The food and the server were both good. He was pleasant and his explanation on the menu was clear to understand.

Restaurants is not only good food but the service of the workers is one of the important is communication and respect.. that is 100 percent.and that is my experience. read more

"Good food is very often, even most often, simple food." ― Anthony Bourdain I have been seeing so many photos and reviews for this amazing place before arriving on vacation that I knew I would be stopping by for a bite. I already knew what I want, I just needed to get myself here and wow. What a great meal! Beef Carpaccio: Paper-thinly sliced raw beef tenderloin with an herb mix, onions, crispy shallots, lime vinaigrette, and Thai chili. Such a flavor bomb compared the usual Italian classic with lemon, olive oil, and capers. Crispy Calamari: Garlic, jalapeño, and a chili lime sauce. I don't even remember eating this as there were so many plates on the table. I only realized this was ordered after uploading my photos on here. I'm sure they were great though. Grilled Sweet Corn: Curry butter, pork floss, and chives. I avoided this not because it didn't look or smell good because it did. I just generally avoid eating corn-on-the-cob in public. I'll end up looking like a child with corn on my face if I attempted to eat corn-on-the-cob in public! Hamachi Poke: Spicy tobiko roe mayo, salted calamansi, and served with shrimp chips. Good flavor balance and fun texture. I can absolutely inhale this all by myself. Spanish Octopus: Mixed herbs, roasted peanuts, and roasted fish sauce. Perfectly tender with a great flavor profile. Duck Salad: Seared duck breast, lettuce, crispy fried noodles, and fresno chiles with a creamy house dressing. Get this. The fresh crisp bite of salad helps cut the flavors of everything else you are eating. Brisket Beef Stew: My twinsie actually had this and it smelled great. Taste wise, I'm sure it was good. It's beef, potatoes, and onions in bo kho. It can only be good. Soft Shell Crab Pasta: Fried soft shell crab, fresh noodles, and lemongrass tossed in beurre monté ("mounted butter"). This was the single dish that made me want to pop in. I have been haunted on Yelp by this soft shell crab that's standing up, needing me to have five it with my chopsticks. It was good. It was tasty. I ate a lot of the noodles even. Chao Penicilin: Chivas, ginger, and honey. This was Randy S.'s drink but I fell in love with it quickly. It tasted like a fresh ginger root was strangled and poured into a glass. This is 100% my kind of drink. I love it when ginger bites back. Vietnamese Espresso Martini: Vietnamese coffee, Mr. Brown, and Absolut vodka. You can't go wrong with Vietnamese coffee and you definitely can't go wrong with an espresso martini. Up until the point when I tried the Chao Penicillin, I was elated with my martini, haha! What a great place. I'll be day dreaming of that Soft Shell Crab Pasta and Chao Penicilin now that I've finished this review. read more

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Lunchtime led us to a lovely meal, Chao. A place that was highly raved about by friends, and my Dad and I were anxious to try. Our experience was great, and I'm still thinking of what I ate. My unnie, Li Y., made reservations for us. We were sitting inside, farther back. The restaurant is stylish yet more casual. A nice watering hole for locals and visitors to enjoy meals, drinks, or happy hour. We came for lunch and were treated like family by all staff. It was great to talk story, have our questions answered, and enjoy our meal at our own leisure. We chose to order family style and shared the Crispy Calamari, Roasted Eggplant, Duck Rice, and Soft Shell Crab Pasta. Everything was superb. The flavors, seasonings, spices, all of it was on point. Loved the roast on the eggplant, the calamari was crispy and great with the sauce, and the crab pasta was so creamy and nicely balanced. My favorite was the duck rice. The duck was so tender, and the rice had so much flavor. I could eat so much of it and hope to try their other rice dishes in the future. Their Ube Dream drink was also a nice surprise--creamy ube with a refreshingly tart lime taste. Chao took my taste buds on a trip, and I recommend everyone try this spot if you're into Vietnamese or fusion cuisine. Find them in the Nuʻuanu Shopping Plaza. Parking is hit-or-miss in the plaza, depending on the time of day you go. read more

