Alan Wong's
McCully Court, 1857 S. King St., 3rd fl., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/949-2526
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This worthy restaurant is like that very rare shell you stumble upon on a perfect day at the beach -- well polished and without a flaw. We've never had a bad experience here, and we've never heard of anyone else doing so, either. The "Wong Way," as it's not so jokingly called by his staff, includes an ingrained understanding of the aloha spirit, evident in the skilled but unstarched service, and creative and playful interpretations of island cuisine. Try Da Bag (seafood steamed in a Mylar pouch), Chinatown Roast Duck Nachos, and Poki Pines (rice-studded seafood wonton appetizers). With a view of the Ko'olau Mountains, warm tones of koa wood and lauhala grass weaving, you forget you're on the third floor of an office building. Not to be missed. AE, MC, V. No lunch.
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Alan Wong's Pineapple Room
Macy's, Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/945-6573
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This is not your grandmother's department store restaurant. It's über-chef Alan Wong's more casual second spot, where chef de cuisine Neil Nakasone plays intriguing riffs on local food themes. We are frankly addicted to the spicy chili-fried soybeans and the Pineapple Room Baby Back Ribs. Pleasant surroundings and very professional service. Reservations recommended. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
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Bali by the Sea
Hilton Hawaiian Village, 2005 Kalia Rd., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/941-2254
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This many-windowed, multilevel room takes delightful advantage of the restaurant's perch above the beach, facing Diamond Head. Chef Roberto Los Baños creates uncomplicated contemporary cuisine -- grilled fish, steaks, and chops accented with East-West fusion flavors. The experienced staff, often called on to serve the VIPs who favor this hotel, extends unruffled and gracious service. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun. No lunch.
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Banyan Veranda
Sheraton Moana Surfrider, 2365 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/922-3111
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Seated on the wide, gracious veranda of Waikiki's oldest hotel overlooking a courtyard shaded by a tree that's literally a registered historic landmark, you can relive the early days of Hawai'i hotel history. Our favorite meal here is the very pricey but sybaritic Sunday brunch ($42.50), which includes hot and cold buffets, champagne, and strolling musicians. In the evening, there's fine "Pan-Pacific" cuisine, gentle music, and indoor as well as veranda dining. Breakfast is served Monday through Saturday and brunch on Sunday. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch.
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Chai's Island Bistro
Aloha Tower Marketplace, 1 Aloha Tower Dr., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/585-0012
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Chai Chaowasaree's stylish, light-bathed and orchid-draped lunch and dinner restaurant expresses the sophisticated side of this Thai-born immigrant. He plays East against West on the plate in signature dishes such as kataifi (baked and shredded phyllo), macadamia-crusted prawns, 'ahi katsu (tuna steaks dredged crisp Japanese breadcrumbs and quickly deep-fried), crispy duck confetti spring rolls, and seafood risotto. Some of Hawai'i's best-known contemporary Hawaiian musicians play brief dinner shows here Wednesday through Sunday. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch Sat.-Mon.
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Chef Mavro
1969 S. King St., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/944-4714
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George Mavrothalassitis, who took two hotel restaurants to the top of the ranks before founding this James Beard Award-winning dinner house, admits he's "crazy." Crazy because of the care he takes to draw out the truest and most concentrated flavors, to track down the freshest fish, to create one-of-a-kind wine pairings that might strike others as mad. But for this passionate Provençal transplant, there's no other way. The menu changes quarterly, every dish (including dessert) matched with a select wine. We recommend the multi-course tasting menus (beginning at $66 for four courses without wine, up to $137 for six courses with wine). Etched-glass windows screen the busy streetcorner scene and all within is mellow and serene with starched white tablecloths, fresh flowers, wood floors, and contemporary island art. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch.
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Diamond Head Grill
2885 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/922-3734
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This beautifully appointed room, with its surprising view across Kapi'olani Park and up the slopes of Diamond Head, has a split personality: quiet dinner house in the early evening, very happening bar in the late evening. New at the helm is award-winning chef Guillaume Burlion; expect contemporary sophistication with a French classic underpinning. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
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dk Steakhouse
Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, 2552 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/931-6280
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Around the country, the steak house has returned to prominence as chefs rediscover the art of dry-aging beef and of preparing the perfect Bernaise sauce. D. K. Kodama's chic second-floor restaurant characterizes this trend with such presentations as the sybaritic 22-ounce bone-in rib eye aged 15 days in-house ($32.95) and Oscar of filet mignon with blue crab Bernaise ($29.95). The restaurant shares space, but not a menu, with Kodama's Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar; sit at the bar perched between the two and you can order from either menu. AE, D, MC, V. No lunch.
