This place was ok. It's been sitting south of the crosswalk on Punchbowl these days, so I decided to check it out. The lady is nice enough, and the service is quick. But I didn't really care for the food. I ordered a mini-plate of garlic sauteed ahi with brown rice and tossed salad. My ahi was gray and already had that slimy covering like it had been sitting since this morning. Not much flavor to speak of as well. Normally I expect to have food from the lunchwagon cooked to order. But the food here was pre-prepared, which means it wasn't as great or as fresh as it could have been. I can understand if that's the M.O. of Simply Ono since it seems to be a one-person operation, but I don't really intend to go back unless I'm in a pinch for time. read more

When I'm pressed for time and am so hungry that Red Bull and candy won't cut it, I rush out to the Simply Ono food truck. I was initially really hesitant about trying it out but one day was so hungry that I decided to give it a try. I really appreciate that Simply Ono offers a variety of fish entrees and that it offers patrons a choice of mac or green salad. The salad dressing is a light and tasty vinegarette. In addition to fish entrees, they also offer local lunch options like hamburger curry and beef stew. I always order the ahi with ponzu sauce (mini $7) and it is always delicious and perfectly cooked. The lady who works there is super nice and I feel very comfortable that she is the one serving food-- it's always awkward when unhygienic individuals serve you food-- it makes me question the preparation. Great lunch! read more

"Next victim!" shouts the man in the truck. Those words are music to my ears since I am next to order. Simply Ono has been a delightful change to my usual Taco Hut or overpriced bento from Campus Center food court. Most of their plates are under $7 and the portions are generous! I agree with the reviewer before me that some items are hit or miss, especially the sauteed mahi. It was a little bit dry and not enough sauce. The rice to fish ratio was way off as well! Regardless, they have an extensive menu that will keep me entertained. With campus food going up next semester, I hope Simply Ono keeps their prices low since I predict myself visiting that truck a lot =) read more

This was the worst experience I've ever had with a food truck. They were at the Waikiki Aquarium's final Kani O Ke Kai concert and when I got in line, it was about 15 people deep. It took 25 minutes to get to the counter. All I wanted was a piece of banana bread and a piece of bread pudding. After making the order, it took another 25 minutes to get my food. When people in line started complaining loud enough for the truck people to hear, their response was not an apology, it was a statement that they were going in order. Sure, they had to put together the entrees, that takes time. But they weren't making the desserts on site - did I really need to wait 25 minutes for it? And when my name was finally called, the portion of the bread pudding was half as big as they were serving earlier in the evening. I'm usually a patient man, but they stole 50 minutes of my time. At a concert. read more

This place lives up to its name...Simply 'Ono! My co-workers and I look forward to the days their food truck is here at work. Pastele stew, gandule rice, winner. Prime rib, with REAL mash potatoes, au jus and horseradish is a must. Still have yet to try some staples that I have heard are good--baked spaghetti and beef stroganoff. The two ladies who work the truck are always friendly and accommodating...we tell them what we like, what to bring back, and they actually listen! Needless to say, they are to blame for my expanding waistline ...can't get enough! read more

Simply Ono - Prime rib, homemade mash, au jus and horseradish...oh my! - Food Trucks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is a great hidden location nestled inside the John Burns Medical Center in what was supposed to be a cafeteria. The menu changes daily and mostly has great new items weekly as well. As for the food, it's a hit and miss, with nothing terrible, but sometimes falls a little short. Never the less, the smoked meat is my go to item, but there beef stew is killer when it's done right. Also, the prices are awesome and for sure you will not leave hungry. read more

