Onoya Ramen

Onoya Ramen is located in Kapahulu. They are known for their tonkotsu ramen but they have other items on the menu like chicken karaage, katsu, takoyaki, and curry rice. My favorites are the shio ramen and the tonkotsu ramen. The shio is a light chicken broth and it's great for those rainy days. The tonkotsu is good if you like flavorful broths. It's rich but it goes well with the noodles and the charsiu. The ramen is priced between $15 to $18 which is reasonable. If you're just ordering ramen, your food will come out fast. This is one place where you can be in and out in 1 hour or less.

They accept reservations but I always just walk in because the wait is short. I recommend using Yelp to join the wait list before you start heading to the restaurant. Their parking lot is small and shared with Papa John's and the laundromat. Once the parking lot fills up, you have to look for street parking in the residential areas or park in the paid lot on Kapahulu Ave. next to Side Street Inn On Da Strip.

For more information about Onoya Ramen, visit onoyaramen.com. 

611 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 425-4415

Assari Ramen

Shio Ramen

Shoyu Ramen

Tonkotsu Classic Ramen

Rinka

Rinka offers authentic Japanese cuisine. They are open for lunch and dinner. I recommend the sushi rolls and sashimi. The Uni Ikura Wagyu Roll was a special item, and it was the best roll I ever ate. The presentation for that roll was beautiful. It was topped off with gold flakes and truffle salt on the side. Other items I enjoyed were the sashimi, tempura, and the beef tongue. Their items are pricey, but they use quality ingredients, and the portions are reasonable. The service was excellent, and they did a great job timing the dishes, so my table didn't get overloaded.

The entrance to the restaurant is on the back side of Whole Foods by the parking for the movie theater. The interior of the restaurant is modern and spacious. This restaurant would be great for group because they have private dining rooms. If you plan to come for dinner, reservations are recommended. If you plan to do lunch, walk ins are okay but come when they first open because it can get crowded. For parking, you can park inside the Whole Food parking garage on level 4 or higher.

For more information about Rinka, visit rinkahawaii.com.

1001 Queen St #105
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 773-8235

Uni Ikura Wagyu Roll

Sardine w/ Tofu Salad

Crab Cream Croquette

Tempura

Sashimi Combination

Beef Tongue

Fried Tofu w/ Miso

Kinako Chiffon Cake

Houjicha Jelly

La Vie Waikiki

La Vie is a French inspired restaurant that uses seasonal ingredients. For dinner, they offer three courses ($99) or four courses ($115). You can pick one item from each section of the menu to create your own combination. There are supplemental items like caviar and wagyu to make your meal more memorable. The fourth course is dessert but if you're not a fan is sweets, the selection of cheeses is good. I came with a friend, and we decided to share/split some of the items. Everything tasted amazing but the items that really stood out were the Frog Legs Provencal and the A5 Miyazaki Wagyu. I highly recommend coming here to celebrate special occasions or just to treat yourself and splurge.

They are located on the lobby level of The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Waikiki. The restaurant is outdoors but it is covered, and every table has a view of the ocean and the sunset. The staff were excellent, and they took great care of us the whole evening. There was also a pianist playing live music. The dress code for the restaurant is casual. For parking, it's valet only and you can get validation from the restaurant. 

For more information about La Vie, visit laviewaikiki.com.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach
383 Kalaimoku St.
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 729-9729

Gruyere Cheese Puff w/
Sweet Land Farm Goat Cheese, Garlic Pistou

Baby Beets + Foie Gras

Oysters on the Half Shell

Frog Legs Provencal

Dry Aged Kona Amberjack

Sonoma Duck à l'Orange

A5 Miyazaki Wagyu

Tropical Vacherin

Selection of Cheeses

Mad Bene

Mad Bene in Kapolei Commons offers pastas and New York style pizzas. This is a great place to eat with a large group because they can push tables together. I recommend doing family style dining, so you get to try more dishes. The pastas are portioned for 1 person and are priced between $20 - $25. The pizzas can be shared between 2 people and are about $20 each. The pizzas here are the same as Pizza Dadi in Ward Centre. My favorite dishes were the gnocchi, mafaldine alfredo, crispy potato guy, and tiramisu. 

They have indoor seating as well as patio seating. If you sit inside, it can get loud during dinner especially on the weekends. The staff assigned to our table that evening was friendly, and the timing of our dishes were just right. I've dined here for lunch before, and the service was slow because there's less staff. If you are planning to dine with a large group (6 more more), I highly recommend making reservations a week in advance. For parking, there's lots of open spaces available at Kapolei Commons, just try to find something close to the movie theater so you don't have to walk as far to the restaurant.  

For more information about Mad Bene, visit madbene.com. 

Kapolei Commons
4450 Kapolei Pkwy., Ste 540
Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 744-7400

Gnocchi

Tagliatelle Dogana

Mafaldine Alfredo

Linguini Scampi

Crispy Potato Guy

N.Y.C.

Pizza of the Week

Mrs. Tran's Tiramisu

Izakaya Agaru

Izakaya Agaru is a new restaurant located in Waikiki. I recommend ordering the "izakaya" which has 8 dishes to share and adding a few more items like the nigiri sushi, hand rolls, chirashi, or ahi toast. The photos below of the "izakaya" were for 2 people. My favorites were the potato salad, ahi toast, and bruleed tamago. The potato salad was creamy, and it worked well with the crispy chips. The ahi toast on buttery milk bread was amazing and I added caviar to mine. You also have an option of adding uni on it as well. The bruleed tamago was the perfect way to end the meal since we were too stuffed for dessert. 

The restaurant is located on the 2nd floor. When you're on Royal Hawaiian Avenue, look for the gray doors with the neon blue "agaru" sign and proceed up the stairs. You will be greeted by the staff once you get to the top of the stairs. The interior design is all wood. Behind the hostess is the kitchen and a sushi bar where you can watch the chefs create the dishes. I had a table in the back and so I got a view of Royal Hawaiian Avenue. The service was excellent, and the staff were knowledge about all the items on the menu. After we finished our meal, the manager came by our table to introduce himself. Overall, the food was excellent, and it was a great dinner experience. For parking, you can park inside the Waikiki Galleria Tower and get a 3-hour validation.

355 Royal Hawaiian Ave., Ste 201
Honolulu, HI 96815 

Ahi Toast with Kaluga Caviar
Egg Yolk Jam, Milk Bread

Potato Salad
Serrano Ham, Fudgy Yolk

Sunomono
Crushed Cucumber, Sesame, Rayu

Seasonal Vegetable
Cabbage, Shio Kombu Salsa Verde

Sake
King Salmon, Maui Onions, Smoked Shoyu

Nairagi
Marlin, Ginger Scallion

Karaage
Smoke Oyster, Lemon

 

Kakuni
Kabocha, Black Garlic Tare

Beef Tongue
Lemon, Rayu, Tare

Grilled Tako
Binchotan Grilled Spanish Octopus, Shiso Chimichurri

Bruleed Tamago