First of all, our waiter was excellent and was able to switch our my water before I even realized there was something floating in it. He knew we were going to share some dishes so immediately got sharing plates with utensils, and remembered to give a small complimentary dessert for my dad's bday but other than that I did not enjoy the food at all. The corny bread tasted burnt and was drenched in sauce. The naan was stuffed into one bowl with the sauce which makes it seem as if they put it in one bowl to have less dishes to wash, and was reminiscent of a heated Lunchables pack lunch that you give to a kindergartener for their school lunch, The pork chop was tough and I could probably walk to Zippy's and get the same quality for a cheaper price. The chicken tasted like I could get a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods and cook it myself. The dessert was good. But I still don't think it constitutes me coming back here, especially for the price they put on most of these items. read more

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Had the LocoMoco which was excellent. Large delicious Parker beef patty and fantastic brown gravy. Service was very good and food came out hot with good presentation. Highly recommend read more

The food was amazing, service was excellent and the food was very creative and everything tasted sooo goood! Loved it all!

Solid 5 stars. Great quality of food, service, ambiance and prices too! Thoroughly enjoyed everything during the meal. Highly recommend their seasonal pumpkin bread with whipped guava butter, so good ! And they served it warm too! Also their okonomiyaki was delicious! Loved the pickled mustard seeds that pop in my mouth! Combined with the cabbage, sauce and egg, it's just perfection. The fried chicken also was done well. Crispy and juicy! What a gem to the neighborhood of kahala. We will be back to try more food! Thanks chef! read more

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Great place to enjoy a delicious lunch with island foods presented in a new yummy way. The Chef / Owner learned from the very best Chefs serving at 5 star restaurants on the mainland, including NY city. He along with his supportive family are home now to share his cooking talents with us local folks. Check it out, it's quality comfort food, beautifully prepared & served with aloha!... read more

I loved this place. Beautiful and clean inside. They have a beautiful mural inside and the food is delicious contemporary and I found the presentation of the food refreshing. Since in Hawaii their restaurants are more casual. I'd definitely come here again. The trout dup was absolutely so flavorful and delicious. I wanted to order a second one. I loved the corn bread and aracani read more

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I was really excited to come here and then ended up being pretty disappointed with the experience. The furniture seemed a little shabby. Our waitress was nice but perhaps they were understaffed because service did seem to get slower as they got busier. It felt like a long wait to clear the plates and get dessert after we had finished the meal. I didn't like the green eggs and ham; the plating could also definitely be improved. I do want to highlight a couple positive things. They were very accommodating to seat the people in our party who showed up early, and they did separate checks for us as well. The pineapple lemonade was a stunning color and very tasty. read more

Kapa Hale - Pineapple lemonade - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Aloha, I love wine dinners with Sky Cameron of Chambers and Chambers. Been following Sky from Stage, Chef Chais to 53 by the Sea. Had to give Kapa Hale a try with Skys endorsement. Wow so happy we did. Best dish of the night was the lamb! Yes, disguised as a Vindaloo, but hey it really was so rich in flavors from Vindaloo to everything"local" omg I'll be back for this dish alone. Seriously amazingly tender and delicious. Give this local gem a try, you'll be happy you did. A hui hou! read more

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A "Night" to remember... What a lovely surprise to see Kapa Hale to be at the Honolulu Night Market though scanning the whole scene I somehow missed them but lucky to have found them and got a chance to give them a try. With lots of item on their menu i was very hungry and saw Pork Guisantes (Beef Luau and Lemongrass Pork also available) and you it was something that I just couldn't resist which i really couldn't and took a couple of quick bites and love how flavorful the sauce was with lots of chunky pork the comfort it instantly gave was delicious. What they also had was the "Yuzu Potato Salad" OMG!! Ya there's no pic cause it was that yummy never have i imagine to combine my two favorite item for a heavenly summer bite. Great unique flavors done just right and so happy to have discovered them at thing Night Market as the vibe here is just so wonderful to support local. Thank you! read more