Simply Ono - Smoked meat chili bowl, seared ahi combo plate, cold ginger chicken plate. - Food Trucks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Love the convenience of this truck that's parked daily on Punchbowl, between Honolulu Hale and the State Library. There's not too many lunch choices in the area and the line for this truck never gets too long. Prices are ok (~$7-10) and plate lunch choices used to rotate daily/weekly but I noticed on their website that they recently got rid of their weekly menu. I gotta check it out again. They have pretty good portions but the quality is hit or miss (I've gotten mushy rice on several occasions - yuck). They offer local foods like sauteed garlic ahi, shoyu chicken, baked spaghetti, Hawaiian Plate lunches on Fridays (kalua, lau lau, lomi, poke in different combos), etc. Friendly lady that works in the truck at this location - for as many times as I've been here, I never asked her name, oopsies. Wouldn't be my first choice for a lunch wagon stop, but definitely a plus that the location is near work and I have it as an option. read more

So, being too lazy to make my own lunch this morning, in addition to being too lazy to walk any amount of more than 100 feet from work, I settled on the green lunch truck parked out by the State Capital on Punchbowl Street this afternoon. See, I work right around that area and there's probably 3-4 lunch options in 100 yards and in opposite directions. So, I made the quick and lazy executive decision to have lunch at the green truck. It was noon and after mulling over the options (many of which included Filipino food), I settled on the Club Sandwich. "Sold Out. No Mo." Hmmm... I hate that, it makes me think harder. The wheels had to really grind this time, but I finally picked their somen salad. It was already made and the as the man picked it up and handed it to me he said, "If you lookin' fo' one light lunch, dis not it." He was right. After handing over my $6 to the lady they handed me the bag and the buggah was heavy. I dragged myself back across the street, weather being really humid because of the morning rains. I finally got upstairs to my desk and unwrapped the package and popped open the styrofoam lid. A massive somen salad stared me in the face. Actually it was mostly the toppings. I moved some of it around and it seemed like the kamaboko was like half a stick of shredded kamaboko. Several eggs seemed to make up the shredded scrambled eggs. There was also a large chopped chicken and cucumbers. It was huge. I poured the sauce all over it and it was on. Ho, bruddah grind da whole ting. For $6, it was more than a bargain. Most of the rest of their menu hovers around the $6-$7 range as well. Man, I'm still full. read more

Simply Ono - Massive Somen Salad. - Food Trucks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I love their laulau and spicy poke combo. Its everything I want and nothing more. I haven't found any other place that offers this kind of combination - it seems to be a one of a kind. At a price point of $10 - I'm also very satisfied with the amount of food. Quantity for value! Just remember when you order - say the entree, (brown/white) rice, (toss/mac) salad. They offer a great daily rotation of food. Accepts credit cards Mon - Thurs. Friday is cash only. Not on campus on the weekends, holidays, school breaks, etc. read more

This is the dawn of the food truck. From racing across the country on the Food Network; to Eat the Street events and even catering small functions, the food truck has grown from it's Manapua Truck days. Simply Ono lives up to its name. It's a quick Hawaiian and local plate lunch truck. Serving such local items as lau lau, garlic ahi, shoyu pork along with a meatloaf sandwich and bbq pulled pork sandwich. I like that they offer toss salad, three bean salad and brown rice in addition to the standard side items. Their beef stew can stand up with the best of them. The vegetables were firm, not over cooked to the point of near baby food mushiness (yeah, it's a word) and the meat tender and plentiful. The kalua pig is definitely juicy although I could have use more flavor in the form of smoke and salt. Admittedly I do have a love affair with salty pork goods. Considering the amount of food they give you the prices are fair. When the nice lady gave me the plate I was taken back by the shear weight of it. Of course my first thought was that it was mostly rice...yeah, not so much. In fact, quite the opposite. The rice portion is generous but it's no filler. More than half the the plate was all main dish. If you find yourself passing by Simply Ono's truck I highly suggest giving it a strong consideration. From comfort food to gourmet on the go, food trucks are a growing industry and a mobile outlet for those culinary cravings. Bon appétit! read more

