Excellent local ingredients and craft cocktails with coordinated attentive service. A la carte and prix fixe menus. Both lunch and dinner were fantastic. read more

Another amazing meal at Pai!! Everything they prepare is not only delicious, but also beautiful in color, presentation and balance. You can tell that Chef Kevin Lee and his team really love what they do and care about providing the ultimate culinary experience. The thoughtfulness extends beyond the kitchen to how they greet you, the extra touches like a basket for your purse, opening the door for you when you leave and the careful attention to details, like filling water and replacing utensils without you knowing it. Can't wit to my next Pai experience! read more

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Hands down the best place we ate on Oahu. Indescribable food; an insanely well balanced mix of textures and flavors. We got the 8 course Chef's Tasting Menu and HIGHLY recommend it!! Chef Kevin is a master of his trade. The staff was courteous and attentive, from the hostess to our server, Christian, who was hilarious and very sweet on helping us celebrate our engagement. We'll fly all the way to Hawaii again just to eat here!!! 10/10 experience! read more

Sitting here on Valentine's Day and wishing we had gone somewhere else. We booked the reservation a week in advance and were looking forward to the experience. On the eve prior to the reservation we got an invitation to Michelle's. We called to cancel and were told that the cancellation fee was $125 PER PERSON. Sadly we were not informed of this prior to booking. So we figured we would just have to go and enjoy this restaurant and hope the reviews were actual and factual. Sadly they were not. We arrived and tried to enter the restaurant. As we opened the door someone started yelling at us questioning us. It was the receptionist who was across the plaza. After confirming our reservation, we sat at the bar and the bartender proceeded to hand us the dinner menu without providing a drink menu. She then went on to prepare drinks and clean glasses for the next ten minutes. We waited patiently for her to return and offer us a drink. She then provided us with a drink menu. We ordered our food at that point. My girlfriend ordered the fixed menu with the wine pairing. I ordered from the appetizers menu. I ordered the salmon, oysters, and crab risotto. The first to arrive were the oysters. $23 for six small oysters on a plate of rock salt. They were tasty and would recommend them even if they are way over priced. Next arrived was the crab risotto. It was a fair size but was extremely salty. Now I love salt but this was like a salt lick. I was going to send it back but my girlfriend thought I shouldn't. It also smelled excessively fishy. So I tried to order another beer but our server ignored my waves and calls and eye contact and instead cleaned the dishwasher and bused the bar. Finally I got another beer and then watched my girlfriend get her food. Up until then she hadn't been given any food. She was served a taste of champagne but the portion was less than a third of a glass. She final got the shiitake mushroom soup. The presentation was beautiful but it was unintentionally served cold. Next she got a acorn squash with goat cheese fritter. Again small and paired with a tiny taste of wine. It did pair well. Next was the potatoes gratin (two tatter tots) and curry. Well they forgot to serve the pairing wine and I was forced to shout out for attention. This pairing was way off and felt like eating a ghost pepper and then trying to drink water. It was bad and clashed horribly. Not to mention that the curry tasted horrible and was way over salted. Finally I got my first ordered appetizer. Our server had forgotten to bring it and was asking me if I wanted something else when I had to reminder that she failed to serve my salmon order. The salmon was served on one inch toasty which were apparently dipped in salt. It was tasty but again way over salted. Lastly my girlfriend got her entre. 2 hours after ordering. It was a noodles with pureed pork. Again dipped in salt. The wine pairing was marginal. We then got a dessert which was the size of one bite. It was the best part of the meal. The pairing was great. Total time 2.5 hours. The place was half empty and should never have taken so long. The spacing between the courses was excessive especially since we had different menu items. So I got my food first and then watched my girlfriend eat alone. The server was extremely inattentive or just couldn't care less. Bottom line, not worth the price. Tapas are traditionally not supposed to be expensive. read more

Went for lunch today. Had the dry-aged beef burger and the charcuterie sandwich. Both were excellent! Everything on the plate is house made... the ketchup, the wonderful chips, the bread, the hamburger bun, and even the charcuterie and dry-aged beef... all done in-house. Service was impeccable. This is a great place to take clients. read more

