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    PAI Honolulu

    4.4 (341 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndNew American, Asian Fusion
    Closed 5:30 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    PAI Honolulu Photos

    PAI HONOLULU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - PAI Honolulu

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    The incredible pairing menu for our evening
    Roly P.

    Wow, wow, wow, we had a spectacular dinning experience. From the time we arrived we were greeted with prepared appetizers, cold cuts, shrimp chips and chicken. We enjoyed deliciously prepared libations by the bar staff. The place has wonderful ambience. We had a wonderful experience from the service to the food, thanks to our host D.A. for selecting such a great place for your dinner. I need to apologize for not taking more pictures as I was moved by the food being served and the wine pairings. YUM

    Table setting
    Joni F.

    2.15.25 Valentine's Day Prix Fixe Menu Experience Kevin Lee's artistry for the eye and palate. Justine Lee, presented my date with the perfect wine pairings. I had the zero alcohol Reverie--hit the right notes, not too sweet and pretty presentation. (See the pics) Thank you Chef Kevin and Justine your attention to detail re: food, drink, service and ambiance created the perfect Valentin's celebration. Go, now and support this earnest, hard working, local business that supports local farmers. Note--park in the Harbor Court building. We took the City and County ticket and PAI defeated the cost with parking stickers.

    Milton K.

    Pai Honolulu *** DEPENDS-MAYBE *** Food: *** Value: ** (small portions for price) Menu: *** Ambiance: **** Service: **** Parking: **** (validated) While screening restaurants with four stars or above, Pai Honolulu came to my attention with a 4.4 Yelp rating from 332 reviews. That's high! They have also won many local restaurant awards. This chef owned restaurant, has both an à la carte menu or you can create your own 3 Course or 4 Course menu. The chef, Kevin Lee, has an extensive background in culinary skills working at different ethnic restaurants in various continents. If you enjoy fine dining, prepared by a chef owner with culinary training & experience, I'd recommend giving Pai Honolulu a try. If you like larger portions and/or lower prices, you may want to go elsewhere. RATINGS & RECOMMENDED ORDER: Molten Dark Fudge Brownie = A Kona Kampachi = B 5-Spiced Pork Shoulder = C Braised Beef = C Baby Romaine & Kale Salad = C Strawberry Panna Cotta = C Yelp: https://yelp.to/iiI3eBzvZk Website: https://www.paihonolulu.com/ YELP: Milton K Sorry! They allow only one 12 second video & the remaining to 3 seconds. The full video and pictures of the entire menu can be found on other platforms/apps: MiltonIn808 RATINGS KEY: A = Really Good - one of the best B = Good - would order again C = ok - similar, nothing special D = Not very good - wouldn't order F = Terrible - avoid

    Braised beef
    Angel C.

    Pai Honolulu is understated and underrated! The menu is heavily Chinese-influenced. My husband and I dined here for our wedding anniversary last year. We've actually had this restaurant on our bookmarks for a couple years and waited that long to finally dine here after I saw them introduce a more affordable three-course menu in early 2024 (they've had their four-course menu much longer)! During anniversaries and birthdays, we like to splurge...on a budget lol. I made a reservation at Pai via OpenTable. Our reservation was for 5:00pm, right when Pai opened, so we were the only diners for about half an hour. The restaurant wasn't too large, but still looked and felt spacious. Since I indicated on the reservation that we were celebrating our wedding anniversary, our host provided a menu which included a "happy anniversary" greeting! What a thoughtful touch lol. Also because of our anniversary, the restaurant offered both of us complimentary glasses of champagne. Our drinks were tasty. My husband and I have a strategy every time we dine out--we split everything so we could taste a variety of dishes. We ordered a three-course menu and a four-course menu. Both include appetizers and dessert, but the four-course menu includes both pasta AND entree, whereas the three-course menu allows either or. OUR ORDERS: Three-course menu: - Kona Kampachi (my fave) - Braised beef (my fave) - Strawberry panna cotta (my fave) Four-course menu: - Chilled crab corn soup (also my fave if I didn't take a pic of it) - Lemongrass curry chow fun - 5-spice pork shoulder - Espresso martini We took photos of all our dishes except the chilled crab corn soup. We must have enjoyed it that much that we couldn't stop for a picture! I can't comment on parking since my husband's car was already parked at his workplace in Downtown, while I took the Skyline rail from the Westside + the bus from Aloha Stadium to a block away from Pai. It took me awhile to find Harbor Court and the restaurant itself. Overall, we enjoyed our anniversary dinner at Pai. Gourmet dinner at reasonable prices and friendly customer service. I'd say Pai is a restaurant for real foodies, for those who want casual fine dining even without those so-called sunset or beach views.

