Celebrated a birthday last night at Pai. I've walked by the site over the years without being enticed to try the various food providers that have occupied the atrium space. I'm so glad my husband chose Pai with an open mind and heart. I am in awe of Chef Kevin Lee's skills and palate. Everything we ate was satisfying from the first bite to the last. Such deep flavor, satisfying textures, beautiful presentations. Staff are very professional and attentive; reflects high level training and good hiring practices. I hope more people help to keep this chef in our community! read more

The food at PAI is adequate for the price. There is an advanced level of flavor blending behind some of the dishes in the chef's tasting menu. The escargot and chilled lobster dish were jubilant. The sorbet tasted like freshly stewed apples straight from upstate New York - highlight of the courses for me. The wine pairing for the chef's tasting is extensive. I'll use a few words straight from the attending sommelier to describe them: "a chug-able rosé", which was followed by "a red with pretty uncharacteristic notes that could be from anywhere". I am sure that any winemaker would blush with pride when hearing those high praises. I'd use the latter sommelier description to sum up the entire experience. Uncharacteristic, could be anywhere. read more

Nice new clean restaurant downstairs of the old Palamino. Went with a group of 4 on Tuesday evening. Mathew gave us A#1 top quality service and the hostess outside has a beautiful smile. 5 stars Ordered the chefs sampler and some of the other dishes without wine. 4 +stars for presentation but almost every dish was over salted. 1 star I could not help but laugh at the expression on the faces of my guests. "What the hell is this"? I cant believe how much salt they use. "No this is not healthy for anyone to eat". Just a few comments we uttered at the table. I really wanted to enjoy the meal. Seriously wanted to be pleased by this new place / new dish but have to be real. Dish after another dish hoping it was all a mistake. Next dish will be good, no next will be better- give this a chance...uh Thumbs way down. Uh oh high blood pressure swollen joints tonight. Must drink lots of water. I can say the beef tar tar toast was good. My theory is that the dish is supposed to go with wine thus the over salting. My partner disagreed and said it was not the case and sent back one of the dishes. We thought she was exaggerating but it was so salty it was inedible. They graciously took it back and did not include that on the bill. Oysters are tiny and a bit fishy for about 1/2 of them despite the chili pepper water/ sauce. Pasta made perfectly al dente again dish over salted. Guava smoked icecream too sour like a lemon bomb. No would not go there again-sadly salty swollen and disappointed. Too bad it was a terrible food experience for all. Very expensive food experience too. read more

You are the apple of my PAI. Seriously, this restaurant finds the perfect balance of refined casual chic. I'll have to admit, I do miss the plethora of amazing restaurant options I was spoiled with when I was living in LA, but I'm so grateful to find a handful of restaurants like these that satisfy my cravings for an elevated, local dining experience. I love the floor to ceiling walls that invite passerby's to peer in to the bright and welcoming dining room and open kitchen. I love the intimate nature of this restaurant, it really lends to the charm and experience of dining here, as did the welcoming nature of the staff. The fact that they are just a few weeks in was impressive, because everything ran so smoothly without the usual growing pains that a lot of new restaurants tend to experience. We had the Prix Fixe menu (favorite dish was the He'e Ragu). Being the lush that I am, I had to go with cocktails over wine pairings (I'm a big fan of the Kohana Daiquiri and Curse of the Golden Flower), and for dessert, I washed it down with a neat Diplomatico. Each dish was thoughtful, fresh, and satisfying. Can't wait to come back and belly up at the Chefs counter! read more