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Location: Kahala on intersection of Kilauea and Pauhoa next to post office and diagonal from Kahala Elementary. Free parking in front. Ambiance: upscale neighborhood bistro. Great bar with decent wine selections. Service: Eric provided outstanding service. They ran out of my initial wine selection but Eric suggested a replacement that paired well with my meal. Food: Tonight we went with the seasonal tasting menu. Our usual favorite which is a great way to try new items. I highly recommend stopping in to try the seasonal tasting menu. We will definitely be back. read more

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Some fancy menu offerings for a little hole in the wall type place, but it was pretty busy and pretty good. I went with my office staff for lunch and we had a good assortment of things from the menu. Everything looked really great. I ended up getting the fish. It was steamed Marlin. The fish seemed a little tough, but it had nothing to do with the way it was prepared... It may have been a bad piece lol I especially liked the Marlin dip appetizer and the cornbread appetizers. I would like to check it out again and try some of their drinks next time. read more

Kapa Hale - Marlin - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place is so special to us so in case you don't want to read the long incoming review- just visit!! I'd highly recommend Kapa Hale, whether it's for date night or you're hosting an event! We had our wedding welcome dinner here and Heather was a dream to work with- clear, communicative, accommodating and kind! She worked with her husband Chef Keaka to help us craft a menu for our guests- I wanted it to be amazing for our loved ones who would've just all flown in so this was a back and forth process but she was so patient with me. I hadn't tried their food before but trusted the reviews and it did not disappoint! I looked into dozens of restaurants that could seat a large party and a lot of them wouldn't have given us the privacy or flexibility this wonderful place did. Many restaurants charged a hefty restaurant block fee on top of the bill and insane minimums (how is eat guest going to eat $200 worth of food?), but Kapa Hale only required a reasonable minimum and had great reviews! In the midst of stressful wedding planning, this was probably the event I was most excited to book. When we arrived, our guests were originally confused that they got brought to a small parking lot with a Subway sign- some asked if we're eating at Subway for dinner haha but looks like that sign's been removed as of our last visit earlier this year. We had the inner room reserved which was perfectly set up for our party size! The cool mural made for a great spot for group photos too. Our guests were blown away by the food and comfy cozy ambiance- pretty much everyone was like "where did you guys find this hidden gem??" We decided on the haku lei po'o, chop it like it's hot, I love you a laksa, cauliflower, lilikoi panna cotta, and cheesecake with ume, shiso and strawberries. The food was incredible- a lot of our family and friends are huge on food and some aren't easy to impress but everyone wouldn't stop raving! The food was creative, inventive, yet still down to earth and was perfect on the flavors and textures! I unfortunately don't have any photos of the food from the welcome dinner but have posted food photos from our recent date night on our last visit! It was fun to relive our wedding festivities and enjoy a nice dinner :) we mayy have gotten carried away with over ordering but we were just so excited to be back! Also knew that leftovers would hold up in the fridge, since I didn't get to eat much at the welcome dinner and mostly enjoyed leftovers back at the hotel. The service was so good- I let our server (sorry I can't remember his name but he was great!) know that we had our welcome dinner there before and loved it and he ended up telling Heather who came to say hi! She also brought us a few extra goodies which was so kind! Cherry on top was we mentioned the lilikoi panna cotta we'd previously had at the dinner was soo good. Panna cotta wasn't on the menu but they surprised us with one with flavors of the cheesecake we had! It was so unexpected, thoughtful and appreciated. Towards the end of dinner, Chef came out to say hi to each table which was very nice too! As we were leaving our server mentioned a local school carnival going on. It was super duper fun and the perfect way to cap off our evening. This was one of our absolute favorite nights we've had on Oahu! We'll definitely be back the next time we visit!! :) read more

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It's a charming little place. Friendly service. Delicious loco moco. It was a hearty meal but you don't feel like you're stuffed after eating it. Everything was well-seasoned. My boyfriend loves his mushroom sandwich. He stated it was one of the best sandwiches he ever had. We did wait a bit for the food but it was worth it. When we came it was just us and two other couples but the place got busy around 11 am. Glad we visited. read more

