BEST! PANCAKES! EVER!…read more So buttery it melts in your mouth. I literally waited an hour outside just to eat this amazing plate! I was looking forward to the longanisa, but I didn't enjoy the deep fried texture. Eggs over hard were cooked perfectly to my taste. I ordered another stack of pancakes, but couldn't eat it cause I was too full. However, my coworker recommended this place to me, so I'll be heading over her way. Pancakes this good is worth sharing.

My mom would say that Juliez is her dining room since she wasn't cooking that day…read more Julie'z is a paborite In Kapolei. During the holidays, you have to call days in advance because they run out of pancit!! Couple weeks ago, on a Saturday evening, I called to order a plate of pancit and pork guisantes, 5:30 pm, but they were sold out. That's how beloved Juliez is to the Kapolei community. And the nice thing, they open up early for breakfast, at 7 am. When we have family coming in first thing in the morning, we having breakfast at Juliez not the other local restaurant by the police station. What's not to love? One of our other favorites is shrimp sarciado. It's like a shrimp omelette with whole shrimp, head and shell on, tomatoes, onions, garlic and eggs. Without the shrimp shell on, this dish would not be the same as all the juices sit in the shell. Yup, I've seen locals and tourists visit Juliez for breakfast and order the pancakes. It's nice to see when the tourists try something different and go into beast mode. As far as the interior, not fancy at all but that's ok. Individuals and families enjoy having a meal here. Dishes can be ordered family style or plate lunch style with two or three choice. And everything is reasonably priced. Staff there, although they may not know our names but they know our faces. All are very pleasant. Two things that I wish they had on the menu, tortang talong (eggplant omelette) and a family pack. However, the eggplant omelette maybe an off menu item like the arroz caldo (chicken porridge). I'll ask next time I'm there.

@fortunefoodfinds: "MOUTH-watering! A 2 meat combo plate: "spicy" garlic furikake chicken + tender…read moren' juicy braised beef shortribs served with rice n' a side of egg macaroni salad along with chili peppah watah for dipping from BROKE DA MOUTH GRINDZ in Kapolei. When on da west side, this place can't be denied!" SERVICE: fully staffed n' accommodating, asked if the garlic furikake chicken could be half spicy (so my son could eat the chicken too) n' at first they said that would be a 3 item plate but then understood that I wasn't asking for more chicken n' were able to do in addition to the braised beef shortribs INTERIOR: good amount of seating, merch available for sale EXTERIOR: have shaded table seating WAIT TIME: ordered right away, 20 mins for food to come out PARKING: free lot in front with plenty of spaces OVERALL COMMENTS: A 2 meat combo plate can easily feed two people. The spicy garlic furikake chicken is crispy, saucy, n' brings the heat. Give a good amount of pieces. The braised shortribs are so juicy, tender, n' flavorful...a must order. To add even more flavor, the chili peppah watah makes everything next level with a slight kick n' tang. The egg Mac salad is a nice balance to the whole meal. If you're looking for somewhere to eat in Kapolei, this is it!

I've been wanting to try this place for awhile, so when my colleague suggested we go for lunch, I…read morewas excited! This restaurant is super casual, where you order at the counter. The food ordered shows up in plastic containers and every table has a huge bottle of Chili Watah... staff is friendly and quick. In terms of food I went for the Garlic Furikake Chicken with a side of Mac salad. The portions are enormous here, enough to cover a couple meals! Taste was great, especially when you add some of the Watah to it. I ate as much as I could, but probably ate only three quarters of the dish. Later in the evening I was still full, skipping dinner. It's a good spot to go in Kapolei for some Filipino-Hawaiian Grindz!

My friend and I wanted Filipino breakfast so he recommended this place and I'm so glad he did! We…read morewalked in and got in line to order. There were two people ahead of us and we probably waited about 5 minutes to have our order taken which is to be expected. The inside has beautiful decor, lots of pictures of food and vibrant colors and plenty of comfortable seating. We had some questions about the menu and the women taking our order was very helpful with everything. We ordered our food and were told to sit anywhere we like. We ordered an Elena's Mixed Plate 2 plate combo with Diniguan and Monggo Beans with Pork, it came with two scoops of rice. And we also ordered the March Special which had Pancit, Gisantes, Lechon and Pork Adobo Fried Omelet. The Diniguan was made perfectly! Not sour at all but just the perfect amount of flavor.. the Monggo Beans with Pork were cooked perfectly with delicious pork pieces inside. The March Special was such a good deal! The Pancit, made just right, thr Gisantes, spot on, thr Lechon, amazingly fried and the Pork Adibo Fried Omlete was absolutely delicious! Something i didnt know I needed! The rice was also cooked perfectly, not mushy or under cooked but just right! We got cups of water to drink and they brought us out two cups and a pitcher to refill our cups at the table which I can appreciate.. Overall such a great place with kind, friendly staff and amazing delicious food!

