Hawaiian restaurants in Honolulu & Waikiki
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A
Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch & Crab
Its menu offers huge portions of local specialties, such as fried noodles or loco moco (three hamburger patties and more, buried in gravy) for breakfast, along with mainland staples such as bacon and eggs, and fresh crab. The food is great, a high-quality change from overpriced hotel fare. The on-site Big Aloha Brewery pours some of the best microbrews in town.
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Rainbow Drive-in
If nothing else, it's refreshing to have a president who appreciates plate lunches and shave ice. President Obama has enjoyed plate lunches at Waikiki's Rainbow Drive-In
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C
Ono Hawaiian Food
A legendary destination for traditional Hawaiian dishes and local grinds - get a combo plate, but don't miss the kalua pig.
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D
Helena's Hawaiian Food
Wedged between a radiator shop and the highway, this humble Honolulu institution dates back to 1946. The menu is mostly à la carte dishes, some smoky and salty, others sweet or spicy. You start with poi (fermented taro) or rice, then add a couple of small plates of lomilomi (minced and salted, with tomato and green onion) salmon, briny shortribs or kalua pig, and you've got a mini-luau for under $10.
In 2000 this modest storefront restaurant joined Honolulu's bigwigs when it was honored with a James Beard award. The restaurant is now run by Helen's grandson, Craig Katsuyoshi.
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E
Alan Wong's Pineapple Room
Though Honolulu foodies may disagree, we prefer this dressed-down cafe inside a high-end department store to Alan Wong's eponymous dining room on King St. All the star chef's classics are made here in an open exhibition kitchen, plus the menu shows off some haute twists on island comfort food like the kalua-pig BLT sandwich and loco moco (rice, fried egg and hamburger patty) made with kiawe-grilled North Shore beef burgers. Desserts are killer, especially the five-sorbet sampler with knock-out pairings of fresh fruit and sweets.
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F
Top of Waikiki
Once a hallmark of progress, the revolving restaurant was first introduced at a world's fair in the 1960s but it has since become a relic of simpler times. Rotating at about one revolution per hour, this tower-top restaurant absorbs a 360-degree view from mountain to sea and back again. There's food involved too (sunset dinner around US$14), but the novelty is the slow-motion sit-and-spin.
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G
Oceanarium Restaurant
Dine with the fishes at this hotel restaurant and aquarium: weekend brunch buffet from US$21, dinner buffet around US$34. The dining room wraps around a three-story aquarium brimming with colorful tropical fish and more pensive sharks and rays. The occupants of the tank are only for decoration, not for consumption. Divers feed the tropical fish at noon, 13:00, 18:30 and 20:00.
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Duke's Canoe Club
By common consent, Duke's is the most popular beachfront restaurant in Waikiki, located beachside at the Outrigger Waikiki hotel. Named in honour of a local surfing legend, the open air restaurant caters to a constant stream of locals and visitors alike, and features live Hawaiian music afternoons and evenings. The breakfast and lunch buffets are a bargain.
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Orchid's
Orchid's breakfast buffet around US$45. The Sunday brunch buffet is a grand spread that includes sashimi, sushi, prime rib, smoked salmon, roast suckling pig, an array of salads and fruits, and a rich dessert bar. It's a pampering treat, with a fine ocean view, orchid sprays on the tables, and a soothing flute and harp duo. Reservations recommended.
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J
Chai's Island Bistro
This chef-driven restaurant draws accolades for both its food and presentation but what really makes it a one-of-a-kind experience is the music - some of the best in the islands - that accompanies dinner. The upmarket Pacific Rim cuisine, with such specialties as wok-seared lobster and brandy-glazed Mongolian lamb, is well worth a visit anyway.
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K
Alan Wong's
Alan Wong's Celebrity chef Alan Wong continues to redefine classic Pacific Rim and Hawaii Regional cuisine with flare, whimsy and farm-to-table freshness. You can't miss with signature dishes like ginger-crusted snapper and twice-cooked kalbi short ribs. Reservations are essential.
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Nico's at Pier 38
French chef Nico was inspired by the dressed-down island food scene to merge his classical training with the reliable plate lunch. French standards such as steak frite appear alongside fresh fish sandwiches and local belly fillers including chicken katsu.
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M
Fort Street Bar & Grill
Local foodies' favorite for dressed-down Hawaiian contemporary food, this unpretentious spot is Colin Nishida's latest addition to the Side Street Inn family. The office workers roll in after work for light plates and karaoke.
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N
My Favorite Place
This homey café has bargain-basement prices and a full spread of local eats leaning more toward Korean dishes, accompanied by pictures if you haven't yet sorted out the difference between saimin and loco moco.
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Stanley's BBQ Chicken
Parked in the lot in front of Marukai 99 Superstore, this smoke-belching lunch wagon cranks out island tunes and lots of barbecued chicken worth getting messy for.
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Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas
The Honolulu culinary scene is all about East-West fusions, and chef Hiroshi Fukui adds his own personal stamp with his subtle, unlikely, unforgettable creations.
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