I got a personalized menu! Wait, that's just the start of a wonderfully delicious meal. We were seated as soon as we arrived. Everyone was friendly. The restaurant looked like it seats less than 40 guests. And I got a personalized menu! Hehe, on to the food. There were WAY too many dishes with mushrooms on the prix fixe menu, so I had to go with the chef's tasting menu, where they removed or substituted the items with mushrooms. The others had the prix fixe menu. First off, this place is somewhat similar to the original Vintage Cave menu - lots of small dishes that lead up to one satisfying meal. My starter was a panna cotta with guava and miso marinated baby abalone that wasn't on the menu. Very interesting combo.The mentaiko taramosalata was a bit salty from the mentaiko, balanced by the lavash. The squash salad was surprisingly good, considering I don't like butternut or kabocha. The turnip cake was crispy and at times crunchy. Not easy to break that shell, but tasty when you do. The chawanmushi was ok. I didn't care that for the combo with oyster, preferring shrimp any time. The tortellini gave a burst of flavor with the sauce. I wish that dish was doubled. The teeny tiny canoli that came next was not on the menu but absolutely delish! The black cod had apple, but I couldn't taste it. I didn't realize there were so many colors available for beets - pink, red and yellow in just one dish. Our dessert transition, butternut ice cream, turned out to be one of my favorite dishes. Maybe it's time to try more butternut dishes. The chocolate haupia seemed to be missing the haupia. Two of the others could taste but it was so subtle I couldn't find it. Just looking at the dish made me think of ganache, but the chocolate was surprisingly light and well balanced by the lilikoi curd. We had some alcohol, but I couldn't remember their names, just the dessert wine that contained 17% alcohol and 83% taste. All in all, a very enjoyable meal. I'd definitely return if invited. read more

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PAI is awesome! Chef Kevin has an excellent sense of Eurasian food combinations. We've eaten here for both group dinners (10 people) as well as intimate dinners and the food is consistently spectacular! It isn't a large place, so reservations are recommended. A bit pricy, but well worth it! Chef Kevin has out paced Alan Wong and Roy Yamaguchi as my new favorite chef (and that says a lot from this 40-year kamaiana). read more

PAI Honolulu - Vertigo! Yum - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

If you're looking for a amazing fine dining experience, I really recommend PAI Honolulu!! The service is great but not overbearing. The food quality is fantastic and I love how clean the place is. If you really know me, you know that I don't like eating anywhere that's dirty. I also love the presentation of the food! I would definitely come here again and I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to dine here. Once you've tasted their food, I know you'll want to come back for more. read more

Allow me to share my experience at PAI via hashtags: #welcoming #fresh #peculiar #innovative #supreme #stunning #playful #topnotch #salivating #WOW Indeed, a perfect definition of food celebration. Amazing concept Chef Kevin Lee. Truly an experience to be repeated and highly recommended. ***** Five Star Dining and Services! read more

I've been here several times, tried to various prix fixe and chef tasting menus and always blown away by the types of flavors that Chef Kevin is able to evoke. I have enjoyed the seasonal times from both the menus and the bar menu. I'm even more impressed with service as they have been flexible with making accommodations for those in our party with food allergies. I'm addition Justine and her team always makes us feel welcome. Will look forward to the next season's inventive menu! read more

Aloha, a new member to the high-end trendy restaurants in Honolulu with prix-fixe menu by chef & som (Kevin & John) from known restaurants. So anticipating to have a view of the harbor at the former Palamino's, I was surprised when I walked into a wedding store on the 2nd floor, which she scooted us out to go downstairs. Confused we followed directions into the interior of the 1st floor and found Pai, oops no view. A small venue seating approximately 30 pax. A nice trendy renovation with lots subdued colors & lighting of a former lunch cafe, I liked that they gave me a wicker box for my purse, nice touch. An 8 course meal for $150 with wine parings $65 more. Fusing over the wines, we decide half of us would try the wine pairing as well as opening our own wines (corkage $30) and order a few signature cocktails. Food was good, trendy, local yet euro-influenced, wines were interesting & different yet paired well, but know the portions are small and pours are smaller (no 2nd pour). I liked that you could chose sparkly water over still, nice. The toilets are across the hall, into the building, with a key...hmmm. There is parking in the building, but on the 5th floor and they don't validate, hmmm. I really hope they succeed, but I'm a little concerned that they might need to do a little more... read more