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Awesome food, casual ambiance, good service, but I was freezing my butt off. This place has a different take on Vietnamese food but I love how modern and true to the culture it is. Don't come here for the pho though, try everything else! read more

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Came back for dinner and founds some new favorites! We ordered a bunch of appetizers to try: Calamari, Maitake Mushrooms, Octopus, Ceviche, Duck Salad All were delicious but I particularly liked the octopus - a odd menu item to see at a Vietnamese restaurant but it was cooked very nicely. The octopus was tender and topped with thai basil and peanuts and had a nice grill char taste. Very well balanced! The calamari and mushrooms were also good but had similar batter so would maybe choose one over the other. The ceviche was also very refreshing and although it looked small, it had a lot of great seafood and was a good size for appetizer. The Duck salad was also good - duck was really tender. Honestly no complaints on any of the dishes! For mains, we had to get the soft shell crab pasta and tried the seafood fried rice. Both were delicious and packed with flavor. The fried rice came with a good potion of seafood mixed in. I was glad I got to try a few new dishes on this visit and will be back again! Best to share dishes family style here - and four people was the perfect amount to try a bunch of different dishes. read more

I have been wanting to try Chao ever since my daughter told me about it and said I would love it - she knows me best! I finally had one of "the" best meals ever! Tried the Seafood Ceviche with shrimp crackers, Chicken Salad, Calamari, Whole Moi with lettuce set and the Soft Shell Crab with Pasta. Every dish was so full of flavors dancing on my palate. My favorites were the ceviche, moi and pasta - I think I like the creamy pasta more than the soft shell crab! Prices are affordable for the quality of dishes, for 3 of us it came to about $50/person. Located in Nuuanu in a small shopping center, although there are a lot of parking spaces, spots run low so get there a bit earlier than your reservations in case you need to circle around. I will definitely bd returning to try their other dishes. Really enjoyed my experience here! read more

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The food was just amazing. I especially loved how the Hamachi Crudo was prepared because the meat was individually fried and placed back into the fish which made it easier to enjoy bite size pieces. Perfectly fried! The Soft Shell Crab Pasta was by far, delicious. Everything we tried were hands down fantastic! Good lighting, clean restaurant and restroom...efficient and friendly service. Located in a little strip mall, so parking can take a bit to find. Highly recommend this read more

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Finally got to try CHAO! This area isn't one I'm very familiar with, but it was pretty straightforward to get to. Parking can be a bit challenging, though we got to find a spot. They have happy hour until 5PM. We tried Chicken Wings Beef carpaccio Spanish octopus Soft shell crab pasta Everything was delicious with spicy kick! Definitely coming back to try more their menu, read more

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I wish I would've eaten here sooner on our vacation so I would've been able to eat there a second time. It was so good. We need a reservation through OpenTable so we are seated right away, although there were several available tables during lunchtime. Caleb was our waiter and he was so friendly and helpful. We ordered the duck rice, crab pasta, chicken wings and gai lan stir fry. Wow was everything so good. I couldn't stop commenting during the meal on how great the food was. Definitely putting it on a rotation for the next time. I'm in Oahu. If you have a kid with you, ask for the treasure chest read more

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Service, ambiance and food were top notch here! It was a busy Saturday afternoon and we happened to be seated very quickly without reservations! Parking is easy as well in the big parking lot. We had an amazing server and I believe his name is Caleb I'll definitely return again for the pasta with soft shell crab! I loved the flavor and we also had a yummy chicken broth soup that was good too read more

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Food was great and the servers were knowledgeable of the menu. The decor is really nice and eclectic with a modern feel. Food is served family style, so you will need to order a few small plates to saturate a group. We had a group of 7 and so we started with a couple chicken salads which were fresh and spicy. Two orders of the chicken wings which were butting with umami, an order of fried mushrooms which were delicious and really meaty, and order of charred bok choy which was really Smokey and a great compliment to the mushrooms and chicken pho that I got. The drinks were good as was the rest of the food. Their dinner menu looks really good so we will definitely be back to try that. read more