(Eat the Street experience) I got the Spicy Ahi Bowl ($5): a creamy blend of ahi tuna and onions over a bed of warm white rice. I shared it with my parents and a friend who came with me to this event. The freshness of the ahi was undeniable, and the sliced onions provided a slight bite. However, all four of us felt the dish was overly creamy (losing the beautiful light to dark magenta color of raw tuna), lacking spice, and too warm overall. Yes, everyone, fish in this manner is best served cold/refrigerated. The rice here likely played affected the temperature of the ahi. The protein here could have been seasoned a tad more as well. At least I heard rave reviews about Simply Ono's warm bread pudding with creamy vanilla sauce ($3). Also, Simply Ono had a baked macaroni and cheese dish at Eat The Street (with pancetta, fire-roasted red peppers, edamame, and mascarpone cheese). I'll think of giving Simply Ono another try in the future. read more

When I was a student at UH, this used to be my favorite place to get lunch. The walk was somewhat far from Shidler, but it was well worth it. There is not one thing I can single out from their menu because everything I've tried tasted so good. The food usually comes in two sizes, a mini and a regular. The mini is enough to feed one person. But if you want more for your money, you should definitely get the regular. The regular used to last me two lunches. And the regular is only $1 more than the mini! I really do miss eating here :( read more

OMG this little truck packs a whole lot of flavor!! My BF and I discovered Simply Ono at the Pro Bowl themed Eat the Street event. It was super crowded and the lines were long for most of the trucks. We only had frites (french fries) and a cheese quesadilla from 2 different trucks. My BF was ready to leave so we could eat something a little more filling; when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a truck with no line! We looked at the menu and decided to share their sampler plate: Fresh Smoked Salmon, Grilled Lamb Chop, and Kalua Pig. Of course there was rice and I think mac salad. We put in our order and getting back our change, and a plate was placed right in front of us. I looked around for someone who was waiting for their order and there wasn't anyone. It was our plate!! What?!?! That's like Rainbows Drive In fast! Anyway, our food was...Simply Ono!! Seriously - the smoked salmon was soo good - you can tell that they smoked it themselves. The lamb chop was grilled perfectly. And the Kalua Pig was tasty! We started talking to the owner, who was standing outside and he's a really nice guy. Very personable and very proud of the food he's serving. I wish I could remember his name! This Friday is Eat the Street and the theme is chocolate...hmmmm, I wonder what Simply Ono will whip up! read more

Simply Ono hooks it UP. If you've got an insatiable appetite after being in class or you want to share, this is a college student budget's dream. When you walk past the cart their smell is sure to make you salivate even if you're not hungry. They always have a great selection of really local comfort foods from chicken adobo to garlic shrimp to meatloaf and spaghetti. I think I even saw turkey and gravy listed. It's really mind-blowing how they're able to cook up fantastic dishes (and so MUCH of it) in that tiny little truck. And when they don't have the truck, they're still out there under an awning and serving up plate lunches. I've had their garlic chicken and they actually give entire legs and thighs. It was really succulent and moist, it was too much for me to finish. If you're just looking to get comfortably full, I suggest splitting with someone. There's a reason there's a line of people from all walks of life--professors, construction workers and students--this food is mighty tasty and CHEAP. And they're so friendly, who can beat that? Out of all the choices, this is definitely one of the top 3 places to eat on campus. Yelp challenge: #23/365 read more

I've seen this food truck ALL over the place, they are pretty much at every food event. I usually don't go to them simply because I know I will see them at another event and I'd rather eat at another truck that doesn't appear as frequently. This past Korean fair, their was absolutely nothing to eat on Friday, so I ended up eating at Simply Ono. Not sure if we got the BEST thing, but we got the kimchee kalua pork slider, which was okay. The pork was really tender, but the kimchee was, meh. Prices are fair, I would go here again only if there were nothing else to eat. read more

