Decided to give this place a try after so many friends had recommended it!…read more Chao specializes in Vietnamese fusion. We enjoyed the appetizers, particularly the fried maitake mushrooms that came with aioli. The calamari was crispy on the outside, not too rubbery on the inside, and it came with a delightful lemongrass sauce. All of us enjoyed our entrees: the pork belly, beef stew, beef pho, and soft shell crab pasta. The soft shell crab pasta was super rich and creamy, and apparently I was lucky enough to be able to try it (they only had two more orders available for the night)! Portions were extremely generous. The desserts really stood out to me. We had a coconut flan, which was super refreshing. Their butter mochi was topped with chopped nuts and an ube ice cream, and was overall a very light, refreshing, and delicious choice as well. The staff were very friendly and service was great. Presentation of all the food and interior of the restaurant were also a 10/10. We had a great time.

Sigh...It could have been, should have been better. Some things were good and tasty. Some others…read morewere under seasoned. Here's what $150 gets you for a weekday lunch: Chicken wings $16 Crispy calamari $16 Spicy beef noodle soup $28 with beef rib $10 Chicken pho $20 Roast pork rice $26 Roast pork bahn mi Liquid wellness mocktail $12 Let's start with *The Tasty*. The chicken wings are delicious! Caramelized fish sauce is unique and so good. Their chicken pho is delicious. They use a wider noodle, which I really like. Lots of flavor, lots of dark and white meat too. The wellness mocktail delivered the taste we expected. Gingery and refreshing with just enough bitterness to keep the wellness factor. *Mid-level Delights* include the calamari. It's like a beer batter and served not very crispy. But the pieces were flavorful. The bahn mi was pretty good. The bread was lovely, the sandwich was packed with pate, pork, pickled daikon & carrots. *Missed the Mark*. The roast pork used in the rice plate and bahn mi was dry and a touch salty. They both came with chicharrons that were under seasoned. The mayo and pate on the bahn mi saved the pork. On the rice plate, there was no hiding the dryness. The chicken fat rice was pretty good. The spicy beef noodle soup was not spicy. The broth also lacked depth of flavor. The $10 beef rib was cold and not seasoned. It sure had the appearance of a spicy broth though. No nuoc cham was served with anything. They did a great job remodeling the place. It's nice and clean. The bartender delivered our 1 zero mocktail. Our server was attentive and friendly. Nice, clean unisex restrooms. Maybe today the execution was just a little off. Make a reservation and try something.

Service was amazing. We brought our 8 year son to celebrate mom's birthday. Although he would have…read moreeaten his on entree, they offered to cook him a plain buttermilk chicken and rice which he loved! We enjoyed ourselves and savored every dish. We had the prie fixed menu. The scallop dish was my favorite, and the "baked potato" was my wife's. The dessert brought a smile to all of us and they were nice enough to include a serving for our son. Definitely would recommend eating here!

The 7 course meal was disappointing. How does bacon baked potatoes and sour cream belong on a…read morecourse meal dinner?! The entire menu was so basic, pork buns? Fried chicken? The meal was heavy salty and greasy. We gave it a chance but soon realize we should've just done ala carte. Maybe ala carte would have been less disappointing. The yellowtail crudo was very good, other than that, I do not recommend. We even added a foie gras to elevate but it was just not it. Service and ambiance was great. This was suppose to be our anniversary dinner! We should've known when it was so empty!

