Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Khao and Papas

    4.7 (33 reviews)

    Khao and Papas Photos

    KHAO AND PAPAS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    More like Khao and Papas

    Recommended Reviews - Khao and Papas

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Tallarines saltado (Peruvian shrimp spaghetti)
    Rod U.

    Honolulu Magazine's best food truck of 2024. Laos and Peruvian fusion. Guessing most of us in Hawaii have very little experience with either cuisines since we don't have too many restaurant examples to sample the authentic thing, keep an open mind. If taste good, that's all that matters. The beef anticuchos over sticky rice with jeow mak len (Lao spicy tomato sauce) and salted mustard cabbage just works. The anticuchos is beautifully seasoned with flavors of garlic, cumin, pepper and a smoky chili flavor coming through. Well cooked. Tender. It pairs amazingly well with the accompanying sauce made from charred tomatoes, shallots and mild chilies that enhances the earthy spices of the beef. Fish sauce boosts the umami. The tallarines saltado AKA Peruvian shrimp spaghetti a little more challenging. It is loaded with well sautéed shrimp and onions seasoned with sweet soy, vinegar, and garlic then topped with fresh tomatoes, scallions, cilantro. Mix in the provided salsa verde to ramp up the creaminess. It's interesting. While the brightness of the fresh veg and salsa verde brighten the dish, there is so much soy / vinegar liquid remaining that the more you mix, the stronger it gets. Dump out the residual liquid before mixing it up. Finally, the "Peruvian fruit punch" is a must get. Fruity, backed by cinnamon and ginger. Oh so good! Very friendly service. Follow on IG for locations. Very creative and definitely worth expanding your flavor boundaries for.

    Menu
    Xin L.

    My friend and I visited this vender at the Village Night Market at Pearlridge. They don't seem to be consistently there, only from time to time at the entry area of the market. We got the sticky rice beef skewers plate. They were out of sticky rice which was a huge bummer but they said we could replace with either fries or jasmine rice. We requested a mix of both and they said if that is the case, there would be less of both starches. We said it was fine and put our orders in. The wait was pretty long, around 20-30 minutes which is kind of crazy in my opinion especially since it is just one plate with rice, fries, and two skewers. The beef skewers were pretty flavorful and tender. However, I wouldn't say it was super special and unique than other dishes I've had before. I would recommend for this but I would also personally never get this again, although I would love to try their lemon grass fried chicken.

    Melody R.

    Hubby was looking for a particular food truck at Pearlridge so we did some shopping first and at the end, he was hangry. Lucky for us, it didn't show up and we ran into this place instead. The food was just so amazing, that we couldn't put it down & ate it all up with no leftovers. The meat dish was so flavorful and don't get me started on the amazing shrimp and noodles. It was absolutely on point with that. But I do have a tip, grab plenty of napkins and don't wear white cuz the dripping juices as good as it is from the food is a bit of a mess. We both spilled some drippings on the table, on our clothes, and my purse......maybe wear a bib if you can. So yes on this place for sure.

    Lomo steak fries!
    Romyn S.

    So good!!!! I love fusion food and it was a good balance of flavors especially since Laotian and Peruvian food are both very flavorful. I went here because I saw a friend of mine eating it! It looked so good and they let me try it and game over, I had to get one. It is rich. I do recommend sharing it as it's a lot and the richness can get to your stomach and also considering the fried-ness and beefiness of it. Atmosphere - It's right at the entrance to Bellows Station where you really can't miss seeing the food trucks. There's a bunch of them so choose your truck! Service - Easy and they communicate well. They would let me know how soon it's coming out. I believe one of the owners if not both of them were there so they were nice! Cost - It was $18 for the dish itself and then with tip and whatever then around $20 - $22. I shared this with my partner because it was too much to eat for one person and it's rich. Parking - Park wherever there is space on the dirt part in front of the trucks. People are coming and going so I never had to wait for parking or "circle". I definitely want to try their other dishes the next time I come here!

    Food Truck

    A true hidden‑gem food truck serving incredible Peruvian and Lao dishes. I ordered the two‑choice plate and my wife had the rice, fries, and steak everything was packed with flavor and the portions were generous. If you're in Hawaii, this spot absolutely deserves a visit.