This is a review of Kapa Hale's 5th Okinawan FEASTival offering: Anda da Sea (Sept. 2024) 5th Okinawan FEASTival is on! Got Chef Keaka Lee's Crispy Crab, Shrimp, and Corn Hush Puppy Andagi with Batayaki Sauce today! ANDA da Sea is a delight! Crispy exterior with a lovely texture from cornmeal on the inside. And the inside was bursting with crab, shrimp and corn. The buttery Sauce was a great pairing. We liked it so much, we ordered another round! And I went back the next day. read more

Kapa Hale - ANDA da Sea special was bursting with seafood - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I'm so glad I decided to share this gem with out of town guests for dinner. They loved it! The shared plates made it easy for the 3 of us to try many items. The corny bread with lilikoi butter is a must each time I go there. We ordered something from every category of the menu that changes with the seasons. The When I Dip You Dip smoked catch of the day dip with tasty grilled bread not only has a fun catchy name, but is delicious! The Where's Da Beef was a perfect protein to compliment the items we ordered. The haku lei po'o is a divine piece of art with the perfect mix of veggies and fruits. The colors of the rainbow on this dish is spectacular as well as tasty. If only we had room for the house made ice cream or sherbet, we would have gone for it. I love the flavors I tried on previous dining experiences. I must mention the personable and friendly staff from hostess to server. This is a gem tucked away behind Kahala Mall. Check it out! read more

Solid solid food. A refreshing offering and perfect for this weather. Even had a kid sized serving. A little slow even for a weekday lunch but glad I could try this place! So ono! read more

Hmmm updating and wondering what happened to the last review i wrote of this place... Yelp?! Anyway I was pleasantly surprised when I was invited to have dinner here after the theater. No arm twisting needed! It's been a while and I was happy to see some familiar dishes as well as others I didn't recognize on their very cleverly named menu. I always love it when businesses put creativity and humor into their names like "Alcohol U later". There is a pris fixe Spring 3 course menu option for $69 (which is worth it if you plan to get an appetizer and dessert anyway) Appetizer: A beautiful trio consisting of mango gazpacho, arancini, and a croquette with poi veloute. I also love it when I can learn new food words. Entree:Choice of pasta, salmon, or lechon Dessert: choice of Banana Fosters or Mud pie I got the Hawaiian Beef Tartare- with pickled mushrooms, mustard seeds, fried garlic and roasted macadamia nuts which were a nice touch. Doesn't come with bread or crackers so they said they could bring sourdough slices which in hindsight I didn't need. It was good but more mild in flavor than some others I've had. I Love You a Laksa Risotto- one of the best risottos I've ever had, not just because it has no dairy, but because the combination of plump fresh seafood with tangy Southeast Asian flavors was broke da mouth! I'd go back just for this! Service was top notch-well informed and well versed in ingredients and preparation which is not always the case in fine dining these days. They also covered for each other so we would not have to wait long. A lovely Kahala neighborhood dining experience! read more

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Just enjoyed Easter brunch at Kapa Hale. Service was great and attentive. Chef Keaka came by our table to greet and thank us for our support. Misoyaki Salmon was delicious and salads and desserts were wonderful. Something for everyone in our group. read more

Good food and a cute place, but I remembered it being better than it was. I came with another person and we shared 3 vegetable plates for a light lunch - the cauliflower, naan, and a salad. They were all good but nothing was standout. I would come back if we're around, but I wouldn't make a special trip for it. read more

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Kala Hale is locally owned and sources their ingredients locally. It was overall a great dining experience. Ample parking.

We decided to try this place for our anniversary dinner and we were not disappointed. First off, the owner/chef came and greeted all his guests. The ambience was welcoming. While the restaurant serves high end food, the restaurant felt like you were home having a very nice dinner party with a lot of Aloha! The food was incredible! We had an amazing 3 course meal with Hawaiian infused flavors. From an amazing watermelon salad & ahi salad to the Salmon and steak, it was all cooked to perfection. The desserts were simple and unique. The chef graduated from Kapiolani Culinary School and has worked on SF and New York at high end restaurants. Love that he decided to plant his roots at home where he grew up to share his amazing talent as a chef. read more

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We have been wanting to try Kapa Hale for dinner and it was fabulous! We ordered appetizers from happy hour menu (watermelon burrata, lechon kawali, garlic noodles, poke and duo dip), each was distinctive and delicious. Then on to entrees prepared perfectly and so ono, from catch of the day to pork chop, chicken and pasta. And desserts were imaginative and superb. Our server was very attentive and paced our meal well. Kapa Hale is a gem of a restaurant. Mahalo Chef Keaka and staff! read more

