Straits was one of the best culinary experiences we have had in a long time. The knowledgeable staff guided us from appetizers to main courses and surprised us with an insane birthday dessert (possibly not on the menu?) The craft cocktails were delicious and refreshing, perfectly paired with everything that we ordered. If you are looking for a unique dining experience with a cool/laid back atmosphere (happy hour as well), Straits is an absolute must! read more

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We've been here a few times with friends for both brunch and dinner. The vibes are very trendy and fun. The food is delicious, unique, beautiful, and has a touch of spice. Servers have always been knowledgeable and friendly. read more

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Our server was just fine. However, there was a problem with timing of food. Everyone in restaurant was waiting a long time for their orders. Others were looking for their food.We ordered our food at 7pm. Wine arrived right away. The order was randomly delivered with long waits in between. Appetizers , then salad then main meal is the normal order of received g food. This was not the case at all. One of the other waitresses kept bumping my husband's shoulder as she walked by without saying anything, like I'm so sorry. The most annoying was the lack of AC. We were so hot,we are locals, and food took soooooolong! I'm thinking the problem of timing had to do with kitchen. Perhaps someone called out sick.? The kitchen was backlogged. The food was good when it arrived. But some orders came way too late so we boxed it up to take home. Also they ran out of bags to carry home our containers of food that we didn't finish. It was Valentines evening. So we can be a little bit understanding.,but not entirely. It's a management problem. read more

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The food here was tasty! It's extremely loud here though. Our group was practically yelling at each other because we couldn't hear each other. What we ordered: Hainan Chicken ($28) - It came with a variety of sauces, but I enjoyed it best with the tangy Hainan chili sauce. Beef Rendang ($29) - Meat was a bit on the tough side, but flavor was good. Wasn't that spicy either. Garlic Noodle ($19) - My personal fave. We should've balled out and got the Crab Garlic Noodle ($82 + add shrimp $6) hahaha. Maybe next time. Hamachi Curry Crudo ($27) - Curry with hamachi? Interesting combo. Was good. Yeo's Chicken Salad ($24) - solid. Roti Prata ($12) - My second fave. I love roti and the curry was great. Sambal Ong Choy ($17) - I love ong choy so this was good. Potong Kari Ayan ($26) - Chicken curry. Solid Note: It seems to turn into some kind of club thing on the bar side after a certain time. They had bottle service on the bar side of the restaurant and loud club music playing at around 9pm. read more

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Came here for happy hour, and it's definitely cheaper and well worth it. We didn't wait long for a seat, and the service was friendly, though it initially took a while to get a waiter. Our waitress explained she had just started her shift. The food and drinks were good, with the garlic noodles being my favorite, even though they weren't on the happy hour menu. However, watch out for the fried chicken. We had to send ours back due to feathers, and the table next to us had the same issue. That was the only downside. Otherwise, great ambiance. I'd come back to try other dishes. read more

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We stopped in for a quick lunch while in the area and glad that we tried it! Singapore is my favorite city and in large part because of the wonderful food you can enjoy there. The roti, Hainnanese Chicken, and Kaya Toast were all top notch and very authentic. read more

Straits - Honolulu - Roti - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Straits Honolulu is such a vibe, a good place to dine, and i guess a place where to get average priced cocktail drinks with loud music past 10p. I went here with my girlies over the weekend to try this place out. Note: reservations is recommended atleast 1-2 weeks in advance. Located at ward, where Big city diner was, it's central and convenient with street and village parking all around. It was packed! And apparently they also do birthday recognition signs with lights from the staff which reminded me of being at The District Nightclub but dinner style lol. The food was great too! My favorite dish had to be the Katsu chicken with their special sauce (it's on the bill just check dea). We also got their calamari, coconuts shrimp fried rice, and garlic noodles as shareables. Our waitress was good. Although, i understand that they were busy but also mistaken a drink order. The dessert we had was awesome! The taste reminded me of halo halo but ice cream style with jellies and jackfruit at the bottom of the bowl. We learned that there's a cool dj that starts playing loud music once 10p hits. I'm not sure why. It's cool but it's strange. Rumor has it that they would be moving tables and chairs (like how Mai tai does it) to open up a dance floor area. But from What i heard did not happen which i thought it was just more awkward with just loud music and people trying to get in the bar area and attempt to dance meanwhile others are just trying to eat Anyways, i like the place overall. Just try it out and reserve beforehand and see your thought process when you get there. it's a unique experience. read more

