Dining on Oahu

We usually have breakfast at this restaurant when we stay at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki. This beautiful restaurant is located right above the lobby of the hotel (on the 3rd floor). The casual atmosphere offers picturesque views of the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. The restaurant is spacious and it has an airy island setting. They serve a large buffet that includes the usual eggs, Portuguese sausage, pancakes, smoked sausage, ham, and other hot breakfast items. They also have another station for continental breakfast food items such as cereals, fruits, pastries (muffins, croissants, english muffins, various breads) and breakfast beverages (guava and orange juice and milk). They have a small station just for people that want to eat a Japanese breakfast that includes steamed rice, nori and miso soup. If you are hungry for omelettes or Belgian waffles, there is a chef that will cook these items for you. The service is fast and attentive. The wait staff will come around and refresh your coffee and remove any extra plates from your table. The prices here are expensive (around $20.00 for a full breakfast and $10.00 for children) but it is well worth the hefty price. There is valet parking but if you are not staying at the hotel you can still use the hotel's valet parking service. If you would rather park your own car, there are a few stalls with meters in the harbor. If you are staying in Waikiki you can catch the bus on Kuhio Avenue and ride it until you reach the Discovery Bay Condo bus stop where you can get off and walk to the Hawaii Prince Hotel. Prince Court is located on the third floor of the Hawaii Prince Hotel, at 100 Holomoana Street in Waikiki. They serve a daily breakfast buffet, and a brunch buffet on Sunday from ten a.m. to one p.m. On Monday through Saturday, breakfast is served from six a.m. to ten-thirty a.m. Breakfast includes fresh breakfast pastries, salads, fruits, yogurt and cereal, Japanese dishes such as nori, miso soup, and steamed rice, bacon, eggs, pancakes and other hot dishes, toast and juices. I wouldn't recommend having the continental breakfast unless you are a small eater. I would certainly recommend making reservations for breakfast at this hotel restaurant because it gets very crowded in the mornings and you would be lucky to find an open seat near the window. They serve a daily breakfast buffet, and a brunch buffet on Sunday from ten a.m. to one p.m. On Monday through Saturday, breakfast is served from six a.m. to ten-thirty a.m. I would definitely eat here again for breakfast.

This small open air restaurant is a mainstay of Haleiwa Town. It is located across the street from the ocean and is the perfect place for a quick lunch or dinner with cocktails. The sunsets are gorgeous here especially in the summer. Their appetizer menu is varied from sashimi, salmon pate, Thai shrimp summer rolls, shrimp cocktail, fried calamari and other hot and cold appetizers, salads including their popular chicken ceasar salad, Thai chicken salad and a curry salad in a papaya shell, and sandwiches. The grilled crab and shrimp sandwich on sourdough bread is delicious, and they have the popular fresh fish sandwich of the day, grilled plain and simple. They serve dinner upstairs in the dining room five nights a week for the usual surf and turf item which includes such choices as fresh opakapaka, ulua (Hawaiian jack fish), and mahimahi. Some of their specialties is their scallops in lemon butter and capers, lobster tail, New York steak, and filet mignon. Their decor is very tropical with hurricane lamps, rattan furniture, ceiling fans and fresh flowers. Jameson's is open downstairs for lunch from Monday through Friday daily from 11am - 5pm. Saturday and Sunday lunch is served from 12pm - 5pm. Dinner is served upstairs from Wednesday through Sunday from 5pm - 9:30pm. Their lunch prices are from $9.00 - $16.00. Their dinner selections are from $15.00 - $40+. Their prices are a little steep but I enjoy eating here for lunch after we go to the beach. The wait staff are very friendly and service is great.

