Restaurants in Honolulu & Waikiki
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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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B
Tsukiji Fish Market
Christened by the famous Tokyo fish market of the same name, this newcomer to Ala Moana's dining scene is an all-in-one Japanese food feast with a full-service fish market surrounded by sushi and yakitori bars, noodle stalls and other street-food options.
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C
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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D
Waiola Bakery & Shave Ice Ii
For a lesson in shave ice, Waiola is the place. The superfine ice and the add-ons set it apart: try azuki beans, condensed milk, mochi (sticky-sweet Japanese-pounded rice cakes) and island-style li hing mui crack seed.
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Days of Aloha
Tucked behind the commercial strip Wai'alae Ave, this vintage Hawaiian-style café serves tasty salads and sandwiches, Italian sodas and coffee drinks. On Saturday night, there's live Hawaiian music, and you can bring your own beer.
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E
Ezogiku Noodle Cafe
This is where many Waikiki hotel employees go during their lunch and dinner breaks for steaming bowls of Japanese ramen, curries and fried rice. It's cheap, fast and the closest you'll get to a subway noodle shop this side of Tokyo.
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F
Fatty's Chinese Kitchen
Have a seat at this hole-in-the-wall next to the Miramar hotel for some of the cheapest and saltiest grub in Waikiki. The atmosphere is purely local, with a dozen seats lining a long bar just a grease splatter away from the cook.
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G
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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Spices
This pan-Southeast Asian restaurant has spiced up the university dining scene with Thai curries, Lao soups and Burmese noodles. The restaurant sets a modern but neighborhood-friendly table free of suffocating ethnic kitsch.
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Bubbies
In a college strip skilled at pouring draughts, this neighborhood ice-cream shop is the sweet-tooth's alternative to beer. Homemade ice cream comes in luscious tropical flavors or decadent chocolate-on-chocolate creations.
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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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Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Chef DK Kodama's 'new wave sushi' is a certified hit, playfully dribbling truffled sauces, deep-frying panko-crusted rolls and adding Dungeness crab to simmering ramen. The torch-lit veranda enjoys prime sunset views.
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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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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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Town
Laid-back locavores love the Mediterranean-inspired cuisine at Town. Leave your attitude at the door, be patient (it helps), and enjoy coffee-shop gourmet with the occasional Lost cast member.
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O
Auntie Pasto's
A local chain, this silly-named Italian-American restaurant is set in an atmospheric shophouse of windows and tiles. It doesn't seem very 'Hawaii' but locals come to look pretty and eat sensibly.
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Honolulu Coffee Company
Overlooking Bishop Sq with city skyline views, here you can take a break for a java jolt brewed from hand-picked, hand-roasted 100% Kona estate-grown beans. Also at Ala Moana Center. Free wi-fi.
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Waliana Coffee House
Opposite Hilton Hawaiian Village, this all-night coffee shop serves heaping portions along with tropical fruity drinks with plenty of aloha. Sit at the bar and swap tales with an O'ahu newbie.
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Yanagi Sushi
Yanagi is one of Honolulu's most popular late-night places for sushi, along with other Japanese dishes prepared to perfection. Ask about the 'late birds' meal specials available after 22:30.
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Sushi Sasabune
Sushi lovers, get ready to be dazzled at this omakase (chef's choice) restaurant - whether familiar or unrecognizable, the sushi is never less than exquisite. Reserve ahead.
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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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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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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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V
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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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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