Straits - Honolulu - Our bill - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Solid food, great vibes, and friendly staff! We came here to celebrate a birthday dinner, and mainly ordered from the large list of appetizers (then one noodle dish as an entree). Between three people, the portions were generous, and we enjoyed each dish. Our favorites are probably the noodle dish, roti, and chicken lollipops. The noodles were thick but the dish itself tasted like pad Thai; the chicken had a Korean sweet soy type flavor with a kick of spice (and very crispy); and the roti was a flaky, thin, buttery pastry (almost croissant like) that eats so well with the side curry sauce. However, a lot of the foods (from what we ordered) tend to be on the sweeter side, so that could be something to be wary of. Overall, great food and environment. read more

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The food wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be, considering how spacious and fancy the lounge is. The curry crab dip was really salty, so we had a lot of leftover dips (we ordered like 6 for pau hana). Chicken wings weren't typical fried wings you would get from a bar place (deep fried/salty/greasy). They are big and taste healthier (which isn't a bad thing. It's seasoned with salt and some other seasonings, but didn't think it was extraordinary). I'd give it another go for their dinner though, since what we got were mostly from the happy hour menu. read more

Straits - Honolulu - Curry crab dip from happy hour menu - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This is one of the latest hot spots in the Ward Village area. The ambiance was tropical nightclub in nature. The food was Singapore-Malay. Although higher priced, the dishes were well done and artfully presented. Lollipop chicken was sweet with a tang. The ahi tartare was fresh and excellent! So was the salmon sashimi on salad! The bone marrow with crostini was well seasoned but unremarkable. The soft serve was a treat with grass jelly and cherry accents. The pandan chiffon cake was fine but it didn't strike us as unusually good. Service was quite professional once we were seated. However, staff should be aware that they are "on stage" before they serve as some customers arrive early to wait for their party to arrive. You are allowed 1.5 hours for each seating which is a reasonable amount of time. The restaurant was noisy so it's not great for good conversation. In addition, the Straits would do well to clean off all menus as they were a bit sticky from previous diners. It's a great nightclub after hours too. Enjoy as a restaurant or nightclub. It's worth a visit! Right in Kakaako next to Consolidated Theaters.Make reservations for dinner though. Gets busy quickly. read more

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I always thought Straits was at least a decent restaurant with cool vibe. I'm not sure what happened to it recently but my recent experience was downright awful. 1) the A/C was broken and only one door was open. I was sweating throughout my entire meal. We were told that a couple of chefs walked out because of the poor working conditions. 2) we ordered garlic noodles. They probably took 30-45 minutes to get to our table. NOODLES. 3) The new chef they hired needs to taste his own food. We ordered spicy street noodles and garlic noodles. The dishes tasted exactly the same (which by the way tasted like burnt food or smoke). I'm not sure how they managed to make it taste like this but they probably burned something on a pan and then cooked our noodles over a film of burnt food caked to its surface. 4) Ordered the chicken katsu with butter sauce. They managed to burn the katsu. Disappointing. 5) Several items were unavailable when we tried to order. Not sure what's up with that. But on a positive note they admitted that there was a miscommunication and the dish we wanted to get was in fact available. They gave this to us for free. It was the bali shortribs. Very mid at best. 6) the appetizers were good. Fries, fried calamari, and chicken lollypops. This didn't make up for the bad entrees. 7) the vibes are cool. Would be better if it wasn't so hot. I don't mind that the AC was broken because that's not the restaurant's fault, but the food quality was unacceptable. read more

Came here for lunch at opening. Service was fast and we were seated immediately. The restaurant has beautiful decor and great ambiance. We tried Roti Prata, Crispy Chicken Lollipops, Hainan Chicken, Nasi Lamek with butter chicken katsu, and the Laksa Noodle Soup. My favorite dishes were the crispy chicken lollipops and the butter chicken katsu. The price is on the higher side but to me it was worth it for the food, service, and ambience. The chicken lollipops was crispy with the thick batter and had a nice sweetness to it. The butter chicken katsu was perfectly cooked, crispy to perfection, and had a buttery curry type of sauce. Will definitely be coming back here again maybe for dinner where they have expanded menu also. read more