    Menu
    Roya J.

    Service was excellent, ambiance was quant and classy, cocktails with exceptional and the oyster with caviar was amazing. I want to also say the short ribs and curry pappardelle were very flavorful. With all the wonderful things I just said why not 5 stars? The papparrdelle was hand made, but it lacked consistency and it was a bit too al dente for me. The main reason for taking a star away was that our entrees were served lukewarm, which we found to be a major misstep for this price point and caliber.

    buttermilk cornbread, honey miso butter
    Lauren C.

    This was the restaurant we were most looking forward to on our brief trip to Oahu. Unfortunately, it did not meet our hopes on so many levels. A huge disappointment. First, finding parking in this area is difficult at best. Apparently they have their own parking lot which should make it easy, but their signage from the street is poor, especially in the dark. They should have made the parking situation clear to us before we arrived during the several times they contacted me, which would have saved us a lot of frustration. Walking in, first impression: The lights are too bright (like a cafeteria) and the decor so minimal. A plastic plant separates our table at the window from the other half of the dining room. We are in front of the chef's kitchen with a view of the cooking. The restaurant is half full. A portion of the space is blocked off with paper screens. It looks temporary. The party of 8 on the other side of the restaurant is so loud and the acoustics are terrible. Ambience overall is poor. We start with a cocktail, which is lovely. They have this part down, as well as the wine pairings. We are served a buttermilk corn bread with honey miso butter compliments of the chef. It is delicious and we are off to a good start. After that, the meal goes down hill. The $25 foie gras is so small and watery in texture. For some inexplainable reason, it is served with an overly thin and crisp bread cracker that falls apart when you put anything on it, and the watery foie gras drips through all of the holes. A complete mistake on all levels. The kona kampachi, although pretty in presentation is bland and the elements just don't go together well - kampachi with tomatoes and jicama? The sauce also just doesn't add anything to the dish. Fortunately, my husband will eat anything, especially meat and he devoured his pork shoulder. That being said, he didn't rave about it. He said he was just hungry. My curry pappardelle on the other hand, for me was almost inedible. I thought the concept sounded interesting and I love pappardelle pasta, but the noodles were so thick and gummy, I took a bite or two and was done. When our server came by and took my plate and noticed I had hardly touched it, he said nothing except that he would wrap it up to take home. Desserts were fine. By that point I was uninterested. The service throughout was very attentive by the chef's wife and additional staff. She was friendly and had a birthday greeting and welcome printed on our menus, which was a nice, personal feature. But the chef could have also come out to greet his few guests and inquire about our experience, which he did not. He did not seem friendly, more studious and analytical and happy to be in his kitchen, far from his guests. Not inviting. As we were leaving, I realized that the server never brought me my dish to take home. As I was thinking of asking, I realized I wasn't going to eat it anyway. Not here, not there, not anywhere. Why didn't anyone in the restaurant care about our food experience? Not sure but would not return and could not recommend. Unfortunate and odd as the reviews for this restaurant are very polarized. Not for me.

    2/5/25
    Mike C.

