Ray's Kiawe Broiled Chicken is a local favorite that has a pretty intense following. Many people…read morecome here to enjoy the chicken. It is literally cooked outside on a nice fire. Waited in line for a little bit and maybe about 30 minutes our chicken was done. Ordered just a whole chicken to try and this was my first time having it. The seasoning is light and the chicken is juicy. I would say this actually tasted pretty alright. But I think I like mine slightly saltier or seasoned more. But overall if you ever see this off the road you should stop by and try it out.

Tried Ray's Kiawe Broiled Chicken for lunch and ordered the lunch special, which came with a half…read morechicken, rice, and pineapple slaw. The wait was a little longer than expected, a bit over 30 minutes. The food itself was okay overall. The chicken was decent, and the pineapple slaw leaned more on the sweeter side than I personally prefer. Nothing was necessarily bad, but nothing really stood out either. The girl who took my order was very nice and friendly, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, the person packing the order didn't seem very welcoming and gave off the impression that they didn't want to be there, which affected the overall experience a bit. Overall, it was just an okay experience for me and probably not somewhere I'd personally return to.

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.

I got to try the tater wand from Celine's Best at a food festival. I guess I didn't realize the…read moreprice, because there weren't really prices written on the menu. One tater wand was $12.50, $13.02 with sales tax. It's about on par with a tornado potato from a K-food truck in Waikiki, so it's not super out of line, but I do wish the prices were listed ahead of time so you would know how much it was. The tater wand was hot and fresh and the toppings were the right amount, I felt. I enjoyed it but would be a 5-star if prices were more transparent.

I went to FoodieCon at the Neal Blaisdell yesterday. Their picture of the Birria Ramen looked…read morereally good so I ordered it. Boy was I wrong- it was so DISAPPOINTING- no flavor & salt and the soup tasted like water just AWFUL. Never will I get anything from them again. The service was good but I got ripped off paying $16.00. Never again!!

Oohhh these guys…read more.. I just love how they bougie up our beloved mochi the classic treat that's not too sweet but does give you the freedom to enjoy it plain, stuffed or dusted with various coatings. Da Mochi Guys does that and more as I found them at Makana Mkt in Ka Makana Ali'i Sunday market from 11a-3p it's just so hard to resist peeking in to see the load they have made for the day with one table with the classic mochi stuffed with Oreo, cookie butter, brownie and kulolo while another table had the butter mochi OMG! Biscoff, Biko and OG that was it for me as I got the OG but noticed a jar of Dubai spread a jar that was a great way to turn any treat to Dubai yumminess which is so smart. The staff there was a trooper in the torrential rain pouring down as it got pretty intense at times but happy to support these great local small biz and share a bit of that happy vibe along the way. Thank you!

I used to come here to get my stuffed mochi when they first started selling but when I came back to…read morebuy the mochi was spoiled and being sold in the sun and smell omg I did not dare to touch another piece after that first bite and I bought 3 packs all in the dumpster I got sick the next day please if your gonna sell mochi or any desserts please be honest and make sure you are selling quality fresh or you will loose customers I now buy from another seller who sells on marketplace very fresh same day

Well we didn't know what to expect at first but lemme tell you. This food was so delicious, fast,…read moregreat service. I got the spicy teriyaki tofu salad plate and that was so good. My husband got spicy ahi with a half order of matsuri style shrimp with rice and Mr. loved it. This place upheld and exceeded its standards. The ambiance was very relaxed.

Hawaiian garlic shrimp is a iconic local dish, not technically traditional Hawaiian food, featuring…read moreshell-on shrimp tossed in a pungent garlic-butter sauce, heavily popularized by North Shore, Oahu food trucks since the mid-1970s. With the recent flood happening at the end of March, and our trip being in early April, going to North Shore wasn't advised. While we have some great Hawaiian garlic shrimp spots in Arizona, we had to at least try to get some garlic shrimp while on Oahu. We gave this place a try just because we were already in the building. It wasn't a choice we made prior because honestly, I would have suggested trying a more well-known spot like two miles away, haha! We shared a $14 Shrimp with Original Garlic sauce on it and made it a combo with rice, a scoop of potato mac salad, and regular salad, $14 + $6. Sam's Kitchen was okay. I would have loved to have the shell-on but this place does not offer shell-on shrimp. Still, they make a decent garlic shrimp.

My Sister and I love Aloha Elote!! Shoko is one of the sweetest people we've ever met!! And, her…read morecorn is amazing!! Whenever I'm in Hawaii, I specifically go to the Kailua and KCC Farmer's markets (every Thursday & Saturday respectively) for her corn, and to see her! She's always smiling, and is soo friendly...it makes my day!! We highly, highly recommend Aloha Elote!! Great service, and amazing products!! Thank you Shoko!!

Elote at the Kapiolani Community College (KCC) Farmers' Market…read more.. Elote is Grilled Mexican Street corn. I learned about it from my Yelp friends in Los Angeles! When I was strolling through the KCC Farmers'Market, I spotted the word "elote". I haven't had it in many years, so, I went for a closer look! Service is very friendly and helpful. I was given a package with handles for my purchase from another vendor because I was juggling the handleless bag! How observant! I wanted the Furikake elote... Then, the Hurricane popcorn elote sounded good... I finally decided on the Avocado and Bacon elote - in a cup, please! The corn on the cob is kinda messy and the toppings would fall off! Elote in a cup has some butter and cheese, so, take those lactaid pills if you need them! Overall, one of the better vendors at the KCC Farmers' Market. There's free parking! Go early to avoid the crowds and the heat from the sun!

So finally got to try these. It was sold by the dozen with sauce for $21. Yes they were big but…read morekind of expensive to me. Taste was good but for me because I'm not a super big meat eater it was too much meat. I'm more the size of like char hung sut. Service was fast. So if you are a big meat eater then you might like it.

FINALLY got to try their pork hash at the monthly "What the Truck?" Event in Waikele (parking lot…read morewith the old K Mart closer to the freeway). They sold these bad boys in a pack of 12 (no other option - not sure if it's just for the event) and it comes with dipping sauce. Not sure what's in the sauce, pretty sure it's shoyu and possibly sriracha or gochujang (chili paste) it's got a nice little kick. I don't always get to travel to the speciality places for pork hash but these are worth the price. They're meatball sized and super flavorful and delicious. I highly recommend checking them out!

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.