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My friend chose this for her birthday lunch and so glad she did! We had a thoroughly enjoyable lunch here. Located in Kakaako/Ward theater complex where Big City Diner used to be. Plenty of free parking. Entering, you see a section with comfortable cushion chairs and low tables, perfect for friends to gather and socialize. The other section is the dining area. Lovely chill ambience with the walls done in pretty banana leaf motif. The cuisine is Southeast Asian with a twist. We ordered the chicken lollipops, the Nasi Lemak, and the Hainan Chicken. -The chicken lollipop $20 4 drumsticks deep fried and served with a sweet spicy sauce. We had asked for the sauce on the side since we aren't fans of spicy food. ( I know we were at a Singaporean restaurant...) They were so good! The chicken was moist and crispy, seasoned. The sauce added kick and a little sweetness. I saw most of the other diners ordering the same and so should you when you come. - Hainan chicken $22 Very soft and tender. It came with little cups of grated ginger, sweet shoyu, and a spicy sauce. The accompanying rice was cooked with the chicken I believed because it had a nice flavor to it. Only thing is that we found it to be too salty because of that. The broth that came with it was very salty as well. It worked better when the pieces of chicken were dipped into the broth, not poured over or drunk. -Nasi Lemak $22 This was our favorite. It was coconut pandan rice with spicy pickled veggies, peanuts with little dried anchovies and the best poached egg I've had! The egg was battered and deep fried but when you broke open the outside, creamy egg yolk oozed out. So clever. The plate came with a choice of salmon, beef rendang which our server described as marinated spicy braised beef, butter chicken katsu, Indonesian wings, or sambal eggplant. I chose the butter chicken katsu. Very good! The chicken was sliced, battered and fried and sauced. The chicken was very moist and fried just right. Loved the sauce. I would suggest getting this dish. As I said earlier, we found the chicken broth too salty so that was a pass. For dessert we had the pandan chiffon cake. The bright green color was surprising! The cake was super moist and fluffy and had a nice sweetness to it. There were little nugget-like things that tasted like ling hing. It really complimented the sweetness of the cake. Thumbs up for this one. Our server was great, checked on us a lot and explained the dishes to us. Definitely on my list to take friends for a nice lunch! read more

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We visited Straits with a large group of friends and they made making a reservation for a large party very easy. Located in the heart of Honolulu, this gem offers a menu that's a large selection of Singaporean and Asian fusion dishes. We ordered the Chow Kway Teow, Hainan Chicken, Butter Chicken Katsu, Beef Rendang, Lemongrass Beef, Crispy Calamari and the Chicken Lollipops. They each had unique flavor. The ambiance is vibrant and the service is impeccable, making Straits not just a meal, but a festive experience. read more

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Perfect setting for a lunch business meeting. Comfortable..soothing esthetics good sound levels...nice selection on the lunch menu read more

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After hearing so much good things about this place, I finally got to check this place out with a friend. We got a variety of things to try since everything sounded so good, we couldn't decide. Ahi Tartare - the fish was super fresh and the assortment of chips it came with made the dish unique due to the different textures. Singapore Satay Sticks - these were a solid satay stick. Roti Prata - the curry dipping sauce this came with was delicious and made for a good appetizer. Wok Fried Rice Noodle - this was both our favorites as it had the most umami. This dish was so addictive, we couldn't stop eating it! We both agreed we would come back solely for this dish. Hainan Chicken - my friend really loved the dish and it came with multiple different sauces for dipping. Laksa - this laksa was alright, the noodles were pretty bloated and compared to the other dishes, it was probably the least favorite of the night. The drinks here were really good too and definitely worth getting. My friend got the Sunday afternoon and I got the Jillian. The Sunday afternoon was so good and had lots of pandan flavor. If you like lychee, the Jillian is the perfect cocktail for you. Overall the food was really good and the restaurant was packed the entire time we were there. read more

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Great food and ambiance is very lounge/nightclub on the weekends at night. Not the best place for families on a weekend night as it can get a little crazy and music is loud. There was a mixup with our reservation in the beginning so I spoke to the manager and he comped us some appetizers while we waited for our table. Everything ended up being perfect in the end. The food was delicious and super flavorful. There wasn't a single item that we thought was bad and everything was above average. The standouts of the night were the mussels, garlic noodles, the whole crab, and lemongrass steak. Everything was packed with flavor and perfectly cooked. I do think the crab was a little small for the price of $80 but that was the only flaw of our meal. Mussels and garlic noodles had that beautiful smoky wok fried flavor. Lemongrass steak was marinated well and had a great char/doneness to it. Chili crab had great flavor but just hard to eat as you need to crack the shells to eat it. Overall a great experience at night and a great place to celebrate a bday. Note: The dj that night continued to play the same songs multiple times read more