Went here for my birthday dinner. Thoroughly surprised at how good the food was and the service…read more Beautiful, modern interior and the atmosphere was chic. The menu has changed to a more tapa style. We went with our two young children & they were very accommodating. We ordered a bunch of stuff but most notable was the Ensalada Salad, Croquette Cordero, Taco Raisu, Karaage Pollo, and for dessert, the Piña Borracha. We ordered some pork and steak skewers. These were ok, I would skip these next time. A little burnt. My favorite was the Ensalada Salad. The crab was sweet and the salsa opaca was so refreshing with the apple foam. Was told to smash the crisp on top and combine it with everything and that took it to another level! So good that we ordered another one. The price of this was so affordable too! The Croquette Cordero was like a mini curry ball with chimuchirri sauce. A little heavy but if you love curry, this is for you! The Taco Raisu surprised us. The taco meat was so flavorful!! Even though we were stuffed, we kept going back for more. It's like a deconstructed taco & you use the lettuce as a wrap. The Karaage Pollo came with a Cucumber Escabeche. It was so tangy and refreshing, which perfectly cuts through the rich, savory oiliness of the fried chicken. We got the Piña Borracha for dessert and that had a coconut cake, coconut lime mousse, banana lilikoi curd, and pasted pineapple on top. Amazing!! Great way to end the night. Everything was top notch. You can tell they put a lot of effort into each dish. Can't wait to go back!

I go here on occasions. I've made to brunch a couple times but typically I make it to the…read moreevenings. The restaurant hours are relatively calm, but switches gears when it becomes a nightclub. Restaurant-wise, I believe the menu had a recent change-up to further explore fusion possibilities. I've been going down the list and the dishes have been pretty good so far; I haven't made it to the taco raisu yet, but I do need me some desserts. The picarones is like a peruvian andagi, which was pretty cool. The miso cream brûlée was from the prior menu, but also a Yes. The bar is knowledgeable and innovative their mixology- I've had the shizuku garden and that was amazing.

Food was excellent, very tasty!!! Portion sizes were small but definitely worth going back to try…read moremore dishes! Corn, rib eye sticks, Kalbi bao buns!!!!

Little Plum is always an enjoyable experience. First of all, the restaurant is quaint and…read morecomfortable. The dining area is one open area, the table setting is cozy with its crochet coaster and wooden chopsticks rest. There's an open kitchen so you can watch the chefs put love into each dish. My server even pointed out who will be making my crispy pork belly. The wait staff is so helpful and welcoming. They made sure our vegan friend was well-taken care of. She suggested the mushroom jook where they would put the chicken on the side. They even added more mushroom to elevate his dining experience! Today we ordered family style, which they happily accommodated for us. They served the rice on the side. Our menu included short rib bao and shiitake bao (vegan), ume tomato, namul, spicy miso eggplant, crispy pork belly, menchi katsu, and mushroom jook. The standouts were the crispy pork belly with its watercress tomato onion salad, the ume tomato on whipped tofu, and spicy miso eggplant. The mushroom jook is so comforting, hearty and full of flavor served with chicken confit and a soy egg. The two desserts offered are both winners. The mochi churro with kinako and anglaise is crispy, light and creamy. The pineapple orange pudding is so cool and refreshing. And, 100% of dessert sales go to the culinary team! What?! Love this place. Plus, with you check are some fun asian candies -white rabbit and haw flakes! I haven't been there for dinner yet. That'll be next.

So glad we ate here! Looks like there are lots of hip options in Chinatown, and we would have…read morewalked around and tried even more if we had had more time. We had a 4 hour layover in Honolulu and it was a quick 15 minute Lyft ride here to Lucky Belly. We were the only party here right at 5:30 pm. Loved the art and clean simple elegance of the exposed brick wall and wood tables. We were greeted and served by a very friendly host. We had the duck tacos, plus the special dim sum appetizer combo of pork belly bao, lobster dumplings and oxtail dumplings. We could not pick a favorite. The variety of textures was fantastic and each of the meat fillings were perfectly seasoned and tender, delicious! Each had a different sauce- just enough, not too much. Nothing was spicy but there was chili oil on the table if you wanted to add more heat. We got 2 nonalcoholic spritzers, one lilikoi and one hibiscus, which were each refreshing and complimented the meal. Since the service was so efficient, after eating, we still had time to zip over to Magic Island to stroll around, take in the scene and enjoy the sunset before heading back to the airport. Our last evening in Hawaii was really special thanks to this delightful restaurant!

