This was an interesting little maze of stalls selling wooden tikis, this, jewelry, aloha shirts and…read moredresses, and whatever other Hawaiian souvenirs and tchatkis you might want. It's a bit of a cross between a flea market and a Chinatown. The prices will get lower and some vendors will wheel and deal if you walk away. I bought a carved coconut tiki mug that started out at $25--my hesitation brought the price down to $15. Dog bandanas went from $15 each this $10 each. You get the picture. If it's fun to look around and bargain, but be aware that we saw similar items at the ABC convenience stores (on every corner--like a circle k but much nicer) for, in some cases, a lower price. Still, is kind of fun to go

Ask for the price of the fresh coconut before ordering. It was 35 dollars for me. That's a total…read morerip off.

Since our initial blind "meeting", Val Y. has been begging me to meet him for another dining…read moreexperience. (After our last disastrous outing, I can't believe he would want to do this again!) In order to avoid another potentially embarassing situation for him, and to make him look PLAYA COOL, instead of just YELPER COOL, I thought it would be best if I brought along a small posse with me (Traci H., and Theresa S.) to check out the boneless kalbi plate from Grandma G's at the Merchant Street Market. Val must have been nervous because he was sweating when he met the three of us there. So, go read Val Y.'s review of this same experience, and click "COOL" and send him lots of "HOT STUFF" compliments because TODAY is VAL Y's BIRTHDAY (10/26/11!). WHEN/WHERE: 2nd and 4th TUESDAYS 11am-2pm at the corner of Bishop and Merchant Street, in the Davies Pacific courtyard: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/q9KQKUGDr0hyBYNKQQezQA?select=rDAjazQFrThepxLC3hNIng COME EARLY! I got there at 11:10 exactly, and there were no lines. By 11:12 there were 8 people in line at Grandma G's and 6 at Stacey's Lau Lau. (where did they all come from in 2 minutes? We don't know.) DIVIDE AND CONQUER: Similar to Eat the Street, the more the merrier. Traci stood in line at Grandma G's, Theresa stood in line at Stacy's and I walked over to Chef Sean at Soul to get my fried chicken. We were 3 women on a mission. But where did Val go? He bailed on us and was checking out the healthier alternatives at Honolulu Gourmet Foods. Just a tip for you GUYS....when your women are ordering things with names like Kalbi, buttermilk fried chicken, Dynamite chicken and guava chicken, DO NOT ORDER A SALAD! It will make us feel like complete gluttons. BRING $$: Looks like everyone's price point is around $9-$10 so it's not exactly cheap plate lunches, but you get a ton of food! There are more vendors than this, but we ordered: Grandma G's Boneless Kalbi plate $9 (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! This is absolutely fantastic! And the honey mustard dressing is delicious). You know when you see Justin U. standing in line for this, it's gotta be good: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bk0DlrMggqPZgWQ_sVD2aA?select=BflSgv5hXnaKyzyz9nW_Rw Stacy's Lau Lau Co: Dynamite Chicken/Guava Chicken $9 http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/_jZl9uu6eialCkZ5UBd72w?select=PDYeg_cOeFkKT8ZA5YOWdg Soul: buttermilk fried chicken $3 each (of course, this one ranks up there on my favorite fried chicken list....He even offers a "smothered chicken" but I showed some restraint, and just got it plain, which is anything but): http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zznyv4BsJ_GKQuNXJznm3A?select=5YQqpKvcQPmGqom9zykTbw Honolulu Gourmet Foods: Grilled steak SALAD w/mini spicy dynamite ahi bowl combo $10.50: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/q9KQKUGDr0hyBYNKQQezQA?select=Qt7H1QQ1k-Lw1LzN7hYVbQ SEATING: Secret rooftop open patio seating at the Davies Pacific Center. Thanks Traci for the tip! Looks like everyone in downtown already knows about this bi-monthly event, but if you are like me and haven't been to it yet, this is a great one-stop place to try a bunch of different local plate lunches.

