Karai Crab

Karai Crab is a local style seafood boil restaurant in the Makiki area. I recommend the seafood combos with one of their house-made sauces. You can also select a spiciness level to add in. Depending on how many people are in your group, you can order up or down and share the seafood combos. They have happy hour from Monday - Friday between 4pm - 6pm. During happy hour, food prices range from $5 - $15. They give you gloves and a bib, but I suggest wearing dark colored clothes, so you don't get any stains from the sauces. This is a great place to hang out after work with friends since the atmosphere is laid back.

If you're coming with 4 or more people, make a reservation. I went on a weekday for dinner, and it wasn't too busy. You can do walk in but since it's the holidays, making a reservation would be safer. For parking, you can park inside the Interstate Building and get validation. The restaurant is located on the ground level with a back entrance from the parking lot, but you can also enter from the front on S King Street.

For more information about Karai Crab, visit karaicrab.com. 

1314 S King St., Ste G2
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 952-6990

The Colossal Sampler

Karai Wings

Peel & Eat Shrimp

Chicken Skin Chips

Garlic Noodles

Moules Frites

Arden Waikiki

Arden Waikiki offers contemporary Hawaii cuisine. The flavors and ingredients in their dishes are American and Asian. The staff were friendly and since the restaurant is still new, we asked our waiter for food recommendations. My favorites were the mentaiko dip, Kauai prawns, and roasted cabbage. The steak fries are good for picking up the mentaiko dip but I wanted thinner cut fries. The prawns were grilled so it had the smokey flavor and since they were cut in half, it was easy to remove the meat from the shell. The roasted cabbage reminded me of a dish at Senia but this had an Asian flavor to it and I loved the slight crunch to the cabbage. The prices are high with dished ranging from $10 - $40 and a few items at market price.

The interior of the restaurant is spacious and well lit. If you get a table by the window, you'll enjoy a nice view of Kapiolani Park. I recommend making a reservation a few days in advance. You can also do walk in and get seated at the bar. For parking, Lotus Honolulu Hotel offers valet parking for $7. You could also do self-parking in the metered spaces along Kapiolani Park near the tennis courts. The metered parking is free after 6 pm.

For more information about Arden Waikiki, visit ardenwaikiki.com.

Lotus Honolulu Hotel
2885 Kalakaua Ave, 2nd Floor
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-1700

French Fries w/ Smoked Mentaiko Dip

Kauai Prawns

Roasted Cabbage

Roasted Hirabara Farms Carrots

Mushroom Rice

Chocolatana Cake

Guieb Cafe

Guieb Cafe offers homestyle meals with reasonable prices. This is a great place for breakfast. My favorites are the prime rib loco moco, fried chicken and waffle, and the ube pancakes. The prime rib is tender and the fried chicken is well seasoned. The ube pancakes are moist and fluffy and with some syrup drizzled over it, it was delicious. Their portions are large so you can share a plate between 2 people. The staff are efficient. The food comes out fast and the temperate is hot. Your water cups will always get filled and they clear your plate once you're done.

They have 3 locations, Kalihi, Aiea, and Wahiawa. I've been to the Kalihi location a few times and the interior is small. If you go when they open, they're not busy. If you go later in the day, there is a wait for a table. They accept reservations by phone, just call a few days in advance to reserve it. The tables are set up to seat 2 – 4 people so if you have 5 or more, reservations are highly recommended.

For more information about Guieb Cafe, visit guiebcafe.com.

1311 North King St 
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 913-2131

98-025 Hekaha St
Building 4, Unit 14
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 762-9247

538 California Ave
Wahiawa, HI 96786
(808) 888-2121

Prime Rib Loco Moco

Adobo Fried Rice Omelette w/ Lechon Kawali

Corned Beef Hash w/ Eggs

Fried Chicken and Waffles

Ube Mascarpone Pancakes

La Bettola

La Bettola is known for their uni (sea urchin) spaghetti. The chef, Tsutomu Ochiai, is the creator of uni spaghetti. The food tasted really good and the service from the staff was excellent. The food portions are small and the prices are high. The entrees range from $30 - $65 since the ingredients consist of seafood or wagyu beef. My favorite was the uni spaghetti because the uni was fresh, no fishy smells at all, and it wasn't overly salty like some of the other uni spaghetti I've tried in the past. The macadamia tiramisu was excellent and I highly recommend ordering that for dessert.

The restaurant is in the lobby of the Alohilani Resort and every table has a view of the oceanarium. They only open for dinner and it does get busy so reservations in advanced are recommended. The attire is resort wear since it is inside in the hotel, but you can dress up if you're celebrating a special occasion. For parking, it's complimentary valet parking with validation but you can also do self-parking in the Alohilani Resort guest parking.

For more information about La Bettola, visit alohilaniresort.com/dining/la-bettola.

Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
2490 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 921-6190

Fritto Misto di Mare
(Fried Squid, Shrimp, & Scallop)

Spaghetti Al Ragu di Manzo
(Spaghetti Bolognese)

Spaghetti Ai Ricci di Mare
(Uni Spaghetti)

Macadamia Tirimisu

Pistachio & White Chocolate Semifreddo

 

Saigon Grill

Saigon Grill is a food truck that serves Vietnamese food. They have a large menu and half of it consist of seafood like sea snails, sea scallops, oysters, shrimp, dungeness crab, and lobster. This is one of the few places on Oahu that serves sea snails. The flavor of their food is good, and the prices are reasonable. My favorites were the sea scallops and the pork chops. Once you're done ordering, you seat yourself and the staff will bring the food and drinks to you. You can BYOB.