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After reading all the rave reviews, we were excited to try it out for Valentine's Day. We made a reservation on OpenTable for the bar seating since that was the only availability left. A few days later, I receive a voicemail from PAI asking for any food allergies and if we preferred to order the chef's tasting menu or the prix fixe menu. I called back to request the tasting menu, but was told by the manager that that option was only available for the counter or table seats. It seemed that whoever called me earlier had miscommunicated, but she was able to move us to a table near the bar and assured us we'd be able to pick between the two menu options on the night of our reservation. Upon arrival, we discovered that we in fact could not order the tasting menu for some reason. When we asked the waiter, he simply said that they don't offer the tasting menu for "this side" of the restaurant. The courses started arriving and honestly, it was a letdown. We expected to have this amazing meal and to be blown away like the other Yelpers, but sadly, it didn't happen. Here was our $85 prix fixe: - Shiitake Mushroom Soup: For an upscale restaurant, tell me why I'm eating beansprouts and wakame, which are toppings I usually see in a $8 bowl of ramen? The soup was heavily salted with no other flavor element to it, so a huge thumbs down on this dish. However, I did enjoy the sourdough toast with shiitake mousse. - Acorn Squash Salad: I really liked the goat cheese fritter, but that's it. I love kabocha, but they made it weirdly peppery which completely took over its naturally sweet flavor, so it was unenjoyable. - Potato Au Gratin with 75 Day Dry Aged Beef Striploin ($45 more): My least favorite dish. The curry was unnecessarily spicy, and you only get two small strips of steak. I instantly regretted ordering the steak, not only was it way overpriced, but there wasn't anything impressive about it flavor wise. It sort of reminded me of a cross between beef jerky and prosciutto, both under-seasoned. The kale chips and carrots also felt like an afterthought. - Winter Truffle Black Bean Sparerib Mein: This dish was actually pretty tasty. It had a good blend of flavors, but the spareribs were very tough, and I felt like the peanuts could've been left out. I just found it a bit odd seeing plain crushed peanuts as a topping on my pasta dish at a restaurant of this stature. - Banana Cream Pie: This was the least disappointing out of all the dishes. I enjoyed it a lot, but just wish it was more than two bites. After our meal, we were left speechless, and not it a good way. We were trying to decide which dish was our favorite, but concluded there were none, and that's pretty disappointing considering it was $130 per person. The flavor profiles just didn't wow us and the elements on each dish were not cohesive and did not compliment each other. The ambiance was nice and the staff were attentive, but I felt the organization of the restaurant needs improving. We were only 3 tables away from a couple who were enjoying the tasting menu, but unfortunately, we were sitting on the wrong "side". Ultimately, it was a blessing in disguise considering we didn't enjoy the prix fixe menu anyway. read more

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If you are looking for supreme, exceptional dining service, Pai is definitely the place to go. The staff accommodates their guests eminently well at the moment you walk in. The variety of courses provides guests with all of the 5 foundational tastes at a phenomenal level. The opulent design of the place in addition to the lavish table setting especially aid in making the guests experience more pleasurable. The restaurant is particularly skilled at proving a variety of textures and flavors to their courses. It is very evident to see that the chefs are very knowledgeable and put an abundance of thought and time into each dish. One of my personal favorite experiences was being able to customize my drink from an accommodating bartender. I would highly recommend this place especially for their unique and extravagant desserts. Overall, the experiences you get from Pai are certainly unforgettable and you will leave feeling exceedingly satisfied and delighted. read more