Simply Ono may just be another lunch truck in any other neighborhood, it is a much welcomed culinary addition at the UH Manoa. It offers a good and interesting selection and rather reasonable prices which make it a good food option. The menu varies, however it will generally include a seafood item, two specials, a pasta, chicken, salad, sandwich, and soup options. There are general staples to their menu, however it does vary and change depending on what's available. I've found their Okinawan pork and their furikake ahi to be welcomed and flavorful highlights and the other items simply ok. The okinawan pork is distinct flavors with sweet and salty flavors of well cooked and tender pork. While the furikake ahi is what you might expect, however well cooked, especially considering this is food truck where food tends to get overdone. Prices are rather reasonable with affordable options for the broke college student's budget while other options for the well-paid professors. All in all, the good selection is quite reasonable and what I would come to expect of other trucks or food options. read more

Tried this place's food stand at the Kaneohe Air Show the other weekend. Was near the end when everyone was packing up, so I was not expecting them to have much. Luckily, they still had poke bowls left. Yes, the food at the air show was expensive, but hey...you get free entertainment, so I won't complain too much. Paid about $7 for my poke bowl, if I remember correctly. So let's get to the food. Waited in line for a little and finally got my plate. Had a fair amount of poke on top, spicy ahi if anyone was wondering. And probably about 2 scoops of rice...definite local style, no need that much but they give it to ya anyways. Taste was alright, had a decent spiciness to it, not enough for a spicy addict like me, but it sufficed. The ahi they gave had a lot of the gritty/stringy parts left...which I'm not a fan of, but it was probably the last of it, so kind of my fault. Still, the poke wasn't overly salty and the rice was still semi-fresh tasting and didn't get all hard and nasty. So A-OK to me...after a long hot day in the sun watching jets that is. Fit Tip #2 - Don't skip the carbs. In the past, lots of people went with low carb diets thinking carbs are what make you fat. In actuality, only fat and protein are readily converted into fat deposits in the body. Carbohydrates are primarily used as fuel, either immediately or stored as glycogen in the muscles to be used later. If you wanna have energy to do stuff all day, eat carbs...though I don't mean like 38 donuts in the morning. read more

This food truck serves up your typical food truck plate lunch. I got the okinawan shoyu pork which was tasty, but didn't blow me out of the water. My co-worker got the hamburger curry and he said it was just so/so. They do give a lot of rice, which I think they use to fill the plate b/c it was hidden under the main dish in addition to a big scoop on the side -- no one should need that much rice! I do wish they had a few more choices, or a special entree or two to stand out from the other hundreds of other plate lunch trucks/restaurants. It's in a convenient location near my office building (I went to the one outside the Main State Library building, and there is little wait time after you've ordered - every minute counts when you only have an hour lunch break! Pricing ranges from $7 - $8 for a regular plate read more

Been there for lunch a few times. Food is pretty good. They give a lot. Most in the $10 range. Tried the spicy Ahi poke bowl and the smoked meat chili. They take credit cads but $10 minimum. Nice and clean if you're going to eat inside. read more

I love this place!!! I tried the furikake salmon & spaghetti thus far. They give tons of food where you can have a choice of 3-beans, mac salad or green salad. Usually I get a regular sized plate & eat half & save the other half for leftovers the next day. I also tried the triple chocolate dessert which was good but a little pricey. The lady there is very friendly & always tries to make small talk with you. I also love the convenience to work as its always there on punchbowl street next to the side of the State library. read more

Simply Ono - My order of the regular plate of the furikake salmon w/ 3-bean salad - Food Trucks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

SIMPLY ONO is the only way to describe it! It's not your ordinary greasy spoon lunch wagon. It's gourmet food at a reasonable price. My favorites: Beef stroganoff over pasta (with garlic bread or a salad) Prime rib, mashed potatoes, horse radish, and au jus Baked Mahimahi with lemon butter caper sauce.. MMMm.. Baked Spaghetti (HUGE portion, plus a side salad or garlic bread) Crab clubhouse sandwich (with real crab, tomatoes, bacon, avocado, the works) Kalua Pig plate with lomi salmon, salad, and white/brown rice Sometimes they even make fried rice, or even awesome garlic rice. The menu changes daily, which is nice.. considering everywhere else on campus has the same ol' boring menu every day. This place always offers great service with a smile. Bio med is somewhat out of the way (all the way in the back of campus) but if you have time time to check it out, please do so. You will be very happy you did. read more