HIGHS: 1. a serving person brings your order to your table, unlike most no tip needed places with…read morecounters for ordering & picking up. i felt compelled to leave a (small) tip -- which is OK. LOWS: 1. don't order chicken adobo: no sauce, no peppercorns, not tasty, some very dark areas in my chicken pieces. no veggie at all. best chicken adobo -- very tasty! -- on island is at Loco Moco in Koko Marina Hawaii Kai where the cooks & staff are Chinese folks! 2. ugh! big wall in dining room is an ad touting Elena's "greatness." why not beautiful landscapes of the P.I.?

I was on my way to Shabuya and ended up finding this food truck along the way as a happy accident…read more As a casual daily helper, I'm always looking at Yelp to help me find my next meal, so naturally I've heard of Laverne's for a while. When I found this food truck, I immediately wanted to stop by and see what the hype was about. I visited about 30 minutes before closing. The only thing they had run out of was the chop steak and one other protein, which wasn't too big of a deal for me. My eye was on the beef stew. Growing up in a Filipino household, I knew this dish as "caldareta." My dad would make this for me all the time. I asked for a bowl to go so I could enjoy it for dinner later. The first bite instantly sent me back to my family's home kitchen, where I would come home from school and find a pot of beef stew waiting for me. What I love about Hawaii is that it has a blend of cultures that I truly appreciate as a foodie, and experiences like this feel like a nostalgia tour. Thank you for this delicious meal. It made me miss my mom and dad a little more than I usually do. Food not only nourishes us, but also brings us back to a moment in time. I thank Laverne's for that.

I always like Laverne's food truck when I was living in Kunia I used to go to the one in Waikele…read morethe food was good so today me and the wife had errands to do so we got coffee and Starbucks and stop at the Kapolei one by Home Depot wasn't busy so wifey go the combo A and I got the B both with rice she got a side of the beef stew, had one guy serving the food my plate had the Kalua pig and Squid luau was ono the only downfall was the rice I guess was the day old rice cause was but other than that food was good

Upon stepping out of the airplane, we were craving Filipino Hawaiian Food. My party and I were so…read moreglad we found Tiano's nearby HNL. Parking was easy and they had lots of tables available. They said they get busy during peak hours and recommend reservations. The waiters are friendly and the music was 80/90s music. Everything tasted as expected which is what we wanted. The Shanghai Lumpia was crunchy and sweet with the dipping sauce. The Adobo Fried Rice Omelet with Lechon Kawali was a table favorite. Omelet was fluffy soft and the Lechon melted in their mouth but not chewy. Oxtail Soup was flavorful and the oxtail was fall off the bone tender. The Sizzling Pork Sisig was served on a sizzling platter and the spices all mixed well together while cooking the raw egg. The Loco Moco was large and flavorful with the meat holding together and cooked to our requested temperature. Overall prices were reasonable, portions were big, and we were all able to share food. We ended the amazing dinner with fried Ube ice cream!

Went by today (Saturday) at 1230 (90 min after opening) and wanted Sisig, they were already out! 90…read moremin after opening!!! Very disappointed.... Everything else ordered was broke da mouth. But I needed a Sisig fix. They were not busy. They said they had "just run out" but if the three other tables there no one else had Sisig on the table.

I usually go to the Pearl City location and have not been disappointed. This restaurant is very…read moreclean and spacious. Looks like there is a party room, too. I love Filipino food and often I'm looked at as are you sure you're in the right place? I did not get that here. Even when I had to ask what one of the desserts was. I got a clear explanation. It was a little bit of a wait, but I guess that means the food is fresh! And, yes, it is delicious, too!!!

Awesome price for portions given. Food is made to order, so it's not just sitting in a warmer all…read moreday

The pork sisig was great and I am comparing it to sisig in Pampanga. The texture was amazing. Nice…read morecrunch and flavor. I highly recommend ordering the Ube Churros. It was something I tried for the first time and was very impressed. It's a cozy restaurant with an ambiance I appreciate.

My wife and I were on an adventure out to Waikele and decided to stop by Waipahu for lunch. How I…read morefound this place, I'm not sure. It might've been the search for fried chicken to which Minasa didn't disappoint. We arrived just after opening and happened to get the last open table - after ordering, of course. The restaurant is clean and well put together with darker accents. Our food came out relatively quick - having the chef's special and ube churros. The kalbi sauce soaking into the rice was the perfect balance of flavors. Same for the calamansi fried chicken. Lechon, I must say was also a fine example of how seriously the chefs take their selection of ingredients - as I looked closer, it had the classic 5 layers (shown in my photo). Usually, this is the prime factor in the perfect roast pork - providing juicy layers of pork meat. Overall, this has been the best (new) meal we've had in a LONG time. It was so delicious, I could only wish there was a way to share this place with a larger collection of diners because frankly, if you haven't tried this place, I honestly think you're missing out on the definition of culinary art. Each dish carefully crafted with the goal of providing the best experience to all the patrons. I seriously seriously hope you all have a chance to visit. If we're ever back on this side of the island, we won't hesitate to stop by.