5 stars for the service 3 stars for the food I've been meaning to come here for years and finally made it last Friday night. Maybe my expectations were too high because of the acclaimed chef but to put it bluntly, the food was not that exciting. Just about everything we ordered had a dominant sweet flavor profile. We arrived at 5:45 and the waiter said, along with the main menu we also had the option of selecting from the happy hour menu until 6 pm. From the happy hour we chose the ROASTED GARLIC NOODLE Miso, Sesame, Enoki, Butter, Pickled Peppers $13. It was good for what it is. A Yaki Soba flavor profile of sweet, sour and slight salt. Here instead of soba, the chef chose ramen noodles which I appreciated. It had a wonderful chewy, toothy texture with a buttery finish. From the main menu we started with 2 items: LET'S TAKO 'BOUT IT Grilled Octopus, Black Garlic Char Siu, Kawamata Lomi Lomi Tomato $18. On the verge of cloying sweet and the octopus was on the dry side. The Lomi Lomi was fresh and refreshing. CORNY BREAD ( 2PC) Grilled Corn Bread, Lilikoi & Honey UNI-CORN (UNT BUTTER +S8). This was a definite Winna!! Moist and tender with a wonderful balanced sweet and salty. Sooo comforting! For main course we had the YOU CHICK'N ME OUT MAINS J. Ludovico Farm Roasted Chicken, Cucumber Yogurt, Pickled Grapes, Yuzu+Lemon Roasted Potato KOJI AGED STEAK* $38 - Not a winna. We took one bite and had to return it. We rarely ever return dishes. The chicken was tender and perfectly cooked but it had an off putting odor that we couldn't ignore. The waiter said it was from the brine and that he gets that comment on occasions. Which made me wonder why they chose to keep that preparation on the menu if people were saying it smelled bad. We replaced the returned dish with the WHERE'S DA BEEF? Fresh Tagliatelle, Small Kine Farm Mushrooms & Cauliflower Bolognese, Tomato, Parmesan, Basil $35. Our favorite dish of the meal. Fresh pasta and the sauce had a nice balance of cream and acid. Lastly, we ordered the HAWAIIAN BEEF TARTARE* Local Beef, Macadamia Nut, Pickled Mushrooms & Mustard Seeds, Fried Garlic $18. I'm a sucker for beef tartare and will order it 9 out of 10 times when it's on the menu. This one was a bit disappointing. The mac nut and fried garlic dominated the dish to the point where I could only taste those 2 ingredients...and it was on the sweet side . Excellent service from the entire staff. Lots of parking in front. Happy Eating!! read more

We came for Happy Hour (5-6pm M-F) to check out Kapa Hale for the first time. The restaurant is tucked away a few blocks behind Kahala Mall and has plenty of parking in the lot outside. It was pretty empty when we arrived around 5:30pm but got pretty crowded a little after 6pm. There seemed to be only one main server, so it was a bit difficult to get the check at the end of our meal. From the happy hour menu, we tried the garlic noodles, short ribs, and the duo of dips. We added an additional order of fried Brussel sprouts that was a vegetable special on the normal dinner menu. We also got the cocktail special of the day which was some type of yummy lychee spritzer. We ended our meal with the well-reviewed "Da Kahala Shuffle"! All the food was delicious and decent portions for Happy hour prices. Will come again but probably try to close out before the dinner rush! read more

