Decided to give this place a try after so many friends had recommended it!…read more Chao specializes in Vietnamese fusion. We enjoyed the appetizers, particularly the fried maitake mushrooms that came with aioli. The calamari was crispy on the outside, not too rubbery on the inside, and it came with a delightful lemongrass sauce. All of us enjoyed our entrees: the pork belly, beef stew, beef pho, and soft shell crab pasta. The soft shell crab pasta was super rich and creamy, and apparently I was lucky enough to be able to try it (they only had two more orders available for the night)! Portions were extremely generous. The desserts really stood out to me. We had a coconut flan, which was super refreshing. Their butter mochi was topped with chopped nuts and an ube ice cream, and was overall a very light, refreshing, and delicious choice as well. The staff were very friendly and service was great. Presentation of all the food and interior of the restaurant were also a 10/10. We had a great time.

Finally made it to Chao! Parking in the area can be a challenge but I lucked out…read more I went there for lunch, ordered the lobster summer rolls and the duck salad. The sauce on the summer roll was really good, but couldn't really taste too much lobster. The presentation was beautiful but it was a little messy to eat since it was pre-cut making the roll fall apart when trying to eat it. I think it would be better if it were not pre-cut or if the summer roll was cut in half. Summer rolls need the ends to keep it together when you're eating it. I know this is a new item, but I hope Chao keeps a summer roll on the menu. I really enjoyed the duck salad. All the crunchy textures and the sauce on the side. I'll get this again for sure. For Vietnamese food I do prefer stronger herbal flavors, but both dishes were very enjoyable. And I'll definitely come back again. Overall I liked this place, excellent service and good food.

8/23/25 This review is for the Street Eats Pearlridge Farmer's Market location. First time there…read moreand had heard about it from Hawaii News Now Cheap Eats segment. They are there every Saturday and are the first vendor on the left as you walk in the main entrance. I had a great experience. Top notch customer service. The owner is very personable and friendly. They have a small menu of only 7 food items compared to their main location in Chinatown with a larger variety menu. This menu seems to be their popular items and according to the owner, the pork belly is their best seller. Even with just these items, I still had a hard time deciding what I wanted because it all looked so good. They not only have the menu posted but a picture of each menu item. I like when businesses do that, you know what you're getting. I opted for the Double Fried Chicken. It comes with 2 pieces of boneless chicken thighs (about 3 oz each), 2 scoops of white rice, cole slaw (about 1/2 cup) & a mild sauce. The chicken was wonderful! It was lightly breaded, not over cooked but fried just right to give the chicken a good crispiness. The thigh meat was still moist and not dry from over frying. Seasoning was just right, not overly seasoned, yet still tasty. Good 'ole fried chicken as fried chicken should be. The only problem I had with the chicken was there wasn't enough. Wish there were 3 pieces. The cole slaw was surprisingly good and I'm not a big fan of cole slaw. This one I liked. It was well seasoned, not tangy, and a lite creaminess with good crunch. The sauce that came with the chicken was also good. It tasted like ketchup with a kick. Keep in mind this is not fast food and usually everything is cooked to order with food trucks. The owner did advise me the wait would be 10 - 15 minutes. I was ok with that because then I knew I was definitely getting it hot and fresh. Overall, the food was great matched with first-rate customer service. It's a place worth a return visit. Support local!

