Maile's Thai Bistro

Some of the dishes they serve here are actually authentic Thai dishes. Other Thai restaurants on Oahu have fusion dishes and they don't taste good. I was introduced to Thai food when I lived in San Francisco and whenever I eat Thai food now, that is what I compare it to. If you're a townie or you live on the West side, it's a far drive but it's totally worth it.

The staff is friendly and they came by the table quite often to make sure everything was okay. If you have the yelp app on your phone, check in and get the special offer. You can get 10% your bill.

For more information about Maile's Thai Bistro, please visit http://www.mailesthaibistro.com.

Hawaii Kai Towne Center
333 Keahole St. Ste 2B8
Honolulu, HI 96825

Spring Rolls

Thai Stuffed Chicken Wings

Pad Thai w/ Chicken

Garlic Vegetables

Thai Crepe w/ Coconut Ice Cream

Little Village Noodle House - CLOSED

They serve up Chinese food that's a bit on the pricey side. The food is very good and the interior or the restaurant is cool. You actually feel like you're in an old Chinese village. The "honey walnut shrimp" is one of their specialties. They don't coat their shrimps in mayo here which is good because honey walnut shrimp shouldn't have mayo, it should have honey. Another dish that's also good is "the mother of all fried rice." If you're okay with salted fish smell, I highly recommend ordering that.

They are busy during lunch so I recommend making a reservation. There is parking on the side of the restaurant but the lot is tight and they don't have a lot of stalls. If you can find a space on the street, take it.

For more information about Little Village Noodle House, please visit http://www.littlevillagehawaii.com.

1113 Smith St
Honolulu, HI 96817

Honey Walnut Shrimp

Salt & Pepper Pork Chop

Orange Chicken

Dried String Beans

Dried Beef Chow Funn

Diamond Head Market & Grill

The popular items in the market are their baked goods. I recommend trying the blueberry cream cheese scones and the lemon crunch cake. The scones are very popular and they sell out so if you plan to pick up some before heading to work, you should call to make sure they have it. Compared to other places that make lemon crunch cake, I think they have the best. They close at 9pm so if you're craving dessert after dinner, you can swing by here.

For more information about Diamond Head Market & Grill, please visit http://www.diamondheadmarket.com.

3158 Monsarrat Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815

Blueberry Cream Cheese Scone

Lemon Crunch Cake

Doner Shack - CLOSED

If you work in downtown and you want a big lunch that is affordable, you want to be here. They are located next to SOHO in the Fort Street Mall. They're not open everyday. When they are open, you'll see the window and there's usually a line.

I got the Doner Sandwich for less than $6. Their ingredients are really fresh and they give you lots of vegetables. I had to eat this sandwich with a fork because my mouth wasn't big enough to bite into it.

80 S Pauahi St
Honolulu, HI 96813

Doner Sandwich

Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream & Desserts - CLOSED

If you're a townie and you haven't had ice cream at Bubbies, you're missing out. Their frozen creations have the most outrageous names but all of them are good. If you love mochi ice cream, you'll find yourself wanting one of each flavor. Some of the mochi ice cream flavors are seasonal. The best one I've had so far was the li hing mango. It was mango flavored mochi sprinkled with li hing powder and mango ice cream in the center.

They get very busy and the line comes out the door but as long as you have a group of friends to keep you company, it won't be too bad. If you don't want to stand in line, I recommend coming on a weekday around 10pm but if it's a warm night, no guarantees.

For more information about Bubbies, please visit http://www.bubbiesicecream.com.

1010 University Ave - CLOSED
Honolulu, HI 96826

Koko Marina Center
7192 Kalanianaole Hwy
Ste D103
Honolulu, HI 96825

Multiple Orgasm

Green Tea

Oreo

Assorted Mochi Ice Cream

BLT Steak

I'm not a big fan of steak but I saw their restaurant week menu and so I wanted to come. I asked a friend to make the reservation and the earliest time we got was 9:30pm. We were seated outside. It was nice for awhile but then it got really windy and then the rain came. On top of that, the cars passing by were very noisy. So, I don't recommend sitting outside.

The taste of their food is alright. I don't know if they normally give all their guests complimentary items but we got the brushetta w/ pate, popovers, and fudge brownies. The popovers and brownies were very good. I enjoyed the steak. It was a bit chewy but it was well seasoned. I also liked the crepe souffle, it's very airy and light. I recommend sharing because the portion is quite big.