    SHRIMP TALLARIN SALTADO
    Rob B.

    Fantastic! Discovered this scrumptious truck at the Bayview Tuesday, night market. My Shrimp pasta TALLARIN SALTADO, was hefty and absolutely delicious! While $20, it probably could feed two and came with a very generous portion of shrimp. The Salsa Verde, served in a side soufflé cup, took it to epic! Next time I am going to get two of those cups of green deliciousness! Can't wait to try their other offerings!

    This is the most AMAZING food truck!! Seriously some of the best quality and tasting food on the island - A MUST TRY! Plus their new location on University Ave has plenty of parking!

    Beef skewers with sticky rice.
    Jim C.

    I'm a fan of Peruvian food now. It's a combination of having a good friend from Peru and finding places like Khao and Papas. The anticucho skewers is a gateway food item. It's flavorful and tender. The meal with the sticky rice and sides just packs a punch. Eat the skewers alone and it's delicious. Pour some of the salsa on it and it's awesome. The salsa adds a nice spicy kick to it. The pickled vegetables were fresh, clean and crispy. A real balanced flavor throughout the entire plate. No greasiness. I hope to try all the items soon. I'm confident it will be delicious. The service was excellent. I'm glad I happened to find you.

    Lomo steak fries
    Nicole I.

    If you like carne asada fries go ahead and order the lomo steak fries!! For $18, you get a huge plate that is totally worth the price. Everything tasted so fresh! I couldn't tell you what the sauces were made of but they were perfectly spicy! Service was great but it did take a pretty long time even though there wasn't much of a line. These fries were definitely worth the wait! We saw their food truck at a craft fair.

    Lomo Saltado plate
    Val D.

    Bummer I couldn't check in because yelp stated that I was too far from their restaurant located on the east side, but their food truck was at the "What the Truck" event in Waikele, which we haven't seen in previous waikele night market events. Lomo Saltado Plate - 3 stars - For $22, this plate would have been great if it wasn't so salty. Pretty good portion, but it had more fries under the meat stir fried with onions, tomato and cilantro. Service was ok, but wait was a little long because of the event and made to order, so we left to buy other things and returned to pick up our plate. Lots of parking since it was at the Lower waikele what the truck event.

    a food truck
    Irene M.

    Peruvian and Lao flavors are found here... Not a combination I'm familiar with though what an interesting concept for sure. Wai Kai with it's stunning water views has been home to many events and this is one that I've discovered and what a find! The staff tried to answer my question the best they can but you know I'm still clueless all in all it just looks an sounds amazing so I decided to have a bite here. Glancing at the menu they all are very meat based with one having shrimp I was glancing at the K/P Lomo Nachos and after much explaining I was ready to order that until right on the ordering window there's a "Specials" menu of "Lao Style Salchipapas" using Lao Sausages, Hotdogs, piled on thick fries topped with House Aioli, Lao Pickled Veggies and green onions. I just had to get this special cause it's fries lol...I could get the regular menu at any time I just had to try this loaded Lao Style fries. Get extra sauce is my recommendation as it was just amazing! The herbs and hints of ginger perhaps it's so flavorful and complimented the meat and fries so perfectly...munch munch munch what a bougie feast! They are everywhere so follow them on Instagram @khaoandpapas for their schedule. Thank you!

    Short rib and beef skewer combo

    Khao and Papas was in my neighborhood when I had the chance to try their foods. I am a southeast Asian girl myself so when I briefly passed by their truck, the aromatics caught my attention immediately, and even though I had never heard of a Lao x Peruvian fusion before, the smells were good enough to pique my interest. I ordered the lemongrass fried chicken with sticky rice, and a short rib/beef skewer combo. The chicken was BOMB. It is made to-order so it was beautifully golden and crispy. The beef and short rib were heavily seasoned so you get this burst of flavor in each bite. The sauce tho... sooo good! It is tangy and has a kick to it - absolutely great with the chicken. This whole food experience was ecstatic.

    Elyssa T.