Lunch service. Lunch is new here and the menu has great lunch options! A little lean on service, my poor Bartender / Server won't need to go to the gym this week! The Roti Prata was great and the Curry dipping sauce was phenomenal! The laksa noodle soup was small but plenty but unfortunately cold. Kudos for lots of non alcoholic drinks, Tamarind Singapore Soda was delicious! read more

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This place seems to have gone downhill quickly. I was blown away by the flavors upon my visit last year. Downside was that we waited an extremely long time to be seated despite having a reservation and we noticed the lack of visits from our server. Come to a new reservation today, with more delayed service. The server was the only one working the restaurant and had to be the host, bartender, busser and server for the whole establishment! Since the server was not the official bartender, they didn't know how to make our non-alcoholic drink order or know where sugar was for coffee orders. Server said that they couldn't find it but would check, saying "oh yeah!" when we mentioned it again. By that point coffee was cold and we had to ask for another instead of an offer for a fresh cup. As the correct was the first item delivered, it wasn't the best service to only get sugar once our meal was over. Drinks should be taken off of the menu if nobody knows how to make them. The server was running through the restaurant and missed simple things like enough takeout containers (2 containers for 4 plates of leftover). While we understood why there was the delay for our food being delivered, the other missteps were adding onto the frustration of our experience. It took around 45 minutes for our first order to be brought to the table due to the lack of support staff. We were on a schedule to visit a relative in hospice and this extreme delay made us hours later to the visit than planned. We would've dined elsewhere if there was advanced notice of a service delay due to the lack of staff. An unrelated odd point was that the route to the side exit was blocked by a girl with tripod filming a TikTok dance. Not cool in an area where people may need to walk past as nobody asked them to move the tripod somewhere that wasn't a path for other patrons. Items seems to have changed for the worse: apple salad no longer has jicama and mint which caused the flavor profile to be very ordinary. Hainan chicken came haphazardly instead of cut nicely like my last visit. Kaya toast presentation was a night and day difference compared to the delicate and pretty presentation shown in other Yelp photos. We asked if the garlic noodles were spicy and was told no, but it was HEAVY on the black pepper compared to noodles I've had elsewhere. The loco moco curry didn't specify that it was spicy and was sadly too hot to handle. While spicy dishes are fine, I wish that we were informed properly since we specifically asked about it and could've ordered something else. I'm unsure if I'll return, which is such a shame since the dishes were so promising less than a year prior. Since another review mentioned complimentary ice cream for a birthday meal, we were surprised to not get a scoop for my meals as both visits were ones in which the server was notified of a birthday. I don't know what strain is going on with Straits, but I hope the staff gets more support and the food is brought back to how good it used to be. The restaurant needs to close until they get the kinks sorted and/or limit the amount of patrons to ease the burden for servers. The birthday person flew in for this celebration and we went here on my recommendation, so I was very embarrassed to have brought us here. The entire experience left us leaving feeling quite sad and disappointed, which isn't how someone should be celebrating a birthday. I want to support Singaporean dining establishments since the cuisine is so uncommon on Oahu, but I'm having doubts due to the high prices for poor food and experience. Leaving a birthday experience feeling sad was a first for me and something I wish I could forget. read more

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Went back here as a friend wanted to try this new spot. Personally after my second visit here I think it's a bit overrated. The vibe and staff was friendly but the food was just okay for a high price. Some things that I was a bit bothered by: 1. The food we ordered came out really fast and all at once...it was almost too fast like they had already made it and it was just sitting waiting for someone to order. I would prefer a more spaced out meal. Maybe they are just really fast at cooking but it seemed extremely fast! Also portion sizes are not that big. 2. Tried one of their $18 cocktails and was a bit disappointed. I got the gin drink with fish sauce. We appreciated the creativity but it was a really heavy fish sauce taste. It was a bit hard to drink. I think you're partially paying for the atmosphere of this place which is fine, but not sure that I will return any time soon! read more

Bucket list: To visit Singapore and get out of the airport next time The only time I've been in Singapore was when I had a super long layover and just from that experience alone was enough for me to want to visit again. The environment is definitely a different experience: Half lounge/club, half restaurant. It can get pretty loud so not ideal for first dates but perfect for a loud group of friends. I've been here twice and got to try a good amount of dishes. Out of everything, my favorite would have to be their Hainan Chicken. The fact that it was boneless was a huge win for me, and even though it was boneless, it wasn't dry at all! This would definitely be my go to dish. Everything else was good but there was always something stopping it from being mind blowing. For me, the Roti was something I was excited for but it wasn't as light and flaky as it normally should be but the sauce was tasty to dip in. I wouldn't mind coming back again because I got my eyes on that Singapore Crab read more