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I'm so glad that we celebrated our anniversary here. Kapa Hale had a different vibe to it. High end casual? It's almost elegant, but still very comfortable with a good vibe. Started off with an appetizer, the "Let's Tako 'Bout It" Grilled Octopus with Black Garlic Charlie Siu sauce and Kawamata Lomi Lomi Tomato. Beautiful plate presention, I love grilled octopus and this dish didn't disappoint. The acid from Lomi Lomi tomato was perfect balancing the slight sweetness sauce. Also "Corny Bread" Grilled Corned Brwsd made with polenta, topped with g Lilikoi & Honey Butter. Chef-Owner Keaka Lee mentioned that it was his Grandmother's recipe. It has a little crisp from the grilling and not overly sweet, I could eat this every day for breakfast! For the entree my wife chose the 12oz Kogi Aged Steak and I the Roasted Chicken with Polenta. Both dishes were seasoned well and very delicious. We let room for dessert, just because she wanted to try the Guri-Guri Sherbet, for me the house made vanilla ice cream. The Guri-Guri had a shaved ice texture and together with the ice cream tasted like a sushi float, so good! The staff are welcoming and seating available indoor or a few tables outside. Good place to reserve for a group. Kapa Hale is located on the corner of Kilauea Avenue and Pahoa Avenue. The entrance is right after McDonald's and the Bus stop. read more

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We celebrated my early birthday here and it was such a treat! I've always loved Kapa Hale's dinner menu but I really wanted to try their brunch, so when my friend asked where I wanted to celebrate, I immediately suggested them. I love that they use local ingredients in a lot of their dishes, and their fun, witty dish names. We got their Okonomiyaki Omelet, KFC Chicken & Waffles, Pumpkin Loaf with Guava Butter, Naan Ya Business, Loco Moco, Lemon Dream and Coconut Ice Cream. I can't even begin to tel you what my favorite dish was because they were all so impressive . Even something as simple as their chicken & waffles were so good - the chicken was juicy and crispy and the waffle was moist and crisp on the outside and the country gravy coated everything very nicely They brought out a special birthday dessert which was so sweet. The owners are so sweet and our server Trina really went above and beyond to make our meal special. read more

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My relatives visited us during Thanksgiving week to celebrate the holidays and birthdays because it's been over a year since they returned home to the islands. Since my cooking preparations for Thanksgiving were a few days after their arrival, I got to relax and spend more time with them. Whenever they visit, we usually eat out at restaurants that we have tried before or try to find new local culinary experiences together. Kapa Hale has been on my bookmark list since it opened several years ago, and I was excited when my brother-in-law mentioned a Noodle Bar Pop-Up by this restaurant's chef/owner, Keaka Lee. Chef Lee's Noodle Bar pop-up featured six noodle dishes inspired by Pacific and Asian flavors. Before my brother-in-law made the lunch reservations for our party of eight at this restaurant located at the corner of Kīlauea and Pāhoa Avenues, we got to preview the menu. Of the six menu choices, something appealed to each of our taste buds. After waffling between the menu choices, Khao Soi Chicken and Egg Noodle or Oxtail Pho, I decided on getting the Khao Soi Chicken and Egg Noodle. My husband couldn't decide and was about to order the Duck Ramen. However, after describing the flavors and textures of Thailand's Khao Soi to him because he didn't remember if he'd ever eaten this curry noodle dish before, he changed his mind and ordered the same dish as me. My relatives ordered the rich and beefy-tasting Oxtail Pho, Chinese Roasted Duck Ramen, and Shrimp & Bulgogi Tagliatelle. We steered away from the Smoked Turkey Pho since we would be eating smoked turkey on Thanksgiving Day. It didn't take much convincing from our server for us to order the unique sides of Yuzu Potato Salad and Keaka's Fried Chicken. We ended our meals by sharing a slice of Da Kahala Shuffle, a rich but not dense chocolate and Kahlúa mud pie. We all enjoyed the flavors, textures, ambiance, and service at Kapa Hale and would happily return to experience their seasonal dinner menu or weekend brunch. read more

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our server Drew & Malia were excellent! very welcoming and informative about the menu. Every dish we ordered was amazingly very tasty and different which made it exciting. started off with the roasted garlic noodles, double dippin kalo hummus & smoked marlin with kalo chips and grilled bread, Let's tako about it black charred siu octopus, shrimply irresistable Tagliatelle, kauai shrimp chorizu ragu and suns out buns out pork belly, cucumber scallion and hoisin. read more