I've only been to PAI once, for a work lunch, so please note this review is based solely on that one experience. The ambience/decor at PAI is very modern and beautiful and definitely 5 stars. The place looks and feels expensive and the menu also is expensive so it sets a high expectation for the food. We were there as a large party of coworkers for lunch. It took a long time for them to bring out our food. Most of our food was lukewarm when brought out. So we speculated that one person must have ordered something that took longer to make. One person from the group actually saw a bunch of our orders ready and just sitting waiting to be brought to our table. I think it would have been nice if they gave complementary bread and butter while we waited, and they definitely should have managed the time better so that our orders came to our table fresh and hot. Most of the group said their food was okay/good but not amazing for the price. I had the kabocha (spelling?) risotto because back then I was trying to eat plant based and it was one of the meat free choices. I kind of thought it needed salt and more of a pumpkin flavor. It was bland. I would come back again for dinner since there are a lot of good reviews on here. read more

This is such a great restaurant! The staff is so amazing. I loved that they had a basket for my purse to go under my chair. We sat at the counter and got to watch Chef Kevin and his staff prepare our food, which was awesome to see. It was so fun to watch them prepare and guess which course would be our next one. They were on point with food presentation and arrangement. It was an amazing night out and an overall excellent dining experience. The dining room was small but it had such a great feel to it. I actually preferred it to a big dining room. It was a special treat as well for us to see that they had some wine from the Finger Lakes region as well on their wine list. We will definitely be coming back! read more

PAI Honolulu - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

One of our new faves, and bar none one of the best meals I have had in my life! Chef Kevin is a culinary genius and his menu is amazing. The wine pairing by Matthew, the sommelier, was inspired... There were varietals in the pairing we had not tried, goes to show that the world is a great, big place, and there are lots more drinking to be done. The prix fixe dinner for two w / optional food item and all wines was not cheap. But well worth a night out. I want to keep this place a secret but since there are all these reviews already, I guess it might be a not very well kept secret! Food has just the right amount of seasoning (most HI restaurants serve food too salty), service was great, wines were great, everything was great! Definitely a top restaurant to try! read more

Was introduced to PAI by meeting chef rocky who showed us wonderful hospitality as well as the rest of the amazing staff. Great Flavors all around. Chefs table is the place to sit. With a open view kitchen u can see all the hard work and amazing techniques. Every dish comes out picture perfect . Highly recommended . read more

Service was great. Food was awful. I have never experienced a tasting menu this expensive that I truly wish would have ended half way through. I did not enjoy one taste. It is hard to elaborate it was that bad. read more

Food A ++++++. Very original and tasted amazing! Service A++++++. Very attentive staff always have a smile and ready for your next course. Ambiance A++++++. Very intimate, light, clean and uncluttered. I would come here time and time again. LOVE IT! read more

Their foi gras, mushroom puff, femme fatal drink and dessert were great! However, the place lacks ambience and feels too sterile. The oysters were good but I can get oysters anywhere. I barely remember what I had for my main dish because it was forgettable. My husband did not enjoy his food either. We did not get the chef course, though, so that experience may be very different. Service was great, however! For the cost, I really was expecting much more! read more

If you're breaking out of your Covid bubble in Honolulu and ready to experience an impressive restaurant, give Pai Honolulu a visit. My husband read an intriguing article, and since he enjoys a new dining adventure, he made reservations. Our party of 3 arrived at 5:00 pm, when they opened. We were the first to roll in that Saturday evening. A warm greeting, temperatures taken, masks worn and all wearing gloves, it looked like we would be in good hands. The cocktail menu was inventive and the descriptions unique. It was difficult to decipher the best choice for myself. The drink I chose was called Popo's Peanut Candy and it arrived at the table under a glass globe filled with smoke. The cocktail was heavenly. I will come back for that alone! The dinner menu was equally imaginative with minimal choices as they recreate the options frequently. I chose the 3-course meal in which I could select an appetizer, entrée and dessert from the menu. I picked the Crab & Avocado appetizer to begin, the Seared Scallop Entrée and Mango Panna Cotta for dessert. I...loved...everything! Our service was impeccable. And trust my impression; I waited tables for many years. Each friendly staff member showed curtesy, paid attention to detail and we were never left wanting. The room slowly filled up as the evening progressed. What a fine savoir-faire to break the mundane routine of months of home cooking. I look forward to visiting Pai again. Maybe I'll just sit at the bar and have that delectable smoked cocktail once more. read more

