A hidden gem! What an amazing place. We visited on 9.9.26 after going to the deYoung museum. We had…read moreto try the Hawai'ian cuisine. Small dining area with one server who was attentive, pleasant, and knowledgeable. I chose the lumpia--it was excellent. My late mother-in-law was Filipina--and this lumpia was even better than her recipe as I recall. It was crunchy, not greasy, had an absolutely delicious meat center, and was twice as long as what she made. It paired well with the Italian arneis by Angelo Negro Vino Blano, as well as my companion's Kahlua pulled pork sliders. Beautifully plated. The tall ceilings feel expansive and provided a great venue for the old school albums spinning very interesting collection of music such as New Low by Mk.gee. Huge cool art on the wall, with a playful tiger. Huge wall art display of wine crates. Lovely open-air seating as you walk in through the entrance. Very happening place. What a delightful find.

was thrown off at first since the inside was a bar, but high treason serves unco frank's food…read morealongside their bar drinks. came on a saturday around 7pm and it was pretty busy when we came in, so our large party of 9 was seated along the wall bar seats. our group was doing a food crawl down clement, so we didn't want to order too much. we ordered 2 pupu platters, a mac salad, fried rice, and 3 drinks. after we ordered, a high treason staff member came up to our group to give some of us menus; they say we didn't order enough food and that they wanted more on our tab. this made me and others in my party feel very uncomfortable, and it made me feel that we weren't welcome/took up too much space. someone from my party was honest with them by giving them context on our food crawl plans, but it still felt awkward after. this left a really negative impression of both the establishment and my thoughts on the food. auntie rob's fried rice (5/10): ginger was very overpowering and sauce was too salty for me. not my fave mac salad (3/10): VERY mayo and pepper heavy. i prefer a slight sweetness, little pepper, and less mayo-overly dominant mac salad pupu platter: da works fries (5/10): sirscha aioli is just spicy enough for me (a subtle kick). fries weren't crispy enough for me. kimchi cut through the heaviness of the spam and aioli which was nice. kalua pig sliders (6/10): pulled pork was better than i thought; normally i don't like smoked meats but this was subtly enough but still balanced out the slaw/aioli well. mochiko chicken (4/10): thick breading and chicken was not the juciest. bit too dry for my liking. i would not come back again. the interaction we had was so uncomfortable and didn't sit right with me, and the food was mediocre. i was mainly disappointed by the service (and the food by association) which is unfortunate as i love supporting aapi-owned businesses.

As a celiac, I love a place that's gluten free. The garlic shrimp was delicious, the mochi chunks…read morein the hurricane tots were excellent, and the tots were pretty good too. the shrimp were in their shells, so be prepared to de-shell the shrimps. The shrimp/sausage, came with tons of rice and a bit of cabbage. The pineapple sausage was fine, no complaints but the shrimp was better.

A solid place for take out. Small menu, but they have a lot of Hawaiian classics. I got half orders…read moreof the shrimp + sausage, moco loco, and furikake chicken. It was pretty filling for two people. They give a lot of rice. Wish there was more protein. Everything was good though. Seems like they have lunch specials during the week for high schoolers at Lincoln. Would come back to try the shaved ice.

First things first, I have a lot of great things to say about my experience, and if you're able to,…read moremake a stop to try out this place. This came with a stellar recommendation, and it definitely did not disappoint. The restaurant was beautiful and there's an open kitchen right in the middle. We were seated near the kitchen in a booth. I told our server that I am lactose tolerant, and she said something that I missed. She then walked away and came back with a pink slip with all the items on the menu on what I need to avoid and dishes that they can make modifications. I thought that was such a sweet touch that I've never experienced before. For appetizers, we got the tuna poke and pig head croquette. The fresh tuna poke on top of a crispy nori was a very tasty bite but the tuna was a bit chewy from the sinew. The pig head croquette was amazing. Perfectly fried and meaty bite. It paired well with the fresh cube of watermelon and fish caramel sauce. For entrees, the black cod was a huge surprise for me. I didn't think I would like it but it became the night's highlight. The fish was perfectly cooked and served on top of crispy rice with a very mild but impressionable coconut green curry sauce. The second highlight for me was the pork shoulder chop. Very tender and juicy cut with really good sauce. The miso cabbage and the candied pecans really gave that extra oomph to each bite. Lastly, the fried game hen was fried so perfectly and was super juicy inside. The pickled carrot was meh for me though. For desserts, we ended with a milk tea panna cotta with stone fruit granita and tuile. It was made with coconut milk which is for a lactose intolerant girly like me. Not a budget meal, but imo, well worth the gastronomical and hospitable experience.

Amazing food and dining experience. Though we sat at the bar (walk in), the hospitality, attention…read moreto details and food were fantastic. I ordered the pork chops - fat and juicy. Well balanced with vegetables and a nice lightly tangy sauce. The calamari has many vegetables fried together. Crispy and lightly crunchy. However, it was a bit on the saltier side for me. Finished it off with the Hawaiian cake and it was delicious. Torched marshmallows on the outside with a big scoop of ice cream on the inside, with a base of an ube cake. This dining experience was excellent. Also fascinating to see the open kitchen in the back where all the chefs are busy curating an excellent meal. I would suggest to get reservations otherwise you could wait up to 45 mins on a weekday (like I did) I came back to try a few more dishes. And my newly added favorite is the fried chicken. Super juicy, even with the white meat. The thousand island - like dressing was the perfect combo.