Sad to say that they discontinued this event that occured every 2nd and 4th Tuesday, so there's now…read moreless eating places in the downtown business area. :( Hopefully they'll bring it back sometime in the near future.

Many local fresh fruits at good prices. Located in Hyatt Waikiki, first floor atrium.read more

Been coming to this farmers market for a few years and have noticed it is getting smaller and…read moresmaller every time. BUT the vendors that show up are excellent! I always get a coconut -- this time of year, there were two options to choose -- small versus large. The large one is from Hawaii and is limited time of year, roughly one month of the year. Delicious! Also, they cut the coconut in half and provide spoons to enjoy the inside meat. Also love the fresh fruit stand with prickly pear fruits, star fruit, mango, and also some homemade items like coconut tapioca pudding, mango with sticky rice, papaya salad. Crafts vendors have beautiful handmade pens, signs, bracelets. I still highly recommend checking out the farmers market -- many unique items and offerings not found in traditional stores around the area!

Kindred's Cookout = Soul Food Done Right…read more If comfort food had a love language, this would be it. Kindred's Cookout is the kind of place that reminds you why Southern food will always have a chokehold on us. I went straight for the Southern fried chicken & shrimp with mac and cheese, and let me tell you--every bite hit. The chicken was perfectly seasoned, juicy on the inside with that crispy, golden crust that actually crunches. The shrimp? Fried just right, not greasy, with bold flavor that stands on its own without needing sauce. But the real star of the show--for me--is the Cajun fried catfish. This is my personal favorite and for good reason. The seasoning is on point: spicy, smoky, and flavorful without overpowering the fish. Crispy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside--exactly how catfish should be done. You can taste the care and experience in every bite. And the mac and cheese deserves its own moment. Creamy, cheesy, rich, and comforting--no shortcuts here. It's the kind of mac that makes you pause mid-bite and nod in approval. Kindred's Cookout isn't just serving food, it's serving heart, heritage, and serious flavor. If you're craving real Southern comfort with bold Cajun flair, this spot is a must. I'll definitely be back--and I already know what I'm ordering again.

Smashburgers with soul. This spot brings that backyard cookout energy with flavor to match. Super…read morejuicy patties, buttery buns, and the fries are seasoned to perfection. Chill vibes, quick service, and you can taste the love in every bite.

Today at a food truck event at City Hall I ordered 2 Shaggy Jrs. I gotta say it's the pictures of…read moreyour menu board that sold me - they all looked so 'ono. After ordering - 15 seconds later my name was called. Yes, I thought wow that was super quick! I grabbed the 2 containers and headed back to the office. This was going to be our snack on the way home. When I got back to the office this is what I found. The burgers were $15.00 each and both were extremely papaʻa. We took a bite from the first burger (it tasted how it looked) then opened the second box and it looked worse. How shameful to serve this kind of food that should have been thrown out and not sold. You need to do better, aūe! One star was generous because zero stars was not an option.

First time trying their amazing burgers and I will try to return as much as I can! So tasty and…read morefries weee just the way I like them--skinny cut and super crispy! Well done! I'll bring by my fawn Great Dane!

Attn: No Honolulu Farmer's Market next Wednesday July 22, Honolulu Farmers Market at the Blaisdell…read moreCenter moved over to Kapiolani Blvd side, the former location was on the grassy area in front of the concert hall. I just recently found this out when I visited the Farmer's Market few months ago, I panicked because I thought the are no longer having the market. If I was lived or work close by I would look forward to Wednesdays, the Honolulu Farmer's Market happens once a week from 4-7pm. Free parking , I try to make a stop here if I need veggies, fruits for the midweek. It is out of the way for me come from east side and coming from long work day, I am already exhausted. This Farmer's Market is smaller compared to the one at Kapiolani Community College on Saturdays, less than 20 vendors. Noticed some vendors from the KCC FM, a quick stop to 2 booths for Thai Banana, butter lettuce and chayote fruit. Got what I needed, quick walk to the end to see browse the other vendors. Although the food and drink booth looked great, one day I will make it a Honolulu Farmer's Market night where we go for our walk here, grab goods, enjoy and then walk back home! For this visit, I am happy with my produce, can't wait to prep my salads and cook a dish with the chayote. Love farm fresh veggies!!