Just had my mom's surprise bday party here in their upstairs mezzanine area and it was amazing! I…read morebooked with Tessa and she was very helpful (and patient because I reply very slow lol). The booking was very straightforward, they don't charge a space rental fee as long as your party spends at least $1000 on food and drinks altogether. It doesn't have to be on one check, as long as it all adds up. We were able to decorate the area a bit for the party. Of course if you plan on partying here be wary of making too much of a mess or damaging things. Kiki then helped me preorder all the food for the party, and she also assisted with the surprise. Ashley was our server for the night and she did amazing! I was bothering her and Kiki and asking them questions all night and they were so nice and patient the entire time. Everyone was so kind and accommodating, it was as if they were family friends :) the speed of service was great too. I know we put the bartenders to WERK but the drinks still came out in such a timely manner. Finally, the food and drinks were BOMB. I've only been here a couple times before this, so I got to try a lot of items i haven't before at the party. Everyone was raving about the food! So many people who haven't been to DB grill before said they found their new spot. And if you like to drink, they have something for everyone. My grandma kept asking for more soju cocktails . The only thing I would warn about is that the AC is poppin upstairs, so bring a jacket. I would give 10 stars if I could. We love the DB grill crew!!!

**DB Grill was a mixed experience for a get-together with friends.**…read more The food was actually pretty good overall. We tried the wings and poke nachos, and both were solid. The portions were good, the prices were decent, and it's the type of menu that works well for sharing with a group. Service was okay. The staff wasn't overly friendly, but they were efficient. Parking was good, and the overall vibe was chill, though it did get a bit noisy. The biggest issue was the condition of the restaurant. The place felt pretty run down. The floors were very dirty, the seats were torn and patched with electrical tape, and the windows were so dirty that we actually thought the restaurant had shut down one day when we were walking by. The bathrooms were also pretty gross, even for a casual bar/restaurant. I wanted to like it more because the food itself was good, but the cleanliness and upkeep really took away from the experience. They definitely need to do a better job maintaining the place. I'd probably only return if I heard they had cleaned up and refreshed the entire restaurant.

Thelma's Filipino Restaurant -- Pure, Real, Home‑Cooked Vibes…read moreAs authentic as it gets -- fresh Filipino cooking straight from Nana and all the indai working hard in the kitchen. They never miss. Every plate tastes like it came from someone's home. Big thanks to Omi and Ang for the good company. We smashed all the favorites: Pancit noodles, Pork Guisantes, Sari Sari soup for cold days and the legendary Thelma Special -- the true star of the night (iykyk). Flavor, comfort, and heart in every bite. Always a solid choice when you want real Filipino food done right. Marie

Picked up lunch for my Co workers on a Friday around 11:30. It wasn't busy & had others picking up…read moreorders. They have disclaimers posted about consuming raw food, refund policy, and take out being your responsibility after it leaves the restaurant (must've explained that too many times - but hey they covered themselves)! Also a notice of 3% surcharge if paying with a credit card. Payment was easy (used debit) & staff was friendly. It looks like a comfy place to relax & get down on Filipino grindz. We got pork adobo (tender & flavorful), pancit mix (too lemony & lil mushy that day), Thelma's special (too salty, they wished I got regular lechon), Shanghai lumpia (ok) & adobo fried rice (good but small portion). The prices are reasonable but not as big portions as I thought would be.

Craving authentic Filipino comfort food in Honolulu? Hit up Shay's for a mix plate featuring…read morepancit, dinuguan, monggo, and veggie lumpia - spot-on flavors that hit all the right nostalgic notes. The pancit was a standout: bihon noodles perfectly stir-fried with green onions and subtle seasoning, light yet satisfying as a side that balanced the richer dishes without overwhelming. Dinuguan brought that deep, savory pork blood stew richness - tender meat in a chocolatey gravy with a vinegar kick, way better than average and not overly gamey Monggo (mung beans) was hearty and comforting, simmered smooth with malunggay or bittermelon options for that homey veggie depth - grows on you with each bite. Veggie lumpia delivered crispy perfection: fresh fillings, not greasy, and a great crunchy contrast to the stews. Generous portions at fair prices, quick service, and that lechon nearby if you want to level up next time. Solid Waipahu/Honolulu Filipino spot - will return!

Shay's is legit. I…read moreordered the chicken adobo and an order of lumpia. You can't really go wrong with that order. The adobo was tasty. I mean to be fair, no one makes it better than my mom. But this was close enough. The portions are great probably good enough for two. The lumpia were fire as well. 4 for $10 is a bit steep but not too bad. Crunchy wrappers. Tasty inside. They have this vinegar based dipping sauce, that I didn't really enjoy. My mom softens that vinegar by mixing it with ketchup and a bit of sugar if needed. If they had something similar to that it would have been 10/10. As it is, I'm just nitpicking. Shay's did make me miss my mom's cooking a bit but in a good way. I'd totally bring her in to get her take next time she visits. Will totally go back.