Siam Garden Cafe

Trying to find good Thai food on the island is hard. I think this place comes close to what I've had when I was in San Francisco. They don't do the fusion thing like some of the other restaurant out there.

The restaurant is a bit hard to spot because it's located on Nimitz and when you're driving you don't pay attention to the shops on the side of you unless there's a red light. They're tucked in the middle of a shopping area that is pretty quiet. There is parking in the front of the restaurant and more spaces around the back.

They get very busy during dinner and they don't take reservations. The wait is totally worth it because the food is very good. I recommend getting the sweet & sour fish (it's a whole deep fried fish) and the basil chicken.

For more information about Siam Garden Cafe, visit http://www.siamgardencafe.com.

1130 N Nimitz Hwy
Ste A-130
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 523-9338

Deep Fried Calamari

Tom Yum

Pad Thai

Basil Chicken

Sweet & Sour Fish

Paalaa Kai Bakery

In my opinion, this bakery is in the middle of nowhere. The only reason why I drove down to Waialua was because everyone was telling me how good the snow puffies are. So I had to try these for myself and I agree that this pastry is awesome. The bakery was a bit hard to find and on the opposite side, I think it's a plantation. The whole area is residential and all of a sudden you'll see a store and the bakery and you just turn into the parking lot. Depending on what time of day you go, you may or may not have to stand in line.

For more information about Paalaa Kai Bakery, visit http://www.pkbsweets.com.

66-945 Kaukonahua Rd
Waialua, HI 96791
(808) 637-9795

Snow Puffies

Fumi's Kahuku Shrimp

I heard people saying good things about Fumi's so I gave them a chance. They park by a bunch of other food trucks but what makes them stand out is that they have a giant shrimp painted over the truck. They have a lot on their menu compared to Giovanni's. They also serve chicken, pork, and fish. The people working in the truck spoke Mandarin so that immediately told me my food is going to come out fast (Chinese people are super efficient).

The shrimps here are suppose to be better quality because it's caught daily from the farm. They have lots of parking, a sink with paper towels to wash your hands before and after and if you sit further in, there's no windy blowing your shrimp shells around. I've always had to hold down the things around me at the other places while I eat. Their most popular is the butter garlic and spicy butter garlic. You can also ask for extra spicy butter garlic sauce on the side. It goes great with the rice.

56-777 Kamehameha Hwy
Kahuku, HI 96731
(808) 232-8881

Spicy Garlic Butter Shrimp

Ginger Shrimp

The Little Oven - CLOSED

They are finally open again! If you are a dessert lover and never came here 2 years ago, now is the time to come. It's a tiny little shop that serves spectacular desserts. There is only one chef and one assistant creating/plating the desserts so the wait time is about 20-30 minutes. I recommend ordering everything on the left side of the menu after you walk in. If you are an impatient person, don't come here because this place is not for you. This business runs on an odd schedule. You need to check their twitter or facebook page to see when they open.

For more information about The Little Oven, visit http://www.liloven.com.

1467 South King St
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 947-6836

Persimmon Pudding Cake

Meyer Lemon Ume Kanten

Caramelized Banana Split

Chocolate Milkshake

Affogato

Coffee Cake

Brownie Fluff

Autumn Trio

New Years Trio

PB & Jelly Cake

Fondue for 2

Dim Sum House

If you work in downtown and you need to eat something good and you want it fast, this is the place. They're located at the bottom of the Remington College building. You'll see a flight of stairs that lead down by the coin shop. Take those stairs down and walk to the opposite end.

Dim Sum House has a lot to offer. You can order 1 or 2 choices in the front, dim sum, or something from the menu. If you're there for dim sum, go in front of the steamers and just tell the cashiers which items you want. The dim sum is more pricey than what you pay in Culture Plaza. If you order the deep fried items on the tray, you can mix so you're not stuck eating 3 of the same things. Their won ton mein is also very good. They offer breakfast items for under $4 which I haven't tried yet so I need to go back.

1111 Bishop St
Ste 2
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 524-8328

Dried Scallop Dumplings, Bean Curd Rolls, & Shrimp Dumplings

Sweet E's Cafe

Here's a great spot for those who want brunch. It's a small restaurant that's tucked in the back of Feng Shui World on Kapahulu Ave. On the weekends, it's super crowded. They don't take reservations so you need to come early. I don't recommend coming in big groups.