    If you're on the hunt for good Peruvian food on Oahu or just want to try something new, don't skip out on this food truck. A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this food truck at a night market. I got there early so there wasn't a line yet. I ordered the Shrimp Tallarin Saltado. It's a shrimp stir fry noodles with red onions, green onions, cilantro, tomatoes, and Peruvian salsa verde. This plate was $20. It's soooo good that weeks later, I could still taste it. The spices wasn't overpowering. It felt very balanced. It's definitely worth trying!

    Menu

    See all

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    10 days ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 2
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Juan C.

    Juan C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rod U.
    592
    1725
    5659

    1 year ago

    Helpful 24
    Thanks 11
    Love this 23
    Oh no 1

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Juan C.

    Juan C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 3
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rob B.
    331
    2172
    2382

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Val D.
    270
    820
    6465

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Juan C.

    Juan C.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 18
    Thanks 4
    Love this 18
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Elyssa T.
    135
    84
    550

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Lomo Saltado is my favorite! I enjoy it every time I get this plate! Khao & Papas is my favorite food truck!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Juan C.

    Juan C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Thalia B.
    171
    14
    64

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sam T.
    0
    138
    43

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ryan Y.
    0
    33
    26

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Juan C.

    Juan C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kamu H.
    176
    3
    2

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Juan C.

    Juan C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rob B.
    97
    49
    42

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Khao and Papas

    You might also consider

    Waikiki Garlic Shack - Coconut Shrimp plate

    Waikiki Garlic Shack

    4.4(149 reviews)
    1.2 miWaikiki
    $$

    *This comment is noted for the general seating area and unrelated to the business: The public…read moreseating area for all of the food trucks has roaches around the area. There are the tiniest baby roaches in the crevices of the picnic table due to the buildup of gunk and I saw them crawling around the table and larger ones on the ground which made me gag. Just be cautious if you choose to sit there.* Food 5/5 This is actually the best spicy garlic shrimp I've ever had. We had the "highly rated" North Shore shrimp three years ago and the way they serve it to you isn't very appetizing. However, this shack, chef's kiss. The presentation and the flavor was all there. My partner's platter was half short rib and half garlic shrimp. (Fries/drinks from a different location.) Service 5/5 The staff are friendly and very hardworking. They were very quick to get me a plastic bag when I asked. 100000% coming back.

    I'm hoping tonight was just an off night. I've had this garlic shrimp now 3x. I was so excited to…read morehave garlic shrimp again today but this was not the same spicy garlic shrimp I had the past couple times. This was more chipotle ish with maybe some sort of minced onion than the spicy garlic shrimp I had the past two times. I didn't eat here when it was Angry shrimp because they mixed onion and mushrooms with shrimp or something and I was looking for Garlic shrimp. I have the picture from last weeks garlic shrimp. Last week it tasted like it had fish sauce in it with spices and garlic, etc...tonight it literally tastes like bbq seasoning mixed with chipotle seasoning and chili onion. I'm not writing this review to bash this shrimp truck because I think they are very nice but more so as constructive criticism...to hopefully keep their recipe consistent. People want the flavor of Garlic shrimp without having to go to the north shore. These other seasonings just didn't cut it for me:(

    Photos
    Waikiki Garlic Shack - Food truck "court" including the angry shrimp!

    Food truck "court" including the angry shrimp!

    Waikiki Garlic Shack - #1 Angry Shrimp

    #1 Angry Shrimp

    Waikiki Garlic Shack - Miso butterfish with braised mushroom and onion sauce, arugula, and rice

    See all

    Miso butterfish with braised mushroom and onion sauce, arugula, and rice

    Sam's Kitchen

    Sam's Kitchen

    4.0(1.4k reviews)
    1.1 miWaikiki
    $$

    I've passed by this restaurant so many times thinking it was just a regular place, maybe a food…read moretruck, I was very wrong. The service was quick and to the point. Location is a very cute spot. Yes it's connected to the hotel but the poolside area is very pretty. And I really enjoyed my garlic shrimp plate. 10 out of 10 experience will be coming back and recommending this place!

