Insomnia was one of the first establishments to open in SALT Kakaako and this mom and pop shop is the most wholesome and wonderful Vietnamese spot. Auntie and uncle are couples goals and the sweetest owners always creating such a homey ambiance with great service. Their pho broth is so flavorful and healing, it's like a hug in a bowl. My favorite is their veggie pho that comes with baby bok choy, mushrooms, onions, and tofu. It's so adorable how they offer fresh fruit when you dine in too. It's always such a pleasant lunch experience and my favorite place to get pho! read more

Insomnia - Veggie Pho - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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It's like walking into Aunty and Uncel's house and you hadn't seen them in forever I've been coming to this location since they opened my; go to is a Large Americano and Breakfast Banh Mi Sandwich. "Trust me no regrets." The ambience is unique constantly evolving love that because most coffee shops on Oahu are so similar. Anyways... go there right after 9am. read more

Affordable, nice mom and pop local cafe. Vietnamese food was delicious! Will return when in the area

Great Vietnamese coffee among great dishes. Has been here over twenty years according to owner. Very friendly owner. Great prices! Will have to come back for their Pho & Banh Mi. read more

Insomnia - Front - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I've been here when this place wasn't SALT at Kaka'ako yet. This cozy place is very comfortable. The owner ~husband and wife are very friendly. After finished my nail appointment, I decided to stop and pick up my littele lunch here. It was almost their close time, but when I got inside the owner smiled and welcomed to me. I ordered "Vietnamese French Sandwich (Pork + Pate). During waiting my order, some people got inside and ordered to go.(pretty busy) They call customers "my friend" and always smiling for the customers! When I got my order, the owner told me "tangerine is from us. Enjoy your sandwich!" Ah, I remember when I had lunch here with my friend several years ago, they served sliced mango for us. (It was mango season) I ate my sandwich at home. The French bread is outside crispy crunch but inside is moist, pork(chashiu like) and pate are tasty, pickled veggies also good accent, so YUMMY! It is little big but I ate all!!!! Love this place! Love their food!! Can't wait to visit and try other menus!!! read more

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The two (who I can only assume are the --) owners were very sweet and upbeat. The gentleman referred to us as "friend" and it was very endearing. The woman was very sociable and kind. She had a very positive energy. I ordered beef pho and also got a Vietnamese house iced coffee. Both were very good at an amazingly affordable price! They treated my bf and I to ripe delicious mangoes, on the house! And they even validated parking without us having to ask. Very clean establishment. Free aloha vibes. read more

Insomnia - beef pho and Vietnamese iced coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Service was not nearly as good as ppl say on here as they are extremely snobby if you are a pet owner. Although Salt Kaka'ako is pet friendly, Insomnia is definitely NOT. You can tell by the way the husband gives you a stink look if you're not a regular or have a pet. Unfortunately for them, I am Vietnamese so I heard the wife mumbling to her husband about the fact that we had our dogs with us. Ordered three banh mi sandwiches and it took the wife about 10 or so minutes to make EACH one. She charged me $9.95 per banh mi (two pork/ pate, one lemongrass chicken) so that's like a dollar a minute for her to make your sandwich. Prepare to wait but if you are pinched for time, you should probably go somewhere else for lunch/ breaky. Just my opinion. The banh mi was pretty gross as it had the smell of the room freshener infused to the French bread, cold cut meats and veggie toppings. I felt terrible that I had bought a friend a banh mi sandwich also and she said she had the same experience with her banh mi. I threw the rest of mine away. If you walked into their shop you will know what room freshener smell I am talking about bc their shop reeks of it! You would think a 45-50 minute wait for three Febreeze tasting banh mi's later and getting disgusted looks from the husband even though we were nice and polite the entire time there, you would get AT LEAST some decent food but I will need to keep it real and give them 0 stars. One and done. read more