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Hoku's The Kahala
The Kahala, 5000 Kahala Ave., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/739-8780
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Everything about this room speaks of quality and sophistication: the wall of windows with their beach views, the avante-garde cutlery and dinnerware, the solicitous staff and border-busting Pacific Rim cuisine. They do tend to get a bit architectural (lots of edible stacks and towers), but the food invariably tastes every bit as good as it looks. The international breads and the dessert sampler in particular are noteworthy. AE, D, MC, V. No lunch Sat.
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Hy's Steak House
Waikiki Park Heights Hotel, 2440 Kuhio Ave., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/922-5555
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If the Rat Pack reconvened for big steaks and a bigger red, they'd feel right at home at Hy's, which has changed little in the last 30 years. The formula: prime grade beef, old-style service, a men's club atmosphere (but ladies very welcome), and a wine list recognized for excellence by Wine Spectator. Specialties include Beef Wellington, Caesar salad, and those tableside flambéed desserts we see so rarely now. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch.
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John Dominis
580 Nimitz Hwy., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/545-7979
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Legendary is the word for the Sunday brunch buffet at this long-established restaurant, named for a Hawaiian kingdom chamberlain who became the consort of the last queen, Lili'uokalania. With a network of koi ponds running through the multilevel restaurant, a view of Diamond Head and a favorite surfing area, and over-the-top seafood specials, it's the choice of Oahuans with something to celebrate. An appetizer and small plates menu is available in the bar. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
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Kyo-ya
2057 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/947-3911
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Tell an Islander that dinner is at Kyo-ya, and you get a long drawn-out "Ooooh," acknowledging both the restaurant's reputation for quality and its top-flight prices. As to authenticity, suffice it to say that you're likely to run into members of the Japanese consular staff. The menu is complete with teishoku (combination meals that include salad, soup, sides, and rice), very fresh sushi, noodles, grilled dishes, and hot pots prepared at table. Kyo-ya occupies a striking building with a contemporary teahouse design fronted by an Asian garden. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch Sun.
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La Mer
Halekulani, 2199 Kalia Rd., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/923-2311
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La Mer, like the hotel in which it's housed (Halekulani, "House Befitting Heaven"), is pretty much heavenly. The softly lighted, low-ceiling room has its windows open to the breeze, the perfectly framed vista of Diamond Head, and the faint sound of music from a courtyard below. The food captures the rich and yet sunny flavors of the south of France in one tiny, exquisite course after another. We recommend the degustation menu; place yourself in the sommelier's hands for wine choices from the hotel's exceptional cellar. Reservations essential. Jacket required. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch.
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Michel's at the Colony Surf
Colony Surf, 2895 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/923-6552
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The wide-open windows are so close to the water that you literally feel the soft mist at high tide. This is arguably the most romantic spot in Waikiki for a sunset dinner for two. Venerable Michel's is synonymous with fine dining in the minds of Oahuans who have been coming here for 20 years. The menu is très, très French with both classic choices (escargot, foie gras) and more contemporary dishes (potato-crusted onaga fish). There's dinner nightly, and Sunday brunch. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch.
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Mitch's Sushi Restaurant
524 Ohohia St., near Honolulu International Airport, Airport area, HI, USA |
808/837-7774
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This microscopic sushi bar (15 seats) is an adjunct of a wholesale seafood market operated by gregarious South African expatriate Douglas Mitchell, who oversees the sushi chefs and keeps customers chatting. The fish, air-freighted from around the world, is ultra-fresh, well-cut, and nicely presented. You can spend as much or as little as you like -- $40 for a half-dozen pieces of prime bluefin tuna belly, or just a few dollars for pickled plum sushi. Reservations essential. MC, V.