    It's been on my list for a while but due to circumstances, never had the pleasure... until now. Looking for a destination place for that special someone, an experience akin to a private dining meal? Yes, this is the place. After scanning a number of posted menus, I thought there were plentiful menu options, various prix fixed meals and perhaps an ala carte menu. When we arrived for our 5 pm midweek dinner, we were seated next to the open kitchen in a four-seat table. To be honest, it was not what I expected when I read the two page menu on the table. Well, let's just say the choices are limited with options in the "snacks" section. At that point, the options were sparkling or still water, our beverages, and snacks to be shared since none of us were wine drinkers. We started with the Oishi oysters (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=iyYULNhauQVGVe9a-TgxLw) and the Pai aged Charcuterie (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=K-hdIuyMVZbzKucUI-CdrA). The descriptions are Kuushi oysters, lilikoi mignonette, Kiawe smoked chili pepper water and salted nuts, pickles respectively. The oysters were akin to the familiar Kumamoto variety and were refreshing with the applied sauce. The soppresatta slices, housed cured, played well with the garnishes in alternating bites. For the main meal, here's a summary of my favorites: A. Kona lobster (before pouring of the bisque (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=1WV0rhFpapcuczXpmjmWHg) and after (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=jl1vcmVou85CCH5eaimlKw)) - half lobster tail, green lip mussel, fennel, ogo, cherry tomato, fennel and tomato bisque. Every ingredient shined with the rich yet not heavy soup B. He'eia Samoan crab (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=Ft3khDSIrXJxNM_L2cv35Q) - opakaka Siu Mai, Ewa sweet corn, edamame, pickled ginger, garlic chive, red vinegar. This is a dumpling like no other with the heart fish pairing with the subtle crab meat and flavor. C. Kona Kampachi (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=ypCWqmafd1sHQZWL_I-cFg) - citrus cured Kampachi, bay scallop, cucumber, cherry tomato, bell pepper, ginger wasabi dressing, lemongrass, coconut curry puree, ogo, cilantro. The sweetness of the fish made the other ingredients clean tasting. Other favorites were the Chef's buttermilk cornbread (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=UuknbQRuI7-kAAcPrKVETQ) (honey miso butter) and the Mai Tai Sherbet (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=kn8ZclyGROvFwRyb5LPaBw) (pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut milk, rum). The Dark Chocolate Haupia (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=fIOSspaK1fBQLSBoD3jnTQ) (almond cookie crumbs, cacao nib, coconut sugar, toasted coconut) was ridiculous too. I enjoyed the other dishes too but these were particularly memorable for me. Being familiar with the chef's background, I learned from a mutual friend from the area that my family and me are familiar with many of his family. He made the time to speak with us and took photos with us. My local friend was particularly impressed by the many awards that lined the bar shelves and a cabinet. Thank you to our waiter Tyrell, enthusiastic and boisterous, and his assistant Malik, the cool and collected one. Thank you and your sous chef, Kevin, for providing a wonderful meal who my friend thought was on her 'best ever' dinners list. It was impressive that you and your sous crafted this experience for us to enjoy, like having private chefs cooking for us. ** Not so subtle pre Valentine's hint.

    Pammy F.

    Awesome Chef kevin!! Thank you to u & Justine! The food, ambiance..& everything was perfect!!

    KC N.

    We had an amazing dining experience and celebrated my birthday too. I am not alcohol drinker, but they have a selection of mocktails that were paired with dish. If you are looking for some extra special flavors and unique presentation, you just have to give Pai a try. You won't regret it... Thank you Chef Kevin Lee for your culinary creativity and delicious dishes with unexpected favors...

    Lychee Martini with edible glitter
    Sophie F.

    This place is a hidden gem. I couldn't believe it was my first time in, and a friend of mine suggested we try it out! I thought I had tried every restaurant in China town. The service was excellent! It's a family run business which I love because it adds a homey touch with delicious food. We stopped by for cocktails mostly but ended up having to try the pana cotta desert. I took a look at their tasting menus because I knew I had to come back with a bigger appetite!

    braised beef cheek, potato fondant, turned carrot, Guinness jus & Connemara peated single malt.
    Paul L.

    Chef Kevin Lee and his wife Justine are the dynamic duo of Pai. The chef keeps things running like clockwork in the back, while Justine keeps the front of the house functioning smoothly. Pai often has tasting menus, which provide an overview of Chef Lee's talents. Tonight was a special menu prepared by Eoin Chadwick, an Irish chef who had several riffs on traditional Irish dishes, each course paired with an Irish whiskey. It was mostly delicious, although to be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the porridge cake. Pai is pretty small and intimate. To make it even more intimate, we sat at the counter, which is practically like eating at a chef's table as the food is being prepared just a few feet from you. The only downside was the bathrooms, which require an escort to take you across the lobby and through two security doors.

