Thirty Eight

Thirty Eight is a fish restaurant located at Pier 38 in the former space of Nami Kaze. The interior space looks the same with the open kitchen and a bar on the left side. My favorites were the shrimp toast, maguro cabbage, and the fried whole moi. The shrimp toast was not greasy and the dipping sauce was citrusy with a bit of a spicy kick. The maguro cabbage was light and refreshing. The moi was amazing and I highly recommend ordering it! The fish was crispy and well-seasoned, it was partially de-boned with a few small bones near the head and the tail. Their prices are reasonable and the portions are good for sharing between 2 people. This place is good for groups since they can easily move tables together. I recommend making reservation a few days in advance.

For more information about Thirty Eight, visit thirtyeighthi.com or @thirtyeighthi.

1135 N Nimitz Hwy
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 468-8562

Shrimp Toast

Maguro Cabbage

Fried Whole Moi

Braised Short Rib

Yuzu Sorbet

 

Agnes' Portuguese Bake Shop

Agnes' Portuguese Bake Shop makes hot and fresh crispy malasadas. They operate out of a food truck in Kailua next to Manuheali'i (clothing store). Agnes' malasadas are ring shaped and fried to golden brown with a generous amount of sugar all over it. The malasadas take 15 minutes to cook so pre-ordering by phone will reduce the wait time. I recommend ordering at least 1/2 dozen because you'll eat a few in the parking lot before you drive off to your next location.

I always go before 9AM on a Saturday and I've never had any issues with parking. There are some tables and chairs with umbrellas so you can eat there if you like. It does get hot because of the morning sun. They accept cash and credit card for payment. 

5 Hoolai St,
Kailua, HI 96734
(808) 284-4963

Malasadas (half dozen)

 

Flair European Steakhouse

Flair European Steakhouse is in the Shops at Keahou Lane in Kakaako. Their food is French and Italian inspired but I was most excited for their steaks. My favorites were the carpaccio de boeuf and wagyu ribeye. I recommend sharing the steak, pasta, and sides but the appetizers and desserts are portioned for 1 person. The prices are high but it's worth it. All the food tasted amazing and the service was excellent. They have live music playing indoors. If you're on a budget, they have a happy hour from 4 - 6PM at the bar. The dress code is business causal but if you want to dress up, that's fine too.

For parking, you can park in the Keahou Lane garage and they will provide validation. It was busy between on a weeknight from 6pm - 8pm so I'd suggest making a reservation 1 - 2 weeks in advance so you can secure that prime dinner spot. 

For more information about Flair European Steakhouse, visit flairhawaii.com.

502 Keawe St.
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 462-3312

Carpaccio de Boeuf

Kanpachi Crudo

Pear ala Flair

Pappardelle al Tartufo

Wagyu Ribeye (14 oz) 
w/ Olive Oil & European Salts

Truffle Fries

Creme Caramel

 

Kyoto Katsuda

Kyoto Katsuda specializes in beef katsu. You can order the katsu ala carte or as a set. For the set, it comes with rice, soup, and cabbage. They offer free refills for rice and cabbage. The waiter will recommend what temperature is best for that cut of beef based on what you ordered but if you don't like it that way, you can ask to change it. Based on the quality of the meat which was very tender, the prices are reasonable. The katsu sauces had subtle flavor and they also had a curry sauce that I didn't care for. They have different salts on the side and that was better pairing for the beef katsu. The 120g is a good size for one person but since I was sharing, I chose the 240g. 

The restaurant is located inside STIX Asia. I did a walk-in on a week night around 6pm and was seating right away. The restaurant starts getting busy around 7pm. The service was excellent because our waiter came by a few times to offer us refills on the cabbage. They have a kamaaina discount so show your Hawaii ID or driver's license at the time of ordering. For parking, I parked at Royal Hawaiian Center and walked over. 

For more information about Kyoto Katsuda, follow them on Instagram, @kyotokatsudahi.

Waikiki Shopping Plaza
2250 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815  

US Beef Tenderloin Katsu Set 240g

US Beef Katsu Set 240g

 

Victor's Dessert Lounge

Victor's Dessert Lounge is a daytime pop up at Nanzan Giro Giro. All the desserts on the menu are made by Victor himself. They also offer coffees, teas, and mocktails. My favorites were the Dubai chocolate crepe and iced chocolate. Both were delicious and not too sweet. The desserts are priced between $15 - $18 and the drinks are between $4 - $9. I highly recommend checking out this spot if you love sweets.  For parking, there's metered street parking and a few spaces in front of Nanzan Giro Giro on Pensacola Street. 

For more information about Victor's Dessert Lounge, follow them on Instagram, @victorsdessertlounge.  

560 Pensacola St. Suite 107
Honolulu, HI 96814

Dubai Chocolate Crepe

Apple Tart

Blueberry Flaugnarde

Lounge Fizz

Iced Chocolate