As I browsed to see which trucks I haven't tried at Taco'ako Tuesday, I came across Kai's Pastele…read moreShop which I haven't seen before. I guess I'm the first to review this truck because I couldn't find any other posting on Yelp: Pastele stew - 4 stars - For $7.50 plus 20 cents tax (yes, this truck is one of the few that the tax is not included in their price) it pretty much tasted like the stew I make, but they had more ingredients in it. I like how they blended in cabbage, olives,. chunks of tomatoes and some other spices other than your basic carrot, potato, onion and celery in it. They gave a pretty big serving with two scoops of rice and watercress salad. Pastele - 3 stars - For $4 you can order the pastele ala carte. It's something I haven't eaten before, so I can't say if it's better or worse than other places, but it was something different to try - if you like spicy, it has a spicy after-bite to it. Goes well with the stew. My friend ordered the taco, and he said it was ok. However, I can't rate it since I didn't try it. Service - 5 stars - the man and woman were very friendly and answered my questions on what a pastele is, but more so because I didn't know what a pastele was or tasted like, he gave me a free sample to try, which is something not many lunch trucks would do. They also sell tacos and burritos, but I have to go back to try those too before being a fan of the truck.

I'm gonna be honest and say that this is the best Pastele place I've been to on the island…read more I can't say that i can compare it to an actual sit down puerto rican restaurant, since I'm not familiar with many around the island, but in comparison to all the Pastele trucks and stops Ive been to around the island, this one takes the cake! I've been to stops along the windward side, while heading down toward Koolau. There used to be (not sure if its still there) Pastele stops along the road. One of the guys that used to serve Pastele along with poke had decent Pastele, but his business was way sketchy. The dude would always "accidentally" miscount the money. He also inaccurately counted up the total of your order in his head. Not to mention his erasable white board was unreadable which made the prices even harder to determine. So don't go to that guy! Instead go to Kai's. Great prices (you don't have to worry about getting ripped off) and their Pastele ingredients are unique in texture. I'm really not even sure if they were made out of the traditional banana base. But i don't really care because they were just so awesome! They offer a a few different types Pastele with different types of meat all at different spice levels. Also several other peurto rican dishes which i still have yet to try are available. Next time I'm getting the seafood Pastele. I'm so bummed because they sold out the last time. I'm a huge fan of seafood and Pastele so when i saw it on the menu i just thought it was the coolest mix. (if you've never had poke with your Pastele you should def. give it a try)

I know that Max's has a general rating of ~3/5, but for the couple of times that I've dined in at…read moreMax's, it's always been a 5/5! The restaurant is rather spacious with a ton of seating, so we always get seated right away. The servers have always been so kind, and the food never disappoints. When I was here with my parents, we had ordered Max's Teasers and it was a great plate to share with 3 people. Nothing too special about the dish, but it's a great app choice if you want a little bit of a few things/variety in your appetizer plate. The plates we shared were Max's Chicken and The Lechon Kawali. Max's Chicken is so perfectly cooked in my opinion with the most perfectly juicy meat steamed rice. The Lechon Kawali was also cooked really well, as it wasn't too fried to the point where the meaty parts of the pork was difficult to chew. I also had the Sago't Gulaman, and I will tell you that it's my favorite place to get Sago't Gulaman here. The second time I went, I brought my husband and he absolutely fell in love with the food too. For drinks, we ordered Calamansi Juice and Sago't Gulaman. You guys know my review for Sago't Gulaman; I would just say that the Calamansi Juice is on the sweeter side! For food, we ordered Lechon Kawali Sisig, and the Dinuguan. The Dinuguan was just the perfect meal to have to remind me of home. The ratio of the sauce and meat was perfect, and every bite was delightful. But between the two, I will say that the Lechon Kawali Sisig was MY personal favorite. The flavor was PERFECT and it was cooked just as well--it was tender and every bite was even better than the last...I definitely had to pace myself because it was that delicious. What always tops off my experience and why I'm giving Max's a 5/5 is because of how friendly and amazing the staff is. Always smiling and willing to help, and never snobby! Go visit Max's today!