The food taste great and I think I may have fallen in love with their hash brown. The portions are big so sharing might not be a bad idea. But if you have a big appetite, I'm sure one of their plates will fill you. They have a parking lot but the stalls are very tight so leave your SUV at home.

Relocated to:
1006 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 9681
(808) 737-7771

Elegant Waffle w/ Fruits

Extreme Mess

Lox Bagel

All American Omelette

Kulu Kulu

There's a new Japanese bakery located inside of Shirokiya on the mall level. Their cakes are very moist and light. They are also very expensive. My favorite item so far is the strawberry roll cake. Their website shows a lot of items in the cake lineup. When I went on the weekend I only saw half of the items in the display case. I plan to go back very soon and try more of their items.

For more information about Kulu Kulu, please visit http://www.kulukulucake.com.

Shirokiya Ala Moana
1450 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814

Strawberry Roll Cake

Soft Souffle Cheesecake

Chocolate Mousse

Strawberry Shortcake

Mango Mousse

Strawberry Mousse

Whipped Cream Roll Cake

Rare Cheesecake

Baked Cheesecake

Canton Seafood Restaurant - CLOSED

This place is like an average Chinese family restaurant. I'm not a fan of their location though (next to 939 on Keeaumoku). They have a menu which highlights the tasty items. In my opinion, anything that is deep fried will taste good. The tangerine beef is something I've never seen in other restaurants so I decided to give it a try and it wasn't bad.

If you're coming for dinner with a big group, you should make reservations in advance. I also recommend calling on the day of the reservation to confirm you still have your table. There was a mix up with my reservation and I ended up having to wait 20 minutes for a table. They have parking in the back but come before 7pm if you want a space. Once the lot gets full, good luck with finding street parking.

923 Keeaumoku St
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 955-3388

Fook Kin Tofu

Long Beans w/ Minced Pork

Pig Intestines w/ Pickled Cabbage

Choy Sum

Tangerine Beef

House Specialty Chicken

California Beach Rock N' Sushi

After you've done all your shopping at Ward Warehouse, you can drive down here for some sushi and rock music. To make it even better, they also have drinks. You can choose to sit at the sushi bar or on a regular table. This place is great for groups because they have large tables. They have an assortment of rolls that you won't find at other sushi bars/restaurants. Some of their rolls have a lot of filling and very little rice.

There is parking in the back of the restaurant. They share the lot with Kanpai Grill. If you can come during lunch, they offer lunch specials with an assortment of deep fried items. It's not bad and the price is reasonable.

Relocated to:
98-151 Pali Momi St
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 597-8000

Tuna Carpaccio

Gandubie Roll

Tarantula Roll

JJ Dolan's

If you're looking for a good pizza, this is were you need to be. The guys here spin the perfect thin crust pies (they call them pies not pizzas) and they load it up with toppings. It's a bar and they're located between Chinatown and downtown. Most of the time their TVs are set to sports channel so if you need to catch a game after work, you know where to go. I highly recommend getting some wings along with your pie.

This place is kid friendly during the weekends for lunch but it could get noisy sometimes. They don't validate parking so stick to street parking. If there is none, the Chinatown Municipal Garage with the entrance on S. Beretania is probably cheaper than Mark's Garage.

For more information about JJ Dolan's, please visit http://www.jjdolans.com.

1147 Bethel St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 537-4992

Chicken Wings

Deli Meat Special & White Pie

Spinach Garlic & Deli Meat Special

Giacomo & Margherita

SALT Kitchen & Tasting Bar - CLOSED

If you're looking for a nice and slight fancy restaurant, this would be the place. They have 2 levels. The downstairs has bar seating and the upstairs has tables. The restaurant is a bit small so I don't recommend big groups. I'd say come here with your other half because there's dim lighting and the setting could be pretty romantic.

Their menu is very unique. I wasn't sure what to order because a lot of the stuff on there, I've never seen at other restaurants. All the dishes we ordered turned out to be really tasty except for the dessert. The apple cobbler with bacon bits was too weird. The cheddar ice cream had this cheddar taste but it was ice cream. My taste buds were confused. Anyways, the portions were decent but the prices were a little high.

There's a parking lot with meters in the back of the restaurant. If you get lucky you might find street parking on Waialae. I also recommend making reservations before you come.

For more information about SALT, please visit http://www.salthonolulu.com.

3605 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 744-7567

Oxtail Empanadas

Local Tako

Charcuterie Board

Porchetta Sandwich

Bacon Apple Cobbler w/ Cheddar Ice Cream