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4 stars only because I don't give out 5. Its a thing. Kevin and his crew prepared a vegetarian tasting menu for us that absolutely was one of the best meals Ive ever had. A very nice treat and we left 100% happy. Highly recommended. read more

If you're looking for some American Asian fusion food, try PAI Honolulu. Very good dishes worth trying. We had the Chef's Tasting menu the first time we ate there. The second time we did Mothers Day brunch. Chef Kevin's dishes are very delicious, especially when he serves up the aged beef. The staff was very courteous and accommodating aa well. If you're a "foodie", this place is a MUST to try. read more

Unbelievable cocktails and presentation. Loved this restaurant SO much.

Made reservations easily on open table for 2, requesting a vegan prie fix menu. Parking is a breeze in harbor court parking, $3 flat rate. Greeted immediately by host who opened the door for us and brought a basket to hold my purse in while dining. Personalized menu with my name and courses laid out so we knew what to anticipate. I ordered the 'on the wagon' drink which is non-alcoholic made with fresh fruit, but of course added vodka which is an option for only $2 extra....totally worth it. My drink was spectacular. Refreshing, fresh strawberry purée with ginger simple syrup and lime juice. Our waiter Matthew was attentive, friendly, and service was impeccable. Now the food. As a vegan, there are very few restaurants where you can get a 'fancy' elevated meal (without just resorting to ordering a bunch of sides) and this place killed it. Amouse Bouche was a papadom grilled eggplant. Eggplant was smokey and smooth. Chilled corn soup was next and taking it to next level, they pour the soup tableside in a gorgeous ceramic bowl with tomatoes, pickled cherries and tarragon. Soup was creamy and luscious. My favorite of the night was the toppogi, Korean rice cake served with oyster mushroom, shiitake and kabocha squash. Another home run was chef Kevin's roasted cauliflower with black eyed peas and maitake mushroom. Last course was a creamy, rich rice pudding with fresh cherries and basil. I thought I gave up fine dining when we became vegan, but Pai has really brought it with the level of service, presentation and taste. If you want a night out with a special someone, go here and get the prie fix. My only complaint, I could have gone for another round of the entire menu. The chefs fiancé Justine came to check on our experience, and she was sweet, attentive and again I cannot express how excellent the service is, even more impressive since they only opened 4 wks ago. What a great addition to Honolulu and even more exciting since the chef knows and understands how to make vegetables sexy and tasty! read more

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Damn that was good. Move over Mavro. Tasting menus with wine pairings, but this man knows how to cook a vegetable. You really should come here and eat this. I had the 7 course veg tasting at the counter. Each course was light and intricately crafted and something I had never eaten before. Trying to remember the highlights, but I'm a little crocked and it was all so good. Sun chokes on sun choke pure smooth and buttery. Maitaki mushrooms and roasted broccoli smokey banana desert with rum. Orange wine. That's right, orange. And there are 4 of them on the wine list, and I never even knew there was one. Ok so you are going to drop some cheddar on this, but it is well worth it. Send your kids to a state school and spend their college fund on dinner. You won't regret it! Ok that was my first ever yelp review. How did I do? read more

Amazing dining experience! The chef was so creative with the dishes and the wine pairings were great too! read more

PAI Honolulu - Pan roasted Opa that was unreal. The sauce made even broccoli taste amazing. - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My hubby took me here for my birthday the other day. We. Had. The. Best. Experience. The server and staff were top notch, super friendly and super attentive. The hostess walked me to the ladies room twice with a big warm smile. We ordered the Chef's Tasting Menu with a wine pairing and each plate was unique and the presentation was beautiful. I enjoyed every bit of it. Every bite was a burst of delectable flavors. The dishes came out at a good speed. I did not feel rushed and I did not feel like I had to wait for another dish to arrive. I loved the open kitchen. It was entertaining to watch them prepare the dishes. The restaurant was modern, clean, and welcoming. Two thumbs up to Chef Kevin and Manager Justine. read more

