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Huong Lan
In Chinatown Cultural Plaza (mains around US$5 - US$9 ), Huong Lan is one of Honolulu's many beloved pho shops where Vietnamese families fill the booths with adept noodle wrangling and spirited conversations.
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Imanas Tei
At this izakaya (a Japanese pub serving food), enjoy world-class sake while grazing on sushi and crowd-pleasing nabemono (do-it-yourself meat and vegetable soups). It's a great time.
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Indigo
A favorite for the theater crowd, Indigo has a relaxed, open-air courtyard and menu decorated with contemporary Eurasian cuisine. Creative dim sum appetizers include 'ahi (yellowfin tuna) tempura rolls and goat cheese wontons. Dinner features such dishes as tangerine-glazed ribs, ginger-miso salmon and mahogany duck. An award-winning wine list matches the inspired menu.
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Irifune's
Follow those locals in the know to this bustling Japanese eatery where fresh fish is artistically prepared - the tataki ʻahi (seared tuna) is to die for.
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Jimbo Restaurant
This family friendly restaurant is known throughout the island for its handmade soba and udon noodles. Order them in broth or fried and slurp your way to happiness along with the old married couples who no longer bother talking to each other and young daters who giggle at everything.
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Kaka'ako Kitchen
A downscale sister of upscale 3660 On the Rise, Kaka'ako uses the same fresh ingredients and creative flair in a plate-lunch presentation: Styrofoam container, outdoor seating and plastic utensils. Local favorites include shoyu chicken, wild salmon or ginger-sake 'ahi steak with your choice of brown or white rice and an organic salad.
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Keo's
Keo's is a favorite haunt of visiting celebrities; this Thai restaurant has a full page of vegetarian options as well as all the usual fish and meat versions.
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Kyo-ya
Kyo-ya is the full deal, a formal Japanese restaurant with kimono-clad waitresses specializing in kaiseki (multi-course meals). The lengthy menu includes several sashimi and tempura pairings, along with butterfish misoyaki and a traditional Kyoto-style grill served with several small courses. Both the setting and food presentation are elegant, and it's a favorite spot among islanders for a special night out.
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La Mer
Regarded as the island's ultimate fining dining room, this French-inspired restaurant absorbs a stunning ocean view. A neoclassical French menu puts the emphasis on Provençal cuisine with a bow to local ingredients. The dining is formal, though men are no longer required to wear jackets; long sleeved shirts will do.
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Legend Seafood Restaurant
Bright, busy and a tad impersonal, Legend Seafood is best known for its extensive dim sum - observe what savvy patrons grab from the wheeled carts and follow suit.
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Legend Vegetarian Restaurant
This Buddhist vegetarian, lunch-only spot is known for several fish and pork analogs that even meat eaters acknowledge as tasty. Favorites include the vegetarian butter fish and sweet-and-sour vegetarian pork, along with a huge selection of dim sum offerings.
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Leonard's
This Portuguese bakery is known throughout Honolulu for its malasadas, a type of sweet, fried dough rolled in sugar, like a doughnut without the hole. Try the haupia malasada, with a coconut cream filling, and you'll be hooked.
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Liliha Bakery
Sugary cereals aren't just for breakfast anymore. This bakery and diner causes a traffic jam for its coco-puff pastries. Too nutritious you say? Then take a seat and order hamburger steak or other lumberjack faves at this spot northeast of Downtown.
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Little Village Noodle House
A quiet, air-conditioned restaurant in Chinatown? That's only the beginning. The kitchen sets a gold standard, particularly for black-bean sauce and noodles.
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Maiki Market Food Court
On the mainland no self-respecting eater would be caught hanging out in a shopping center food court after the age of 17. But cross the Pacific Asia has brought the old-style market into air-conditioned comfort. This particular nucleus for communal grazing includes small outposts of favorite Honolulu restaurants, like Yummy Express, which serves Korean-style lunch plates with your choice of a fork or chopsticks.
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Makino Chaya
Smart Japanese decor and paper umbrellas hanging from the ceiling set the tone at this cheery buffet restaurant. This place has it all, a full a la carte menu plus a fresh buffet spread of sushi, briny seafood delights and salads just for starters. The dinner menu includes the freshest lobster and wonderful desserts.
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Marie's Organic Café
In the same complex as Planet Hollywood, this health-food store has a small café for organic veggie sandwiches, salads and wraps. The green barley mousse with a dab of azuki paste is both a dessert and an oddity.
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Maunakea Marketplace
The Maunakea Marketplace is a Chinatown food court that serves the ultimate local grinds, with mom-and-pop vendors whipping up homestyle Chinese, Filipino and Thai fare.
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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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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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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, , and .
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Ono Hawaiian Food
This is where to come when you develop a hankering to try some traditional fare - we recommend the kalua pig plate, served with several Hawaiian side dishes.
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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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Pavilion Cafe
In the Honolulu Academy of Arts, this upscale café has a lovely courtyard setting overlooking the museum's water fountains. The kitchen specializes in gourmet salads and sandwiches, but also makes an innovative pasta of the day. It's a good place to relax and a wonderfully indulgent way to support the arts. Reservations are suggested, particularly if there's a special exhibition at the museum.
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Rainbow Drive-In
There aren't many drive-ins left in the world, and this old-fashioned survivor is an only-in-Hawaii subset. From the takeaway counter, construction workers and gangly teens order all the local favorites: chili served over rice, teriyaki burgers and saimin (local-style noodle soup).