We were having dinner nearby last Friday night and decided to stop by what's been one of our…read morefavorite bars only to learn that Paina's last day of service was Saturday July 11 :/. They had a final closing party this past Saturday, and we knew we had to stop by for few last drinks and bites. It was low key kinda sad as we had to say goodbye to some of our favorites. Over the years (past decade or so now) we've gotten to know the staff and this spot has been a spot where we knew we'd get great service, good convos, and of course tasty wings, totchos, and $1 oysters on Thursdays. Shout out to Matt, Tracy, Jeremy, and their entire team for the amazing hospitality over the years. Paina closing is a reminder that it's important to not take your favorite restaurants/bars for granted because you never know when that final day will eventually come and when it does it comes way too fast. I hope the team reads this as I just want to say THANK YOU for everything and that you will be missed. The memories and moments I've gotten to enjoy here over the years won't be forgotten!

So bummed to hear Pa'ina Lounge & Restaurant is closing due to the sale of their building. I've…read morereally come to appreciate how it's become an easy spot for chill weekend brunch in Japantown (when there isn't a game on). The other plus is that the folks working here are absolutely lovely and sweet. Even on busy night like wing Wednesday, they never fail to bring both efficiency and a smile. Speaking of wings, the house Pa'ina flavor was really tasty. Even un-sauced, they were tasty. You will be missed Pa'ina!

We noticed that there are various Hawaiian Drive Inn locations across the Bay Area and decided to…read moredo a not so scientific approach to figure out which one is the best. We started off with what we call the OG location, closest to where we grew up, the Excelsior Hawaiian Drive Inn. We called in our order ahead of time because it was around lunchtime and there's always a long line. When we got there about eight minutes later, we paid (it's cash only), and we're on our way in less than two minutes. For fairness, we will be comparing the musubi and chicken katsu rice plate to compare. This location's food is made to order so it is still burning hot when we get it. They musubi was the perfect ratio of fluffy rice that stayed in one block to a 1cm thick slab of katsu. The oil that was used to fry the chicken was clear and clean. The sauce is the cherry on top of the perfect combo of carb and protein. The chicken katsu in the rice plate is the same melt in your mouth cuts of chicken in a crispy light batter. You get a large helping of rice and a macaroni salad that's light on mayo and complements the plate well. They come with a sauce that's not too salty or oily. This Hawaiian Drive Inn, in my opinion, is the best one in the Bay.

No frills spot that is always a classic for Hawaiian BBQ! I usually get the chicken katsu platter…read more I love how crispy the chicken is, and their mac salad has great flavor. I have also tried the BBQ chicken and BBQ mixed plate, which are both solid options. Generous portions. Service is always fast and friendly. Highly recommend this spot if you are craving a delicious and filling rice platter with Hawaiian BBQ!

Every time I've come here I always order the Chicken Teriyaki bowl and what can I say it always…read morecomes out delicious and yes it has limited seating but eating in is always worth it and the staff is always so friendly, plus there's a kiosk for easy ordering and yes it does get quite busy!

Kitchen Aloha is a very small shop, with only a few tables for seating. You order and pay from the…read morekiosk, so very limited interaction with the staff. I ordered the trio masubi, which had one each of the original, spicy crumbly, and cheeto. I enjoyed all three but my favorite and the most flavorful was the spicy crumbly. The battered spam had a nice crunchy texture and it was very mildly spicy. The cheeto was good, very melty, warm and gooey, but not enough for a cheese pull. If you have a big appetite, I recommend the trio. Otherwise if you're only looking for a quick snack, one or two musubi will suffice.

One of the few places open late around the area! Love the teriyaki chicken and the chicken katsu…read morecurry

Pros: great service, friendly staff, amazing vibes, 9.99999/10…read more Cons: uses AI flyers ....................

It was my Sunday funday today anTAKOYAKI Five tried octopus…read moreballs, kewpie mayo, ginger. soy glaze, nori, bonito flakes. Then the popular ramen! very good and rich in taste. I thought it was one of the best Raman places I've had. It was quite that evening and not I liked that. The service was fine, the waiter did their job but nothing special. But the experience of the food was so nice!

Ramenwell is usually fairly busy, and I had to wait around 20 minutes to be sat down in the early…read moreevening. They have bar seating, so if you go alone or with one other person, that'll likely be the vibe! I thought that the ramen was a bit too salty, and the pork a bit too fatty. Overall, not a bad place to try when you're craving a bowl of noodles!

Opened up the place on Saturday AM after street parking…read moreLiterally turned on the lights Owner friendly & nice Food was great if not a bit pricey Service solid Plenty of people getting takeout as we left

I've been here before and this visit was a step down. I picked up a spam musubi and a macaroni…read moresalad, both affordable at $3.79 each, but the savings aren't worth it if the food doesn't deliver. The spam musubi was overly salty and the sauce they used overpowered everything else. The macaroni salad had too much mayo and was borderline inedible. Two simple things, two misses. I'm a little surprised given the high rating on Yelp, but this visit didn't reflect it. I'm always on the lookout for the next great Hawaiian BBQ spot. Unfortunately, this one isn't it.

5 stars for the three back to back hella good DJs at like 11am on a Saturday lol. It was so fun…read morethere. But 4 stars overall, I like this spot! The punch (I think it was a Mimosa?) was very diluted, like drinking water, sorry just being honest. Not a ton of food options, but really nice place to hangout with friends. Very easy to pay from phone also. Will definitely be back.

The burgers and fries here are good, but not worth it for the vibe and ambiance. I didn't love the…read morelack of service, as we were directed to scan a QR code and just order from our phones. We came for dinner and drinks around 7pm, and it seemed like the restaurant was already transitioning into nightclub mode. There was a DJ and the music was deafeningly loud. I'm not sure why the music was so loud-- almost everyone there was sitting and eating, not dancing. We couldn't really chat with each other, so we ate quickly and got out of there.