I'm having very mixed feelings about this place. #1. It was empty on a Friday at 7pm. Empty. #2. The bartender made us Whiskey highballs but then came back to the table to ask if they were ok and could she add anything to it. Umm.... huh? Do you not know how to make a highball? #3. The food. Kanpachi crudo - it was the best dish we ate. Innovative yes. Pretty on the plate yes. Was it the best I've ever had, no. The albondigas tasted more like sausages. It wasnt good. The seared foie gras. I wanted to like it because who doesnt like duck liver. But I wasn't feeling the combo on the plate. The rhubarb mouse and graham crackers were too sweet for my taste. #4. The location/atmosphere. It's very underwhelming. Hard to find first of all. I think we took an elevator and 2 seperate stairwells and multiple flights of stairs in the strange confusing garage. What genius designed that? No bathroom in sight. Probably located in the office building somewhere. #5. Service was great. But yo, we were the only table so ... Perhaps the experience would have been different if there were actually other people there? Not sure. I personally didnt like this restaurant or my experience. read more

The meal was awesome as well as the service from the staff. It was a true blessing and my family really enjoyed all the food that was prepared. read more

My fiance and I visited PAI on our last visit home to Hawaii. Service, food and drinks were all amazing. The staff members were all fantastic and really nice to chat with. We're looking forward to being back next year, when we visit again, and trying some new menu items! read more

Chef Kevin is a master of flavors & textures. Literally everything that is put on your plate is extremely well thought out and leaves you craving more. If you want a high end fantastic meal with some great cocktails & a friendly service you should definitely try this place out. read more

We were there in late September and ordered the chef's tasting menu. The staff was friendly and the service was excellent. But for fine dining, I found the taste to be a disappointment. First course the chilled lobster and cornbread was excellent but further on, a few of the courses were a bit on the salty side. Overall, I would not recommend at this price point. read more

What a great experience we had here! My boyfriend and I came her for his birthday dinner. We selected the four course pre fixe menu with wine tastings and decided to add two courses. We added the foie gras and the dry aged steak. I loved the foie gras and my bf really like the dry aged steak. When you order the dry aged steak a good thing to know is that it's a small portion, but it's genuinely all you need. The meat is so rich we couldn't even finish it and had to take the rest home. The wine tastings were great and were all new wines I had not tried before. Our server Nelson was awesome and very knowledgable. He even gave us a list of food an wine recommendations when we left. Other reviewers did emphasize that the food was salty and that is the only critique I can give the restaurant. The food is definitely on the saltier side, so I would consider that when thinking about dining here. read more

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Excellent food. Served hot and tasty. Magnificent fusion of flavors. I didn't have the wine pairing, but my wife did, and she said everything complemented the meal. Service was impeccable. Definitely coming back. read more

Great place for pau Hana! Located inside harbor court. Came here one day after work and although they were busy, they were very accommodating and seated us right away. We sat at the bar and ordered a drink. Our bartender was very nice and had knowledge of drinks to recommend based on what we wanted. They make the drink in front of you, and even keep the alcohol bottles out in case you wanted to see what type of alcohol they use. Would definitely come back here to try the food. read more

PAI Honolulu - I forgot what this was called but it's such a pretty drink. - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

PROS: Great & unique flavors. Ambiance is nice. Trendy. Presentation of food is nice. Service is good. CONS: Way overpriced. Expect to wait a bit for food to come out. (I got the chef's tasting menu. Once food came out, timing was good) Definitely need to give this place a try at least once. read more

First class from start to finish. I put in a reservation request the day of and received a call as soon as they opened to confirm. We were seated at the bar, receiving fantastic service and information from Kira (sp?) the lead bartender for the duration of the meal. Great whiskey selection and amazing cocktails that she has developed herself (try the "Where's the Beef"). 5-course price fixe menu was well thought out - my favorite part was the second course incorporating squash. 5-star quality food but a nice relaxed atmosphere. Highly recommend! read more

PAI Honolulu - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I read about Pai Honolulu recently and decided to order takeout. The Pai Special was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. The spicy tomato jam was delicious and the ciabatta bread was soft inside with a nice crust. It came with kettle chips which I did not expect to be home made! So yum! Don't leave without trying a red velvet cookie...so chewy with a generous amount of chocolate chunks. I'm recommending Pai Honolulu to my friends. read more