Service was great. Ambiance good Food was very creative however the execution was not good. Wine pairing was okay as some of the pairings were a little mismatched With regards to the food, while i found the food to be creative, all but two of the dishes in the tasting menu was heavy handed in the salt department. Not to the point of being inedible, to the point of not letting the other flavors and ingredients shine, not even the wine. The dishes were close to being great however the execution was a little flawed. For example there was a turnip dish with XO sauce. My first bite into the turnip was fine however when you hit the XO sauce it was too salty and masked all the other ingredients. If the chef used either less XO sauce or had less salt in the XO sauce the dish would have fared better. The same held true for other dishes like the 60 day dry aged steak. I couldn't taste the beef. As for execution the chawan mushi would have been well received by people who haven't experienced a good chawan mushi. I have had my share of chawan mushi and the mark of a good one is not only good flavor, the consistency should be silky soft almost like silken tofu, not thick like custard. Of course this is my opinion and others may love the dish however when you are serving fusion foods in this price range with a high level of culinary aspirations you should be held technically accountable to how a dish should be executed. The same goes for the butter mochi dessert, it was too dry and lacked that buttery taste and feel. Overall all the food has potential and too much salt is an easy fix. Hopefully it was a case of the chef not tasting the dishes rather than that being the flavor profile he was aiming for. Would I go there again? Not for $200++ per a person. read more

Such a great experience we had, we came last minute for NYE and the co-owner of the place was so friendly and helpful. They offered us a couple cocktails while we were waiting for our table (complementary) the. We proceed to our table great romantic music and Staff was really friendly we ordered a couple appetizers and then the main course. Everything was amazing I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

More like a 3.5 but this is just based on the burger (which I had high hopes for) and a few beers. The flavor of the burger was nice, tasted like eating a steak, but the texture was off. I can describe it best as saying that biting into the burger felt like biting into several large warm worms. There was separation of each ground piece of meat into large tubes that were formed as the patty. It didn't take away from the flavor, but the sensation was so strange it was hard to enjoy. I don't consider my palate to be particularly bourgeois but I couldn't get the sensation of biting into worms out of my head the entire meal. I did see a few other dishes pass by to other tables that looked fantastic, so I will go back to try something else. read more

Love trying new places to eat so after finding this restaurant on yelp and looking at all the amazing photos I was super excited. Unfortunately this restaurant did not live up to the hype. The service is great and would get a 4 stars but since we all really care about the good I based my review on the food. We tried a ton of items- 1) deviled eggs- the worst, don't order them they basically give you whipped mayo 2) Saba salad- this was my favorite of the night and I would order it again 3) fried fish- a totally anorexic fish there was hardly any meat 4) sorbet- the smallest scoop of sorbet I've ever had. So those were some of my opinions and the food never came to fruition, the nice staff that says all the food is "good" and the high prices make this place a one and done. Next! read more

Nice location, great food, great service and I like their atmosphere. I ordered their oyster, dips, some cocktails. I really liked their wine list. read more

Ate at the chefs table. Could barely hear the dude presenting the dishes and the kitchen staff had no personality. A few of the dishes were so salty I couldn't finish the already tiny portions lol. I don't mind paying for good food and I usually do but $600 for the meal not including tip left a worse taste than the salty ass dishes lol. Oh and we didn't even have alcohol. Compared to vintage cage and senia this place doesn't come close. Definitely won't be back. read more

The dinner and service was fabulous! I highly recommend trying this place no regrets. The only thing I regret is not trying it sooner. Must try! read more

I was really excited about trying PAI after reading many reviews about them. I emailed them to find out if they had gluten-free options. Justine emailed me their menus indicating which were gluten-free. However, I am not sure they fully understand what gluten-free means as they noted a few dishes as gluten-free but with traditional soy sauce. Traditional soy sauce has wheat in it. But no problem. Justine and me continued to email back and forth and I made reservations with her. When we arrived at PAI, although Justine made it a point to make my reservations for me, I was still not on the books. But that was fine as the place was empty. Our server/host was EXCELLENT! In fact, Gabriel was the best part of our whole experience. He was attentive, well versed on the menu, and had a great demeanor. We ordered several dishes with my thoughts listed below: Beet Salad: The beet salad was very nice. Bright flavors. Good textures. Cauliflower: This was a good dish but not great. It seemed that the cauliflower was steamed beforehand and then quickly roasted. This diluted the flavor. The sauce was too much. Very thick and not a lot of curry flavor. Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras: This was good. Again, bright flavors. Contrasting textures. Rich but not over the top. Sunchoke Risotto: This was the not good at all. Way too salty. There were charred broccoli florets on top that added nothing to the dish. The best part was the pumpkin seeds mixed into the risotto. Definitely wouldn't not recommend. We didn't eat past one bite. Braised Short-Rib: This was also only a good dish. The short-rib may have been braised but it was only medium well on the inside. It also felt like it had been heated up in a pan as there was a crust on the outside. Ice Tea: The tea was good but I was shocked that they charged me for a refill. The parking is great. Over all ambiance was nice. Gabriel was professional. Other than that, it was an ok experience. read more

