Took our friend here for her birthday and what a hidden gem this place was. Tucked away in the…read moreheart of Kaimuki, Carte Blanche was definitely a delightful surprise! When our party first walked in, we were a tiny bit skeptical because of the empty room (which was beautifully decorated). However as each course came out, we were blown away and didn't know how the restaurant was not way busier for a Saturday night! Each dish/course was well thought out and prepared to perfection. We were all taken by surprise in a great way. The head chef Anthony was very passionate and excited about his work and that was very refreshing! Overall a wonderful experience and we will be back!

If you're looking for Kaimuki's most romantic date night spot, look no further than Carte Blanche…read more We recently experienced their summer prix fixe menu (which changes twice a year), and it was one of those meals you remember long after the plates are cleared. The progression of dishes felt thoughtful and creative-- * Crispy Salt & Vinegar Chicken Skin (the perfect starter crunch) * Soupe de Poisson (deep, comforting flavors) * Pina Colada Granita (a refreshing palate cleanser) * Pan Seared Scallops (my personal favorite--perfectly caramelized and tender) * Double Cut Rack of Lamb (succulent and cooked to perfection) * Lemon Crème Brûlée Tart (a sweet, bright finish) Every plate was elegant, well-executed, and beautifully presented. The atmosphere strikes a balance between sophisticated and welcoming. Dim lighting, intimate tables, and quiet elegance make you feel like you've stepped into a hidden gem in the middle of Kaimuki. Honestly, I felt like a celebrity dining here. Service was polished but never pretentious--our server was attentive, knowledgeable about the courses, and kept the pacing of the meal just right. For the level of creativity and execution, Carte Blanche feels like an affordable luxury in Honolulu's dining scene. Perfect for anniversaries, date nights, or anytime you want an elevated experience without flying to the mainland. Highly recommend booking a reservation--you'll want to savor every moment here.

Cozy and friendly restaurant in Manoa. Amazing cocktail menu with lots of unique options…read more They use lots of local vendors and ingredients which I love. Great spot for parties and date nights, with modern decor and table styles. Very relaxing atmosphere with an open kitchen concept. Food was amazing, and easy to share. Definitely recommend!

This was my first time visiting this restaurant and I want to start with the customer service , it…read morewas A++. We went there for dinner and it was busy, but the customer service was A1. The decor was simple yet cute, down to the tables Ave chair arrangement. Let's get to the food, the bao buns were every dish was full of flavor and the combinations were crazy. The churros were soooo good. I highly recommend

Not to be missed, this is an outstanding place for dinner -- especially the…read more 7-course set menu. Gourmet all the way, without the pretension. Thoughtfully planned and presented with warm and excellent service. 'Ono-delectable. Mahalo!

The inviting interior was cozy, the food was innovative and every dish was delicious, with…read morebeautoful.prwsentation and different layers of flavor. The service was attentive and balanced- not too much that we felt invaded, and not too little that we felt ignored. Our waiter gave us some great recommendations. XO Honolulu should truly be a Michelin Star restaurant.

I was looking for a venue to host a small wedding shower for 8 so went to taste test the food as…read morerecommended by my sister and was pleasantly surprised at the portion sizes, (we took home a portion of all our dishes) even the husband had leftovers and he's a big guy with a big appetite! Prices also reasonable! Quality was superb, gravy on the kalo loco a little too salty for me but delish nonetheless! Cornbread a little over toasted for me, but the Lilikoi butter was bomb. I should've tried the pumpkin loaf instead. Pancakes were huge and though thin, melted in your mouth, Haupia sauce was yum! Service was excellent, always with a smile! And Chef Keaka greeted all of the patrons which was a treat as well. It's not just about the food/service but how it made you feel after you left. Thank you for a wonderful experience, I will be making reservations for the shower brunch soon!

Kapa Hale is a local gem, offering creative dishes in the HRC (Hawaiian Regional Cuisine)…read moretradition. Every single dish we recently sampled turned out to be exceptional. We ordered: Appetizers: Naan Ya Business (A) - very soft and pillowy, accompanied by a superb tikka masala curry Vegetables: Eggplant (A) - very creative eggplant tempura Happy Hour Specials: Garlic Noodle (A) - great flavor Dumplings (A+) - incredibly flavorful and creative Soy Short Rib (A+) - exquisitely tender and juicy. Our favorite dish! Mains: Pork Chop (A) - loved these tamarind pork chops served on a bed of orzo Our server, Ethan, provided us with top-notch service. Before tipping, we paid $130 for a two-person meal (no alcohol, no dessert, only water, 6 dishes). Kapa Hale dazzled us with their culinary inventiveness and bold flavors. We can't wait to try some of their other delicacies!