While on the phone with our boss, one of my coworkers and I joked that since it was Employee Appreciation Day (for our organization), our boss should buy us lunch. Not just any lunch either, but pho. This was said in complete jest as our boss had continued to ask us all if we had eaten pho for lunch since we had done so once without him and haven't been able to catch a break since. So when our boss, much to our surprise, had actually said he would buy us pho for lunch, we were speechless. The next morning when all of us got situated at our cubicles, our boss stopped by to make sure we all knew that it would be a group lunch gathering (although less on the gathering since our organization was still observing social distancing and other COVID-19 safety measures). One of my coworkers laughed because she thought our boss was joking but when it turned out to be the truth, I was quick to note down everyone's order so we could phone it in for pick-up later that morning. Insomnia has always been a go-to for pho (and Vietnamese food) for me in the Kaka'ako area because of how close it is to my workplace and how affordable it is considering the area. The quality of the pho (broth, meat, noodles, etc.) is superb and no matter what I order from here, I am never left disappointed. I do not go often but I do visit enough where the owners, a husband and wife team, recognize me when I stop by in-person. However, I was quite surprised when I called to put in our order and the wife immediately asked, "Are you the tall girl who look like Miss Hawaii who always make big order?" I could not help but laugh because I was about ready to let aunty know to just take my money and forget the food lol. After some more conversation and laughs, I placed the order and confirmed with aunty about pick-up time. When it came time to pick-up our order, our boss opted to walk with me to grab the food. I am not sure if it was because he was concerned that I would drop all of our lunches on the way back but off we went. By the time we got to Insomnia, aunty and uncle were quick to greet us and get us checked-out. Aunty was a bit curious at first who our boss was since I usually come by either solo or with one of my work moms, but when she asked about it, I explained that he was buying us lunch for Employee Appreciation Day. I also made sure to tip them well since I was not sure what kind of tipper my boss was but I guess my boss didn't notice the cash I left and also tipped them via his card lol. Oh well, both aunty and uncle work really hard so they deserve it. Aunty also thanked us for our order and asked us to come by again soon to which I told her we would try. Overall, you can never go wrong with Insomnia. The owners are amazing, down-to-earth people who work really hard every day to consistently provide phenomenal dishes for their customers. Aunty always comes in with those amazing compliments and uncle is always so friendly to everyone that comes by. If I didn't already love them so much, the compliment alone would have made me a fan lol. All jokes aside, Insomnia is a definite must if you're in the area and want some Vietnamese food. read more

Woke up to get ready for work, only to have crazy rain and wind; then a blackout. There goes my chance if preparing home lunch for work. Because of the weather, it called for hot soup to warm me up. I ordered the chicken pho to go. The noodles were kept separate (chicken, onions and green onions already in the broth). In a small bag: bean sprouts, basil, lemon, and a little container of the hoisin sauce and sirachi together. There is only one other vietnamese place that had really good broth and this place is equal in really hitting me deep, like soul deep. Where after having just the a spoonful of broth, you sit back and genuinely happy and blissfully warm. I went again today in case it was a one hit wonder, and the broth is just as I remember it. ***side note: they have canned drinks but also make espresso, thai coffee and tea, chai tea, hot chocolate, and bubble drinks. I need to try these drinks one day*** read more

This place is great! Thanks yelp for guiding me to try this gem of a spot. I usually get a viet coffee boba from Thang's in aiea. This place is slightly better for their viet iced coffee taste. The owners are super sweet and friendly. If you get a chance talk to auntie. She's super funny and friendly. I really enjoyed her interaction with our son who's 6 months old. The banh mi is toasted leaving it with the perfect texture crunch. The lemongrass chicken is very flavorful and herby. The spring rolls were awesome! Also noticed when I was paying that the owner was taking a phone owner and mentioned to me it would take 20 min for their order because she was going to cook it up. That's good that its cooked when you order instead of microwaving food that's already been cooked. read more

Insomnia - fried egg rolls, comes with rice noodles, lettuce, cucumber, sweet fish sauce, and lemon grass banh mi, viet iced coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great lemongrass chicken French sandwich-- very tasty & clean~!! Funny thing is that you pay for takeout after you receive the food rather than immediately after ordering. So, I almost inadvertently left the establishment without paying for my order~!! Just wasn't used to this and I usually leave once the food is done... Anyhow, the couple running the place is very enthusiastic and amiable so it's great getting to try their Vietnamese cooking!! read more

I finally made it to insomnia cafe. I absolutely adore Insomnia cafe. I came when they just opened so it was not crowded. But, it gets crowded from the times I past it at noon. The owners are amazingly friendly. They informed me that they have been in business since 2004. They kept chatting with me as I sat and sipped my Vietnamese coffee. They made the coffee less sweet for me so I tasted the coffee flavor. They can make the Vietnamese coffee sweeter to your liking. Insomnia has indoor and outdoor seating. Sitting inside has the ac which is preferred when I drink coffee. The inside has a woodsy motif going on. It felt relaxing as the music played in the background . As I sat I notice the bahn mi bread and had to ask whether they baked it themselves. They order the bread from a supplier so good job supplier!! I could just buy only the bread and eat that and be happy. Mmmmm. Park in a SALT for 1 hour validated parking and $1 per hour thereafter. read more

