Garlic chicken!…read more December 31, 2015 There were only a few items on the menu, eight to be exact, and I was happy with my order! I selected the Garlic Chicken (#7) and the chicken was crispy, tasty, and juicy in the inside. The meal came with two scoops of rice and green salad. It was a good size portion. Well, for $12 I expected it to be, at least! Other items offered at this food truck was Local Fish (#6), Salt and Pepper Shrimp (#5), Kahuku Garlic Shrimp, Pineapple Shrimp (#2), Spicy Garlic Shrimp (#3), and Coconut Shrimp (#4)... He was the only food truck at this location at the time so he made bank. $7.00 for a mini and $11.99 for a regular plate. Fries is $2.50/ea. A can of soda is $1 each. The owner was nice and friendly. Cash only basis as with most food trucks. Was able to try this food truck while he was on location at Sandy Beach Park. Review #0408

Nothing less than great!…read more We spent a few hours on Sandy Beach. Feeling a bit hungry we spotted this Food Truck on the parking lot of Sandy Beach. With the blue paintjob it's impossible to miss. We ordered some Ice-Tea, Wings, Garlic Shrimp and Fish'n'Chips. And I can say that the food was nothing less than fantastic! The shrimps had a good size and were cooked to perfection. Nice garlic flavour, nicely balanced. The Wings were hot and crispy. The Fish was very fresh and tender. We didn't expect much, but ended up with one of the best Food Truck meals we've had on Hawaii. Prices are about 12$ a meal....about average compared to other trucks....but more than fair considering the quality. Sandy Beach is the perfect spot to hang out a bit and grab some good food at this Truck. Highly recommended!

My favorite Furikake Ahi (yellowfin tuna) Had lunch all the…read moreway at Waimanalo. I have not been here at Ono Steaks an Shrimp for a long time! So happy I was able to drive over today after work.

Wife and I happened on this place for a late lunch one day…read more It is counter service and the girl behind the counter was friendly and efficient. Answering our menu questions thoughtfully. The garlic shrimp and the coconut shrimp were good, but not stand-out - nothing special. It is in an older but clean building. The restrooms are in a separate building behind the restaurant and they too were old but clean.

Okay-- BEST POKE ON THE TRIP AWARD goes to... this spot…read more We've had Ono before, on a prev. trip. Great. But then we fell hard for Off-the-Hook. This trip... Ono Seafood won the battle. This poke was SO FRESH, I could taste the knife, the boat, the water, the morning sun... all in good ways. It was divine. The catch? Maybe their DRY RUB... I have spicy habits, and tend to get poke lathered in spicy sauce. This poke had no sauce, just a dry salt / pepper rub - and the dryness of the fish, helped me TRULY taste the TEXTURE, freshness, and the QUALITY of the fish. Blown away. The owner (or manager) came out to check on us, and thank us for coming out. Told us the fish had been REALLY good lately, out there on the water. We could taste it. Love the tempura flakes they add on top. Can't wait to go back!

This place is hidden in the Kalama Valley shopping center, at the 4 way stop. Not much in there but…read morewow, there's Ono seafood. They have fresh ahi and tako poke which you can get by the pound or as bowls. The regular is $16 and the large is $18 and you can have a choice of two kinds of poke. I got the Hawaiian style tako poke with limu and chili pepper and it's yum! Might say tho, it's a little heavy on the Hawaiian salt. It also has a bit of a kick from the chili pepper. It's served plain but you can add on things like furikake, ginger for 75 cents or avocado slices for $1.50. Also you can get it with white or brown rice. Not all places has tako poke as part of the regular menu so if you like tako and you're in Hawaii Kai or coming in from Sandy's or Waimanalo side, stop here for your fix.

This is the best shaved ice I have found on the island! I stop every time I drive bye. Sometimes…read moreeven go out of my way to come get some!

Literally the best shrimp I ever had. Absolutely delicious!!…read more I don't say that lightly either. It was otherworldly!! The staff was great too!!!! I'll be back!

Giovanni's is one of those places where memory does a remarkable amount of the seasoning. I've been…read moreeating here across decades. Enough visits that this is no longer about catching them on a bad afternoon, ordering the wrong thing or failing to understand what the place is supposed to be. I've tried the different shrimp, stood in the lines, eaten at the tables, navigated the parking, brought people here and returned because, for a very long time, Giovanni's was simply one of those places you went when you were on this side of the island. At some point, repetition becomes evidence. The truck itself has become an artifact. Covered in signatures, battered by time, photographed millions of times. There was probably a period when all of that felt charming. Now it mostly feels tired. There is a difference between patina and neglect and the surrounding experience has increasingly crossed that line for me. Flies, crowded tables, overflowing activity, rough parking, heat, trash nearby. You can romanticize rustic only so far before rustic starts asking for a pressure washer. Then there is the service, which has consistently been the hardest part for me to understand. I don't need anyone performing hospitality like they're auditioning for a resort commercial, but basic warmth costs nothing. Too often the interaction here feels impatient and transactional, as though the customer is somehow inconveniencing the operation by showing up to buy the food. After enough visits, you stop calling that an off day. And then there is the plate. The shrimp itself is actually the least offensive part. It is generally cooked reasonably well. Tender enough, rarely destroyed and when you get a good batch you can understand why this formula became so popular. Everything around it drags it down. The rice has repeatedly been soft, clumped and bordering on mushy. I am annoyingly particular about rice, but rice is not some decorative substance placed beneath the main event. It matters. When half the plate is rice, screwing it up is not a minor detail. The garlic is abundant, certainly, but abundance and care are different things. It often arrives more like a wet mass of processed garlic than the fragrance and texture you get from properly chopped fresh cloves. Add the butter and oil and you certainly get intensity, but after several bites the whole thing becomes heavy rather than interesting. The little salad on the side generally feels like an afterthought that has been waiting for someone to remember it. And that is ultimately my problem with Giovanni's. The entire experience feels as though its reputation arrived at the destination years before the restaurant did and everyone decided there was no longer much reason to keep improving. People will continue coming. Of course they will. The name is famous, the truck is recognizable, the photographs are practically mandatory and nostalgia is one hell of a business model. I understand it because it worked on me for years. But strip away the mythology and ask a brutally simple question: If this exact plate came from an unknown truck with no history, no signatures and no reputation, would you still wait in line for it? I wouldn't. Two stars. The shrimp can still be decent and I have too many memories here to pretend the place means nothing to me. But nostalgia should bring you back to a restaurant. It shouldn't be responsible for making the food taste better. I kept returning because tradition can turn habit into taste. I'm done confusing the two.