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Tuesday April 7, 2026 First time, coming here. Plenty parking. We got there around 6:30pm. We waited outside for a while as it was packed inside. We ordered and it took a while for the food to come out. That's understandable. Good food takes time to make. It came out and everything smelled good and it looked good too. First time, trying bone marrow and it was good. The pho had a rich, savory beef broth that tasted really good. We were given a free appetizer of shrimp ceviche with shrimp chips from the young girl which was really nice of her and a very nice surprise to us. Ambiance is casual and comfortable in here. We will definitely be back again. Support a local business. read more

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I've been hearing a lot of really good things about this restaurant so I was really excited to try it! First off, this space is so chic and the decor is very eye catching! Vibrant wall designs and wooden accents that suit the vibe perfectly. We were a little early for our reservation so we were able to sit at the bar for a drink until our table was ready. The count for our party was off by two and we were very lucky to get accommodated. For drinks, I ordered the night market fun which featured mezcal, reposado, and passion fruit. Lightly boozy and fruity with a hint of smoke. I also tried the espresso martini which was also pretty good. Our table ordered a few different appetizers to share and the most notable one were the crispy calamari - simply for the sauce which had a nice lemongrass flavor. The calamari was also very tender with a nice crispy exterior. We also ordered the duck salad, spring rolls, chicken wings, ceviche and beef carpaccio which were decent but nothing outstanding. We all decided to order our own entrees. I opted for the bun bo hue, which I was really excited about because it's not as common to find on menus in comparison to pho. I thought that the lemongrass flavor was very prevalent in the broth but it lacked that umami depth that you get from other restaurants. I am huge fan of fermented shrimp paste so I expected a little more of that flavor. I also wanted a heavier spice kick.... which I know can be fixed with a little more sriracha but y'know... I also got to try a few of the other entrees like the chicken pho, and the soft shell crab pasta. The soft shell crab pasta left the biggest impression on me - it's rich, creamy, and packed with a lot of crab flavor. Service was also pretty good for the most part but I think there was some confusion as some duplicate order of drinks hit our table. Granted we were a large party so it's understandable. I think it's a nice place to take someone if they are new to Vietnamese cuisine. I think what is a dealbreaker for me is the price when considering other restaurants that are on the affordable end. I think this restaurant has lots of potential and I would still definitely return for their lunch offerings! read more

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Despite its trendy ambiance, Chao is also just as good for a casual date night or meal. I went for dinner on a random Tuesday night and the service was impeccable. The waiters were quick, attentive, and were super friendly. I have been meaning to try this place for a while -- now that the foodie influenced hype has died down. What I found was that the food matched the hype. I ordered several items because I couldn't make up my mind on one or two. They're known for their soft shell crab pasta, which was cooked to perfection -- creamy and balanced with two decently sized crabs. I really enjoyed the duck salad, which was light, refreshing, and a little zesty. Also, the salad dressing is amazing. The brisket bò kho was also great -- seasoned very well with generous brisket cuts cooked to perfection (super tender). I am definitely coming back to try some other dishes, such as the fried moi and bún bò hué, and some of their tasty drinks! read more

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Wow! Loved the food. Loved the vibes and ambiance. Definitely what I was hoping and so much more! Didn't have a reservation but I'd recommend you make one, especially around dinner time. Sat at the bar, no wait time. Bartender, Daniel, was great! He sold us with the add ons to our dishes and it didn't disappoint. The soft shell crab pasta- yes! And get the added blue crab and tabiko. This dish was my favorite. The soft shell was salty, while the pasta was creamy and a little sweet. Fried whole moi- yes! If you get it with the wrap set, it could be an appetizer to share. If you get the moi by itself, I'd recommend getting a side vegetable like the corn, eggplant, or bok choy. Grilled sweet corn- yes! Of course it's gonna get stuck in your teeth, it's fine. I can't describe the taste. Just get it. 4 pieces (2 small corns cut in half) Seafood ceviche- yes! It's sweet, tangy, slightly spicy, refreshing, light, a little salty from the shrimp chip. On the smaller size but worth it. Good size for 1-2 people. There's a parking lot, but there there are other shops and restaurants. read more

