I used to go here all the time to get my filipino food fix. Unfortunately they closed the Kalihi…read morerestaurant and now have to make the drive out to Waipahu. If you have never been here I highly recommend you trying their filipino food. Portion size is good and worth the money but the main reason you're buying their food is cause it's winnahs. I did take out a few of their menu items. Their special for July is lechon Kawali, pancit, pork gisantes and pork adobo fried rice. It's good to get this or mixed plate with 3 choices. It allows to try more of their menu selections. While one is good 3 or 4 is much better especially if coming here for the very first time. You won't be disappointed. I called in to place my order and it would be twenty minutes which is fine cause that's how long it took me to get there. The food was hot and ready to go. I made sure my ac was off so I can enjoy a nice hot lunch. The place was crowded even at 1pm. People know good food when they eat it. Lots of parking. The lechon Kawali was good. It's nice and meaty with some nice soft fat pieces. Oh so good. Yeah if you are worried about cholesterol then this might not be for you. If not you gonna enjoy it. The pancit is good. The pork gisantes which is more commonly known as pork and peas is really good. It's like stew and you wanna mix your rice with it. If you like eggs over easy then you should have that over your gisantes. It's sooooooo good. Kinda like Loco moco except it's stew. When that yolk breaks and blends in with the gisantes hoo boy. Just really good stuff there. Then the main attraction is their pork adobo fried rice omelet. I believe they were the original restaurant that brought it out. I might be wrong but they make it just right. Every bite is so good especially when you bite into one that has fat in it. Yummy. Yeah not a good choice if you're staying away from cholesterol but if not you're gonna enjoy it. The pork adobo fried rice is not dry like some other places I've tried. Ok I admit i love filipino food. I had to get dinuguan. Chocolate meat. Another winner with rice and really good with over eggs on top of it. Nice tender succulent pieces of pork. Oh my God, it's so good. I also got Shanghai lumpia. This is da bomb. You gotta eat this one hot and fresh. If not it gets stale and soggy so I ate this first. You dip it into vinegar. I like a little heat so I add Tabasco to it. Great with beer. It's so good. I'm missing it already. Then the final dish i got was their sari sari. It's soup with mixed veggies, baby shrimp and lechon. The soup is delicious and comforting. It's great on a cold night or maybe when you're feeling sick. Better than your chicken noodle soup for sure. It's also great remedy for that hangover you got last night. Lol All in all you just gotta try it. Let me know what you got and how good it tasted. Enjoy and thank me later.

Everybody please check your food carefully!! Today 7/16/26 I ordered lechon and was shock ,…read moredisappointed and furious to find pieces of GLASS in our dish!!! I called and made a complaint and all the lady said was , sorry! I asked to speak to the manager or supervisor and she said that they don't have one. WTF! I'm calling the owners tomorrow! My daughter took a bite and started chewing and felt something hard . I'm soo upset!! Update: 7/16/26 Called Melissa the owner to address this issue. She seemed very concerned and worried about my daughter who found it in her mouth. Thank God my 1-1/2 year old grandson didn't swallow it because he was eating it with my daughter!! Sooo dangerous ! Melissa will investigate this. Thanks Melissa. This taught me a lesson , as well as having a phobia . ALWAYS check your food when buying from restaurants or fast food. I Love eating and ordering pans of food at Elena's but I'll be very careful from now on.

Last time I've been there is when I arrived from the mainland. First stop is a poke place at…read moreStadium Mall. Craving for Filipino food, spotted this little gem in the heart of Kalihi. Their food is excellent as well as the prices. Can't go wrong with two choices plate. Comes with two scoop rice and two entrees. It's way cheaper than getting ala carte. Service is great! No seating area. The place is small and sometimes packed with customers. But they're quick in moving you in and out. Visit them if you're craving for Filipino food. Definitely worth it.

Nasty! There's hair on my food! Yuck! What kind of service is this? I lost my appetite seeing this.read more

Dinner in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. I had been to Max's Restaurant in the past, but my friend from the mainland hadn't been. I was trying to describe the halohalo... she had no clue... LOL! I told her to just meet me at Costco in Iwilei, because it's right there with free, shared parking. Service was very friendly and efficient. We were shown to a private room in the back because the front had a private party with karaoke and a DJ! It was a bit loud and quite lively! My friend had never had Filipino cuisine before. I wanted her to try pancit (noodles), but she wanted the fried rice with salted fish. I really liked it because it also had salted egg on it. It reminded me of Chinese food that my family ate at home! My friend liked the lumpia (like deep fried spring rolls) and the beautiful halohalo (shaved ice with fruits and ube ice cream) dessert. We can return for the pancit... LOL!