4/5 food the beef for the nilaga was chewy 5/5 service was…read moregreat .our server was attentive and we don't have to ask for anything. 5/5 definitely aesthetically pleasing 5/5 affordable pricing

Our first time here and we were not disappointed. The owner (?) working the counter took time to…read moreexplain the difference from Mexican and Ecuadorian ceviche, which was so nice of her to do. The mix tacos are amazing, but we loved the service and kindness of the workers just as much.

Service was great. Tuna bowl was super salty and not fresh tuna. While everything else pictured is…read morefresh fish. Will go back to try the shrimp options based on location but disappointing.

Otw home from Kailua stopped at the entrance to Bellows to check out the food trucks. Decided on…read moreShibuya Dogs. Woman in front not so friendly or welcoming. The cook and other aloha shirt male same vibes. Anyways, maybe it was hot so.. I ordered the Teri and In and Out dogs. It was good flavor. Like Costco hot dogs with sauce on it. 7/10. Also ordered the garlic shrimp/chicken plate ($28 WOW). Ok watched the cook on the grill buss out the Costco "jarlic" bottle and then proceed to grill it on the flat top grill. Which is ok, I mean it's easier. The shrimp and chicken itself was ok, tender. But that Jarlic just had this citric flavor that turned me off. Tried to scrape off most of it and then blasted it with ketchup when I got home. Would be better to just order the grilled chicken and shrimp itself then would've been ok. Chicken/Shrimp 8/10. With jarlic 6/10. Overall experience 7/10. Would I be back? Undecided.

I had read about Shibuya on one of my food groups and wanted to try. Well, on this trip, after…read morespending some time at Waimanalo Beach, I almost missed them on my way to Kaneohe. Did a U turn, and grabbed some lunch. I ordered the In n Out Dog, sooooooo good! And yes, their sauce is better than the original! LOL! I also got a slice of banana bread and chocolate chip banana bread. Lots of love poured into those! Definitely worth checking out if in the area! Mahalo Shibuya!

Fried Chicken was delicious. Drench in chicken oil like Chicken Inasal. Flavorful, juicy on the…read moreoutside and moist inside. Gotta have it with rice.

Excellent home cooked Filipino food.. Will go back to try the other dishes. The owner is very nice…read moreand attentive. It's located on puuhale road, parking available across the street while you wait for the food to be prepared.

I used to go here all the time to get my filipino food fix. Unfortunately they closed the Kalihi…read morerestaurant and now have to make the drive out to Waipahu. If you have never been here I highly recommend you trying their filipino food. Portion size is good and worth the money but the main reason you're buying their food is cause it's winnahs. I did take out a few of their menu items. Their special for July is lechon Kawali, pancit, pork gisantes and pork adobo fried rice. It's good to get this or mixed plate with 3 choices. It allows to try more of their menu selections. While one is good 3 or 4 is much better especially if coming here for the very first time. You won't be disappointed. I called in to place my order and it would be twenty minutes which is fine cause that's how long it took me to get there. The food was hot and ready to go. I made sure my ac was off so I can enjoy a nice hot lunch. The place was crowded even at 1pm. People know good food when they eat it. Lots of parking. The lechon Kawali was good. It's nice and meaty with some nice soft fat pieces. Oh so good. Yeah if you are worried about cholesterol then this might not be for you. If not you gonna enjoy it. The pancit is good. The pork gisantes which is more commonly known as pork and peas is really good. It's like stew and you wanna mix your rice with it. If you like eggs over easy then you should have that over your gisantes. It's sooooooo good. Kinda like Loco moco except it's stew. When that yolk breaks and blends in with the gisantes hoo boy. Just really good stuff there. Then the main attraction is their pork adobo fried rice omelet. I believe they were the original restaurant that brought it out. I might be wrong but they make it just right. Every bite is so good especially when you bite into one that has fat in it. Yummy. Yeah not a good choice if you're staying away from cholesterol but if not you're gonna enjoy it. The pork adobo fried rice is not dry like some other places I've tried. Ok I admit i love filipino food. I had to get dinuguan. Chocolate meat. Another winner with rice and really good with over eggs on top of it. Nice tender succulent pieces of pork. Oh my God, it's so good. I also got Shanghai lumpia. This is da bomb. You gotta eat this one hot and fresh. If not it gets stale and soggy so I ate this first. You dip it into vinegar. I like a little heat so I add Tabasco to it. Great with beer. It's so good. I'm missing it already. Then the final dish i got was their sari sari. It's soup with mixed veggies, baby shrimp and lechon. The soup is delicious and comforting. It's great on a cold night or maybe when you're feeling sick. Better than your chicken noodle soup for sure. It's also great remedy for that hangover you got last night. Lol All in all you just gotta try it. Let me know what you got and how good it tasted. Enjoy and thank me later.