What a treat! My daughter treated us to a fabulous lunch at Kapa Hale. The restaurant is hidden in a building near the Kahala Mall. The dining room is somewhat artsy upscale. Our server was aloha friendly, gracious and efficient. The lunch menu offers an interesting twist on traditional Hawaiian fare. Most of the ingredients are locally sourced. There are vegetarian and meat options. We shared an order of the Naan Yu Business for starter. The plate included freshly made garlic naan with a curry dip topped with water crest. The dish was flavorful and delicious. I had the Hawaiian Cubano (a twist on the Cuban sandwich) made with kalua pork, Lau Lau, bacon, Swiss cheese, pickles and an dijonaise sauce served on a large piece of sour dough toast topped with a beautiful sunny side egg. The sandwich was served with fresh house made potato chips. The sandwich was absolutely delicious and filling. My daughter had the 'Shroom Melt with house made chips which is her go-to favorite. The sandwich was made of juicy small portabella mushrooms, spinach, Swiss cheese, garlic aioli on sour dough toast topped with a sunny side egg. There is a full service bar and they have specialty cocktails. There is a wait list for dinner reservations, but getting in for lunch was easy. Parking is a bear. We parked at the mall and walked over. I highly recommend. read more

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Painful but delicious. Lunch during restaurant week, customers turned up but unfortunately the staff did not. Our service took over two hours and we had to waive down servers to get out that quickly. Salads were impeccably fresh. Guri guri a perfect ending. read more

Kapa Hale - Strawberry Guri Guri - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We used Kapa Hale for a private party and they were accommodating and easy to work with. Our guests raved about the food and ambiance. The happy hour from 5-6 on weekdays is also amazing! I love going with my husband he gets the burger and I get the marlin dip and whatever seasonal veg is on the menu. For the regular menu, get the lei salad ...all the entrees are excellent. Service is always sweet and top notch. read more

Free parking, large group seating available. The interior is minimalistic with Valentine's Day and Lunar New Year decorations at the moment. Limited brunch menu. Chicken waffles and loco moco are popular. I like the dipping sauce of naan ya business but the naans were charred black by the grill. I was told it's supposed to be blackened like that. Eggs Benedict were overcooked. Okonomiyaki omelette is interesting, and I like the corny bread. I would skip the cauliflower with grapefruit as it was drenched in oil yet bland. I ate it with the dipping sauce from the naan appetizer. There's a vegan version of the loco moco called kalo potato that had a unique crispy and chewy texture. Overall, some creative dishes with room for improvement. read more

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I said in a previous review that I probably wouldn't be back but a friend wanted to try so we came again. I was pleasantly surprise by the food this time. We came on a Sunday for brunch so I think it was crowded and I'm not sure if they had enough staff. We did have to wait a pretty good amount of time in between ordering and food coming out as well as reminders for a few things. It's also a pretty tightly seated place. But our water was always filled which I really appreciate. The fish dip was marlin that day and my husband really liked it. The cornbread was also very good. The loco moco was good. I got the kalo moco to try and it was fun to try something different. You can tell they put a lot of effort into their dishes. The people were all very nice which was great. I think everything was pretty good but we didn't have anything that I would necessarily got back for though. It is fun to try new places though and I think it's worth checking out if you're in the area. read more

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Our first visit for the new year! Thank you to our wonderful server Michaela R.! She was friendly, knowledgeable, and patient while I decided between two entrees. She's also a photographer so the photo she took of us came out great! I'm so glad I selected the Fresh Catch ahi. It was perfectly seared so I would highly recommend it. My hubby and son enjoyed the Cubano sandwich and both said they would eat it again. We also ate Da Kāhala Shuffle for dessert and the coffee flavor balanced out the chocolate so it wasn't heavy. Now we know why the chef is a James Beard semi-finalist. We'll definitely return. read more

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Always, Always, Always love it here... Today I wanted to try something new with my friends from Hilo (their first time). So Sunday lunch and we are ready to go...of course, the food is incredible! Today let's try the okonomiyaki omelet (wait what?) loved it. Light and nice on the palette! Then the eggs benies were just right for me. Light and refreshing with the change up of Canadian bacon/ham to kalua. The poached mini eggs were done to perfection. Lastly, the loco moco was so Ono that my friend ate it in one fell swoop and it was gone! Rice, patty and gravy proportions just right plus the egg was cooked to perfection sunny side up! Our waitress was also amazing...sweet and so accommodating. Thanks to owner wife Heather for serving one of my favorites- cauliflower seasoned just right! Bon Appetite! read more