Super delicious!! Loved the pho and Vietnamese sandwich. We got two blonde mochas too that were delicious! The service was good, super friendly and welcoming. Definitely a small, family owned vibe which I love. They've been there for 20 years and I can see why! Would highly recommend, great prices too! read more

Insomnia - Beef pho - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

First time here. Seems like a mom and pop coffee shop run by a sweet couple. Great customer service. Being that it's a staff of two, it's not good to stop by if you're in a rush. With its picture (?) windows itw gear for people watching. I got an espresso shake. It was ok. I should have just opted for an ice coffee. It got 4 stars cuz of the service. The shake itself was nothing to write home to. Not somewhere I'd go out of my way to come but good to stop by if I'm in the neighborhood read more

My favorite place in all of SALT. They have the best affordable food you can get in the area.

Very strong iced Vietnamese coffee. The banh mi was just so so. I would return only for the coffee. Very friendly service.

Chicken sandwich, needs more filling. Doesn't compare to most other places. With more filling would give it 5 stars. Noticed these comments in reviews 1-2 years ago and thought by now they would have updated the sandwich. Nope read more

This is a really cute place with both indoor and outdoor seating to grab a cup of coffee or a light bite to eat. It is located in the back corner of Salt, so you need to hunt for it. I got their Vietnamese iced coffee as it was midday and getting a bit hot. I really appreciated it when they asked me how sweet to make it because normally it isn't an option. Their Vietnamese ice coffee is probably the best I have ever had and had robust strong body to it that held up against the ice. Their food offerings are minimal, but all sounded great and wish I had ordered their Vietnamese breakfast sandwich. Next time for sure and hopefully soon. Also, The couple that run it are very nice and super friendly. The place felt way more welcoming and comfortable than the other coffee places in the area. read more

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FOOD Beef Combo Pho was huge for only $12.50. Broth was spot on, all the condiments on the side yes!! There's 2 other Vietnamese food places nearby, but this place has the best Pho. Lemongrass Chicken over cold noodles was enjoyed by my hubby. SERVICE Hubby and wife operation, they do their very best in getting the product out fast and hot. AMBIANCE Indoor and outdoor seating. Small quaint and clean cafe environment. OVERALL Our neighborhood hangout. We're frequent patrons. By 11:15 most of seats occupied. They're known to run out of food. read more

This Vietnamese cafe is amazing. The mom and pop who runs this place were so welcoming and friendly. It reminded me of going to a friends house and their parents encouraging us to eat what's available. Lol. If you know, you know. The location is great and there's parking everywhere; whether it be paid parking or street. One of the reasons I ended up here is because I was craving Vietnamese iced coffee. Boy let me tell you, their coffee is strong! The mama working gave me a fair warning that they don't normally put lots of condense milk so my husband and I tried one original and one witness extra condensed milk. Both were strong and addicting, but I preferred extra condensed milk. We ordered the Vietnamese sandwiches - one chicken and one special (pork and pate). They were both so bomb and flavorful! Definitely one of the best places for banh mis! Their French bread was good too and not too hard like some other places. I thought it was cute that they gave us cuties or tangerines complimentary while we waited for our food. It was nice start and to my surprise it was sweet and juicy! I'm so glad we ended up here that day. I satisfied my coffee and banh mi cravings for sure. read more

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Delicious! Whenever I have a day off I stop here for breakfast or brunch. I went on a Friday and got the last beef pho around 10am so go early. The couple that runs the business is super nice and always so friendly. It feels very homey. The pho is light and flavorful and the veggies are always fresh! Because it's only 2 people working please be patient because it really is worth it. It's one of my favorite little restaurants in town! read more

Insomnia - Beef Pho with fresh veggies - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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There is something familiar about the excitement of sitting in a new coffee shop and letting your eyes wonder and taking in the ambience, almost like you are traveling. And that is what my eyes were doing for several minutes after placing my order. I love the driftwood decor, the plants growing out of wineglasses, goldfishes swimming in their glass containers. It was beautiful. Based off on its name, I would have never expected there to be a Vietnamese restaurant included with this coffee shop. My friend and I were met with the owners and they were a very lovely pair. We both ordered a combination pho, and I added a Vietnamese iced coffee, medium sweet. It was actually very delicious. How in the world. I did not want to add too much to my bowl and keep the soup flavor. So I added a little chili oil and dipped my meats in my bowl mixture of hoisin & sriracha. Yes, they have chili oil, the herbs, sriracha, hoisin, if you need it, but they also had fish sauce on the side to add! I felt my Vietnam memories flash back as I ate this comfort bowl of noodle soup for my breakfast. And to make it feel more like home, we both got tangerines to eat after our meal. Nothing says like Asian home cooking than fruits being served after the meal. Overall, the pho was very well done, and the coffee is definitely a strong as Vietnamese coffee are generally, and I am so glad I opt out for medium sweet. Next time I might do less sweet so I can just feel the caffeine buzz immediately haha! read more