Simply Ono was simply boring. I had the shoyu chicken and the lady there slopped some way too home made looking shoyu chicken onto some rice, with a side salad, and sent me on my way. The chicken was just lots of bones and fat from the skin. There was nothing really interesting about it. I knew I should have ordered the poke and lomi lomi plate. Come to think of it, maybe it was a bad order. I guess it was aggravated by the fact that the lady didn't seem to be in a good mood that day. There were no other customers and it was the lunch hour, so as a vendor, I would have been in a bad mood too. read more

We tried the pesto crusted salmon and the surf & turf (pesto crusted salmon & kalbi tri tip) specials of the day. The salmon was good but the tri tip was dry and tough like beef jerky. The food is precooked, kept on warmers, and plated when ordered at the cashier. Since it was not cooked fresh to order, the food was lukewarm at best. We were there at 11:00 AM so the food must have been cooked way ahead of time. The prices are reasonable and the cafeteria interior is bright, airy, with big windows that look out into a nice courtyard. read more

Simply Ono - Surf & turf (pesto crusted salmon & kalbi tri tip) extra veggies, no rice. Tri tip was dry and tough like beef jerky - Food Trucks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I've tasted better. Ok, sure - maybe my standards are high but this place couldn't hold a measuring cup to the old Tsukenjo's lunchwagon. Now before anyone thinks I'm bashing Simply Ono, their food isn't bad. To me, it's just "ok". The scariest part is I have a co-worker who eats there pretty much EVERY day without fail and I'm almost afraid of looking like him. Yeah, I know his poor genetics have nothing to do with the lunchwagon, but he constantly complains of cholesterol "issues", among other things. The service is good, granted it almost is difficult to offer bad service from a lunchwagon but more times than not they are pretty friendly. Their menu/specials change so you don't have to eat the same thing through the course of a week, unless you want to. read more

New things at the Cafe Waiola inside of the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Philly Cheese Steak sandwich with quality meat and real Cheddar Cheese for $8.50. Now serving Samurai Ice with five flavors at $1.75 each. Daily sandwich special for those starving students and staff at $5.00 for a BLT(for 10/1/15, but varies) and drink. read more

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Fast, relatively cheap, filling. What more could you want? Kalbi plate (not as unhealthy as it sounds). Chix w/shrooms plate (not as druggy as it sounds). Poke bowl (every bit as 'ono as it sounds). Open right up till the nite classes. See the electrical and construction workers stand ahead of you in line, in their fluorescent, long-sleeved, work shirts. Ready to fix whatever infrastructure the college is losing to time and erosion and rust, after they down a quick mac salad, white rice, and heartily flavored red meat (or fish). Plus carbonated drink of choice. Proof of quality, right there. read more

Oh Simply Ono! How I love thee! First had your food when you were at 99 Ranch. I have never had comfort food this good! I got very sad when you left. But when I saw your truck at UH a few years later, I was so happy to have your food again (beef stroganoff, turkey, and your poke). I stopped going to UH and attend LCC (why can't you come to LCC!?) I work at HCC now and to my amazement, your truck is on campus!!! Oh is this fate? Maybe. Cora and Harris, you have a faithful follower. read more

Over Priced, They use square, merchant fee is at a minimum, far less than the banks. Still need to spend $10 to use a credit card or debit card, Might as well walk across the street if I need to spend $10 They want you to pay by cash, so they can avoid the tax. By 9:30 Am no breakfast items available, they should just take down the sign. The only good thing is that, they are very convenient. On campus vendor. UHCC should have a competing vendor. read more

Baked mac and cheese all the way. Definite guilty pleasure, yummmm.