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Took a date here after theater. So good. The restaurant is in this unassuming shopping center. The inside of the restaurant is also completely unpretentious. I had a three course tasting menu. The first course was gazpacho + two other things. That mango gazpacho was the best dish I've had in a very long time. I would toss that in a glass and drink it. My main dish was lechon. Also very good. The pork belly was cooked really well. The bok choy & gochujang with strawberry? worked really well together. My date had a tartar dish that was ok. I liked the nuts they added to the dish for texture. I'm not sure I would order that again. She had the risotto which was cooked perfectly. And it was tasty af. The third course was dessert--I had the mud pie. It was just ok. Honestly, it tasted as good as the Edwards frozen pie you can get at the grocery store topped with kahlua. This was my least favorite part of the meal. They could have put a lot more thought into the dessert I think. Service was excellent. My date had lactose intolerance issues so they went over the best dishes for her to choose from and which ones to definitely stay away from. Our server was attentive and friendly. The timing with which our courses came out was on point. Not quite Roy's in terms of perfection but totally more than acceptable. I think the quality of the food merits the higher price. I wish they would be as creative with their dessert as they are with the other courses. Easy to get a reservation on open table. We were seated immediately even though we were about 15 mins early. 100% recommend for a date night/anniversary type dinner. read more

Kapa Hale - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I love to see stories of local kids making a name for themselves, especially in the area of the local food scene! Enter Keaka Lee, who with his wife, Heather, are owners of Kapa Hale in Kahala, an area where he grew up with. Keaka is a graduate of Kalani High School and received his culinary and pastry arts degree from the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiolani Community College in 2009. Chef Keaka has years of culinary experience: 3660 on the Rise, Alan Wong's Restaurant, and Pig & the Lady as Chef de Cusine (Honolulu); Benu (San Francisco); Le Bernandin, Eleven Madison Park, Café Boulud, and Gramercy Tavern (NYC). Heather presently oversees administrative tasks and web communications for Kapa Hale. Chef Keaka uses the unique cultures of the Hawaiian Islands as inspiration to develop his style of cooking, especially since Hawaii embraces Pacific and Asian influences. He has developed relationships with local farmers and have learned to expand the local, Asian, and European and flavors. With his experiences, Chef Keaka chose the name of his restaurant. "Kapa" means in Hawaiian to tell a story, and "Hale" means house. Opened on 12/10/20 during the height of the pandemic, Chef Keaka persevered with long hours to address staff shortages and took on all facets of the restaurant. In 2021, he received the Hale Aina Award for Best New Restaurant in Hawaii; and in 2023, he was a James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef Award. Kapa Hale has a lunch and dinner menu that are seasonal. I've tried only their lunch menu and find that it is limited and on the lighter side; whereas, the dinner menu offers more extensive offerings of its main dishes. There is a brunch menu during the weekends that includes pancakes, waffles, and other breakfast items. The dessert menu is offered during dinner only. I've tried the following from their lunch menu: * KH Burger. This has the Parker Rach grass-fed beef, mushroom ragu, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, anchovy garlic aioli, and chips. This juicy burger was very impressive with quality ingredients that made it so tasty! * Ginger Onion Toast. Four slices of toasted bread with a smear of garlic aioli and a mound of pulled J. Ludovico Farms chicken mixed with generous quantities of ginger scallion sauce and sliced red onions. I thought this would be like an appetizer, but the serving was quite generous that I could only eat two of the four slices of toasts. A great take on the Chinese chicken with ginger onion sauce, and it was very flavorful! Our server was on top of it! She was very efficient in taking our orders, serving them, refilling our waters, and processing our payments. And she easily accommodated our requests for individual checks for the five of us, as it was easier that way instead of trying to figure out the cost for each person afterwards. Loved the décor that was bright and modern! Loved the elegant Mae White hand-painted wall mural in the main dining room that sets the tone of a pleasant dining experience. There is another area next to the main dining room that also serves as a dining area, and this area faces the open kitchen where you can watch the chef at work. Located next to Olive Tree and Subway in the former Central Bakery spot, Kapa Hale is open for lunch from Wed to Fri 10:30a to 2p; dinner from Sun to Thurs 5p to 8:30p and Fri/Sat 5p to 9p; and brunch on Sat/Sun 9a to 2p. I look forward in returning to try Chef Keaka's dinner menu! I admire Chef Keaka's vision of promoting local products by using familiar ethnic influences to develop and showcase a cuisine that can only be found in today's Hawaii. read more