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Great service! The owners were really friendly and the Vietnamese coffee was so good i would recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried it yet. read more

Insomnia - Vietnamese coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

One of the original Vietnamese food spots in the Kakaako area! It's a mom and pop run business so they automatically get 3 stars just for keeping it going. I got the lemongrass chicken banh mi and cold noodles. They seriously have some of the best lemongrass chicken I've ever had. I just wish they would fill it a little more with the good stuff. The sandwich and cold noodles felt a little skimpy in terms of filling. I really enjoyed the Vietnamese coffee though. The strongest I've ever had. If you're looking for a way to stay awake, there's your answer! read more

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Insomnia is within walking distance of the Mazda dealership. Since my car was in for a safety check and update to the infotainment system, I had an hour or two to kill. Fortunately, insomnia is open and serving beef pho early in the morning! I was super excited and I was not disappointed. The service was fast and friendly and the pho was delicious! The usual condiments of basil and bean sprouts are very generous. The broth was tasty and not too salty. Great stuff! Girlfriend is not hungry in the morning so she got a Vietnamese coffee and loved it. The owners were super nice and came to check on us even though our order was so simple. I told them that it was just delicious and I was looking forward to returning. They even gave me a complimentary piece of papaya and pineapple for dessert. I would definitely return! Strongly recommended! read more

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Food was great and service even better! The owners are so sweet and attentive! The lemon grass chicken sandwich was great! The spring rolls were crispy and delicious! Parking is easy in the lot. Overall excellent experience. read more

Service is wonderful, the owners are really as sweet as people say. And the tofu vegetable pho is delicious! The friend I was with said her bahn mi was great too. Will definitely be back! The review mentioning their dogs is funny to me, unless your dogs are service animals why do you NEED to bring them inside a restaurant?! read more

food, service, ambience, 5/5 starts every single time. love this place, and cant. wait to take all of my family and friends here when they visit. works like a charm, every time! read more

Great Vietnamese food at SALT at Our Kaka'ako? I am in! Glad there are dining options that are quicker than Boiling Crab and have better bang for your buck than EARL. Taco'ako next to Insomnia is another reasonably priced, tasty option, but I haven't visited enough times to have a fair say. Definitely quicker, better value, AND tastier than Moku Kitchen though. The breakfast sandwich and banh mi are both delicious. The baguette is baked with a nice texture. The beef pho is on point, rivaling with Chinatown IMO, though the pho is set with steak, brisket, and meatballs. Lemongrass chicken is flavorful and moist, and customers can order it as a sandwich, rice bowl, or vermicelli noodle dish. Sandwich combos come with a salad and Frito-Lay chips of your choice. I like my Vietnamese coffee with medium sweetness. The sweet lady who operates the business will ask customers if they prefer regular, medium, or low sweetness to their Vietnamese coffee. We usually get served and dine here fast enough that we don't have to pay for parking at SALT's garage since we're in and out in under an hour! Because I have a soft spot for (delicious) Vietnamese food and because the lady makes us feel at home with every visit, five stars it is! read more

Insomnia - Breakfast sandwich, banh mi style - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Love this place. Recently rennovated, and same grrat menu from before pandemic. Hours are changed. Typically shorter from now on, closing time around 2 pm. It's a couple that works here and they're very nice. CHICKEN BANH MI or LEMONGRASS CHICKEN WITH RICE NOODLES are the best dishes. And you HAVE to get their vietnamese coffee. read more

A favorite lunch spot of mine! The ambiance is very clean and modern, yet cozy. It's owned by the cutest older couple and they're so friendly. Support local businesses! The food itself is so delicious and they even give you complimentary strawberries to start. The pho is fantastic and the service is very fast. The lemongrass chicken sandwich is also great. The coffee is so good... and I don't usually even like coffee that much. It's super smooth and the blonde mocha is my favorite. read more

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Pho was tasty as well as the summer rolls. Friendly service. Clean and comfortable inside seating but only 4-5 small tables.