For more information about BLT Steak, please visit http://www.bltsteak.com.

Trump International Hotel
223 Saratoga Rd
Honolulu, HI 96815

Tomato Salad w/ Grilled Onion Vinaigrette

Roasted Kabocha Soup

Grilled Flank Steak

Seared Opakapaka

Warm Brownie Sundae w/ Apple Bananas & PB Ice Cream

Crepe Souffle w/ Passion Fruit Sauce

Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas - CLOSED

This was my first time here and I came just for the restaurant week menu. The food is very good but the wait for each dish to come out was really long. I was sitting in there for about 2 hours. Normally, I want to be done with dinner in 1.5 hours.

If you do have 2 hours to kill, I recommend coming here. If you like to eat between 6pm to 7:30pm, I also recommend making a reservation. They are super busy.

For more information about Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas, please visit http://www.hiroshihawaii.com.

Restaurant Row
500 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96813

Sizzlin' Kona Kampachi Sushi

Kona Cold Lobster Sous Vide

Bubuarare Crusted Kauai Shrimp & Homemade Egg Tofu

Hau'ula Tomato Salad

Vintage Natural Beef New York Steak

Crispy Skin Kona Kampachi

Ulupalakau Strawberry Tiramisu

YuZu - CLOSED

They just opened this month. Their menu is very limited but they will be adding more items next month. I stopped by for lunch and I wasn't sure what to expect. I ordered 2 items and I thought the taste and presentation for both were very good. Instead of doing nigiri sushi, they form their rice into the shape of a ball and then wrap the fish around. It's new and it's different.

The prices are very reasonable and the food portions are big. I was expecting a small bowl of udon and it ended up being bigger than the size of my stomach. I recommend the yakitori, it's really good. This is one restaurant that I'm adding to my favorites list.

For more information about YuZu, please visit http://www.yuzuhawaii.com.

Ala Moana Hotel (CLOSED)
410 Atkinson Dr
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 943-1155

Ko Olina
92-1047 Olani St,
Kapolei, HI 96707

Temari Sushi & Yakitori

YuZu Veggie Medley Dipping Sauce

YuZu Veggie Medley Udon

Bravo Restaurant

If you've never eaten here before, you have to come and try their complimentary Garlic Rolls. I know it's greasy but it's good grease and it's full of garlic flavor. You have to eat them right when they to your table. If you let it cool, the rolls get hard. If you finish the basket they'll refill it.

They cook their pasta a little longer. It's probably because locals prefer their noodles soft. If you want yours "al dente," tell the waiter.

For more information about Bravo Restaurant, please visit http://www.bravorestaurant.com.

Pearl Ridge Center
98-115 Kaonohi St
Aiea, HI 96701

Garlic Rolls

Calamari

Rotisserie Chicken

Linguine w/ Clams

New Empress Restaurant - CLOSED

This restaurant has gone through so many owners. The service used to be really bad but they're slowly improving. I was there twice last month. During the week days, it's more of a hang out for retired folks. On the weekends it's mostly Chinese families.

The taste of their food is okay. They don't put much thought into presentation. What you ask for is what you get and that's probably how they keep the cost down. It's not bad, give it a try if you're in Culture Plaza.

Chinese Culture Plaza
100 N Beretania St
Honolulu, HI 96817

Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumpling)

Beef Ball

Chicken Feet

Tripe

Roast Duck

The Alley Restaurant

The locals love coming here! I went on a Tuesday night and it was packed. It took one hour to get a table. The food was greasy but it was so delicious. You must order the mega crunch fries and lemon crunch cake. I thought their ox tail soup was okay. They put a lot of Chinese spices in there and I didn't think my taste buds liked those flavors.

Also on Tuesdays, the restaurant has something called "Tasty Tuesdays" where they serve upscale dishes. They require you to make a reservation. If you're interested, the menu is posted on their website.

For more information about The Alley Restaurant Bar & Grill, please visit http://www.aieabowl.com/restaurant.htm.

Aiea Bowl
99-115 Aiea Heights Dr, Ste 310
Aiea, HI 96701

Garlic Mega Crunch Fries

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Alley's Caesar Salad w/ Tasty Chicken

Ox Tail Soup

Tasty Chicken Bowl

Alley Mix Plate (Loco Moco & Tasty Chicken)

Lemon Crunch Cake