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Yes, I been gate keeping this place; a rather small restaurant off of Nuuanu and N.School Street. Getting a table can be difficult so be sure to make reservations unless you spontaneously have a craving... that happens too here! Lunch is easier to grab a table than dinner. Service is always spot on. Servers are pleasant, yet efficient. Love that they offer detailed explanations of the sometimes exotic dishes as well as their recommendations. Still, there hasn't been a dish at Chao I absolutely havent loved! The flavors are balanced and robust in flavor. And if not spicy enough for you, as for some chili paste or try the house sauce left on the table (tastes like a base of tomato paste or sun dried tomatoes puree with just a smidgen of heat). Favorites for me: - soft shell crab served with pasta, - duck salad, - all fresh fish dishes, - still more to discover! Looking forward to returning for their beef pho with oxtail, maitake mushroom fritters, bone marrow. Conveniently located in a strip mall with free but in demand parking. Sharing lot with Starbucks and other popular eateries. read more

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Located at 1613 Nuuanu Ave., this little gems puts out some tasty food. We just went for a few apps and drinks. Everything we had was tasty. The staff was very friendly and parking was a breeze. Check them out when you're in the area. Their happy hour is from 2-5. Alooooooha and happy eating. read more

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Parking: located in nuuanu shopping plaza with parking lot Service: table service. would rec making a reservation as it gets pretty busy Ambiance: modern, casual Food: Went for their Sunday menu and all the options were so good. The soft shell crab pasta, calamari, and Vietnamese chicken wings were stand outs. read more

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We made a reservation for Saturday night and it was really busy! The parking lot gets full quickly so it took a little while to find a stall. We were seated after a few minutes and it was really bright and lively inside. We ordered the maitake mushrooms, chicken wings, duck salad, crab pasta and calamari. It was a lot of fried food and really rich but everything was yummy and a good portion for 2. The prices are reasonable and it's a nice place to grab a meal and catch up! read more

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Flavor really good! Calamari: 7/10 only 5 little pieces, could be crispier but the dipping sauce is delicious. 10/10 for the sauce lol. Liked the fried peppers. Small portion but good flavor. Braised brisket moco: 7/10 super fatty piece.. but the 3 bites of meat was so good! Fell apart super tender and flavor is delicious. But probably will not order again due to risking no protein/meat for the price. Crab pasta: 8/10 ever since I had Michelin star SScrab in Vietnam I've been craving it ever since. Not as crispy as I'd like but the pasta was yummy! Lots of carbs of course. Overall super flavorful, and expensive but hey that's very on brand for Oahu haha Matcha cloud: 8/10 valid! Would get again with less ice. Came on a Sunday around 7:30 and we were able to be sat by 7:45ish and they still took our order even tho they closed at 8. Good service :) waiter was nice. read more

Chao - Calamari, 5 pieces. Sauce is bomb tho - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Came to Chao on a Friday night for dinner. We made reservations, and good thing we did because it was fairly busy inside. The parking lot was super crowded, but luckily someone was leaving when I got there. Inside of the restaurant had nice decor and felt cozy. I ordered the chicken pho. I usually opt for beef pho, but this chicken pho was pretty good. The broth was flavorful, but the chicken was a little more on the dry side. The workers were very nice and brought out bean sprouts for me even though they usually only bring out basil. I would definitely recommend giving this newer spot a try! read more