I go here on occasions. I've made to brunch a couple times but typically I make it to the…read moreevenings. The restaurant hours are relatively calm, but switches gears when it becomes a nightclub. Restaurant-wise, I believe the menu had a recent change-up to further explore fusion possibilities. I've been going down the list and the dishes have been pretty good so far; I haven't made it to the taco raisu yet, but I do need me some desserts. The picarones is like a peruvian andagi, which was pretty cool. The miso cream brûlée was from the prior menu, but also a Yes. The bar is knowledgeable and innovative their mixology- I've had the shizuku garden and that was amazing.

I went to Ki Club Restaurant and was honestly so surprised by how good it was. The food was really…read moretasty, everything we tried was flavorful and well done. The drinks were also a standout, strong and delicious, which we definitely appreciated. The vibe was great too, fun and energetic without feeling overwhelming. It's a really nice spot for dinner that easily turns into a night out. Plus, you get free access to the club after dinner, which makes the whole experience even better. Definitely check it out!

The sourdough alone is worth the trip--easily one of the best I've had, and the brioche bites with…read moretuna, uni, and caviar were a standout across the board. Service was really good, the wine pairing was a nice touch, and the location is easy to get to with parking. We'll definitely be back. Not a pretentious spot, the inside of the restaurant was nice and chill - easy to have a conversation.

Being a fan of this restaurants prix fixe, we were excited to try the à la carte menu. That way you…read moreget exactly what you want. We were seated right away, but it was kind of loud. I think it's where we were sitting, but still a surprise given the cozy vibe. Food was solid, but we were slightly disappointed with the caviar as it was explained that it was going to be like an egg salad Sammie. But it was just the caviar on a toast. Perhaps the server wasn't really sure how to explain it, but since caviar are essentially eggs, I guess it was a non traditional egg salad. We had finished almost finished our starters by the time I got my wine so that was disappointing. It was packed and it didn't seem like there was enough servers, but certain tables got extra attention. Like they didn't wait long for food or drinks. We ordered everything all at once but had to reorder the dessert because the server forgot to put in it. I wanted to end with some tea, but the server forgot. Overall, the food is solid, but the service leaves something to be desired.

Quick service with ordering from outside. Friendly staff to take my order…read more My go to dish is garlic salmon lunch plate with shiso wakame rice scoop. It's basically rice mixed with seaweed and shiso- their secret ingredient. It's worth the extra $ if you wanted something different from white and brown rice. The salmon pieces are always cooked to its perfection, never overcooked or dry! Cool and vintage feeling inside if you wanted to stay in to eat... plenty of seatings with tables. They do sell some vintage items and stickers inside.

This is one of the best spots to grab a delicious plate lunch! Pioneer Saloon is located on…read moreMontserrat Ave, right across the street from a strip mall. Parking is limited in this area, and you generally have to hunt for street parking nearby. There's a good variety to the menu, and you have to order and pay at the window next to the entrance. Service is friendly and quick, and the cashier/staff taking your order can speak Japanese fluently if it's your primary language. We didn't have to wait too long for our food; I would say it took around 15-20 minutes on a weekend day when it was quite busy during lunch. I liked the interior of the store, which is kitschy with lots of little different knick knacks and block print art hanging on the walls. There are several tables indoors, and I was able to get a seat for two with no issues. I typically like getting their steak plate, as it's well-seasoned and juicy, but I also tried their loco moco plate the other week which was good! The loco moco itself was flavorful and topped with a generous amount of gravy, and the pasta salad was a light and flavorful complement. I also recommend upgrading to the shiso wakame rice, which is very flavorful! I definitely will come back if I'm craving more of their food, and will have to try the shave ice next time!

A hui hou... A…read morebitter sweet pop up that I've finally made it to at Paiko in Kaka'ako along with a few of her friend making it a wonderful celebration of woman owned and operated biz which I almost forgot but so happy to have the opportunity to enjoy as a Matcha lover do love to see the various genius menu items that she had to offer. With menu items that has the touch of her favorite Hawai'i flavors the choices was definitely difficult to choose from Pandan Tonic Matcha, Lavender Dreams Matcha, Butter Mochi Matcha or what I chose "Passion Fantasy Matcha" which is jasmine tea and coconut water along with matcha is flavored with lilikoi honey syrup is topped with her yuzu honey cream cloud and flower all my favorites in one cup. Each are hand wisked and crafted it was just amazing to finally see Chef Anastacia doing it all and was so thrilled to also take home a jar of syrup...yup "Lilikoi Yuzu Honey" and really enjoying it! Cheers to your next chapter and until we meet again. Thank you!

Everything we had was really good food came out quick and was hot. Definitely would recommend this…read moreplace is a great lunch spot.