We got the tasting menu one of the best places I ever ate at . It was amazing from start to finish. All I can say is wow !!! read more

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The dishes here are very innovative. The charcuterie selection was great; the bread is excellent. Somehow, our service was a bit lacking, considering the house was not full. A bit pricey. read more

we did the chefs tasting menu and it was amazing! i loved everything we had. although it may seem small and decorative, its actually pretty filling. we thought we were still going to be hungry but after we left i was super full... i cant imagine how full id be if i did it with the wine pairings. so it is pricey - dont get me wrong. but the food was soo good. one of our things was a little salty but the quality of everything was amazing. read more

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I've been to PAI one time before for just drinks, but I really loved the chill atmosphere and modern decor. I finally had the pleasure of trying their food last week, and I was pleasantly surprised. I got the cioppino, which came with some homemade sourdough type bread. Everything tasted alright, but the cioppino was a little fishy for me, but that might just be me. I also thought this dish would've tasted better with rice versus the bread, but again that is just my preference. Overall, the service was great and the ambience was even greater. I really give them props for their decor as it looked like a modern New York hip restaurant tucked away in the borders of downtown Honolulu. I definitely will be coming here again to try other dishes. :) read more

Celebrated our anniversary and they personalized the menu. They knew it was our anniversary and really made it special. We did the pre fixe 4 course and we were not disappointed. Service was wonderful and food was delicious. Would definitely recommend this place for all occasions. read more

Chef Kevin Lee has opened a most amazing dining spot in downtown Honolulu. Beautiful decor, great wine, awesome service, and the most delicious food. Chef Lee is a master at his craft. read more

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We had an amazing meal. Did the Prix Fixe menu. Loved every dish, delicately arranged, full of flavor, served on unique pottery, and with a view of Chef Lee directing. We were lucky to get a reservation on such short notice, and I'm positive it was only possible because it has been open less than 6 months. My favorite part of the meal was the very first bite, so surprisingly delicious. read more

PAI Honolulu - Lobster Risotto with creamed foam topping, perfect portion. - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Have dined on several occasions in the past for dinner, and each has been a pleasurable experience. Was glad to try this restaurant for the first time during restaurant week back in 2019, and couldn't have been happier. Nice plating, wonderful flavors, soothing ambiance, and attentive/friendly staff. Have been seated at the chef's counter during all of my visits, and you can tell that Chef Kevin truly cares about the dining experience and his culinary craftsmanship. Looking forward to dining here again in the future! read more

Had such a great meal with my husband here last night. We sat at a table and had the prixfixe menu. Everything was great. Especially the he'e pasta... to die for and I am not usually a pasta eater. Service was great and my husband enjoyed all of the wine pairings. (I'm pregnant nd enjoyed my delicious water!! But they do have a lot of non alcoholic options. ) I look forward to coming back. read more

We should not have broken our unwritten rule about not eating in empty restaurants. On a Thursday at 8 no less. It must have been an off night because much of dinner bordered on inedible. A very heavy hand with salt and spice obliterated most of the dishes except for the parsnip risotto which did not hand any parsnip taste. What bothered me most was the short pour on the wine. If you put the words 5 ounce pour on the wine list then do it. I work at a wine bar and know what 3 ounce pours look like and they were that at best and 15$ ea. These were not the premium pours where there was a 3 ounce option. each. And those quarter sized 4$ gougere would be an amuse anywhere else. We left most of our plates unfinished. We told our server about the problems we had with the meal. No one cared. I have to believe that better dining options exist. read more