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I went here with gfs for a post X-mas and pre-NYE get together! We ordered a variety of dishes to share. Got their roti prata, fried eggplant, chicken skewers, Hainan Chicken (my fave and their signature dish), spicy shrimp noodles, chow kway teow noodles, and The Jillian drink (lychee martini - not pictured). Singaporean food is mixture of Chinese, Malay, and Indian influences. Most of the dishes kinda spicy but it's not too bad. Food overall fun and flavorful. This restaurant is unique because we don't really have many Singaporean restaurants here. Interior is island theme vibe. This restaurant also turns into a nightclub I believe on Fri/Sat nights. Great spot for a fun date night or get together with the gfs! read more

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So sad to write this review because I've only had such great experiences at Straits... until today. I heard the owners have changed but didn't think too much of it because the menu stayed the same. We were heavily mistaken. Let me preface that I am pregnant and may be over sensitive but even my husband who never complains was upset about our overall experience. We ordered the steak and the garlic noodles. The steak came first but an HOUR after we sat down. And of course the steak was completely overcooked, especially for $50. We sent the steak back and got a new one but it lacked any flavor/seasoning. It tasted like a cheap frozen steak. Then not until AFTER we finished the steak and asked for the noodles did it come out 10 min later and was overly greasy and tasted like a bad version of Panda Express. And let's be real, Panda Express is way better. Im writing this because I really enjoyed the food, service and ambiance at Straits last year. I'm really sad how quickly downhill this place went and honestly will never go back. read more

Not going to lie, this, my first visit to Straits started off a little bumpy. We were a little early for our reservation and still waited 15 minutes before flagging someone down (happened to be the manager) to ask for water and say we were ready to order. Once this happened, and we pointed it out to her, the service improved significantly. We got (in our order of best to ok) the wok fried mussels, roti prata, hamachi crudo, milk and cookies, and the spicy street noodles. The flavor on the mussels was phenomenal and the roti was crispy and chewy with a kick of heat from the curry sauce. The dessert was well balanced-not too sweet, but perfect to end our meal with. The restaurant is trendy and chic, and it was fairly quiet on a Sunday evening. read more

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Crab egg Benedict missing an egg bc they ran out. Coffee $6 but no refills. Service slow and would never go back. Tons of choices so why even bother with this place. read more

Straits - Honolulu - Look at your bill before paying. $16 on menu but $22 when paying. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came on a Saturday night. Was expecting to eat their famous chicken lollipop but it was out. In fact, not one not two, but four things were OUT!!! The food taste was very disappointing. The ambience was also a disappointment!! Not sure if the AC was out too, but it was super warm!! Then to top it off we got warm water!!! No ice until I asked! read more

Straits - Honolulu - A Jillian without the bubble. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Finally, true Singaporean food in Hawaii! Let that sit for a moment and... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I've been to Singapore a number of times as a gastro-tourist having spent hundreds of hours learning about the food, how it's made before eating my way through the country. I didn't taste anything like this. And another thing, the next person who says Crazy Rich Asians... really? REALLY??? The food is very loosely Singaporean bastardized for Western taste. 1. Chicken rice - the national dish of Singapore. Well poached chicken, tender and juicy. Unfortunately the rice lacks deep chicken flavor from being cooked in concentrated chicken broth. The accompanying sauces, different. While flavorful, the sambal is more like a Chinese chili oil. 2. Chili crab - made with a Dungeness crab instead of a mud crab. The texture is off. Stringy versus meaty. As a result it does not hold on to the sweet chili sauce. No fried mantou to mop up the sauce. Order a Western style (ie garlic butter) sauce instead. 3. Chicken satay - very meaty, thick chunks of grilled boneless chicken. The flavor is good but the satay sauce taste like it was made from store bought peanut butter instead of fresh made. Not enough of an oily peanuty flavor punch. 4. Beef rendang - well seasoned, delicious piece of braised beef infused with bold spices. Why it's served on a bright green pandan polenta is beyond me. 5. Singapore sling - the most famous drink created in 1913 at the Raffle's Hotel for rich Westerners. Oh well, it wasn't on the menu so didn't have one. OK selection of wines. Typical Hawaii markup. OK, not to confident service. It should improve with time. Maybe the Vegas lounge food (crudos, tartare, etc) is a better choice but strictly rating this as a Singaporean restaurant, it doesn't deliver. read more