A night in Kaka'ako is always a fun place to explore, and just be entertained!…read more The Honolulu Night Market at Our Kaka'ako is indeed a fabulous adventure into the biggest street/block party filled to the brim with all things local...food, retail and culture. I've been to so many and each and every one is very unique where you can find either fashion runway stage, live street art, or even a dance night in the barn. I just love the vibe SALT and surrounding Our Kaka'ako brings with the vibrant art we're so blessed to have and this particular night (November 19th) there was actually much more shopping just perfect for the holidays and the party went further down to Ya-ya's. Tonight I was fortunate to have gone after work so I kept it short but found some awesome treats. Some straw toppers to add to my holiday gift giving and some cheesecake cups (OG, Strawberry and Cookie Butter) of course I got one of each to share...ate the Strawberry which of course omg was yummy!! Not too sweet as the Strawberries was just perfect as I tried to get an even scoop of it all in every bite. Walked further down and honestly wasn't in the mood to wait too long for anything found something that would just exactly work for me. Ya-Ya's Chophouse & Seafood and tonight they had two items - Steak Kebabs - Fat Fried Rice with TAB (aka Thick Ass Bacon lol!) I seriously wanted the fried rice but thought that the Steak Kebabs was more sensible for me personally and it came with two kebabs each fully loaded with steak, mushrooms, peppers and onions with a huge scoop of rice! So many options I really was considering including Henna from Henna Happens, Birria Tacos from Dolce Vita, Corn from Corn Onoz Hawaii but though there's always a next time yes!?! I remember pre-pandemic Yelp had a booth here and hoping as things return to normalcy that we'll see it back again one day (hint hint!) Absolutely love this Honolulu Night Market as it offers so many cultural coolness that you can't find anywhere else! Thank you!

There were only about 4-5 food trucks when I visited, and it felt small. Around 6 PM, the area had…read morevery few people. There was some live music, but it seemed more like a quick stop for tourists rather than a real night market. I didn't try any food because the atmosphere wasn't appealing, so I left quickly.

The service was great I got spicy ahi and it was good, And the sign was catchy. And the rice was…read moregood and the green onions were crunchy

Incredibly fresh poke - my mouth watered with every bite. Well priced and in a prime location near…read morethe ocean. I got the regular size ahi and spicy ahi. The man in charge is a kind and insightful human. Had a wonderful encounter with him and will be thinking of him for a while. I mentioned I'm from Seattle and he shared some awesome tips and a story of his background. 10/10 poke and service.

I found this truck using Yelp while in Hawaii and OH MY GOODNESS I'm so glad I did !…read more Leonard's Bakery (Oahu): Known for popularizing this Portuguese donut , offers it in original and custard-filled hot and fresh at their store and food truck locations. Malasadas are a popular Portuguese-style, hole-less donuts that are a must try while in Hawaii, brought by 19th-century plantation workers. They are deep-fried, pillowy dough balls--often coated in granulated sugar, cinnamon, or li hing mui (salty plum) powder--and typically filled with custard, haupia (coconut pudding), or guava. Next time I'm ordering 2 of each because Lordy these were so delicious and worth the wait in line !

Sooooo good! Leonard's is a must have in Hawaii…read more The maladas are served hot and slightly crispy on the outside and soft and cakey on the inside.

This was probably the best experience I've ever had with truck food. Service is painfully slow,…read morebut it's just one guy, so that's forgivable. The fish tacos and garlic shrimp were worth the wait. It's on Lanakai beach, which is a really great place to spend the morning, and then grab food at the truck (no beer). I was there around lunch, and people were driving up from around the neighborhood just to get food to go from this truck.

Killer shaved Ice and great food. Don't be deterred by the look of the truck, the folks are super…read morefriendly and the food is great... try the pig dog and finish with a rainbow shaved ice.

Poke Bowl's are ! Pineapple Piña Colada's on the Beach. Friendly service...Worth the drive!read more

Best acai bowls on the island!!!!! Fresh, includes all fruits kiwi, blueberries, strawberries,…read more banana, pineapple & coconut a true island treat!!