We ate at the Chef's counter. Such fun being able to watch the action while enjoying amazing food with perfect wine pairings. Atmosphere and staff completed the experience. I'm looking forward to going back soon. read more

Love this place! The ambiance is great! Chef Kevin and staff only deliver perfection. Great food, wonderful people, and drinks beyond expectation. Definitely A "MUST EXPERIENCE!!!" read more

My wife and I had our 10 year wedding anniversary dinner here. I've wanted to try this place since it first opened but time was an issue. So, finally on our wedding anniversary we had time to make it out. We both had the Chef's tasting menu and premium wine pairings. The menu was pricey, but of course when you fine dine you have to dig deep into your wallet. The way Chef Kevin puts his dishes together is such masterpiece. I was watching everything that was going on in the open view kitchen, he inspects every dish before it goes out and that's what I call the love and art for food. The food was delicious. Every dish that came out you didn't want to mess with because it looked too beautiful to eat. The dish that struck me the most was the "Agedashi XO Turnip Cake" wow I could eat a whole plate of this dish. It was a play on Agedashi Tofu. The turnip cake was made with smoked akule, papaya, ti leaf broth. Hands down my favorite dish. If you got the time head on down to this place. read more

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If you truly wanna enjoy something different, this is the place to be. The food is remarkable- the creativity that comes out of the kitchen is unmatchable. If you're a person who really enjoys the fine dining experience then sit at the chefs table and get that personalized experience. Food was great, service was great, ambiance was great! read more

Owners, Chef Kevin and Justine, have created an upscale, elegant space setting the background for an exquisite dining experience. Upon walking in the door, the service was very personable and outstanding. Chef Kevin and his team meticulously and thoughtfully prepared each item which was a symphony for the senses...artistically presented...of the highest quality...with fresh local ingredients. Delicious, delicious,delicious! PAI is definitely a gem. An outstanding dining spot, in the heart of downtown-to sit back, relax and enjoy the finer things in life amongst the company of friends. read more

The experience that my boyfriend and I had was amazing! The food was very unique and delicious. Definitely an experience that every person must try. The drinks were also good. My boyfriend had 6 drinks and just couldn't get enough. Parking is in the building and only $3 for the day. Super cheap! It's also 24 hour parking. The staff provided excellent service and really went above and beyond to make sure that we had an unforgettable experience. We also met the manager, Justine who was awesome and genuinely kind person. It's a very relaxing, comfortable place and the people there are really down to earth and my boyfriend and I enjoyed talking and getting to know them. I'm glad that we went and we now will continue go back. read more

Service is excellent. Food was imaginative and well presented. Their efforts at wine pairings mostly missed their marks. Atmosphere much nicer than Senia. read more

The chef is brilliant and the atmosphere here is amazing. Great service, great people, and great food. Definitely recommend this place if you want a great experience. read more

A wonderful meal. Our choices were perfectly done. Service was excellent. We enjoyed the specialty cocktails, the starters, and the special whole fish special.which was an amazing presentation. One of the best meals I have had in Honolulu in a number of years read more

Not sure why this place got 4.5 points review. We ordered chief's menu and most of dishes are too salty. Two meat dishes are just acceptable. I expect more professional service with $145 per person price. My waiter was good, but the chief did not response our complains. (I barely do this or even write a negative review) read more

In one word fabulous!! Loved everything about Pai restaurant the food, ambience , exceptional staff. Can't wait to return for more of the fabulous vegetarian options. read more

PAI Honolulu - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A brief review: The food was unique and delicious. The service was both professional and personable. The staff was simply awesome. Perfect balance of poise, knowledge, and friendliness. We had such a good time and can't wait to go again for our next special occasion. read more