Located at the Aloha Tower Marketplace, this restaurant is nostalgic and Polynesian. It is a wonderful tribute to Hawaii's favorite entertainer, Don Ho. The interior is a mix of koa paneling, a thatched roof, split bamboo ceilings, old pictures of Ho with celebrities, faux palm trees, and open sides looking out into the nearby harbor. The food is Hawaiian Regional but the menu also offers family oriented dishes from surfboard pizza to island style mahimahi (fresh fish). Their dinner dishes range in price from $15.00 - $20.00. Some of their dinner specialties are their Hawaiian Chopped Steak that comes with red and green peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and steamed rice and Don Ho's Hawaiian Lau Lau Plate which includes chicken lau lau, Kalua pork, poi, ahi poke (raw fish with seaweed and spices), and lomi lomi salmon (small pieces of salmon with diced tomatoes and onions). They also serve a wonderful Grilled New York Steak with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Their Macadamia Nut Crusted Port Chops is delicious and includes seared pork chips with a macadamia nut crust in a pineapple-lilikoi (passion fruit) sauce. Do Ho's is open from daily from 10am - 10pm. They have live entertainment on Tuesday through Sunday. There is valet parking as well as metered parking. To get to Don Ho's Island Grill from Waikiki, drive north on Ala Moana Boulevard past the Ala Moana Center and continue heading north until you pass the Honolulu Harbor. You will see a large sign that reads Aloha Tower. Make a left and drive into the parking lot. I would recommend this restaurant if you enjoy eating in a tropical setting and you love Don Ho. I would definitely make reservations for this restaurant because it can get crowded on weekends. The Aloha Tower Marketplace is also a wonderful place to shop.

Monterey Bay Canners is located at the Pearlridge Center in Aiea. It overlooks the watercress farm and is located adjacent to the Pearlridge Shopping Center. They have wonderful appetizers such as Calamari ($9.95), Sashimi($11.95), Ceviche ($7.95), Lobster Quesadillas ($11.95), amd Steamed Clams ($14.50). Their main dishes features reasonably priced USDA choice beef and the finest seafood with a local flare. If you enjoy eating fresh seafood dishes, then this is the perfect place to eat at. They have popular dinner items such as Mahi-Mahi that is either Kiawe Char-broiled or sauteed ($15.95). They also have Scampi Style Shrimp that is sauteed in Lemon Garlic Butter and topped with Capers and Parmesan Cheese ($18.95). Our favorite is the Lobster Feast which features two tasty Lobster Tails cooked the way you want, either steamed or Kiawe Broiled ($33.95). We also like the King Crab Legs that are steamed and served with lemon and drawn butter ($32.95). They also have an oyster bar. They begin serving their dinner menu and chef specials 11:00am-9:00pm. There is ample free parking and reservations are recommended because it can get crowded during dinner and weekends. I would highly recommend eating at this restaurant after you shop at Pearlridge Shopping Center. The service is fantastic and the wait staff are cordial and attentive. The decor is turn of the century cannery row style with dark paneling and a lot of wood. They open on Monday -Thursday from 11am-12:30am and on Friday & Saturday from 11am-1:30am. On Sunday they open from 8:00am-12:30am.

This meat and potatoes establishment is very popular in Waikiki. They have a warm and comfortable atmosphere. The decor is very cozy and dark with a tavern like ambiance ( a lot of wood paneling). Upon entering you will be greeted with the wonderful smell of barbequed meats and deep-fried onion rings. Tony Roma's is famous for their ribs and steaks from their St. Louis Style Ribs ($12.59) to their Original Baby Backs ($13.49). They also have their popular combos which includes their Barbecued Chicken and Ribs Combo ($12.49) and their delicious Grilled Shrimp and Rib Combo ($13.99) which consists of a skewer of grilled shrimp with bell pepper and red onion served with any choice of their great ribs. Their menu is large with steak, chicken, seafood, sandwiches and burgers. They have their popular New York Strip which is large piece of New York Strip steak, cut from aged USDA choice beef ($14.99). Their Fried Shrimp dish is popular with the lunch crowd as well as the dinner crowd ($14.69). Don't forget to order their delicious home made onion rings which are out of this world. You can order a LOAF of it. Even though it is high in fat, you will find yourself enjoying it so much because it is so good. Beware though, don't eat too much of eat since it usually comes as an appetizer before your main meal. If you enjoy eating meat and potatoes, I would highly recommend eating at this restaurant. If you want to eat something light and healthy, then I wouldn't recommend eating here. There is valet parking but not much free public parking, especially in Waikiki. The service is friendly and attentive. I would highly recommend making reservations at this restaurant because it is small and it gets crowded very fast.