Service 5/5 Food 4/5 Drinks 5/5 I made a dinner reservation for my friend and me on a Wednesday evening. We were promptly seated and greeted by a very friendly server. We got the haianese chicken, spicy mi goreang noodles, and the eggplant appetizer. The portions are large and are good for a family-style dinner. (We ended up having a lot of leftovers for both of us to take home at the end of the night.) The chicken is incredibly soft and pairs very well with the three sauce options given. The spicy noodles had a nice spice hit, but overall, it was nothing memorable. The eggplant was crispy and full of flavor. I ended up getting the pandan drink, and it was DELICIOUS. I usually do not enjoy drinking cocktails, but this was a wonderful combination of flavors that did not have an overbearing alcoholic taste. The lighting in the restaurant is a bit dark. I felt like we were almost eating in the dark when the sunset. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Straits and appreciated how attentive our server was. He came to check on us very often and always made sure we had enough water. Note: There is also a location in San Jose, CA! read more

Straits - Honolulu - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Smallest Laksa I ever had...it's most like kids meal... But the Hai Nan Chicken rice is pretty good... Maybe just don't order the Laksa here unless you just want to sample some Laksa... read more

Straits - Honolulu - Laksa... - Asian Fusion Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Possibly the best brunch on Oahu. I had an amazing birthday brunch here. This place is a mashup of southeast Asian flavors concocted in San Jose by chef Chris Yeo, who was born in Hong Kong, and raised in Singapore. Outside of the original Straights in San Jose, the Hawaii location is the only other location. The location used to house Big City Diner, which closed because they have crappy food, mediocre service, and bad value. We ordered the Nasi Lemak ($22) which is basically a breakfast plate with a variety of items including rice, egg, pickled veggies, fried anchovies, and a choice of one of 4 entree items: Salmon, eggplant, chicken, or local breakfast meats. This was a good value. Plate was large. Salmon would be the obvious choice for the best value, but the eggplant was a nice sized portion and tasty. We also got the Chili Crab Cake Benedict at a whopping $38. My opinion is this might be the best value on the menu. The crab cakes were enormous. HUGE. Two of them. I asked for eggs scrambled and they were perfectly cooked and a huge portion also. I couldn't finish it and it was my breakfast the next morning. I savored every bite. I'll definitely get this again. We also got the Kaya Toast. It's good, but not really worth $14. It was exquisitely presented but probably would not order again as an appetizer. In an age where you can spend $18 for a crappy small French toast plate, I'd rather just go here. read more

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Gotta given 3 stars because the quality of service was reallyyyy horrible when we first arrived. We made reservations online which was easy to do. As we got in, we were seated right by the entrance next to the window. Seats were comfortable enough. It was a bit dark, so there were tiny table lights that were adjustable. Cute for like a date night I guess. The decor was also cute! Anyway, the waitress gave our water, then recommended some favorite drinks. She said she'd come back to take our order, so we were fine with that. However, no one came to us for like 15-20 mins so we have to tell some other server that we needed to order already. My party was pretty upset & they complained of course. Keep in mind, you do have an hour & like 30 mins time limit at your table then they expect you to leave. So that itself already cut into our time. At like 20 mins, we then got like 3 waitresses coming throughout the night to serve us. We ended up ordering our drinks & food all at once already just in case. Btw, the lady waitresses, I'm sorry but the dress code for them needs to include wearing shorts under their dresses. Mostly every waitress that would bend over, had no shame of showing off their ass & thong to customers. I get that it's a club after hours, but yikes, that's so embarrassing still. The management needs to still keep in mind of having some class. The food. So we had a peanut allergy in our party, and come to find out a lot of the dishes are fried & cooked in the SAME oil as what they make peanut & peanut dishes with. I would assume that common sense for the kitchen would be to have a separate oil for people with allergies just in case. But nope. Soooo, beware, if you have an allergy, DON'T EAT ANYTHING FRIED. The food though was good. You can taste the lemongrass in some dishes. Was good. No complaints about the food. Anyway, idk if I would come here again. The hype isn't all that great honestly & it just lacks the quality service that it could have. read more

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The ambiance is fun and bar like. Each table had a light where you can change the color. The food was yummy and had different flavors. The service was on a little bit slower side but it was busy. The chicken satay was yummy ... the flavors were spot on with the Peanut sauce. The roti was okay but I get fresh roti at home. The curry sauce was tasty. The beef was super tender and the pairing with the coconut polenta. The Laska was too spicy for me but my girlfriend loved it!! Then we were given a dessert...it was a cross between Vietnamese shave ice and Filipino halo halo... refreshing read more