    Hawaiian garlic shrimp is a iconic local dish, not technically traditional Hawaiian food, featuring…read moreshell-on shrimp tossed in a pungent garlic-butter sauce, heavily popularized by North Shore, Oahu food trucks since the mid-1970s. With the recent flood happening at the end of March, and our trip being in early April, going to North Shore wasn't advised. While we have some great Hawaiian garlic shrimp spots in Arizona, we had to at least try to get some garlic shrimp while on Oahu. We gave this place a try just because we were already in the building. It wasn't a choice we made prior because honestly, I would have suggested trying a more well-known spot like two miles away, haha! We shared a $14 Shrimp with Original Garlic sauce on it and made it a combo with rice, a scoop of potato mac salad, and regular salad, $14 + $6. Sam's Kitchen was okay. I would have loved to have the shell-on but this place does not offer shell-on shrimp. Still, they make a decent garlic shrimp.

    Photos
    Sam's Kitchen - View of the pool from our table.

    View of the pool from our table.

    Sam's Kitchen - Orig garlic shrmp & tery-garlic steak

    Orig garlic shrmp & tery-garlic steak

    Sam's Kitchen - Glass of wine

    See all

    Glass of wine

    Chee Hoo BBQ - Combo Platter

    Chee Hoo BBQ

    3.6(83 reviews)
    1.0 miWaikiki
    $$

    Super yummy and big plate that we shared with four people! The Mac and cheese was def our favorite…read moreside and the brisket was great too! Would 100% come again and highly recommend. Also customer service was amazing! RNJ was super helpful and friendly- thank you RNJ

    They're located in Kuhio's food hall. This place was popping at 8PM on a Saturday night…read more I ordered the Chee Hoo combo which came with beef brisket, baby back ribs, smoked sausage, and short ribs. It was ~$30 and easily shareable with 2-3 people. Everything tasted great and I loved the smokey flavor and bbq sauce. Beef brisket and short rib were kinda tough and chewy. It came with three sides so I got cole slaw, potato salad, and Mac and cheese. Cole slaw and Mac and cheese were solid; Potato salad was just alright. They also gave one warm bun too. The reason I gave 3 stars was because service was extremely slow. It seemed like they were short staff and had one person at the cash register AND getting the food. He would take a few orders, and then grab the food. When I arrived, he was grabbing food for multiple folks so then I stood there waiting like 15 just to place my order. Then when he restarted and took my order, he took like 5 more orders before grabbing the food so then I waited even longer for another 15 min. That's 30 min of waiting! Also he wasn't serving food in the order that orders were received so it felt actually felt even longer. There needs to be a better system! Surprisingly he did a employee discount on my order. Not sure if it's because it was close to closing time. Btw they charge extra if you order to-go because of the supplies for packaging. I think food is alright but wouldn't return and wait that long for bbq.

    Photos
    Chee Hoo BBQ - Varios Options

    Varios Options

    Chee Hoo BBQ - Kalbi Shortrib Plate with beans, mac & cheese, and cole slaw.

    Kalbi Shortrib Plate with beans, mac & cheese, and cole slaw.

    Chee Hoo BBQ - This is the sign inside the International Shopping area.

    See all

    This is the sign inside the International Shopping area.

    Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Teriyaki spam musubi, egg + eel + avocado musubi, spam + egg + bacon + avocado musubi

    Musubi Cafe Iyasume

    4.5(5.4k reviews)
    1.2 miWaikiki
    $

    If you think 5,400 reviews are lying, let this one be the reason you make sure to visit this local…read morebusiness when you're in Honolulu. It was love at first bite for me with musubi and onigiri, so when I saw a spot dedicated to this deliciousness you better believe I made a point to go there! I ran even faster when StaciLei, Yelp Hawaii's amazing Community Manager, told me it's a must and gave me her list of greatest hits and must not miss items as a guide! Now I've had a lot of these in my life, and I must say, Iyasume are easily the best. See musubi and onigiri have humble origins as a quickly made homespun snack or on the go lunch, and when you spot them in the convenience environment they're often a giant ball of rice with a tinge of protein or seasoning for flavor. At Iyasume, these are culinary adventures, stacked with ingredients, all in handheld form, and the variety they offer is IMPRESSIVE! Of course musubi starts with the classic, SPAM. I had to order the kimchi + spam, shiso + spam, and unagi + tamago + spam, all of which were awesome (even the next day!). Onigiri here are actually layered with ingredients, so you get them in every bite, unlike the convenience store versions! They have a HUGE menu, and I went with spicy mentaiko and salmon, spicy mentaiko and ikura, ikura and salmon, and tuna mayo curry, all of which were great. I LOVE that they make these to order. You can see the line in the back hard at work, and they're very fast. You're sure to encounter a line when you arrive, but don't be scared, it moves quickly. I only had to wait about 5 minutes for mine to come up! Well worth it. Reasonably priced. Very filling. A taste of Hawaii and Japan in one place that'll have everyone smiling!