Street Eats is the newest addition to the Maunakea Marketplace Food Court. They are next to Lime…read moreand you just need to look for the "blue food truck" there. They have been there about 2 months. Dine in is possible if you're able to find a seat but I opted for takeout. The food court tables and chairs were relatively clean but they were quite full around lunch so takeout was a better option. Their food stall was very clean and everything looked new. They offer a different weekly special that they announce on their IG. This is a husband and wife operation with the husband in front as cashier and the wife in the kitchen. The husband was friendly and they didn't take long to get my order out. You can see the care they take to prepare each order. After looking at the menu, I ordered their Cheeseburger Add Deluxe and Bacon. There wasn't an explanation or photos of what Add Deluxe is so I just went for it. It turns out that the Add Deluxe is the veggies (tomato, lettuce and onions). Since I'm kinda a fatty, I also ordered a Chicken Sandwich and side of Fries (extra crispy) to try. The chicken comes tossed in either a BBQ or Buffalo sauce. If you're not a sauce fan, it can be plain (option I chose). I was able to get both sauces on the side to try. Both the burger and chicken sandwich were good. They fried the chicken well as it wasn't oily and moist inside. The fries were still crunchy when I got home and it was salted perfectly. Great option for good food in Maunakea Marketplace Food Court! 4.5 stars

The food here at Liliha Bakery was delicious! My family and I went for the first time on our trip…read morethere in June. We all got something different to eat, and shared a little bit to taste. We also got a few desserts to bring back home with us. I will be going back here on our next trip to Hawaii!

This place deserves nothing but 5 stars!! I think it was the best pancakes I've ever had. The…read morefrench toast, garlic fried rice, and of course the buttered rolls were all to die for as well. The curry was alright. The prices are great, I felt like they deserved to make what they were charging. There is plenty of parking. This is a bakery so you can just take a pastry to go or you can wait to sit down at the counter and order food to eat there. I'd definitely recommend doing both. If you go during off times you'll have a better chance of not needing to wait for a seat. Come here for the pancakes!!

We normally go to Nico's during breakfast/lunch, where you find your own seat and order at the…read morecashier. This time we went during dinner - we walked in like usual (no signs that say wait to be seated). Didn't know that it was table service only. My other half walked to the cashier while I stayed seated, he asked how it works..she said to order food from her, which he did. He came back to sit down, we waited for our food. Our food was ready, then we were told we couldn't sit and eat since it was table service only. We were then kicked-out...so embarrassed, why didn't they tell us sooner?

Located off Nimitz Hwy on a pier 38 we went to Niko's, which they do not take reservations…read more We got there on a Tuesday which was good, not much customers and lots of open seating. We got seated outside which was okay and we had a small dog with us. We went to celebrate our daughter Birthday and nobody asked even with her wearing a Lei is there a special occasion? Nothing from the check in counter to the waitress? We ordered appetizers Oyster shooters, Chicken Caesar salad, Truffle French Fries, Crab Artichoke dip, besides the main courses. The Oyster Shooter was fresh and tasty with a quail egg on top, only 1 of mind had 2 pretty good size pieces of oyster shells inside good thing I didn't choke on them. The Truffle French Fries was good except for it wasn't crispy, maybe due to the truffle oil. The Chicken Caesar salad with pesto was very good and the homemade croutons were very tasty light and crunchy, the pesto chicken was tasty and moist and the romaine lettuce was fresh. The Crab Artichoke dip with baked bread was good. I also ordered the fish and chip which was delicious and the fish was crispy on the outside and moist inside. The French fries were crispy and good. My wife ordered the braise belly pork and most of the portion was fat which she only ate 1 piece. Our daughter had the braised short ribs and she enjoyed her meal. Our son in law ordered the short ribs with Kim Chee and he enjoyed his ribs, but didn't eat the large pile of Kim Chee he said the Kim Chee was sour, but enjoyed the short ribs and beans and mash potatoes. They do have indoor and outdoor seating with live music. You can park in the unpaved parking lot right across the entrance, but if you have bad eye sight or walking because of the large holes and uneven surfaces, better to park along side of the building.

Today after dropping hubs off for his eye surgery by 10:15 am I thought: glory be! Possibly 4…read morehours of freedom. However by the time noon rolled along I was getting hungry. The first place I tried was closed. I decided to eat close to Dole Cannery. Fortunately I found a space right in front for picking hubs up later so I took it. Long story short, I decided to check out the food court at Dole Cannery. I saw an elderly man eating solo and seemed his choice was yummy. I asked him Did you get it from Fat Boys? He said Hamburger Steak mini. I was intrigued cuz hubs always gets that any place we end up 90% of the time. I don't think I've ever ordered hamburger steak. Today would be the day to give it a try. Oh my! The gravy on the rice was perfect. The hamburger steak was soft and delicious- the secret must be in their gravy. Literally broke da mout'. I'd definitely order this for myself if we are in the area. I miss having Fat boys by Costco in Waipio but now I found them.