Chao - Chicken pho - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came here for happy hour. Food was delicious and staff were very friendly. Love the cozy look to this restaurant. Would recommend. read more

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Chao Delivers Flavor-Packed Bites and Happy Hour Wins Came to Chao during happy hour and enjoyed great pricing on shared bites and cocktails. We started with the beef carpaccio. Thinly sliced beef with slivered red onions, fried shallots, and fresh herbs made for a bright, flavorful bite. Fried spring rolls came three to an order. I could have easily eaten a dozen. The corn with pork floss, green onion oil, and fried shallots was a standout. I did not want to share. Eggplant, also topped with green onion oil and fried shallots, had a nice savory depth. The oxtail stew with French bread was a must-have. Rich, tender, and comforting. Final bite: Chao's happy hour brings great value and even better flavor. Perfect for sharing, though you may not want to. read more

Chao is a Vietnamese restaurant. First of all, the parking lot is very small and is shared with other shops, so it was very hard to find parking. I had to wait a while. Upon entering the restaurant, I immediately noticed that the noise level was very high -- it was so loud inside, almost like a sports bar. It was loud enough that I even thought about leaving. If a noisy dining environment is not your thing, you may not enjoy this place. They do have a bar, but we did not order any drinks. We were seated at a table right next to the kitchen. Since there is no door to the kitchen, we could see all the waitstaff going in and out and doing their work, which was not very pleasant during our dining experience. The tables are also placed very close together -- so close that I could touch the guy sitting next to me if I wanted to. The waitstaff was nice. He greeted us and learned that we were visiting for the first time, and he explained the menu to us a bit. We ordered the salt & pepper calamari. My wife asked, "Where is the salt and pepper taste?" It was more like just fried calamari. The pho was pretty good in my opinion, but the portion was small. The beef was very tender, but my wife thought it was too tender and almost mushy, without much texture. We also ordered the soft-shell crab pasta. It came with two small fried soft-shell crabs -- tasty -- and the pasta itself was good. Overall, because of the limited parking and the loud noise level inside the restaurant, we don't think we will go back. read more

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No wait which was good....service? Meh.... Not friendly although water was brought out quickly. Menu limited however looking around seems like most people were ordering Pho. Ordered the soft shell crab pasta and the Duck Confit and waffle. Portions small for the price. Crab pasta was ok. Couldn't figure out what kind of pasta the used. It was chewy which was different. Soft shell crab was good. Duck confit was battered and fried. Waffle, egg with that syrup was nothing spectacular. I also ordered a Vietnamese coffee with a matcha foam. It was the messiest drink ever! I don't know who made this drink but it was sloppy. Visuals are everything and this failed horribly. Sadly I will never return and hope you have a better experience than I did. read more

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When I took my first bite of that Vietnamese wings, da first thing I thought in my head was - "those wings are to die for!!!!" Ummmmmmmmmmmm! YUP! That's what I said in my head when I was eating those wings, but the only down side was that Chao only served "flats", and they didn't have drums. Lol! That's okay, my wing buddy likes flats, and I love drums, so at least my wing buddy was happy. Lol! My friend wanted to try this Vietnamese restaurant called "Chao" in the Nuuanu neighborhood. I wasn't even aware of this Vietnamese restaurant until I looked it up on Yelp, then I realized that Chao was located in the area where the old Hungry Lion restaurant used to be? This small strip mall is quite busy, as the other surrounding businesses were pretty successful themselves, therefore it makes it pretty challenging in finding a parking space while visiting Chao. Chao's restaurant decor is pretty elegant & modern looking, and service here was on point. Besides the Vietnamese Chicken Wings that we had ordered, we also ordered the Chicken Pho. The Chicken was nicely poached, on a delicious broth with thick rice noodles. Overall a wonderful dining experience, and should I be in the Nuuanu area and craving Vietnamese food, Chao is a great place to check out! read more

