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!

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

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

Everything was absolutely delicious! We are coming back with family and friends. This a special…read moreplace with a talented chef.

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.

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.

Pop up with poppin' flavors!…read more Yelp BFF and I have been eyeing out Mama Guava and after the end of the hectic holidays, we finally got a chance to visit. Things we ordered: lumpia look fun, veal pancit/pad see ew, and curry fish with roti My favs: lumpia look fun and curry fish with roti The lumpia was crispy and the look fun was nice and thin. Topped with green onions, a soy, vinegar and chili sauce. My only wish is they used a Thai sweet chili sauce instead. The veal pancit/pad see ew was saucy, but a little too salty for my taste. The curry fish with roti was perfect. Fish was flakey, curry was packed with flavor, and paired well with the crispy roti. Definitely worth a visit! Thanks for reading my reviews! Let me know what I should try next!

Bold Bites and Soulful Flavor at Mama Guava…read more I first tried Mama Guava's food at a pop-up at SALT at Our Kaka'ako, and it was delicious. So I had to check out their pop-up restaurant in the former Pig and the Lady space in downtown. Lumpia Look Fun: A fun fusion of two of my favorite things to eat. Oxtail & Pechay Soup: Hearty and healing, this soup had real soul. Fried Chicken: Crispy salt and vinegar fried chicken was a hit. The batter and crunch were excellent. Tortang Talong: Charred eggplant and garlic rice. I became addicted to that garlic rice. Kang Kong (Ong Choy): My favorite bite, served in a savory garlic sauce. The staff was friendly and attentive, and we really enjoyed our time there. Mama Guava brings bold flavor, thoughtful fusion, and warmth in every dish. This is the kind of pop-up you hope sticks around for good.

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.

They are back!!! This time in the old Cafe Lani space which is much larger. They even have a…read morerestroom in the location. They just opened yesterday and are open 5pm until midnight Su-Thu and until 2am on Fridays & Saturdays through Halloween. Fun Halloween themed pop up bar with drinks that are just as festive. They serve their shots in a syringe and have a prop coffin that makes for a great photo op. Goose shot with strawberry ($10) in a syringe. Good amount of alcohol as it is a large vessel. Faceless Lady ($7) shochu, lychee, lemon-lime soda. Spider ring to keep. Green Lady ($7) shochu, melona, lemon-lime soda. Spider ring to keep. Drinks are in smaller plastic cups and on the sweeter side which is an ode to the candy holiday. Not the place to get hammered as the drinks aren't that strong. I can appreciate the work and cost that has gone into putting up such an elaborate pop up for my favorite holiday. If you love Halloween like I do, Ghost Bar is a must, costumes optional. Can't want to go back!

This is a pop up Halloween themed bar on the second level of the Ala Moana Center. It is right next…read moreto Longs Drugs on the parking garage side. The bar has some cool decorations and unique novelty drinks. When I went there the place was packed. I had to wait a few minutes in a line while they checked IDs. Then I never was able to get a seat. I stood at a bar area along the side wall. It is open seating, so it's everyone for themselves when they get in. There most popular drink by far is the one that comes in a trick or treat pumpkin and serves 2 to 4. Seating is on picnic tables positioned around the bar. You can either go up to the bar at the front door and place your drink order or they have servers that can take your order from you where you are, if you are paying with a credit card. This be is a novelty and is only open in the month of October. The crowd is a mid to late 20-ish crowd. The draw for me was the novelty. I had to check this place out. For me it is not a place that I would visit frequently. But like I said, it is a must see, especially for Halloween lovers.