My family of 4 wanted to try Pai's. Went for lunch. Excellent hidden gem in downtown Honolulu. We had a beef brisket sandwich. A Charcuterie sandwich. Pappardelle. Seafood bisque in a breadbowl. Everything was made from scratch. From the bread, potatoe chips, the meats. The attention to detail was displayed in the taste and flavors. Oh dessert was excellent. Will be back. read more

Chefs tasting menu was delicious. Some of my friends thought the portions were too small. It was perfect for me. We all enjoyed a wonderful evening. Would definitely come back to try the bar menu. read more

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Can't be sure if a prix fixed lunch on Mother's Day is indicative of what this restaurant can really offer on a normal dining night but Sunday was terrible. It started off with a misunderstanding of wheelchair access. My mother uses a wheelchair but can sit in a chair for meals. The restaurant did not have a chair for us thus my husband was standing for 5 min while they looked for an extra chair. We ordered the special oyster appetizers which were good but from then on it was down hill. The first course came with bacon, after waiting 40 min we asked for our next course which took them another 10 min. They brought out the benedicts, totally skipping over the French toast offering! When we mentioned it, the wait staff was a bit surprised then hurriedly covered it up with "Its on its way" When the French toast was delivered it was missing the bacon, good thing they put the bacon on the first course but by now we couldn't enjoy the savory with the sweet. We again had to ask for our desserts after a 30 min wait. I really think the staff lost our table's timing all through the meal. It was very unfortunate and I will not be back. read more

First night of Restaraunt Week spent at Pai Honolulu at Harbor Court with the hubby. I had the set menu which was a nice sampling of what they had to offer. Enjoyed the bay scallop crudo and most of all the foie gras and beef torchan. The lasagna was a bit rich for me..it would be a nice starter with a smaller portion rather than the entree. The Sticky rice cake provided a nice balance to this savory meal..the tofu gelato addition not a favorite. Wes ventured off the menu with furikake tater tops and the Naw Mai Gai. Amazing! He enjoyed every bite and yes there are slivers of truffle on top. I managed to sneak a few bites and definitely would come back again. read more

Truly, one of the best meals I've ever experienced. I've been fortunate enough to eat in a lot of wonderful spots around the world, but it's rare to find a place like this: both inspired and inspiring. From the moment I spoke to Justine on the phone I could tell this wasn't really a restaurant. It was more like a home Since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I've sadly discovered that the joy of eating in a restaurant is not to be expected. If I'm lucky, I often can order a meal that won't hurt me. I think back to what it was like to be able to just walk into a restaurant and enjoy the experience. Pai -- at once-- brought me back to that time, and also transported me to an inspired future, where I again allow myself to be open to the passion of food. Justine actually took the time to thoughtfully share details about the menu, and even emailed me a personalized version before I came. And what's more, I could eat just as special a meal as everyone else, because Justine and Kevin actually care and understand that a restaurant at it's best can be even more than a perfect meal. It can truly -- as their name suggests -- excite. The list of adjectives I would add to this is too long to include here, as would be a detailed account of all that we ate, but I will say that the highlight, for me, was green lipped mussels. The dish was truly perfect. Balanced, nuanced, daring and I swear, made me excited for a whole new year. It was that good. Mahalo, Justine and Kevin! read more

This review is for the bar only, as I was unable to stay for food - which looks fantastic by the looks of it. This was literally one of my favorite experiences at a bar counter. Jessica was so passionate and knowledgeable, it was like having a drink with a fun, interesting history lesson. You can tell she is passionate about what she does and truly cares about the entire experience. I love when I'm able to run into people in the world who actually love their job - it's a rarity. I'll be back for more delicious cocktails and food. read more

PAI Honolulu - Delicious cocktail, beautiful glass. - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This place is awesome! Everything from the full staff, the manager, drinks and food makes this place a must. Joe is an awesome bartender and excellent server. The manager even gave me her personal portable charger. My favorites were fun-guys, monks & pirates cocktail, steak tartare, curried cauliflower and naw mai gai Cornish hen entree! Very cool spot! read more