    Pork chop with five spice
    Maria N.

    We made a reservation here for my birthday. We arrived early and were seated promptly. After being seated, we were neglected for about 30 minutes. They were not understaffed but it seems like their staff was just slowly making their rounds to tables even though dinner hour had just started. We eventually reviewed our dinner selections and started off with their complimentary corn bread. This was delicious with a side of honey miso butter. Following that, there was once again a very long pause until they attended to us and served us our next dish. As the starter and main dishes eventually made their way to us, we were underwhelmed. Nothing special to the poached lobster. The salmon although was cooked perfectly, the seasoning was not to taste. The wasabi mayo was the only thing I could taste as it was slathered on the top. My husband's pork chop was very chewy and bland. It was overcooked. The strawberry panna cotta was quite sweet with no balance of tartness. Our many waiters kept apologizing for their slow service but we felt they could have provided better customer service if they were more attentive and weren't just working as a mob of 2-3 waiters for 1 table of 2. They could have split up the job and tried to improve throughout the night rather than let us sit through a 3 course dinner that took 2.5-3 hours to complete. Even asking for our check took a long time. They were also not attentive to the dietary restrictions which they emailed beforehand but it wasn't relayed to the staff the day of. We will not be coming back for the price point, service, and quality of food.

    Beneeta D.

    This was an enjoyable meal from start to finish. Actually before it even started, I received an email about the menu being printed with our occasion name, which is a nice touch, especially if not requested to reach out on their own. Our server was Tyrel who was so knowledgeable about the menu, we knew we were in good hands. I started with The Secret Garden cocktail, it was so good and sweet but not sickeningly. We all opted for the 3 course dinner and I ordered pate. The strawberry on top of the pate helped cut the strong meaty taste. The cornbread came next, I'm not a huge cornbread eater but this one was so good. It had a nice balance of savory and sweet. The honey miso butter went so well together. I got the kampachi, it was really fresh. There was a curry sauce that had no purpose if it was eaten with the fish. The fish cancelled out the flavor completely, it was good by itself though. I got the cioppino for my entree, this was a lot of food! The tableside bisque serving was a nice touch, because having it sitting in the soup would have ruined the seafoods freshness. The toasted sourdough bread wasn't my favorite, I would have preferred a softer bread, maybe if it wasn't toasted. To finish I got the Banana Rum Pudding. It wasn't clear that it was bread pudding from the menu. It was okay, I didn't really want bread pudding though. I would choose something different next time. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meal, one had the braised beef which was fork tender, another had the pork shoulder which was also fork tender and hard feat when it comes to pork. I really enjoyed the meal. The restaurant is small and nicely decorated. It is fancy but not stuck up and nobody was overly dressed up. The price was good Considering how much food it was, 3 full Courses for $69. Highly recommend

    Molten brownie dessert

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    PAI Honolulu Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - PAI Honolulu

    Will they make vegetarian menu and for kids?

    Aloha Fate, We have vegetarian options readily available for our ala Carte, 3 and 4 course menus.… Read more

    Is there a new tasting menu for July?

    Aloha Emily! It’s currently our summer menu - the same menu as June. :)… Read more

    What is your corkage?

    Aloha Paul, Our corkage fee is currently $35/bottle.

    Aloha, My wife has a gluten allergy, I wanted to ask what's gluten free on your menu? Mahalo in…

    Aloha Joe, Thank you for your question! We can provide a gluten free tasting or prix fixe menu for your wife with a 48 hour notice. There are also options that are gluten free… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    4.3(190 reviews)
    0.2 miDowntown

    We just had a wonderful dining experience at Giovedì, where Italian food is served with a pan-Asian…read moreflair. Every single dish we sampled was exceptional. We ordered the Scallop Carpaccio, the Nairagi Crudo (striped marlin), the Spaghetti Arrabbiata, the Gnocchi Mapolonese, and the Char Siu Pork. While every dish dazzled us, the Nairagi Crudo, containing sliced marlin, Calabrian chili crisp, charred eggplant, and mint, was our favorite. Elise, our server, was extremely attentive and helpful. It turned out to be a memorable evening. We can't wait to go back. Highly recommended! Before tipping, we spent $176 for a two-person meal (no alcohol, no dessert, 2 mocktails, 2 appetizers, 2 pastas, and 1 protein).