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"A delicious Vietnamese Fusion restaurant" There's delicious Vietnamese restaurants and then there's delicious Vietnamese fusion restaurants. Opened in 2025, Chao is offering another take on traditional Vietnamese fare and their fusion interpretation of standard and not so standard fare. Take the softshell crab entree I had. It was totally unexpected- the crab was deep fried just right and the noodles were bathed in a delicious cream-like sauce. A very rich sauce that complimented the crab completely. This was a solid dish that I could not finish, and happily took the leftovers home. We also had their take on spring rolls, light and delicious and also their roast garlic egg plant, both nice appetizers. Someone had the Ginger Chicken Rice, a poached chicken with a chicken fat cooked rice that my friend enjoyed. The service was friendly and efficient and although the restaurant was full with people waiting outside to come in to dine, they did not pressure us to hurry up. We stayed about an hour, the dishes came out in a timely matter, not too slow, not too fast. Will definitely be back. read more

Let me get the uncomfortable points out of the way: Noisy!!! Extremely noisy if you are dining there for dinner at peak hour and peak people (meaning full house at the peak of dinner hour) So, with all due respect, I had to deduct a star for that. You need to yell over the crowd if you're with folk and trying to have a conversation. I hope the owner/management reads this because this problem is easily solved. And it can easily be resolved by spraying some insulating foam on the ceiling. That in itself should buffer a lion's share of the noise. Now the good points: Food, assuming they have it is good. I've been to Chao several times and each time, something is always "not available ". Suffice to say though, IF available food is good. My favorite is their calamari. It is fresh (not like those frozen things you get during happy hour at a variety of places). Running a close first for me is their smoked octopus. Be sure to check as soon as you sit down because this dish happens to get sold out EARLY in the even. Second favorite of mine is the bone marrow. That is a dish not easy to prepare and Chao does it well. Be sure to make reservations as they do get busy. So busy that you may end up waiting even with reservations.... Parking is a challenge. But expected in this particular strip mall. Service is par and on point. Pricing? will run you about $50 per person assuming you have complete meals. I've always done the family style and share plates which only advantage is you get to taste other dishes for the same approximate price. Go there! or Be square! I'm heading back to try their pho.... read more

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When Janey said she wanted to take me here, I was a little hesitant only because she found them before I did! But she knows how bougie I am and didn't want to disappoint! LOL! Please make reservations because they get crowded and it sure beats waiting! She booked us for 10 am, right when they opened. Friendly greeting and we opted for the bar with the very cool Alaina! I recommend sitting at the bar because you're high above everyone and can look at the dining room. Also, if Alaina is working, she will take great care of you! We started off with espresso martinis. We have decided that they are our cocktail of choice whenever we're together. We then ordered a variety of the small plates. We started with the salt and pepper calamari which was nice and crispy. We then had the beef carpaccio which came with crispy shallots which we loved! Also the charred bok choy, you know, trying to be healthy. We had the delicious seafood fried rice that came with a poached egg....so good! Janey also ordered the chicken wings which she had the last time. These were sweet spicy and nice and crispy! Everything was delicious and came out in a timely manner. But the overall best was the pandan waffle with coconut tapioca and fried bananas. THIS was AMAAAAAAAAAZING!!! So much so, we ordered anpther one to go with our third round of martinis! Such a great experience! Looking forward to coming back! I remember coming to Shinsho Tei, which is a serious locals only bar, and the parking lot was never full. But with Chao and O'Reilly's, parking is at a premium so definitely go early if you want to avoid that. Mahalo Chao! read more

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Nom nom yummy! I love this place! I've been here twice now and both times we ordered the same dishes because they were just that good. The beef pho was sooo yummy. It's not your traditional pho, which threw me off at first, but the brisket completely won me over. It was insanely tender--literally melts in your mouth--and the portion was very generous. Definitely filling and satisfying. The soft shell crab pasta was so good I went home and tried to recreate it myself. Again, super generous portion. The crab was perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I usually don't like soft shell crab because of the ocean-y smell, but this one had none of that at all. The garlic beurre monté sauce was amazing, though a little on the rich side; we had to share it because of how decadent it was. Ambiance was great: bright, clean, and nicely decorated. We came during the holiday season and they even had a big Christmas tree. I loved the bar seating--super cute spot. Plenty of parking in the lot, which is always a big plus. Service was excellent. The servers were kind, helpful, and very attentive. Overall, such a solid spot--I'll definitely be back! read more