Breakfast in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. While searching my Yelp app for "Breakfast", Fatboys popped up! Located at Dole Cannery, on the Ground Level, there's a lot of shared seating in the spacious Food Court. Service was very helpful and friendly! I was happy that my plate included two side dishes! They were labeled - and the cashier pointed out each item. I selected cucumber kimchi and choi sum. One of the fishes of the day was Ono. I chose it because it's not very common. I took the pan-fried preparation that came with Garlic ponzu butter dipping sauce... yum! I even poured that sauce on my rice! I look forward to returning!

Second time dining at Fête and had another amazing experience. The staff are quick, knowledgeable,…read moreand friendly. The food is outstanding and there are a ton of unique cocktail options. We started with a shrimp elote special and the chicken liver mousse. The shrimp elote was unique and flavorful. The mousse was my favorite thing of the night. So rich and creamy and the cherry marmalade paired so well with it. Love that they provided ample bread to go with it. I had to try the la chancla cocktail - the mayo washed mezcal caught my eye. It sounds a little strange but it was very good and was quite strong. For entrees we got the carbonara and zucchini lemon risotto. The carbonara was really rich and the Portuguese sausage added a nice touch. Looking at pictures of it beforehand I was worried the portion size would be small but it's served on a large bowl making the portion look smaller than it is. The risotto had a refreshing tangy sweetness from the lemon. Both have the option of adding on crispy prosciutto for $4. We didn't but saw some that other people ordered and it looked amazing - next time! One of the servers there provided a great recommendation with a wine pairing for the carbonara and let me try a rose before committing. It wasn't something I would normally have chosen but it worked well and I'm grateful for his helpfulness.

Server: Christi S. August 8, 2026…read moreTable 3 4:11pm My mother and I had an incredible lunch experience and truly enjoyed every part of our visit. We ordered the Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich, fries, Chicama Daiquiri, Fête Bonne Mi, Kunia Old Fashioned, and Double Scoop Rocky Road Ice Cream. Everything was delicious, and compliments to the chefs and bartenders for their excellent work! The restaurant's urban Hawaiian farmhouse atmosphere was beautiful. The combination of brick and reclaimed wood, the open kitchen, lush plant wall, historic Chinatown setting, and abundance of natural light created such a unique and inviting ambiance. The bar's creative cocktails and artisanal flair were also a wonderful complement to our meal. A special thank you to our server, Christi S. Thank you for your warm, sweet, and generous recommendations and for providing such wonderful service. You were absolutely awesome and made our lunch even more enjoyable. We had a fantastic experience and will certainly remember the wonderful hospitality we received. Mahalo, Christi!

Have you ever been to a place that had such a great cocktail menu that you had to try at least five…read moreofferings in one sitting? Me neither until Sheryl took us to Moku Kitchen. As someone who likes simple old fashioneds, their drink menu was enticing. Monkeypod Mai Tai, No Kai Oi, Bartender's Special, Deschutes Black Butte, Hop Island Beer, Housemade Ginger Beer, Pear Pressure, and a Wahine Noho Mauna. $88 before tax. Great number. Had we not eaten our weight in dim sum for brunch, we probably would have shared some bites here. The menu looked promising. Great place for sips. Such an amazing place that even the server knew Sheryl. You can tell it's a great place.