    It was a nice experience, but im not sure I would go again, given the price and selection. The Milk…read moreBread was definitely amazing! The scallops were good because brown butter makes everything good. But the salad was anti climactic. Our main dishes were good but never wowed- and it felt like the menu never gave you a true idea what you were ordering so its kind of a blind order. I did like my take on the Vietnamese noodles though. The drinks were strong but meh. I remember it being enjoyable but its not memorable or recommendable. The desert Carrot Cake was a huge disappointment. Maybe its just not for me? We left a good half of it behind... The service was very good. Maybe not the most attentive but when it came around it was great and friendly, and very professional. I would go again if someone wanted to go, but I don't think ill return on my own accord

    Photos
    Giovedi - Outside

    Outside

    Giovedi - Capellini granchio.

    Capellini granchio.

    Giovedi - Dan mien vietnam amatriciana

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    Dan mien vietnam amatriciana

    Morimoto Asia Waikiki - grilled miso black cod

    Morimoto Asia Waikiki

    4.1(1.1k reviews)
    3.5 miWaikiki
    $$$

    I WISH I COULD GIVE MORE STARS!!!! WORTH THE PRICE! FOOD AND SERVICE IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!…read more Okay seriously, I've been to a ton of expensive high end restaurants and none have impressed me like this Morimoto's. When I tell you everything that came out was amazing.... Holy moly it was SO TASTY. EVERYTHING! I was even impressed with the fried rice with how much they served and how much was in it. I personally loved the fish carpaccio, rib eye, hamachi kama, wok vegetables and malasadas for dessert. The orange chicken was my least favorite but it was still good. Oh and the STICKY RIBS...... you HAVE to get them. So crispy yet tender.... I loved how everything we had bursted in my mouth with flavor and was something I couldn't make to that level at home. Service was amazing like any other fine dining restaurant, but for the first time, I felt like this one was worth the money for how good the food was. I will definitely be back!

    My bad review is entirely based on how terrible the food was. For context, we ordered Tonkatsu…read moreramen and Tsukemen dipping ramen. Ramen, according to the server, was the most popular thing on the menu, so how likely could it get messed up? Tonkatsu: Rich, but lacked any salt or had very little. We requested some salt and that instantly made the ramen better. The noodles had enough salt to carry it, but the broth was not great. It tasted like the broth was watered down or reconstituted, however no seasoning was added to re-adjust the broth. Broth: Had little salt and lacked punch, umami, and was brown instead of white. Noodles: Had enough salt to taste good, but was slightly overcooked Pork: Extremely bland. Tasted like zero salt was added during cooking. Toppings: Greatly lacking in toppings Tsukemen: The Tsukemen had a lot of the same issues. Now being a dipping ramen, the broth should be even richer and more flavorful than any normal ramen. Tsukemen -- no matter where you have it in Japan, should be richer and saltier than most broths, but the broth here was severely lacking. For $26 a bowl this was worse than your DIY frozen ramen packs. Now I'm not asking for Japan-level of ramen mastery here, this is after all, just a tourist spot -- but if your Tonkatsu is the best selling item, you have to step it up. Our server did mention that some people complained about the amount of salt in ramen, so they adjusted it. But dare I say, instead of diluting the normal salt/seasoning amount for everyone, couldn't you just add a separate, flavor-light version for people inexperienced with ramen, instead of diluting the original for everyone else? If you're reading this Mr. Morimoto, I would highly encourage you to fly here and order the ramen. I think you and I would share the same opinions. P.S. I've also been to your other Morimoto spots and it was not this bad.

    Photos
    Morimoto Asia Waikiki - Interior

    Interior

    Morimoto Asia Waikiki - Black pepper beef

    Black pepper beef

    Morimoto Asia Waikiki - Morimoto Asia Waikiki Ocean Front Lanai Dining

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    Morimoto Asia Waikiki Ocean Front Lanai Dining

    PAI Honolulu - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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