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We decided to try "Straits" as we love Singaporean cuisine. It reminded me of our time spent in the Straits of Malacca where I had some of our best meals. When I walked up I was greeted with such a nice smile and very kind Manager , I didn't get his name. Sorry. As he walked me to our table it was set for a 4 top but he was so kind to adjust the tables to accommodate us for a two top. The waitress came she was also so kind and patient. She offered suggestions and we decided to take her word. We ordered the ROTI bread that is served with a curry style dipping sauce that is phenomenal I could sit here and just eat that divine ROTI all day, then we placed our orders. We ordered the fried chicken lollipops, the steak with chimichurri sauce and the salmon plate. The lollipop chicken appetizer was excellent great flavor, my steak was cooked perfect med rare served on bok choi, unfortunately my cousins salmon was a bit dry and the pickled Vegetables were not very flavorful she mentioned. I would maybe recommend asking them not to over cook the salmon . FYI. Like I said service was great food all in all was good. Served hot and prompt. Will go back and try new items. The restaurant its self is beautiful and clean . I personally love the sbar counter and window seatings. Great ladies lunch date spot or business meeting location . Free parking is also a plus. We parked in the Ward Theater parking lot also shared with Dave & Busters parking. This restaurant is next to Bucca de beppo.. read more

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charming Singaporean eatery nestled in the heart of Kakaako/ward center. The menu at Straits offers a variety of dishes showcasing some of Singapore's most famous delicacies. One dish that truly stood out was their Singapore Crab. The smoked garlic butter was delicious. Another must-try dish is Hainan Chicken. This classic Singaporean dish was served with fragrant rice and accompanied by various condiments such as ginger sauce and chili sauce. The flavors were well-balanced and delightful. Jamie, our waitress was exceptional. She was knowledgeable and attentive, making sure that every need was met. She recommend dishes and share interesting tidbits about Singaporean cuisine, creating a welcoming and informative dining experience. Will definitely go back. read more

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Dear Straits Team, I'm writing to express my deep disappointment regarding the service my group received during our recent visit to your restaurant on [6/15/2025], around 4:50 PM. We were a party of four, excited to enjoy your Pan-Asian and Singapore-inspired cuisine, which your menu proudly promotes. When I asked our server about the preparation and serving style of the Peking Duck -- whether it followed traditional Chinese service or had a modern twist -- the response I received was shockingly dismissive and uninformed. The staff member bluntly replied: "This is an American restaurant, we don't serve Chinese food." This was not only factually incorrect but also quite disrespectful, especially considering Peking Duck is a well-known Chinese dish -- and your menu clearly lists it, along with several other Asian items. When I pointed this out, the server doubled down and said he had worked there for six months and had never seen that dish served. At that point, I couldn't help but feel that I was being subtly looked down upon -- perhaps because I'm Asian, or because I dared to ask about the cultural authenticity of a dish your restaurant claims to offer. This experience left me not only confused but also offended. If a dish is no longer available, it should not appear on the menu. And more importantly, your staff should be trained to speak to guests with respect and cultural sensitivity -- not dismiss their questions with arrogance or ignorance. I would sincerely appreciate a response from your management team regarding this incident and clarification about your menu and staff training. I truly hope this was an isolated experience and not reflective of how your team treats guests of Asian descent or those with knowledge of Asian cuisine. read more