We were looking for pho in the Kaimuki area and after reading reviews, decided to try someplace…read morenew. Luckily, we found parking right in front of the restaurant on Waialae Avenue. We came around 5:30 on a weekend and there were a few tables already seated. For an appetizer, we ordered summer rolls which come 2 to an order and the owner said rather than ordering 2 orders (since I wanted shrimp and my husband wanted tofu), he offered to do one order with one shrimp and one tofu. Wrapped in rice paper with fresh mint, sprouts, lettuce, and vermicelli they were delicious. The best part was their special peanut sauce, which was a generous and oh so tasty! I had a small bowl of pho with sliced steak which came with a heaping side of fresh basil, sprouts, lemon, and peppers. My husband had a tofu stir fry which was so big, he took half of it home. Both dishes were very good. While we were eating, the phone was constantly ringing with take out orders and a steady stream of people coming it to pick up their food. It was obvious they were repeat customers and chatted warmly with the staff there. By the time we left, the restaurant was filling up. I can see why since the food was delicious, prices reasonable, and service exceptional. We will be back!

Good Vietnamese spot in Kaimuki. Wasn't busy at lunch time on a Friday. We sat ourselves and they…read moretook our order right away and we didn't converse the rest of the meal. You go up to the counter to pay but they do make sure your water is filled. It's quiet inside, not many people conversing. I got the bbq chicken vermicelli and had leftovers. I added a lot of chili oil and sriracha. It was fresh and tasted great. Chicken was cooked well.

Fried ulu, chicken long rice croquette, roasted carrots, he'e luau, hand cut ragu pasta, lemongrass…read moreclams & sausage, meatballs, sourdough cornbread. Everything was delectable. Standouts were the clam & sausage, he'e luau and hand cut ragu pasta. Service was friendly without being intrusive. Only wish the lighting was a little brighter as my old eyes struggled a bit. There is a back area with brighter lighting, next time we may request that. Wished we had bigger stomachs or more people so we could have ordered more bc so many dishes on the menu looked tasty! I really enjoyed seeing the John Young artwork on the walls - a mix of his well known horse and children works and some abstract pieces too - such a fantastic local artist. Highly recommend! Parking can be tough but is possible, just may have to walk a little. The parking lot in back is small with only a handful of spaces.

** 4.5 rating Came here with family to celebrate a special…read moreoccasion, and it ended up being such a memorable dinner. I've been wanting to try Mud Hen Water for the longest time and i'm so glad I did -- especially if you appreciate locally sourced ingredients and creative dishes that still feel comforting and approachable, I would definitely recommend. Parking can be a little limited since they only have a small lot, but we had a 6:30 reservation and were lucky enough to snag one of the parking stalls. If the lot happens to be full, though, there's still nearby street parking within walking distance. The restaurant itself has a really warm and intimate feel. Each indoor table comfortably seats around six people, so for parties slightly larger than that, the staff recommended either the high bar-style seating inside or outdoor seating. The outdoor area is actually really cute and would be perfect on a nice evening. What stood out to me initially was how attentive they were about allergies and dietary restrictions. Our waitress asked right away if anyone had allergies, intolerances, or specific diets, which honestly has never really happened to me at a restaurant that I can remember. We had two people in our party with tree nut allergies, so that extra level of care was really appreciated and made everyone feel more comfortable dining there. Since we had a group of eight, we decided to do everything family style, which I highly recommend. ** (There is an option to do family style on the menu which is $65 per person.) However, my family did not do that, despite not choosing that option we still left perfectly content. My family likes to eat to 80-85% fullness so it was just the right amount. Doing it this way really allowed us to try a good variety of the menu, and every dish that came out was genuinely good. Nothing felt overly heavy despite trying so many different things, and you could really taste the quality of the ingredients. They also brought out a complimentary eggplant purée with crackers for the table to try, which was such a thoughtful touch and a nice way to start the meal. We ordered the country bread, which had been recommended to us when we ordered the sausage and clams. It was warm, perfectly buttered, and really good overall, even though ours came out slightly more charred than expected. The one dish that didn't fully live up to the hype for us was the chicken long rice croquettes. I had seen them frequent in most reviews, so maybe my expectations were a little too high, but personally it ended up being the most underwhelming dish of the night. They got cold pretty quickly and ended up tasting a little dry. I'd probably rate them around a 6/10 -- not bad by any means, but also something we could have done without compared to the other dishes we ordered. One thing I would like to mention is that the water service could have been a little more attentive. It wasn't necessarily because the restaurant was busy, but more so that our table did need a bit more check-in throughout the meal. We are very much an only water family. We asked a few different times for water refills during the course of dinner and only ended up getting them once we were already getting ready to leave. That being said, the food itself absolutely makes this place worth visiting. For eight people, our total came out to just under $350 before tip. Still, for the quality of the food, atmosphere, and overall experience, I'd happily come back again.