Owner/Chef Chai Chaowasatree, owner also of Singha Thai Cuisine in Waikiki), has done a fine job of creating a tasteful tropical fantasy in the Aloha Tower Marketplace, where visually arid interiors are the norm. Chai has appeared on numerous cooking shows such as Chefs in Paradise with Linda Coble, Entree to Paradise and Mixed Plate with Pamela Young, Dick Allgire's Healthy Cook, The Hearty Chef by Diana Helfand and Island Style with Emmie Tominbang. Most recently, Chef Chai has been co-starring with Beth-Ann Nishijima of Nori's Restaurant in Hilo in Two Skinny Chefs on local KHON Channel 2. His 200-seat restaurant Chai's Island Bistro has high ceilings, a good location (though not on the waterfront like Don Ho's Island Grill, indoor-outdoor seating, a discreetly placed open kitchen, gleaming bar, and mirrored walls with arches. Large windows wrap around the dining room, offering good people-watching views. And the food is equal to the fine ambiance. The Combination Appetizer Platter (enough for two) features Chef Chai’s Signature Alaskan King Crab Cake, Fresh Ahi Katsu, and Kataifi-Mac Nut Encrusted Jumbo Black Tiger Prawns ($27.00). The starter menu is much more ambitious (and pricier) than Singha, with fusion dishes such as Japanese Eggplant & Zucchini Soufflé with Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce ($13.00), Sautéed Escargot & Prawns which is Chef Chai’s Signature Recipe with Roasted Garlic, Dry Cherry and Brandy Cream Sauce ($13.00), Kona Crab Meat and Tofu Dumpling made with Sautéed Spinach with Soy Ginger Sauce ($13.00), and BBQ Honey Hoisin Baby Back Ribs and Asian Slaw ($11.00). Their entrees include Steamed Onaga, Braised Kurobuta Pork Osso Bucco from the award winning Snake River Farm grown with no hormones. Considered the pork equivalent to Kobe beef ($35.00), Pan Roasted Chicken with Vegetable Jus made with Roasted Garlic, Caramelized Pearl Onion, Tomato, Hamakua Mushroom, and Fennel ($29.00), and an ample selection of vegetarian dishes. Highly recommended are the Grilled Fresh Mahi Mahi with Thai Red Curry Sauce and Asian Stir Fried Vegetables & Soba ($30.00), and the grilled chicken sate with Thai peanut sauce. Chai's curry sauces are flavorful without being overly spiced or excessively weighty with coconut milk. Fresh warm focaccia appears in a rattan steamer with Thai peanut dipping sauce, a nice touch. Most of the main courses are from $28.00 - $40.00. There is nightly entertainment by renown local artists such as the Cazimero Brothers, Sista Robi, and Jeri Santos. Reservations are recommended. Service is friendly and attentive. Chai's Island Bistro is open for lunch Tuesday - Friday from 11am - 4pm, and dinner is served nightly from 4pm - 10pm. There is free valet parking provided. I would highly recommend dining at Chai's Island Bistro if you enjoy eating Pacific Rim cuisine.

