Beach
Being originally from the Philippines, I am a big fan of SPAM, and the Hawaiians love it as well so its perfect for me. One thing you have to have in Hawaii is SPAM musubi. Its basically sushi spam. On our first morning, we headed to Dukes Lane Market and Eatery to buy stuff for a picnic on the beach (the place opens at 6AM so its perfect for early risers – one of the many benefits of going to Hawaii from the Westcoast is that you will always wake up early because it is 3 hours behind).
Spam Musubi Heaven
Oahu – Honolulu
Senia
Senia’s food “…is Regional American, a cultural intersection of the chefs and their experiences that always pay homage to Hawaii’s abundance of beautiful ingredients”.
They have a chef’s counter where they serve a tasting menu, but due to the dining time I selected, it was not available. I would definitely come back to try it.
I started with a very delicious cocktail called “The Freddie”: Bulleit Bourbon, chestnut, blood orange and smoke.
Oahu – Honolulu
Paris Hawaii
Paris Hawaii serves “contemporary French cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients”. Many of the dishes creatively incorporate Hawaiian ingredients and dishes into them.
The chef is from Japan and worked at the highly regarded Clown Bar in Paris (which I found to be underwhelming). Paris Hawaii reminds me of the many French restaurants in Paris, run by Japanese chefs. They attract a loyal following from Japanese tourists.
Oahu – Honolulu
The Pig & The Lady
Pig and The Lady is a Vietnamese restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is a modern take on Vietnamese food. Normally, modern takes on Asian food is disappointing, especially street food. However, the first time I ate at this place 4 years ago, I was blown away and remember thinking to myself “they must be putting crack in their food because its very addictive”. I recently returned, and the food is still addictive as ever, but not every dish was a home run this time.
Lanai
Nobu Lanai
Just like One Forty, Nobu is in the Four Seasons in Lanai. Just like with One Forty, our first experience here had been subpar. You can get an intro about it by reading my review on One Forty. As it relates to our last experience at Nobu, we were reminded 3x that it was last call – once upon arrival by the hostess, another after being seated, and then again by the server. Then there were other details lacking like not using fresh wasabi. OK, I get it, we were on a remote island, but at the same time, they are charging a huge premium.
This time around, were told that the chef had prepared omakase for us.
Lanai
One Forty American Steak, Hawaiian Seafood (at the Four Seasons)
The last time we ate at One Forty in the Four Seasons Lanai, the steak was overcooked, dry and flavorless. We ordered medium rare, and they gave us medium well.
Recently, we returned, partly because they invited us back for 2 complimentary nights to make up for last time’s experience.
One thing you should know about Lanai, and staying at the Four Seasons, is that your choices for dining will be limited.
Lanai
Four Seasons – Review of Activities on Lanai
On a recent trip to Oahu, we decided to see another Hawaiian island last minute. Since we have already been to Kaui, the Big Island, and Maui, we chose Lanai. We stayed at the Four Seasons. I will review our stay there, and the food in a separate post, including the incredible experience on Lanai Air.
In this post however, I will answer the questions, what is there to do on Lanai?
Beach – Probably the most famous beach is Hulopoe. It is conveniently located just steps from the Four Seasons.
Lanai
Getting to Lanai – Review of Lanai Air
Before you read this review, if you enjoy these reviews, subscribe to this blog. This way, you don’t miss out on any future reviews. None of the meals/services in my reviews are provided free by the restaurants so you know you will always get an unbiased opinion. On some occasions if they offer anything free (usually due to a complaint during the meal), I will always let you know.
This is my review of the experience on Lanai Air. Lanai Air is basically a charter/private plane service from Honolulu to Lanai. If you are staying at the Four Seasons, you should book your hotel first, and then give the booking number to the agent at Lanai air. They will then coordinate all transfers.