This market has definitely seen better days. The Hawaii Farm Bureau has to do something to attract…read moremore vendors. Currently there is only 20 vendors listed on the website. I usually go ever week to grab a pot pie for my wife for dinner. Ho Farms and King's Farm are great places to stop to grab a restock of produce during the middle of the week.

1. Food - I grew up in the Philippines up until I moved here when I was 13-14 years old. Naturally,…read moreI would crave Filipino foods and meals from home. The food is, dare I say, authentic. The options they have, the ingredients they use, the cooking, and the flavor... it's made exactly like how I remember in the Philippines. It kind of does bring me back to my days growing up in the Philippines. We've been ordering platters from 2NO 2NO (pronounced "tono tono" like "pono") for a few years now. I've yet to receive anything that I didn't like. Their platters of food, like pancit and lumpiang shanghai, and their BBQ sticks and Filipino street food offerings are really good. I can eat a whole pan of kwek-kwek all by myself. Not in one sitting though, but spread throughout a few meals and late night "snacks". We've also ordered there big "budol fight" (pronounce "boo-dol" as in "boo" and "toll") meals. It's a traditional Filipino/southeast asian way of sharing a meal with families or large party. I grew up using the term "kamayan". Anyway, it's a feast of your choice of meat, fish, seafood, starch, etc. So far, the two or three times we've done it, it's been real good. 2. Service - Not much. They're not a restaurant. They are essentially a "catering" company. You send your order through text or instagram or some other social media thing, with the date and time of pick up, and pay cash or Venmo or some payment application after you get your order on the day of. I don't know, my wife usually does the ordering. I usually do the pick up. When I do go and pick up our order, most of the time, it's ready or almost ready. They haven't messed up any of my orders yet, which is important because most of the time when we order, it's for events. 3. Ambience - Non. You go to their place and pick your order up. If you want to talk ambience, it's in Kalihi, in one of those tiny streets off of Kalihi St. I do like going there though. The smell of the kitchen reminds me again of home in the Philippines. On a good day, when the sun is out, the skies are blue, and there's no vog covering the island, picking up orders is a pleasant errand. In my book, 2NO 2NO one of the best Filipino food caterers in the island.

The BBQ sticks were so good. Almost melts in your mouth. My favorite was the Lumpia Shanghai. The…read morebest i have every tasted.

Really hard to miss and there's no sign, but the lady working here was extremely rude. My parents…read morehave gone here before with a guy running the stand with whom was super kind and fully opened a great coconut for them. From the beginning of our interaction, my dad just asked to make sure if they had coconuts as a joke and she was not pleased. The lady here also decided to choose like the worst coconut for us as if it was on purpose. Not sure how you run a coconut stand and can't tell what coconut is good??Ours was so hard and not enjoyable. She also didn't even fully open it and it's not like there was anyone else waiting -- it was just us and our family. I'd recommend to just keep driving on the highway and get your coconut fix elsewhere. The service here just wasn't great.

Kualoa coconut man is a small coconut stand on the side of the street. There is no big sign so it's…read moreeasy to miss if you aren't paying attention. It's located on the front yard of a property and has parking available for a few cars. They accept both cash and venmo payments. The coconuts were reasonably priced and had plenty of fresh coconut water. Once you finish the coconut water, they'll cut it open for you so you can enjoy the coconut meat. There are lots of chickens, roosters and geese on the property and they aren't aggressive. It was fun to feed them while we were there.