Located on the Street Level of Ala Moana Center near Macy's, this small eatery serves good Chinese Food at an affordable price. The problem with this restaurant is that it is located on the corner and at the end of all the shops on Street Level One with no ventilation so it gets really warm. Even though there are tables and seats outside it still gets warm, especially during summer nights. I really enjoyed eating their Sweet and Sour Chicken served with steamed white rice. My husband liked their Chicken and Mushroom with Chinese Peas plate served with white rice. They also have Shrimp and Broccoli, Crispy Orange-Flavor Chicken, and Shrimp with the Chef's Special Hot Sauce. Most of the plate lunches from $6.50 - $7.50 depending on which meat dish you order. California Wok is open Monday through Sunday from 10am. to 4pm. I enjoy eating here because the food is healthy and low in fat compared to some of the other fast food eateries at the Makai Market Food Court in Ala Moana. Also it is not as crowded as the Makai Market Food Court, especially at night on weekends. Since our hotel is located near the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, this restaurant is closer to our hotel than the Makai Market Food Court. This restaurant mainly serves Mandarin-style dishes like the Panda Express Restaurants. You can basically get a plate lunch which includes your choice of entree, salad and two scoops of steamed white rice (which is a staple in Hawaii for locals) for $6.55 plus tax. You don't need to tip since this is a fast-food type of restaurant. There is no fancy decor to this eatery, just your simple type of hole in the wall restaurant. I would somewhat recommend this eatery if you don't want to fight the crowds and lines at the Makai Market Food Court, especially during summer nights. They also serve food for Take Out or Eat-in, its up to you. I would recommend Take Out since it gets very warm during the summer months if there are no trade winds.

Since I just love pearl drinks, this is a place that I visit when I travel to Oahu. Located on the Street Level (makai side) at the Ala Moana Center Makai Market Food Court, this small drink stand serves a lot of pearl drinks daily, especially during the summer when it gets really crowded at the Food Court. They offer 16oz, 20 oz, and 24 oz size drinks for $4.75, $5.75, and $6.25 respectively. I usually order their 16oz drink size because it is large and I get full really fast. Also it takes a while to suck up all the tapioca pearls through fat straw. My favorite tropical flavors are the lava flow (pina colada and strawberry mixed) and the pina colada (pineapple and coconut mix). They also offer a variety of other fruity flavors which I have not tried yet. Some of the flavors are watermelon, melon, taro, banana, strawberry, banana-strawberry, cantaloupe, and many other flavors. Their tapioca pearls are black and rubbery which I enjoy eating the most. I have never yet eaten spoiled tapioca pearls in their drinks but I have gone to other restaurants that have served me spoiled tapioca pearls and they are awful. Whats nice about this place is that there are no long lines and the service is fast and friendly. Just note that sometimes they will run out of flavored juice and tapioca pearls if you go right before they close which is about 8:00 p.m. nightly. They get bombarded during the summer months with pearl drink enthusiasts. I would very highly recommend having a drink at Zagu if you are really into pearl drinks. They also serve their drinks with some other type of topping called crystals but I never order it because it doesn't look delicious at all. They are open from Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. I believe Zagu Pearl Drinks is a franchise operation that began in the Philippines.

Located on 9th Avenue in Kaimuki, this small contemporary and unpretentious restaurant is worth stopping at. Michael Keany and his wife own this restaurant. My mom invited us to eat at this restaurant so I expected the usual dining place with pizza, hamburgers and other fast food. Well, I was surprised when I got there with my husband. The decor is very high tech modern with metal, stainless steel tables, metal chairs, a highly polished concrete floor, paper coasters, and walls painted black. There are metal tables and chairs on the lanai for customers that like to dine out in the open and be seen. The waiter that we had was very upbeat and helpful. The menus that we got were very unusual since it was 3 papers, typed with the different salads, entrees, desserts, and beverages that they offered. The menu was clipped to a clip board which I thought was a nice touch. The coasters were recycled menus cut into a 5 inch squares. After looking at the menu for about 5 minutes we all ordered our dinner. My husband and I ordered organic salads (our salads were around $8.00). My mother ordered the salmon risotto. My mom and I ordered bottled root beer and my husband drank his water. I asked the waiter if they had mixed drinks like a pina colada or a lava flow but he said that they were not that fancy (they only served wine and beer). I really enjoyed my salad which came with organic greens, mango and avocado but my husband's salad didn't look very appetizing. He gobbled up the free French bread that was sitting on our table (served with a pat of butter and olives) in the next 10 minutes (because his salad was too small). I tasted my mom's salmon risotto ($21.00) which was very tasty. It didn't come in a fancy plate but was served in a small bowl. Nevertheless, her risotto was delicious and she enjoyed it!