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Ever been to a place where you had to order all of the desserts? This is one of those places.. they have a bunch of great entrees and what not. Probably the best steak I've had on Oahu. Chef came over as well as great service and easy parking. If your vegan o R vegetarian I wouldn't go, this place will break you of the habit read more

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Finally tried this neighborhood restaurant and wish I'd found it earlier. Dinner was excellent! The corny bread appetizer was crispy and light. Just enough sweetness to complement the corn flavor. Grilled octopus appetizer was so tasty and soft. Lomi tomatoes went well with the octopus. My main dish was the seafood risotto. Scallops were grilled perfectly, clams were nicely done and shrimps came with the heads on, nice touch since I like to to nibble on parts of it. The risotto was curried with hint of coconut, very flavourful, and went well with the seafood. Dessert was one of the best mudpies I've had. Usually it's layers of ice cream but this one had layers of chocolate and kahlua mousse. Not too sweet and rich choco flavors throughout. Service was great. Seems like all servers get involved with different parts of the restaurant. Server was always checking up on us and very knowledgeable in describing the dishes and making recommendations. Ambiance is very nice. Tables are comfortably spaced and noise level is quiet so you can enjoy nice conversation at your table. Overall a very enjoyable dining experience! read more

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Wow! This place is really bumpin' with the host of the events. Great place to hold special events or meet ups for small groups and parties. They have appetizers size pupu style food that is constantly served throughout the time. I think you can rent out this place from a specific time to whenever. So be sure you inquire about their menu and what is included with the facility. If this place wasn't so far away from where WE lived, I would totally have events here. Adult Birthday, Baby shower, Fundraising or Anniversary event. It's more to mingle and relax and converse. You can make it into staging area for presentations as well. But I think you'd have to talk to the owner of this place. It's NOT SO MUCH of a HAWAII LOCAL HANG OUT like Hawaiian Brian's or HMC KARAOKE LOUNGE. It's more for a meet & greet networking kind of local place for people to just chit chat. They have a bar where you can purchase drinks as well. Yes. They do serve alcohol & non-alcoholic beverages. I'll be honest, when we first come here, I felt a little out of place. Only because I wasn't expecting it to be like this. I was expecting it to be more of a restaurant/diner area. But you know what, it was really nice and I quite enjoyed myself. In fact, I think the only reason why I was able to mingle so easily is because I was just at an "event" where I had to mingle with strangers I've never met before. And so for me, I'm a people person. I can talk stories with mostly whomever. But what I don't like doing is, pretending to be someone or something I'm not. And so, when I come to these events, I'm always myself. However, because I came with my husband and son, because our son is the reason we were invited to this event; I felt kind of fake. LOL! Only because I wasn't too sure as to what we needed to do or how to be and because he didn't know what to do either, it kinda left the burden on me to do the navigating. My husband isnt one to talk much. So he wasn't much help at FIRST. However, as the night progressed, so did my relaxing. We got to move around and loosen up a bit. This place has that strong ambience of welcome & enlightenment. It carries you to be as like those around you. Positive, uplifting & determined. I'd refer to this place as like a FRIENDS coffee shop. Where they can sit and talk stories. But not as a small group, more of a CROWD. You should definitely check it out if you can! Oh! But just incase you folks are still hungry, you don't ave to worry because there is a McDonalds right behind next door. So even if you may not eat large portions here, because they're all finger foods, you can go McDonalfs afterwards to chow down some grub. Then it's also close to the mall as well. Kahala Mall has a lot of places to eat at or shop at too! There are literally a lot of places for you to eat prior or after. NOTE: Just try to enjoy yourself & give it a chance! We DID! And we enjoyed everything and everyone's company. Thank you for hosting our events and for the great appetizers. read more

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