One of my favorite lunch trucks and so convenient for when I'm on campus since UH is severely lacking in the good food department! Their menu is constantly changing so I've tried many different things and each one has been "simply ono". My favorite is the turkey plate but these are some construction worker type portions so if you no can handle, get the mini. The workers are super awesome and have a quirky sense of humor that some people might not get but overall, it makes for an eventful lunchtime adventure! read more

I went early today to avoid the line and to ensure that I lock down the entree I wanted. The bombucha pork chops are just that! Massive and cooked perfectly! Due to a little generosity on the salt this has to be one of the best lunchwagons in Hawaii! Don't sleep on bread pudding! I would honestly go back...just for the bread pudding alone! It's just that good! read more

Simply Ono has a hidden gem on the bottom of their menu. The $3.00 bread pudding. If you could bottle that sauce, they would make loads of dough. I was hoping the portion would be a little bigger but I guess it was a decent enough size. But the bread pudding itself had a nice chewiness to it and that sauce just made it that much better. I also tried their chocolate covered bacon which I would highly recommend you skip. I've had chocolate covered bacon in the past and this was a soggy melted mess. Even though it was refrigerated the bacon itself was either a cheap cut or not fried enough. I took a bite and it was so chewy. Not cripsy and chocolatey. I was expecting a sweet salty treat and it was neither. read more

I've tried several plates from the Biomed (and temporarily at Korean studies) location. The portions are generous, and the food is very tasty. This is some good comfort food and I love that they have an extremely varied menu throughout the week with awesome offerings at very reasonable prices. I've tried the Furikake Crusted Opah, Baked Fish with Lup Chong & Onions, Roasted Turkey, Turkey Jook, and Roast Strip Loin Au Jus.... all were very good and were served in satisfying portions. Highly recommend! read more

Oh yummy yummy!!!! Just had some of their DEVINE bread pudding!!! I want more!!!!!!! The yummy rich custard was sweet and creamy, the perfect balance. read more

Some of the dishes here like the baked sphaghetti were pretty run of the mill, but others have really stuck out, especially for the price. $8.00 furikake salmon today was very good and as usual, it was a good sized portion. read more

Simply Ono is not only a great place for lunch, the folks who run the operation are so friendly, professional and attentive. A recent review that awarded them one star included an ill-placed critique of a Simply Ono employees' tattoos, which really lacked aloha. It's 2018 and diversity of expression is as important as a diverse menu, which Simply Ono puts together wonderfully every day. Great job, Simply Ono! Keep on doing what you're doing! read more

Decent food, fair price. Unfortunately they have poor customer service, especially the woman with tattoos. I had a situation when she was very rude when dealing with a simple miscommunication. read more

For a lunch wagon and for a plate lunch place, this place is awesome. The employees are super nice and give you good value for food--one full plate is enough for two to share. Was happy to see them at Eat the Street--the brie, spinach, mushroom macaroni and cheese and lobster & shrimp empanada were off the hook! Don't ever leave UHM! read more

This review is just for the garlic ahi plate. I have not tried anything else at a Simply Ono lunch wagon. Saw the truck parked on Richards St during an event at the Iolani Palace and decided to give it a try. The 3 bean side is pretty good, the tossed greens are not so green (mostly iceberg lettuce). They give a lot of rice and portions are good. One plate could possibly feed 2 people. The garlic ahi was not very garlicky. In fact, it did not taste like it was cooked with garlic at all. I am thinking maybe they gave me the wrong thing. Even so, the fish was dry, over cooked, bland, and tasted like cardboard. Had to force myself to eat it because I did not want to waste the $7.50 or so that I spent on it. read more

Delicious fresh poke. Seared Ahi and lomilomi salmon. Thank you so much for the wonderful treats!!!