After dinner, my mom had the crepe cake (about $6.00) and I had the bruschetta with lemon and honey sauce (about $7.00). My dessert was out of this world and my mom's was delicious too! Our total bill came out to about $60.00 (not including tax) which was a bit pricey for a small restaurant in Kaimuki. I would recommend eating at this restaurant if you like contemporary American or Italian food. They also had other fish dishes and a Gnocci dish which seemed interesting. Our waiter was great and very attentive. I think the upbeat and yet casual atmosphere of the restaurant is what makes it very nice. The food is very good and healthy (The courses at Town are sized so you can eat several) which is hard to find at other restaurants. I wouldn't highly recommend this restaurant because it is too pricey for a restaurant located in Kaimuki. Hours are Monday to Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday & Saturday 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and it is closed on Sunday. They serve Continental breakfast from 6:30 to 11:30 a.m., Lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Dinner from 5:30 p.m. to close. You can BYOB; glass charge is $3.50/person. Reservations are recommended and there is parking behind the building or on the street. Major credit cards are accepted.

This is one of my favorite McDonald's in Waikiki since it is the closest location to our hotel, The Hawaii Prince Waikiki located on Ala Moana Boulevard. It is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel lobby to McDonald's. The best thing that I like about this McDonald's location is that they give you a small plastic container of diced pineapple with every meal sized order like their Big N Tasty Meal, Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich Meal, Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich Meal, Chicken Ranch BLT Meal, Filet O Fish Meal, Chicken Nugget Meal, etc. Also the decor in this restaurant is very nice and modern. It is almost always kept clean since there is always a steady flow of tourists and locals that visit this restaurant at all hours. This McDonald's sells everything that the other McDonald's restaurant sells like the Chicken Nugget Meal, the Big N Tasty Meal, The Grilled Chicken Sandwich Meal, The snack wraps, and the Salad Bowls. Most of the meals and salads run from $6.00 - $7.00 and prices at this location are slightly higher than the prices back home at the McDonald's on the Big Island. Maybe its because the rent in Waikiki is very high. Note that there are a lot of workers here from other countries (many of them have heavy foreign accents) so you really have to pay attention when they repeat your order. I have never had any problems with my order at this location but I have seen other customers complain occasionally. One surfer waited for a very long time for his order and complained that someone else walked off with one of his McDonald's bag. The cashier tried to appease him but he was so angry he just left the restaurant. I think service is great and they are really fast! The inside of the restaurant is very nice with a split level eating area. There is also an ATM in the restaurant if you need cash (but they do accept credit cards). The view from the restaurant is of the large intersection of Ala Moana Boulevard and Hobrom Lane. If you feel like a vanilla latte then you can go next door at Starbucks. Right across the street is an ABC store which is very convenient. I wold recommend eating at this nice McDonald's location if you are staying at a hotel in the area.

The only reason that we come to Sbarro at the Ala Moana Food Court is to get food for my son who likes eating pizza, bread sticks, and ceasar salad. This is the perfect place because they have it all. Their pizza slice is very good since the crust is crispy and thin (New York style crust) and the toppings are very tasty. Pizza by the slice is about $3.75. We usually order him the cheese pizza by the slice which is his favorite. Their bread sticks is about another $3.00 but it is not really a thin bread stick but instead it is a buttered thick bun that looks like a really thick bread stick. They usually give us dipping sauce free of charge (some sort of marinara sauce). We usually order their small ceasar salad because the large is too big. The small ceasar salad is about $3.50 but it is not really worth it because the salad is plain and they hardly put any croutons on it. I don't eat their ceasar salad anymore because the last time that I went to this Sbarro at the Ala Moana Food Court I found a dead fly in my romaine lettuce. I immediately lost my appetite and vowed never to go there again. Anyway, enough about me. My son likes their food and they are the only pizza place close to our hotel, The Hawaii Prince Waikiki so I can't complain. I would recommend eating here if you are looking for pizza. I'm not sure if there are any other pizza places in the food court but there is a Pizza Hut Express near Zippy's on the street level by Sears if you want to order Pizza to Go. The service is very fast and friendly and the prices are very reasonable. Note that the food court gets very busy on weekends, especially during the summer.