    Friend recommended this spot and I'm grateful she did. There were so many fresh and interesting…read moremusubis to choose from. I bought kimchi spam, eel spam, inari spam, and a furikake rice ball. Didn't really interact with staff as they didn't offer to help while I viewed the items and I selected my items fairly quickly. I found purchasing four musubis very affortable. Finding parking was tough and expensive in the area. Not the restaurant's fault and probably drivers are not the bulk of their business.

    Photos
    Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Inside the shop

    Inside the shop

    Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Teriyaki Spam & Rice with Hawaiian drink

    Teriyaki Spam & Rice with Hawaiian drink

    Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Black pepper spam musubi and inari-egg spam musubi

    See all

    Black pepper spam musubi and inari-egg spam musubi

    Waikiki Chicken In Paradise - Chicken Loco Moco!

    Waikiki Chicken In Paradise

    4.6(18 reviews)
    1.2 miWaikiki

    Nothing against Waikiki Chicken in Paradise, but I'm not going to lie - I had no idea the mini food…read moretruck park they're located in even existed, let alone had them on my list of bookmarks. However, after having to abandon our original dinner plans, we were no less intrigued after randomly stumbling across this place. While they may not have been our first choice for dinner, coming here was far more appealing than eating fast food or at the nearby IHOP! Although seeing so many folks at this mini food truck park may have been what caught our attention, it was the boxes of fried chicken on nearly every table that swayed us to try Waikiki Chicken in Paradise in particular. After skimming the menu, it wasn't hard to see why they were such a popular choice - everything on it sounded great. Granted, that's not overly difficult when there are only eight items to choose from, but tough to argue with the likes of fried chicken loco moco, fried chicken curry rice, fried chicken sandwiches, chicken & croffle, and fish & chips! Since we saw how big the portion were and didn't want anything too heavy (read: sadly, no loco moco or Japanese curry), we opted to split a FRIED CHICKEN RICE PLATE ($16.95) which came with a Fried Chicken Cutlet over White Rice with Mac Salad & Green Salad. Funny enough, despite already having a sense of how much food they give, I was still surprised by the generous portion size. As for how it all tasted, this was great. The breading on the chicken reminded me of Popeye's (though, without the spice), the batter was crispy, and the chicken itself was rather moist. As for the sides, the mac salad was pretty good, but the salad was a little heavy on dressing. If there was one thing I could change about our order, I think I'd want to see how it would taste with a sauce or glaze. At the very least, I'd definitely go with a different dipping sauce, like their Pineapple Ginger, Lilikoi Mayo, or Guava BBQ, as the Honey Mustard we went with tasted a bit generic. Of course, we could've solved both problems if we had gone with the Fried Chicken Loco Moco or Fried Chicken Curry Rice instead! I guess I'll just have to wait until the next time I'm in Waikiki!

    We got the Fried Chicken Meal and it was pretty solid! the chicken was so crispy and wasn't dry at…read moreall! fries were great and the mac salad was solid. the service was good, they were super nice and patient. this place is tucked in with a couple other food trucks/stalls and it's in such a cute area! there's seats and tables outside and it feels lively especially at night! definitely a place to check out if you're craving a somewhat filling meal!

    Photos
    Waikiki Chicken In Paradise - Outside

    Outside

    Waikiki Chicken In Paradise - Fried Chicken Sando

    Fried Chicken Sando

    Waikiki Chicken In Paradise - Fried chicken, fish, and taters

    See all

    Fried chicken, fish, and taters

    Khao and Papas - peruvian - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...