Delicious sandwich with egg, ham, cheese, and grilled onions. Lovely setting and polite service.

We were craving Vietnamese coffee also known as cafe sua da . The taste of the coffee is premium and the owners are super friendly. Cute little store . The coffee less sweet but has alot of flavor read more

Insomnia - Cafe sua da - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Whenever I am at SALT, I get tempted by other vendors in the area, and never visited this little Vietnamese cafe which has been on my bookmark forever. This place is owned by a really nice Vietnamese couple. The service could be bit slow but have some Aloha. I had the lemon grass chicken and was delicious. My friend had Mongolian beef, which was different from what I am used to at Chinese restaurants but good. I love their big coffee menu too. Overall, everything was not bad. There are so many great places around the area, and Imsomnia is certainly a great addition. read more

Insomnia - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Solid little coffee shop with some delicious Vietnamese dishes! A precious gem in Kakaako. I've walked by for ages, but I'm so glad I finally tried. What a charming little shop. The interior was clean and the decor was really intriguing (alligator head in the corner?) and the older couple working the shop were really nice. They truly make magic out of their little shop. My boyfriend has tried their Vietnamese coffee before (a tad too sweet for our tastes) but this review is only about the food because I'm not really a coffee drinker. I ordered the chicken pho and my boyfriend got the lemongrass chicken banh mi. We ordered takeout. From ordering to picking up our food it took about 20 mins, and I'm impressed with their ability to multitask and churn out several orders with just the two of them! I really liked my chicken pho. The chicken was tender and the pho came with all the typical fixings. The broth is clean, light taste and has all of the flavors you'd expect from a pho broth. Overall, a solid bowl of pho and very satisfying given the recent cold weather. The banh mi was also solid. Perhaps not the best banh mi I've ever had, but the lemongrass chicken had a good flavor and the bread was toasted to a good crispy outside (and soft inside). We just wished there could be a little more filling, because it was so tasty! Overall, I enjoyed this spot a lot and I would definitely come back. The prices weren't too bad, and I thought it was the perfect meal. I love the charm of the place and the service was friendly. It's a convenient location and I look forward to supporting Insomnia again in the near future. read more

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Insomnia is a small restaurant serving delicious Vietnamese dished right in Salt at Our Kakaako. Facing Auahi St., I feel its been overlooked because it's neighboring small businesses Tacoako, Bevy and Paiko. Since the pandemic, I usually often opt to take out vs. dining in but they're open for dine in also. It has the usual dished you'd expect from other Vietnamese restaurants but with more of a comforting, homey feel. The couple that owns the restaurant are really nice that make you want to support them even more. My most ordered dishes are: Bqq pork vermicelli noodles Spring Rolls BBQ pork rice plate and Combination Pho Every now and then I also get a sandwich but I also never leave without a Vietnamese iced coffee, you know the one I'm talking about the Cafe Du Monde French coffee with condensed milk. So good and so delicious. read more

Insomnia - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I guess you could consider these one of the hole in the wall places tucked away right in Kakaako which is weird because it's located on the street right outside Salt. Given it's name I assumed it would be open late night but it's perfect for those craving pho and bahn mi for breakfast or lunch. I went around 9/10am on a Monday and it wasn't too crowded but then again it was a holiday. When you walk in you're greeted by the owners and you go to the counter to tell them your order. After placing your order you'll take a seat and pay for your food post meal. I ordered the beef pho which was really good. The broth had a nice flavor and they gave a decent amount of fatty slices of meat. The spring rolls were good as well but might have been fried for a little too long. It didn't have that super burnt taste though which was fine. The location itself is quite small and can get quite crowded when customers are coming in and out to order coffee. Overall, I would come back again but the only thing is that the food takes a little while which is understandable because it's only the wife and husband taking the orders and cooking. Parking is either metered street parking or validated parking at Salt which is free for the first hour. You could also chance parking at the park nearby as well. read more

Insomnia - Beef Pho - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS VIETNAMESE COFFEE. It is the real deal and this couple is adorable, Absolutely made my morning read more

A small coffee shop that serves everything from ice coffee to pho. Their menu has a lot of variety. Their ban mien lemongrass is excellent and you can smell the aroma when they are making it. Their summer rolls can be made with tofu,shrimp,chicken fora healthier alternative. They are run by a husband and wife who are the friendliest people you can find. A lot of takeout orders . read more

Insomnia - Tofu summer roll - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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