This is the only Mexican Eatery in the Makai Market Food Court. Their service is fast and their food is fresh and hot. Their dinner plates run about $8.00 - $9.00 and include 3 side dishes like Mexican Rice,Frijoles Refritos (refried beans), potatoes, corn, toss salad, etc. My husband and I shared our chicken burrito which was okay. Their chicken burrito was very good and tasted like the chicken burritos at other Mexican restaurants. My son likes to eat their Taco Plate #4 which comes with 2 crispy shelled tacos with beef or chicken (he orders the chicken), lettuce, cheese and pico de gallo (fresh condiment made from chopped tomato, onion, and chiles), Tossed Greens, Mexican Rice, and Frijoles Refritos (refried beans). He (my son) never complains about eating at this Mexican restaurant because the service is fast and the food is fresh and hot. They do have large portions, enough to fill you up for dinner but for the same price you could get better food (with nicer flatware and silverware) at a sit in Mexican Restauarant. Mexican restaurants also serve you free cooked tortilla chips and fresh salsa. I would recommend eating at Senor Pepe if you enjoy eating Mexican Food and you are at the Ala Moana Center, Makai Market Food Court. The service is fast and the atmosphere is great if you like eating at a very crowded place. If you want to eat at a sit-in restaurant that is intimate, then this is not the place for you.

Every time we go to Honolulu my husband always wants to eat at Bandito's at the Pearlridge Shopping Center. He will drive over 10 miles from our hotel in Waikiki to eat at this restaurant. I like the service, the food, and the Mexican atmosphere of the restaurant. We went to Bandito's a few weeks ago and it was wonderful as usual. The hostess was friendly and immediately found us a table downstairs. My husband ordered their Mole Enchiladas which are
two shredded chicken enchiladas with fresh homemade flour tortillas smothered with a sweet and spicy mole poblano sauce and topped with piquant sour cream. The chicken enchilada came with refried beans and Mexican rice. Since I can't eat a full meal, we decided to share his meal. The waitress bought us a basket of tortilla chips and salsa for an appetizer (free of charge). I ordered a glass of milk (it was huge) and my husband ordered a margarita (in a large glass). I noticed that the food at Bandito's does not taste like the food at Pancho and Lefty's in Kona or Luquins in Pahoa. The salsa at Bandito's is not spicy but it is really thick and it tastes like tomato paste. I ate part of my husband's chicken enchilada which tasted a little sweet. He told me that the cook probably added cinnamon or nutmeg to the sauce so it tasted a bit sweet. Also I noticed that the cook uses a flour tortilla for the enchilada instead of a corn tortilla which other cooks at other Mexican restaurants usually use. Their Numex Specialty plates (which we ordered) are reasonably priced (around $11.95) and their portions are large (their plates include refried beans, whole pinto beans or black beans with Mexican or steamed rice). Some of their other Numex Specialty plates included their snowcrab enchiladas, blackened tacos, and chile Colorado steak, and tacos al carbone. They also have appetizers (like Bandito's sampler, jalapeno poppers, nachos, potato skins, quesadillas), salads (Ceasar salad, taco salad, steak salad, nacho salad), and sandwiches (Bandito's burger, chicken sandwich, kalua pork sandwich). These items range from $6.00 - $9.00. Our waiter was very attentive and came to our table several times to make sure that everything was okay. He asked us if we wanted dessert but we were both full. The restaurant is like a dark maze since you need to walk upstairs then downstairs to get to the dining area. The interior of the restaurant is dark with brick walls lined with Mexican hats and blankets. There are booths that line the outer edges of the dining area that are ideal for families. The noise level is very low so you can have a quiet lunch or dinner. When we went it was not very crowded so service was fast. You don't need to make reservations at this restaurant for lunch but it may get crowded for dinner. There is a lot of parking across the street at Phase II. They are open daily from 11 a.m.