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Nick's Fishmarket
Waikiki Gateway Hotel, 2070 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/955-6333
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Nick's is like a favorite soap opera -- go away for a while, come back and very little has changed. And that's why we like it: the dim lighting, the expansive banquettes, the retro-ish Continental menu, tableside service for Caesar salad or flambéed desserts; it's like a window back to just the good part of the good old days. After the lobster bisque or sauteed abalone, leave room for signature Vanbana Pie, a decadent combination of bananas, vanilla Swiss-almond ice cream, and hot caramel sauce. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
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Orchids
Halekulani, 2199 Kalia Rd., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/923-2311
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Perched along the sea wall at historic Gray's Beach, Orchids is beloved of power breakfasters, ladies who lunch, and family groups celebrating at the elaborate Sunday brunch. La Mer, upstairs, is better known for evening, but we have found dinner at Orchids equally enjoyable. The fold-back walls open to the breezes, the orchids add splashes of color, the seafood is perfectly prepared, and the wine list is intriguing. Plus, it is more casual and a bit less expensive than La Mer. Whatever meal you have here, finish with the hotel's signature coconut layer cake, a longtime favorite of the local-born elite, who consider Halekulani something of a private club. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
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Prince Court
Hawai'i Prince Hotel, 100 Holomoana St., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/944-4494
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Though little heralded, this restaurant overlooking Ala Wai Yacht Harbor is a multifaceted success, offering exceptional high-end lunches and dinners, daily one-price buffets at every meal, and sold-out weekend brunches. The style is contemporary island cuisine (Portobello mushroom and crab hash napoleon, Pacific snapper with wild mushroom ragout) but with many Eastern touches, as this hotel is popular with Japanese nationals. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
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Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch and Crab & Big Aloha Brewery
580 Nimitz Hwy., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/545-7979
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In this casual setting, great for families, diners can down crab and lobster -- but since these come from elsewhere, we recommend the catch of the day, the char siu (Chinese barbecue), baby back ribs, or Sam's special fried poke (flash-fried tuna). This eatery's warehouse size sets the tone for its bambucha (huge) portions. An on-site microbrewery brews five varieties of Big Aloha beer. Sam Choy's is in Iwilei past Downtown Honolulu on the highway heading to Honolulu International Airport. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
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Sarento's Top of the 'I'
Renaissance 'Ilikai Waikiki Hotel, 1777 Ala Moana, top fl., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/955-5559
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Among the best view restaurants in Honolulu, looking toward both the Ko'olau Mountains and the South Shore, 30th-floor Sarento's is an especially favored date-night venue. Regional Italian cuisine is the specialty, and the lobster ravioli and osso buco are local favorites. The wine cellar contains some gems, and there is no more attentive service staff in the city. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch.
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Sushi Sasabune
1419 S. King St., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/947-3800
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You may find this restaurant's approach exasperating and a little condescending. Although it's possible to order from the menu, you're strongly encouraged to order omakase-style (oh-mah-ka-say, roughly, "trust me"), letting the chef send out his choices for the night. The waiters keep up a steady mantra: "Please, no shoyu on this one." "One piece, one bite." But then you take the first bite of California baby squid stuffed with Louisiana crab or unctuous toro ('ahi belly) smeared with a light soy reduction, washed down with a $20 glass of the smoothest sake you've ever tasted, and any trace of annoyance will vanish. Chef Seiji Kamagawa stands front and center at the counter, his hands -- graceful as a conductor's, precise as a surgeon's -- forming sushi or slicing sashimi, his eyes sternly examining the room. Caution: the courses come very rapidly; ask to be served every other time. Even bigger caution: the courses, generally two pieces of sushi or 6-8 slices of sashimi, add up fast. It's easy to spend more than $100 in a half hour, not counting drinks. Still, the meal will be as unforgettable as the tab. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun. No lunch Sat. and Mon.
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The Bistro at Century Center
Century Center condominium, 3rd fl., 1750 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI, USA |
808/943-6500
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You'd think The Bistro had occupied this dim labyrinth of plush spaces for decades, but it opened just a few years ago with the express purpose of bringing back dignified dining: steak Diane and duck à l'orange, tuxedoed waiters, cushy banquettes, a pianist who can perform any request, and bottomless martinis. It was an immediate success and remains so. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
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