Chao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Second time around!! We tried the chicken wings, duck salad and bok Choy and fried chicken rice. Of course, our waiter was amazing!! Attentive and always checking in with us. Love the place and how cozy it is. read more

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Very Late post. I've since gone 3 more times but this was my first... This contemporary Vietnamese restaurant/bar is the type of establishment you'd expect to find closer to Ala Moana, Kakaako, or Downtown, but it is located in the little strip mall with the new O O O O'Reilly that replaced Walgreens. Portions are not very big, but the flavors are great. The restaurant was full at 2:30 on a Tuesday holiday. Lucky I called in and booked a reservation on their phone system which took a while but worked. We were stoked to be on time for their happy hour from 2-5 which included "shared plates" for $10 & $12. We got: Vietnamese Chicken wings *Salt & pepper calamari- with a tasty tangy kaffir lime sauce Seafood ceviche *The House fried rice chicken fat with onsen egg for $3 was a regular priced item for $18 Everything was good but I really liked * items which is surprising because I don't usually order fried rice or calamari. I'm not really a froufrou drink connoisseur either but I LOVED the Coconut Matcha Cloud and Ube Dream our server recommended! They were refreshing and felt fancy without being too sweet. Found out they are made with half and half. Can't wait to return for more! read more

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I kept reading about how people loved Chao, a contemporary Vietnamese restaurant located in the Nu'uanu Shopping Center, so I suggested it for a group dinner. Other positives for me were that they took reservations, had parking, and had a casual, but lively vibe. Although the wines by the glass were limited, they offer a variety of delicious sounding cocktails like the Vietnamese espresso martini. Since it was our first time dining at Chao, we asked our server to go overs his menu recommendations. To start, we shared the spring rolls and calamari. Most of the table ordered the popular Soft Shell Crab Pasta and I ordered the chicken pho. The chicken pho serves poached chicken in a 24 hour chicken broth. It was flavorful and delicious. My friends remarked that the pasta sauce was very rich so they couldn't eat too much of it, but everyone enjoyed their meals. We ended the night with the pumpkin flan. read more

Amazing! Great food, kind staff, cute restaurant. We have high standards when eating out since my husband is so good at cooking, and Chao did not disappoint! Everything we had was super delicious. I highly recommend the coconut flan! We will be back :) read more

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Located on the corner of School street and Nuuanu Ave across the 7/11. Same parking lot as O'Rileys Automotive and Starbucks and other businesses. They opened in August but the owner is the same one that runs the Poke shop next door. We ordered the Vietnamese chicken wings which were very good and tasty and came out hot and crispy. We also ordered the salt & pepper calamari which also was very good and tasty with a different flavor and the sauce that accompanied it was also tasty and different. The Spring roll came out hot and crispy and the filling was very good and meaty, besides tasty with a flavorful sauce. Chao Strewed Chicken was very tender and tasty every dish had a unique taste and flavor. The chicken salad was on the spicy and salty side which my wife couldn't enjoy eating it. Service was on the slower side and it seems they did have a lot of help on the floor and in the back. Restroom located inside and it was clean also The restaurant was well kept. Parking can be limited during certain hours we went around 2:00 pm and thought we missed the lunch crowd but barely found parking, so I could imagine during prime dining hours. When we got there they had only 2 tables of 2 and a small party of 8 in the back of the dining area, so it wasn't take full. read more