I know that Max's has a general rating of ~3/5, but for the couple of times that I've dined in at…read moreMax's, it's always been a 5/5! The restaurant is rather spacious with a ton of seating, so we always get seated right away. The servers have always been so kind, and the food never disappoints. When I was here with my parents, we had ordered Max's Teasers and it was a great plate to share with 3 people. Nothing too special about the dish, but it's a great app choice if you want a little bit of a few things/variety in your appetizer plate. The plates we shared were Max's Chicken and The Lechon Kawali. Max's Chicken is so perfectly cooked in my opinion with the most perfectly juicy meat steamed rice. The Lechon Kawali was also cooked really well, as it wasn't too fried to the point where the meaty parts of the pork was difficult to chew. I also had the Sago't Gulaman, and I will tell you that it's my favorite place to get Sago't Gulaman here. The second time I went, I brought my husband and he absolutely fell in love with the food too. For drinks, we ordered Calamansi Juice and Sago't Gulaman. You guys know my review for Sago't Gulaman; I would just say that the Calamansi Juice is on the sweeter side! For food, we ordered Lechon Kawali Sisig, and the Dinuguan. The Dinuguan was just the perfect meal to have to remind me of home. The ratio of the sauce and meat was perfect, and every bite was delightful. But between the two, I will say that the Lechon Kawali Sisig was MY personal favorite. The flavor was PERFECT and it was cooked just as well--it was tender and every bite was even better than the last...I definitely had to pace myself because it was that delicious. What always tops off my experience and why I'm giving Max's a 5/5 is because of how friendly and amazing the staff is. Always smiling and willing to help, and never snobby! Go visit Max's today!

Ono food with great service! Ordered adobo fried rice with…read moreletchon kawali, food came out hot, fresh, and delicious Staffs are nice and friendly..

On September 10, 2026 I ordered through door dash and upon delivery there was half of my order…read morecompletely missing. The driver explained that when they asked the person at the restaurant if they were given everything for the order the person said yes. The driver was kind enough to wait with me until I made a phone call with Shay's to ask where the remaining part of my order was and why was it not all given to my driver. I was missing my lumpia ordered, 2 mix plates and my adobo with side rice. The lady at the restaurant whom I spoke with said that she was sorry but the person whom gave my driver the order was new in their restaurant and forgot to give the other plates in my order to my driver. She stated they were already closing and that DoorDash would be able to help me receive a refund. DoorDash did refund me and I had to reorder dinner for my kiddos through another restaurant that evening. Today September 26, 2026 my kids were craving Filipino food and because the weather is not the best to go out and eat we opted for delivery. Shame on me for giving it a second chance! My delivery driver once again showed up with half the order. When I called I spoke with Chica C. who said, "ohhhh... it was 2 plates of each 2 choice mix plate". Yes indeed there should have been 4 (2) choice mix plates in my order but instead we received 2. I asked to speak with a manager so that they could just review with staff why this is continuously happening, to avoid it happening again but was told there wasn't anyone I could speak to. I explained to her that was very disheartening because I hope this doesn't happen to others. Although DoorDash protects their customers with refunds it is still sad to order from a restaurant for your Ohana for dinner and then not everyone receives their dinner. Shay's I hope you folks will look into why this is a continuous thing, because your food is amazing but at this time I am discouraged to order again.

The name says Jesse's Coffee Shop. But, I will forever and always know it as "Jesse's Bakery, home…read moreof the PIANOMO ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!" You know what that is! You know when you go to TImes or Don Q, and you see that beautiful rolled up baked goodness of butter and sugar, that is the PIANOMO ROLL, YES! This is where they make it. Actually this is the reason why we sought this place out. I didnt realize that this place also sold other things, like hot Filipino foods and other baked goods. Not the greatest location.... It's probably a stop in, grab, and go kind of place, though there was some space to sit.

I came just for this bread! So delicious! Service was quick and friendly. Plenty of parking and the…read moreprice for each piece was $1.65.. also comes in a box. I was tempted but refrained.

How prophetic- see Jennifer Y's review from a few months ago…read more Evidently Fort Ruger Market closed yesterday on April 14, 2026. Great memories over the decades. Too bad it didn't play out well. The boiled peanuts were always a buy when we were in the mood. A posting this morning on the doors indicates they will re-open after renovation (does not mention timetable). Social media indicated they closed down 4/14/26. Same owner? New owner? Totally different business? Would be a shame if the iconic "Fort Ruger Market" disappears. If you lived in Kaimuki or went to Kapiolani Community College, this store was an example of the mom n pop stores that used to dot many neighborhoods before the arrival of 7-11 and other convenience stores. They were a Kaimuki Institution for over 75+ years. Hope they come back in a new and better form. Posted notice seen 4/15/26. Note: 4/16/26- a kitv news broadcast indicated that the owner, connected with the Young Fish Market family, told KITV after renovation the bldg would be occupied by CU Korean store, and that they would carry some of the Ruger Mkt favorites like poke and boiled peanuts . Hope they can incorporate the Fort Ruger Market name. Too iconic to disappear.

I haven't been here in years, but it sure has gone downhill. I was at work and had ordered food on…read moreUber Eats. I ordered the fresh two choice bowl ($25 on Uber Eats). I specifically put in the instructions that I wanted the Ruger special ahi and ginger ahi, also if it could be topped with unagi sauce. When I got my bowl I did not get any ahi. They gave me marlin and hamachi. I'm not a fan of those and it was so bland I had to douse it in soy sauce. They were out of the unagi sauce. Plus, the rice was barely warm. It was the worst poke bowl that I've ever had. I gave the bowl to my co-worker. What a waste of $25. It might be better if you go and get it in person. That way you can see what you're actually getting.