Horrifying experience. We arrived to a nearly empty restaurant. The hostess asked if we had a…read morereservation. We arrived an hour or so before they were about to close. All of the window seats were empty. In fact the restaurant was nearly empty. We were told the only option for us was the inconspicuous booth at the back of the restaurant. Not a good start. The food was okay. There was more than we were expecting, however the short ribs were a little tough. The ambiance, it was nice and empty by the time we left. Overall, what had been something we'd been looking forward to for years turned out to be a dismal disappointment. The experience left us feeling unwelcome, particularly because it seemed the staff were uncomfortable with two men simply going out for lunch. Being a Black and Asian couple shouldn't have any bearing on how paying customers are treated, but unfortunately, that's how the experience felt to us. We can overlook mediocre food or service, but feeling judged or unwelcome is something we won't overlook. We were there as paying customers and deserved to be treated with the same courtesy and respect as anyone else. Unfortunately, this is a place we won't be returning to, and based on our experience, we would not recommend it to others.

First off, if it wasn't 5 minutes from our house, we would still go there whenever we can…read more The SERVICE is always 100%! If you arent familiar with the menu or the family style servings, the server will explain it to you with Aloha. The FOOD is beyond what you expect from the menu, the porkchops! Nobody should leave without ordering these crispy but yet, so juicy inside! The fried rice doesn't even need an example! The TEAM, you watch everyone hustle and help everyone, the servers that arent yours will stop to see how your food is or even refill your drinks without asking. Its really like you're at an aunty and uncle's house for dinner. The difference between Hawai'i and the mainland? It's here. Without a doubt

Wanted to bring my nieces somewhere nearby my house with a view for an early dinner. They're…read morevisiting from Colorado so the don't have beaches there. They enjoyed the view ... Now the food part. They seem to enjoy what we ordered but here are my ratings: Poke Nachos 3/10 Garlic fries 0/10 Fried rice 6/10 Garlic chicken 6/10 Espresso martini 0/10 Brownie ala mode 4/10 I apologize but the food and the drinks were either cold, stale, no flavor and my espresso martini had this weird taste:( Service was ok. Will I be back ? Probably not

Wow!! I really loved this restaurant. We had a big group in our reservation. My boyfriend and I…read morehave many dietary restrictions and the chef accommodated even though we told the chef about our dietary restrictions only when we got to the restaurant. Service is amazing and everyone was very nice. The restaurant is so cute and I really liked the decor. The food was INCREDIBLE! I would come back to Hawaii just to eat here again. Thank you so much!

An evening to remember. Tonight's Prix Fixe Menu at Carte Blanche was nothing short of excellence…read more Each course was crafted with such creativity and balance: * Crispy Salt & Vinegar Chicken Skin with Smoked Trout Roe & Herbs: Each little section had its own unique flavors. * Soupe de Poisson with grilled City Bread from The Breadshop & Rouille: Sean said this was his favorite. He literally was wiping up the soup with his fingers. Haha! * Pina Colada Granita - the perfect palate cleanser! * Pan-Seared Scallops with Corn Béchamel, Polenta & Fresh Relish: Amazing texture and flavors. Scallops were super fresh and cooked to perfection. * Double Cut Rack of Lamb with Charred Savoy Cabbage & Miso Red Wine Sauce: I was thiiiis close to licking my plate. Super YUM! * Lemon Crème Brûlée Tart with Summer Berry Jam: There's nothing like pairing lemon and berries... but to brûlée the top, oh man!! And as a special treat, we even got to pre-sample the dessert for the upcoming November menu - such a sweet sneak peek of what's to come! + Hint: Favorite Local Snack. Grateful for this beautiful dining experience where every bite told a story in this beautiful atmosphere. 10/10 Highly recommended. 5 Stars!