***2.5** I was excited to see Straits finally opened and made a reservation for tonight at 7:15. Like the SJ location, I know that after 8 pm, it turns into a more club atmosphere. I wanted to call to make sure it was appropriate for my teenager after reading reviews of it being more of a bar scene. But no one was answering their phone and their vm wasn't taking messages. So we took a chance since we lived close by. We showed up a bit early. The moment we walked in the music was blasting like I walked into a club. Imagine heartpounding atmosphere while trying to have a conversation, constantly repeating yourself because you can't hear the person next to you. Not the vibe I was expecting on our last night here. It was even hard to hear our server who was so soft spoken. I was hoping the food would be mind blowing as everything looked amazing. We received small plates in this order. Note: We stayed away from anything that indicated a red chili symbol next to it. Roti prata. Roti needed more butter. A bit dry. The curry was a bit watery and way too much heat that made me choke. I would hate preferred it thicker and creamier. On choy. I always love this vegetable on the island it's always super fresh and crisp. It definitely was. Unfortunately the spice level was like 2 chili symbols. Lips were burning and throat choked on the heat a few times. Had to stop eating this as it was unbearably spicy. The chicken satay came. It was not spicy. Phew! It had good flavor. However, the chicken breast was extremely dry. There was a peanut sauce that came with it. It helped a bit but didn't quite salvage the dish for me. Onto the main. Wanted to try the butterfish but it wasn't available tonight. We ordered the Hainan Chicken since it didn't have bones. I loved this dish at the night market when I visited SG back in 2018. I was pleasantly surprised how authentic this tasted. The chicken was tasty and room temp. The soy sauce, chili sauce and ginger sauce was spot on. The rice was nicely flavored, sprinkled with garlic chips. The side of chicken broth was soothing esp after all the unexpected heat I consumed. This dish was the saving grace for the evening. The rice noodle dish also had heat and chilis that was again not indicated on the menu. Essentially out of the 5 dishes ordered, I was only able to eat 2. Out of the 2, I only enjoyed 1 to the fullest. We ordered a side of pandas coconut rice. It was just OK. Hubs ordered their take on the SG Sling. The server forgot about it after we asked, a few dishes in. After waiting some more, we had to ask again after the main came. It finally came toward the end. Overall, I expected so much from Straits. I wanted to have an amazing experience But felt a bit disappointed with one "mishap" after another esp regarding the food. Personally, it is a bit too loud for a casual Thursday night and food was way too spicy for my liking read more

Great ambience, service, and food. We were shocked the food came out so quickly within something like five minutes of our ordering, unbelievable. Reminded us of being in New York, where all the food is great and delivered quickly. Note Singaporean food is spicy. If you don't care for that just ask for the sauces on the side and to have the dishes made mild. read more

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Straits is a new Singaporean restaurant at Ward Center, and is a cool spot for a laid-back night out with friends or a date. I went with my brother and sister, and the atmosphere was just right. We started off with the calamari, tender and paired with delicious sauces. The ahi tartare with chips was a hit, and the garlic noodles were bomb. Now, the lollipop chicken stole the show for me. Crispy and flavorful. The beef rendang was interesting, tender and tasty beef with a side of green polenta that, while good, felt a bit mismatched. We rounded off the meal with dessert, which was pretty good. Overall, the ambience was amazing, the food hit the spot, and the location is super convenient. Planning to return with my wife to check out the drinks! read more

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We tried the one in Santana Row, San Jose CA so we were ecstatic to learn that they'll in Honolulu. Arrived 5 minutes early for our reservation and was greeted by a beautiful friendly hostess whom greeted and bought us to our table immediately. Tables were close together however understandable for the small venue. Our server, Nichole greeted us, answered questions and took our cocktail and appetizer order. Within minutes we were served. The calamari was lightly battered and fried to perfection. The Singapore Satay was very plump, tender spiced right with a great aroma. Served with a nice peanut sauce. My guest liked her Sir Raffle as well. Right after our apps, the entrees arrived. Garlic noodle were piping hot with a great flavor, nuoc cham pork was cooked perfectly but should have been served with (nuoc cham) a dipping sauce. The Hainan chicken bought back memories of hawker stalls in Singapore. Chicken served cold with chicken rice and 3 dipping sauces. Ran out of chicken rice, substituted with coconut rice which was delicious too. Service was spot on, ambiance was upscale, cool, hip and incredibly refreshing to not see diners in shorts, slippers and t-shirt! Keep up the standard and will be back to try everything else on the menu. read more

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I just heard they started for opening lunch and weekend brunch, so gotta try! When Ward Village announced this restaurant was coming to Hawai'i, I was so excited because I LOVE Laksa Noodles and only little restaurant serve Laksa on Oahu. But after this place opened I checked Yelp reviews and heard from some people, this place is like night club restaurant. (too dark and noisy) So I didn't try. But now, they started lunch! Should try here! I and my friend came about 11:30 without reservation, I saw some people got inside but not so crowded lunch time. (But not sure in the future) High ceiling and nice interior. I love atmosphere in this restaurant. We both ordered Laksa Noodle (we both Laksa lover). Laksa was looks pretty. It's not very authentic Laksa(no two kind of noodles, no fish cakes, no bean sprouts, and no fried tofu) but very flavorful and spicy. We love their Laksa and we think best Laksa Noodle in Hawai'i! Well, we were very satisfied but when we had our check my friend found out the price is dinner time price on the bill. We asked our server about it. She went to ask the manager and back. She told us it was their machine setting problem. Shortly we got the right bill but if my friend wasn't mention it we paid over $4 each and hope after they started lunch and brunch anybody paid overprice. But food was so good, so we talked when we'll back and try another menu! read more

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