This meal was exquisite. The service was so attentive, knowledge, and friendly. Each course was…read morebetter than the last. The overall ambiance was perfectly casual. We cannot wait to book our next visit!

This is for the 2.2.25 event at Hamada General Store…read more Friendly table-side service for each course. Every dish --from the chips appetizer to the dessert, delicious. The sides hold their own with the star of the show--the prime rib. BYOB The staff--attentively open, pour and refill. I thinks it's one bottle per two guests, check your email. The ticket purchaser advised being ready to purchase as soon as sales open. The first seating sold out quickly, so we attended the second seating at 7:30. We arrived around 7:15. Most guests from the 5:30 seating left, so there was ample parking. Ambiance--Palaka print placemats, casual, Aloha wear type of atmosphere. Enjoy--you're in for a treat!

Had a smoked ahi tataki, Sumida watercress ikurazuke, sea grapes on vernacelli crisp.... "To die…read morefor". Soooo good! Colin is very personable and I'm excited to try his other offerings.

First time trying their take out at Fishcake (a rotating culinary artist incubator space). I…read moreordered "pork and lamb bolognese." Rich ingredients and taste satisfied me. Btw they cook in front of you after you place an order. You can eat in too. Thank you very much for an early dinner!

Great find in Oahu!…read more All dishes (except obvious - dessert) came with 2 scoops of rice! The ones that have captured our hearts the most were the SISIG & EGG (PORK) and the TAMARIND VEGETABLES (SHRIMP). They were all great though! The ube churros were definitely a great end to the feast! The staff are all friendly & accommodating (well we're in Hawaii - and the island vibe is always refreshing). This is a great place for casual dining or even introducing good Filipino dishes to friends.

A hidden gem in Waipahu!…read more Before I get into their food, order the calamansi drink. It's refreshing, on the sweeter side, and honestly the perfect touch to your meal. It truthfully completed everything. We ordered the sampler set, the adobo fried rice special, kare kare, and the lechon. Everything tasted great! The adobo fried rice was a little on the vinegary side for me. The taste was powerful, but everyone else loved it. The kare kare was my favorite. It was savory and just had a comforting taste to it. I'd order this again for sure. The restaurant is on the smaller side, so seating could be a little tough during peak hours. Same goes for parking, it's a shared parking lot with other places in the complex. But the service is welcoming and the cashier was so helpful guiding us on what to order and describing the meals.

This place is hardly open but when it is, it's the shiz! Don't pass up the opportunity to try it…read more Great customer service, a huge variety of food and the prices can't be beat! This place hasn't been open in a while, so when I saw that they were open today, I got so excited.! The anxious employees greeted me by name (even though it had been months since I've been there), and were quick to serve me my order. They even accommodated my special requests, including beer from the freezer and unexpired mozzarella balls. It is true that the cleanliness may not be the best. I did see one of the employees licking the cotton candy before serving it... But just like a Chinese restaurant, you look the other way because it's Just.That.Good. There's plenty of seating options. Couch, table, floor or bed... The outdoor table with a water view can't be beat! When I was there, Karen showed up and tried to get them shut down, ranting about this and that. Thankfully the sheriff stepped in, nerf gun drawn, and handled the situation. Whew. I think they've closed for the day. I'm not sure when they will be open again but I guarantee I'll go back. Maybe they'll add hot food next time... I want to try their plate lunch.

5 Stars for service! Our server was fantastic! She always made sure we had water, fresh plates, and…read morevery attentive. We were seated near the doors which lead to the patio, against a wall with really neat paintings. It was the first thing I noticed, so figured it deserved a mention. We started with the dinner with bread, butter and beverages, as should everyone. yummm. I enjoyed the espresso martini made with rye and cold brew on ice. It was different, but I appreciate the flavors. Each corner of the table ordered different meals, but I shared the clam noodle special and homemade gnocchi. The noodles were interesting, like al dente saimin without the broth. I liked it! The gnocchi was not my favorite because the texture was kind of strange, very soft. I will note that the server did let us know it was made without potatoes. We ended the meal with one of each desert and a round of green tea shots! The tiramisu was my favorite. Thank you Giovedi!