Everybody please check your food carefully!! Today 7/16/26 I ordered lechon and was shock ,…read moredisappointed and furious to find pieces of GLASS in our dish!!! I called and made a complaint and all the lady said was , sorry! I asked to speak to the manager or supervisor and she said that they don't have one. WTF! I'm calling the owners tomorrow! My daughter took a bite and started chewing and felt something hard . I'm soo upset!! Update: 7/16/26 Called Melissa the owner to address this issue. She seemed very concerned and worried about my daughter who found it in her mouth. Thank God my 1-1/2 year old grandson didn't swallow it because he was eating it with my daughter!! Sooo dangerous ! Melissa will investigate this. Thanks Melissa. This taught me a lesson , as well as having a phobia . ALWAYS check your food when buying from restaurants or fast food. I Love eating and ordering pans of food at Elena's but I'll be very careful from now on.

Aunty makes the best margaritas on island by far, One of…read morethose not with a strong punch, but creeps up!!! Her margaritas tastes exactly like an aqua Fresca and I am a fan. Also tried the shrimp ceviche and guacamole, which was tasty. --add in a fried ice cream for balance LOL! Laxed service, younger gentleman was kind and personable. Come here for chill vibes and a strong drink, Will come try the other food for sure. 10/10 would recommend.

Pulled up to El Charro Mexican Food not expecting much... mostly because, let's be honest, finding…read moregreat Mexican food in Hawaii sometimes feels like a side quest with low success rates. But plot twist--I was wrong. I ordered the El Charro burrito and was immediately confused... because it was actually GOOD. Like, flavorful-good. Seasoning? Present. Taste? Alive and thriving. I had to pause mid-bite just to process what was happening. Location-wise, it's inside the same building as Aiea Bowl, which is honestly iconic. You can go from strikes to burritos in under 60 seconds--efficient and delicious. Ambiance is a little on the compact side, like "don't bring your entire extended family unless you like playing Tetris with chairs." But when I went, it was pretty empty, so it actually felt chill. Service? Quick and efficient. No nonsense. They got me my food fast, which I respect deeply because I was already emotionally attached to that burrito. Final verdict: 4 stars. Came in with low expectations, left questioning everything I thought I knew about Mexican food in Hawaii. Would absolutely come back for round two.

Fresh and hot Empanadas tried it for the first time. I can see why there can be a line to get these…read moreempanadas. Very delicious... These savory half moon hand pies are filled with egg monggo beans,papaya, and ground pork, $6 a pie. Served with a dipping sauce. That contains vinegar and minced garlic. I recommend these be eaten as soon as it's slightly cooled. For tasteful experience. If not the shell will become soggy. You'll also want to order the pork lumpia $6 for 4pcs made to order fresh , crispy and delicious. Especially with dipping it into the garlic & vinegar sauce. So if you're ever in Ewa Beach near Geiger park look for this food truck, parked on Kapolei Parkway. Parking can be challenge but it's so worth it!

First time having ilocano empanadas. I give it 10 out of 10. Since it was an empanada I expected it…read moreto be small and dry. The empanada was bigger than my hand. It was full of flavor and juicy. They have a full egg inside which was a big surprise. When I first open the vinegar I thought it smelled strong but it paired perfectly. It took about 30 mins to make but there were a lot of customers before me and a couple of the customers ordered a bunch. The back of the food truck is open so I could see auntie hand making each empanada by hand. So make sense it is fresh and why it takes some time. Highly recommend.