The seating area is outdoors under a large tent; it's very casual and is great for groups. Each booth under the tent can seat about 4 people and they have the longer tables in the middle for big groups. They only open for dinner, and they stay open till 12am on weekdays and 2am on the weekends. They accept cash and credit. Parking is free and a few steps away from the seating area. They are located across the Hawaii Convention Center. When it gets dark, you'll see the lanterns lit up in the area as you drive down Kapiolani Blvd.

1700 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814

Garlic Butter Sea Snails

Sea Scallops

Grilled Pork Chops

Shrimp Fried Rice

Sugarcane Juice

Upstairs at Pier 38

Upstairs at Pier 38 is known for their seafood. They are located on the 2nd floor above Nico's Poke Market. The menu is mostly seafood but they have a handful of beef and pork entrees. The service from the staff was excellent and the plating of the food was photogenic. The appetizers and fish were delicious but I was disappointed with the rice. The rice in both entrees were uncooked and it was luke-warm when it came to the table. Other than the rice, everything was good, and my favorites were the nairagi carpaccio, crispy brie and sea bass. The prices are on the high side with entrees ranging from $40-$50 each.

The interior of the restaurant is beautiful. They have large windows that overlook the water and I recommend asking for a table by the window to enjoy those views. The restaurant can get loud since it's one big open space. This place is great for celebrating special occasion or for large parties. For parking, there are spaces outside the Nico's building but it that fill up, there's another lot around the corner of the building facing Nimitz Hwy. I recommend making reservations a few days in advanced so you can be seated at a table. If you walk in on a busy night, you'll probably get seated at the bar. 

For more information about Upstairs at Pier 38, visit upstairspier38.com.

Nico's Pier 38
1129 N Nimitz Hwy
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 550-3740

Nairagi Carpaccio

Salmon Lollipops

Crispy Brie

Misoyaki Sea Bass

Furikake Ahi

Basque Cheesecake

Mr Ojisan

Mr Ojisan which was formerly in Kapahulu is now in Moiliili. They have simple one-page menu but there's a little bit of everything on it like sushi rolls, nigiri sushi, sashimi, donburi, udon, grilled foods and deep-fried foods. It's best to do family style dining and order items to share. If you prefer to have your own meal you can order the teishoku set which comes with soup and rice. Their prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get. I enjoyed the wafu steak, it came to the table on a sizzling platter.

They are open for lunch and dinner. For dinner, I recommend making reservations because it gets busy. The interior of the restaurant spacious and well-lit but it can get loud when the restaurant fills up with diners. They have a parking lot in the back of the building. If the parking is full, then there's street parking on S. King Street or in the residential area.

For more information about Mr Ojisan Neo Bar & Sushi, visit mrojisan.net. 

1785 S King St
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 735-4455

Sashimi Platter

Waikiki Roll

Wafu Steak

Agedashi Tofu

Chicken Karaage

Steve's Chicks

Steve's Chicks specializes in fried chicken and Korean comfort food. They have 6 different flavors of fried chicken with one of them being the Volcano Devil which sounds extra spicy since it's made with habanero, ghost pepper, and Carolina Reaper. I went with the mild flavors, and I enjoyed those wings and drumsticks. They have a boneless chicken option but it only comes in the original and seasoned flavor. The cheese rice cake and tofu kimchi soup were delicious but it started getting very spicy for me towards the end of my meal. Their portions are large and should be shared with 3-4 people. The prices range from $25 - $50. They have a fridge full of soju in all the flavors so it's great for those who like to drink.

They are in Waipahu at Kunia Shopping Center. The interior of the restaurant is spacious. They can accommodate large groups of 10 and maybe more if they moved the tables around. There's K-pop music playing all night and K-pop music videos on the TV screens. Steve walks by the tables to talk to customers and makes sure everything is good. I have always done a walk in for dinner between 6pm-7pm and I'll get a table immediately. They open till 1:00AM so it's great for those wanting a late-night snack or a place to hang out and catch up with friends after work.

94-673 Kupuohi St., Ste B109
Waipahu, HI 96797
(808) 680-0005

Combination Chicken
(Seasoned & Original)

Seafood Pancake

Tofu Kimchi Soup

Cheese Rice Cake

Piko Kitchen + Bar

Piko Kitchen + Bar is in Waikiki. Their food is Asian fusion with some Hawaiian. It's a great spot to hang out at after work with friends or if you're already in Waikiki, just swing by for some live music, food and drinks. My favorites are the Kapakahi Fries, Fried Confit Chicken, Manila Clam Pinakbet, and Garlic Noodles. Their portion are big and can be shared with 3-4 people. Every time I've visited, the staff has given great recommendations for food and drinks. According to my friends, some of their drinks are strong. The outdoor seating and bar can get loud in the evenings because of the live music but they have indoor seating if you prefer a quiet lunch or dinner.

This place is great for large group because the staff can easily move the tables around to accommodate you. If you do come with 6 or more, I suggest making a reservation in advance or calling the restaurant before you head over. They are at Lilia Waikiki on the street level, facing Kuhio Ave and adjacent to the International Marketplace. This was also the former location of Food Pantry. They have validated parking, $4 for 2 hours in Lilia Waikiki’s parking garage.

For more information about Piko Kitchen + Bar, visit pikowaikikihawaii.com. 

2380 Kuhio Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 923-2032

Kapakahi Fries

Shiitake Mushroom Bao Buns
Pork Belly Bao Buns

Pipikaula

Fried Confit Chicken

Dynamite Rice

AweSsam Tempura Cauliflower

Manila Clam Pinakbet

Garlic Noodles