We arrived about 15 minutes early for our reservation and waited several minutes without being…read moregreeted. The inside is fairly small, so I understand why there may not have been a traditional hostess stand, but regardless, no one acknowledged us or let us know what was going on. Several bartenders and servers saw us, and while one waiter briefly said hello, no one checked us in or offered to find someone who could help. After a few minutes, I went toward the back to find a staff member, while another person in my party went toward the middle of the restaurant to get the host's attention. The host asked if we had been checked in, and when my sister explained that we hadn't been helped yet, she told us to go back and wait in the front. Her tone came across as somewhat condescending, and we weren't given any information about our reservation or how long we would be waiting. While we waited, we all noticed the host whispering to a server, who then looked directly at us. I don't want to assume what they were discussing, but given the interaction we'd just had, seeing her whisper to the server and then having the server look directly at us made the situation feel awkward and unprofessional. We eventually decided to wait outside, and about five minutes later, the host came out and seated us right at our reservation time. There were plenty of open seats on the patio, where we were ultimately seated, so it felt like we could have simply been acknowledged when we arrived and given some basic information about our reservation. Our server was friendly, but unfortunately, the service was minimal. He only checked on us a couple of times throughout the meal. We later found out that the host who talked to my sister was actually the co-owner of the restaurant, which made the experience more disappointing. I was taken aback by the lack of professionalism, especially seeing her repeatedly whispering with staff directly in front of us. Again, I can't say what was being discussed, but regardless, I don't think that type of interaction creates a very professional impression for someone representing their own restaurant. To me, it doesn't really matter how good the food is if the service is poor. Service can make or break an entire dining experience, and unfortunately, the food wasn't particularly impressive either, so there wasn't much to redeem the experience. For the price, I expected a lot more in terms of both the quality of the food and the overall experience. I understand the restaurant was busy, especially around the bar. However, the biggest issue was the lack of communication and professionalism throughout the experience. We were there celebrating a birthday, and unfortunately, it wasn't what we had hoped for. Overall, there are plenty of places where I'd rather spend this kind of money and receive both good food and service. I hope they take this feedback seriously and work toward creating a more welcoming and professional experience for their guests. I'm not leaving this review simply to criticize or tear down the restaurant, but I do think businesses should be open to honest feedback and use it as an opportunity to improve. I hope they are able to take the feedback in that spirit. Aloha.

I finally got to try this place for the first time at the strawberry moon market. Everything was…read moresooo sooo delicious. I personally think this was single-handedly the best musubi/okazuya I have ever had in a meal on this island. It is a shame that they do not pop-up as often but I was very grateful that they were able to make some more food even when the sign said they were "sold out." I guess it was fate that my taste buds were blessed by the hands of this cute Japanese family.

Food is amazing and made to order. Onigiri and side dishes are authentic and just like in Japan!!!read more

Literally my go to spot everytime I want a good Steak and Garlic Shrimp plate until they closed…read moredown . I just loved the food, the portions, the service, everything. I miss it bad

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.

Visited the aina for the first time in 8 years. I had no idea this place existed, but my daughter…read moresaid I should try it. The street parking is limited; so, I was pleasantly surprised that there was a LOT of parking behind the restaurant. There were sparrows and pigeons patrolling the outside seating area, which is common for Kailua. It was entertaining watching them and did not put off our experience. We both ordered the calamari with fries and coleslaw. I usually don't order calamari; so, take this with a grain of salt--best ever calamari! Lol. It was seasoned perfectly and it was so tender. When we I usually eat calamari, it is rubbery. Only ika on sushi is usually this tender and moist in my very limited experience. Excellent! The staff was friendly too. Definitely will recommend this place and will return next time I visit the ohana.

This our go to spot in Kailua. I could drink the tartar sauce it's so good…read more Always add an extra fish stick to kids meal (for yourself).

About 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, there was already a line of people placing their order for fresh…read morepulled noodles. We were told that the first batch would be served about 11 a.m. so we quickly put our order in. The first thing that caught my attention, was the savory aroma of their 5-spice ground pork being cooked. You can add this as a topping to the noodle dish. The second thing that caught my attention, was the labor of love going in to each order of fresh pulled noodles. You can watch him stretch the dough ball and slap it on the counter before he boils each batch with careful preparation. The third thing that caught my attention, was their adorable mother, helping to slice the cucumbers and top each dish with crushed iso peanuts. Do not forget to order the side of pickled bittermelon....so good!! From beginning to end, this was an incredible experience of all my senses! To see and hear them at work and then to taste the delicious sesame sauce on the fresh pulled noodles....WOW! The soft noodles, the crisp bittermelon, and the savory sauce....super delish! Seriously, go early to place your order. The wait is totally worth it :) Will come back next time to try other menu items.

Shima Dreams of Noodles is a pop-up, located at Fishcake -…read more This place supposedly has a huge following, and people anticipate for the changing menu of various noodle dishes. When we went, the menu focused on udon: +Hot Yamakake Udon with Quail Egg (a special) +Cold Yamakake Udon (a special) +Hot Udon +Cold Udon The special udon dishes are servied with tororo (grated mountain yam), housemade tsukudani (seaweed braised in a sweet Japanese sauce), crispy nori, green onions, and an option to add wasabi. We went for both the hot and cold udon specials - I think it was a consensus that we would have liked to have more noodles in the dish. This is definitely a sweeter dish, with the tororo and the tsukudani. The place already had a long line, and the best way to enjoy would be to dine-in. Note that if you do order a carry-out, the quail egg would not be included. +ordering online is available +changing menu of noodle dishes +popup at Fishcake

If you see the Leilani's Island Tacos truck, stop immediately! This is easily one of the best food…read moretruck experiences on Oʻahu, serving up fresh, high-quality tacos bursting with local flavor. We absolutely loved their offerings. The Thai chicken tacos are divine - perfectly cooked, generously portioned, and loaded with amazing sauces and fresh ingredients. Hubs had the fish tacos, which were equally fresh and full of tang. The portions are generous, the ingredients are high-quality, and the service is top-notch. Whether you find them parked at Ko'olau Distillery (like we did!) or somewhere else on the island, these tacos are a must-try. Don't miss out!

Delicious food!! Happened to stop into a distillery and came across this amazing food truck. Great…read moretacos and great portions!