It seems Nona has moved around quite a bit. Currently, they are open Fridays and Sundays in this…read morecommunity kitchen (?) on Palolo Ave. This is great for us because it's close to our neighborhood and there's free parking. The chicken wings are very good. We tried 3 flavors in the 15 piece pack ($25.95) - calamansi chili, OG sauce, and yuzu buttah. The calamansi is tangy and spicy so you get a lot of flavor with a slow burn. The OG sauce is a classic soy garlic blend that is always satisfying. The yuzu buttah is not your typical lemon pepper rub. It has a nice fresh yet rich flavor. Our favorites were the OG and yuzu buttah. We're anxious to try the other flavors next. The waffle fries were nice, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, not dry at all. The homemade mac salad was also tasty and was a great balance to the spicy calamansi wings. I don't know how long they will be in this location orphan the hours will be. Definitely follow them on IG and make sure you catch them soon! The sandwiches look amazing... next level, for sure!

Hella good!! Finally got the chance to check out Nona on their last day at Hapa Market & Grill in…read morePalolo. Was immediately greeted by the owner who was welcoming n' friendly. Got their chicken wings in yuzu buttah, calamansi chili, gochujang honey, OG sauce, S.P.V. + sides of slaw n' mac salad. Everything was made to perfection including the presentation. The wings were crispy n' the unique flavors were on point, I couldn't pick a fave! Def looking forward to when they announce their new spot, make sure to bookmark them n' save!

Stopped by for lunch and their sign says Filipino and French Food. Which basically is a very nice…read morecrepe food stand. They make and serve both sweet and savory crepes. I tried their Chorizo and Avocado and was pleasantly surprised how flavorful it tasted. The thin perfectly cooked crepe was the primary carb so no rice or potato filling just a healthy mixture of Mexican chorizo, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach and onion. It was great and a full meal. The chorizo is very succulent and does have the normal amount of oil released from cooking it which doesn't bother me but some folks may not like. The crepes are about 14" in diameter and are nice and properly thin. Like I've had at home and also in France and elsewhere in Europe. I look forward to trying their sweet and other savory crepes.

They make an amazing pork adobo fried rice, egg, and longanisa sausage. It's a rich tasty vinegar…read moreflavor that goes great with rice and eggs. You really don't need the sausage, but it's there staring at you...."eat me!!!" I definitely will come back. Their prices are reasonable $10-$12 Of course, masks are required....it's open areas and people social distance naturally, part of life!

I try to arrive here before breakfast and lunch hours to avoid the large crowds eating here,I am…read morelucky to find nearby seating.My favorites are the pork adobo,fish sabaw,tripe soup,dinaknakan, and kaldereta(goat stew)that I ate for the first time was ono. Prices are good for one choice and a bit higher for two,they also have different size containers for takeout. I like the dinuguan,it is not too thick or soupy,just the way I like it.They also have goat and beef kelawen(raw) but because of health issues it is not the taste I get as the home made backyard version,but still tasty. Sometimes the tables are not clean but you can still find seating ,the floors are not the cleanest but I never saw this place with warnings from the board of Health. If you don't mind eating in old style setting,and seeing the occasional cockroach cruising on the floor you can get great food at low prices.After years eating here I have never gotten sick,maybe after a lifetime of eating Filipino food I have a high immunity,but people eating Filipino food for the first time may not be as lucky as locals.

I came down to find some lechon kawali since I wanted it for the pinakbet that I made. I ordered…read morethe lechon, a pig face dish and fried fish. I should have realized that the lechon was dry by the way it looked on the outside, but when I went home to taste it I was really surprised at just how dry it was. I tried some pieces that were so dry and chewy that I had to spit it out. I would strongly recommend against buying lechon from. Naty. The fried fish tasted good but the hard, large scales on the skin made the skin inedible. What was wonderful, though, was the pig face dish! It was unctuous without feeling too oily and had lovely citrus notes...really delicious! The young woman who helped me was very nice and courteous. If I didn't have the lechon, I would have given this place five stars.

Service was amazing. We brought our 8 year son to celebrate mom's birthday. Although he would have…read moreeaten his on entree, they offered to cook him a plain buttermilk chicken and rice which he loved! We enjoyed ourselves and savored every dish. We had the prie fixed menu. The scallop dish was my favorite, and the "baked potato" was my wife's. The dessert brought a smile to all of us and they were nice enough to include a serving for our son. Definitely would recommend eating here!

The 7 course meal was disappointing. How does bacon baked potatoes and sour cream belong on a…read morecourse meal dinner?! The entire menu was so basic, pork buns? Fried chicken? The meal was heavy salty and greasy. We gave it a chance but soon realize we should've just done ala carte. Maybe ala carte would have been less disappointing. The yellowtail crudo was very good, other than that, I do not recommend. We even added a foie gras to elevate but it was just not it. Service and ambiance was great. This was suppose to be our anniversary dinner! We should've known when it was so empty!