Recently visited Roy's again, and really enjoyed our experience…read more Service was fantastic as usual, and a very very special shout out to the Manager there. We are from CA and left a personal item at the restaurant, and the staff kindly packaged and sent over to us. What a personal, kind touch. We will for sure visit Roy's next time we are in town!

Roy's was a bit of a mixed bag for us…read more We had a reservation and still waited about 15 minutes, which isn't terrible, but not a great start. The Brussels sprouts were dry, so we asked for more dressing. Unfortunately that didn't rescue them, it just turned dry Brussels sprouts into soggy Brussels sprouts - and we both love Brussels Sprouts N loved the butterfish. I thought it was good, but I wasn't quite as smitten with the butterfish ( which I read is actually sable fish or black cod). N also says the Lychee Lani was very good - it looked very pretty! But then came the chocolate soufflé. Oh. My. God. THAT I loved. Warm chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, and frankly I would have happily ordered it as my entrée and then ordered another one for dessert. Service throughout was pretty ok but at this price point I expected the whole experience to feel a little more polished. 3 stars. N can go back for the butterfish. I'll be at the dessert table with my soufflé.

Became a fan of Chef Kajioka after dining at Cafe Miro in January. As we were planning a trip back…read morein August for the wifey's bday, I definitely wanted to head back and made reservations for The Counter as I saw pics on IG of their meal here. We lucked out and found street parking nearby. As we walked into the restaurant, we were quickly greeted by the host/server who showed us to our seats along the U shaped counter. Loved the clean and modern decor inside the restaurant. As we sat down, our water cups were quickly filled and the only few questions they had for us was whether we wanted the wine pairing and we wanted to add the caviar toast and shaved truffles. We opted for the wine pairing, caviar toast and truffles. The meal was fantastic from start to finish. The most notable dishes for me were the ahi and caviar toast, cold corn soup, the lobster and the dessert. Sadly the portion of the toast here was about 1/2 the size of what we had at the cafe and unfortunately they didn't have uni for the night (maybe don't go on a Tuesday). Service was fantastic but they did have a few hiccups which were tolerable as the food was amazing. The wine pairing was also good and paired well with the dishes. As we are currently planning our trip back later this year, we will definitely head back to either the cafe (if the remodel is completed) or back to the counter for another meal. This is likely the best meal we've had in HNL in quite some time and highly recommend it.

Beautiful food, prix fixe menu that delivers texture, creativity and luscious flavor…read more Unexpected gem in a cute Honolulu neighborhood.

One of the best tonkatsu spots I've had! Everything was so delicious, and the portions are very…read moregenerous. I'd definitely recommend sharing so you can mix and match and try a few different meats. The Wagyu was a standout -- incredibly tender, flavorful, and such a fun experience since you get to cook it yourself right at the table. The tonkatsu was perfectly crispy on the outside while still juicy and tender inside. I also loved how kid-friendly they were! They had kid dishes and utensils ready, which is always such a nice touch when dining out with little ones. Great food, generous portions, and a fun experience for the whole family. Definitely a spot I'd come back to next time we're in Oahu!

I've been coming here for quite some time. It originally started as a Tonkatsu restaurant right…read morenext to a Soba spot. Later they took over the Soba side and opened the Yoshoku section, and now it seems like they've merged everything -- though the menu feels mainly Tonkatsu-focused. I made a mistake this time and didn't order my usual Pork Tenderloin Katsu. I tried the Oyster Mix Katsu (Oyster, Shrimp, Pork Loin), and the seafood pieces had way too much breading -- the actual seafood was maybe half the size of the whole piece, which was disappointing. My partner ordered the Bairin Mix Katsu, so I got to try the Minced Pork Katsu, and that was amazingly delicious. Service was great, and we got a 20% Kamaʻaina discount plus parking validation for the Bank of Hawaii lot for 1.5 hours. One lady made it sound like she was giving us extra time, but the website says 1.5 hours anyway. Note to myself: stick with the Pork Tenderloin Katsu or the Minced Pork Katsu next time.