Moku Kitchen is a New American bar and restaurant located in SALT Kaka'ako, and I first went in…read more2023; absolutely loved their food, mainly their thin crust pizzas. Recently, they brought back their daily Late Night Happy Hour so I recently went back with a friend for dinner. Their Happy Hour deals for $13 pizzas and 50% appetizers/small bites are pretty economical. For 4 items, we averaged $20/person prior to tax or tip which was pretty nice. Now, in terms of food, I was disappointed because each item wasn't as good as I remembered it to be. The truffle pizza lacked the cheese pull, the crusts for both pizzas seemed super hard, and the food felt lukewarm. It didn't feel like it was freshly made to order. Maybe we came at a bad time, but I don't think dinner that night was that great. The only redeeming factor was the affordability and great service, which made the subpar experience sting a little less.

I had the chance to dine at Scratch Kitchen in Kapolei back in 2024 for a special Mother's Day…read morelunch with my youngest daughter. I'd never been to their other locations, so this was my first experience -- and honestly, it left an impression. That spot in Kapolei has seen a few restaurants come and go over the years. Before Scratch Kitchen, there was Sugar Cane, and if I reach far enough back, I'm pretty sure a Mexican restaurant lived there too. It's one of those spaces where you hope the next place finally sticks. But the food at Scratch Kitchen? Absolutely delicious. The kind of meal where the pictures alone make your mouth water. If "smell‑a‑vision" or "lick‑your‑screen" technology existed, everyone would understand exactly what I mean. Every dish was full of flavor, beautifully done, and perfect for a Mother's Day treat. Which is why I can't help but wonder what happened -- like so many restaurants before them in that same location. With food that good, you'd hope they'd be the ones to break the cycle. All in all, I'm grateful I got to enjoy that meal with my daughter. It was memorable, delicious, and one of those small moments you hold onto. Marie

Stopped by Scratch Kitchen in Honolulu for brunch, and honestly, I'm surprised it wasn't packed. We…read morewent mid-morning on a weekday and the place was nearly empty--not sure if it was just good timing or an underrated gem. Either way, it made for a super relaxed experience with no wait and plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the food. Loved: The street tacos with the tempura shrimp were easily the star of the meal. 100% worth it. Light, crispy shrimp with a flavorful slaw and just the right amount of heat--basically a flavor party in every bite. The burger was another quiet star. Juicy patties, nicely seasoned, and stacked just right. Nothing super flashy, but really satisfying. Definitely a good pick if you're not in the mood for brunchy stuff. The Miss: Tried the French toast and... meh. It looked great on the plate but tasted dry and definitely didn't live up to the level of the other dishes. Might've just been an off day or a matter of personal taste, but I'd skip it next time.

You must eat here!!! The food is banging. We enjoyed this…read morelittle spot so much. Everything was awesome especially the cornbread. The staff were very friendly. Everything is homemade and cooked to order. We had the Mac & cheese and collared greens, they were outstanding. I highly recommend this restaurant.

If you have not been to Southern Love, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???…read more Their website sums it up perfectly: "where the warmth of the South meets the laid-back spirit of Aloha" This little spot has the biggest heart, the best vibes, and incredible food. Chef Love and family will make you feel right at home You can rest assured that any menu choice you make will take your taste buds on a journey. Fried shrimp with a nice spicy kick, tender and flakey catfish, or the Mac Daddy Bowl - they're all winners. Oh the Mac Daddy Bowl... Creamy mac n' cheese, savory pulled pork, and a sweet or tangy bbq sauce. Everything comes together into a beautiful masterpiece . Save room for dessert too! It's gonna be tough... I know... But it'll be worth it in the end.

I usually practice here. Food is good. Mama-san Sophie is great!!!…read more She's also a great pool player!!!

We were looking for a spot to play some pool. They have 3 tables and 3 dart machines. We went on…read moreLadies Night. It wasn't overly crowded and the ladies really did their thing with the karaoke! They sang banger after banger. The staff were friendly and this place seems like a spot that has lots of regulars. We have visited since then and I would just be mindful that when there is a Pool league playing the wait times for food and drinks take much longer. When the food came, it was a pleasant surprise! It was tasty and the prices were okay. Overall Good Atmosphere and the food experience was a 7.5/10