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Did some take out from here and they have a convenient parking stall out front for that purpose which is helpful since they and the lot itself can be busy. The fried rice has a lot of flavor but I'd say the portions are less than what you'd get at other Vietnamese or Chinese restaurants. They do clean and remove the shrimp shell, which I appreciated. The price is also a bit higher though they seem to be aiming for a level of fine dining than other places with that type of cuisine. Their dishes also reflect a uniqueness in order to separate themselves from others. read more

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My friend found this place courtesy of Instagram reels, and, based on the visuals alone, that was all the convincing we needed for a Sunday morning catch up with one another. Location: Inside the Nu'uanu Shopping Plaza (corner of School St and Nu'uanu Ave). I genuinely did not anticipate it being inside a plaza and nearly missed the entrance on School St, but I successfully executed the turn-in. Seeing it sparked a wave of nostalgia - I grew up around here, though I barely recognized any of the shops from my hanabata days. Parking: It's snug and scarce, but free - I landed a spot without circling endlessly, fingers crossed your timing is just as kind. Atmosphere: A sleek, elevated, Asian-chic spot with a swanky bar greeting you near the entrance. It gives "first date dinner" energy - polished, inviting, and stylish. I caught glimpses of a TV behind the bar, cycling through a Microsoft-screensaver-esque nature slideshow - definitely a unique bar vibe. Food: I'm usually the type to Yelp-stalk the menu ahead of time to strategize my meals, but didn't realize Sunday mornings come with a special brunch menu. It surprised me, but in a good way - brunch is always a win in my books, and rotating menus are a rare treat. We ordered the house seafood fried rice and pandan waffles to share. The seafood fried rice was cooked beautifully - not the greasy, heavy local-style fried rice you might expect, but lighter and well-balanced (which I personally prefer). The pandan waffles were spectacular - its pastel green color was aesthetically pleasing and the flavors were subtle, fragrant, slightly sweet... okay I understand the hype now. My friend was equally satisfied, so it was a win-win situation. Drinks: I ordered the coconut matcha cloud, while my friend got a Vietnamese iced coffee. The matcha was refreshing, but give it a stir and wait for the cloud to fully blend before judging. (I know mimosas and brunch go together like bread and butter, but I don't drink alcohol, so no bubbly commentary from me.) Service: This is where things faltered. We finished our meal, paid, and lingered for a little while to finish our drinks. As we were preparing to leave, I took a quick restroom stop (which, by the way, has an A+ in design). When I came back out, my friend looked visibly shaken. Apparently, staff had approached her because they thought we dined and dashed. I'm not sure how intense the interaction was, but after hearing her experience, we were both pretty stunned. My friend had to show her credit card statement as proof of payment. They did apologize and explained there was some sort of system malfunction. I appreciate the accountability, but it definitely left a bitter aftertaste on an otherwise great meal. Price: Around $29 per person. It's steep but honestly? The food justified it. Would I return? I'm willing to chalk the payment issue as a one-off glitch. I'm generally forgiving within reason - and the food was impressive enough that I'd happily come back to explore more of their menus at a different time of day. read more

After reading excellent reviews from Randy, Rod, and Nadine I just had to try this place. I haven't been to this small Nuuanu mall in a long time. I was pleased that they had lots of parking and had some face lift. You can make reservation on Open Table. So convenient. Once 12pm came, this place got busy. We tried few different dishes and they were all excellent and no MSG. My family like their matcha coconut drink and Vietnamese coffee as well. Service is excellent from beginning to the end. They asked if we had any food allergies and let us know where the restrooms were. Attention to details I say. One more thing, this restaurant is Vietnamese/Asian American fusion so you won't have any miscommunication if you know what I mean. Servers were friendly and very helpful. Modern and clean restaurant. Love it! read more

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Very nice lunch spot that is spacious and quiet to have lunch and conversations. Food and service was excellent. Had the spring rolls, brisket bahn mi and the coconut flan. The best bahn mi I have ever tasted. Go try them out and you'll know what I mean. read more

Chao - Coconut flan. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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