Leila

Leila is a Moroccan inspired restaurant in the Kaimuki. They offer a dinner tasting menu that is $85 per person. You start with The Seven Salads which consists of 7 small dishes and the za’atar flatbread followed by the charred cabbage. The 7 dishes are shared with everyone on your table and the portions were generous. We ordered 2 different entrees since there was 4 of us and we added on the basteeya. The basteeya is a signature dish from the chef and it's a flaky pie filled with shredded duck. All of the dishes were tasty but my favorite was the short rib because it was tender and the sauce was flavorful. For dessert, the date cake was the best because the sweetness of the dates balanced with the salted caramel sauce. The yuzu custard was a lighter dessert and very refreshing with the seasonal fruits.

The interior of the restaurant has dim lighting and the noise volume is loud. The service from the staff was excellent. If you're looking for a place to have a fun dinner or to try a new kind of cuisine, this would be the spot for you. You should make reservations at least 2 days in advance. For parking, there is street parking along 12th Ave or paid parking in the Kaimuki Municipal Lot. 

For more information about Leila, visit leilahnl.com.

1108 12th Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 888-0884

The Seven Salads

Charred Cabbage

Basteeya

Mediterranean Fish

Short Rib

Yuzu Custard

Date Cake

Broome St General Store

There is a pop-up cafe inside Broome St. General Store that serves coffee, matcha, and pastries. They are located at Ward Village in Kakaako near Whole Foods Market. I enjoyed the miso caramel latte since that's not a drink I've seen anywhere on the island. The olive oil lemon cake and the chocolate banana mascarpone loaf were also delicious. The toasts are photogenic but they're $13 each. The whipped ricotta toast comes with jam and they have a bunch of different flavors. You can choose 3 jams and make it a "rainbow style" toast for an extra $1.50. The pastries are about $8 each. The drinks range from $4 - $10 depending on what you add in (espresso shots, oat milk)

If you are in the Kakaako area, this is a nice spot to hang out at since they have outdoor seating. There are 2 tables that have an umbrella and the rest are partially shaded or might be in the sun depending on the time of day you go. They do get busy and you'll see the line coming out the door but it's worth the wait for the drinks and pastries. If you eat there, I'm not sure if we're supposed to clean up our own table but we did. Some customers don't clean up and just leave their dirty cups and plates and another customer does it so they can use the table.

For more information about the cafe at Broome St. General Store, visit their Instagram @broomestgeneralhawaii.

310 Kamakee St B
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 480-9031

Whipped Ricotta Toast

Olive Oil Lemon Cake

Chocolate Banana Mascarpone Loaf

Avocado Beet Hummus Toast

Iced Aina Cloud Latte

Iced Miso Caramel Latte

Iced Ube Horchata

 

Island Glazed

Island Glazed is a donut shop in the Aiea area that makes fluffy donuts with local flavors like guava, lilikoi, lychee, ube and more. My favorite is their OG (original glazed) donut which is similar to Krispy Kreme but without the greasy taste. I thought the flavored ones were too sweet but the lychee had better flavor compared to the guava. Their donuts cost about $2.50 each which is pricey but if you buy them by the dozen or half dozen, it's cheaper. I recommend going before 10AM for the best selection of flavors. If the trays inside the display case are empty, ask the staff and they'll let you know if there's more of that flavor in the back. Besides the yeast donuts, they also have cinnamon rolls, filled donuts, donut holes, drip coffee and a few espresso drinks.

They are located inside the Pearl Kai Shopping Center next to Ricado's Italian Restaurant. They have a leather couch with a coffee table inside and a few chairs with counter seating against the wall. There is parking in front of the shop making it easy to grab and go breakfast in the mornings.

For more information about Island Glazed, visit @islandglazed on Instagram.

Pearl Kai Shopping Center
199 Kamehameha Hwy #98
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 777-7505

OG (Original Glazed)

Lychee, Guava

 

Senia

Senia is located in Honolulu Chinatown. I recommend their tasting menu which is only available on Fridays and Saturdays with one seating at 6:30pm. You sit at the counter with 7 other diners and get a front row seat of the kitchen staff and Chef Anthony preparing and plating. The food tastes amazing and the plating is beautiful. Every dish is photogenic. My favorites were the caviar, foie gas, and squab. I was impressed with the squab because it's cut up and prepared in multiple ways, then plated into one dish. This is pricey meal and worth splurging to celebrate a birthday or other big occasions. The tasting menu can be reserved online or by phone and it's $288 per person with tax and gratuity included. This cost is only for the food and drinks are separate.

If the tasting menu is out of budget, they have an ala carte menu and the entrees are priced between $20 - $40. They also have dishes you can share with a small group of people which are priced between $100 - $140. The service from the staff is excellent and they are very knowledgeable about pairing your food with beverages. The restaurant has a very nice ambiance and I would suggest business casual dress code since this is a nice place. For parking, the Marin Tower Municipal Parking is the closest and it's a few minutes walk to the restaurant.

For more information about Senia, visit restaurantsenia.com.

75 N King St
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 200-5412

Spicy Tuna Taco
avocado, smoked trout roe

Premier White Sturgeon Caviar
burnt bread, white chocolate

White Guy "Sushi"
kona kampachi, english pea, sherry vinegar

Foie Gras
nectarine, lychee, honey

Kabocha
hazelnut, sage, maple brown butter

Hamachi
shiso, heart of palm, prosciutto

Squab
artichoke, confit tomato

'Cream Tea'
triple cream, plum, earl grey

Coconut
lilikoi, hibiscus, ube

The Septagon
(closed)

The Septagon
(opened)

Okayama Kobo Bakery & Cafe

Okayama Kobo Bakery & Cafe is a Japanese bakery in Ward Village that offers fresh baked pastries and breads. They also serve matcha, coffee, and teas. My favorites are the salt & butter roll, strawberry milk cream croissant, and the white milk cream bread. The salt & butter rolls taste amazing if you can get them fresh. It's soft with a buttery core and some salt sprinkled on the top. The pastries range from $2 - $5 and the drinks range from $4 - $7. I recommend going before 11AM to get the best selection.

Their shop is small but they bake all day so you can still get some fresh items from the oven in the afternoon. They have a few tables and chairs outside where you can sit and enjoy your pastries and drinks. This used to be the former space of Starbucks Coffee at the corner of Auahi Street and Kamakee Street by the Consolidated Theaters. For parking, the closest parking lot would be the one where you park for the theater.

For more information about Okayama Kobo Bakery & Cafe, visit okayamakobousa.com/honolulu.

Ward Village
310 Kamakee St.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 888-0724

Strawberry Milk Cream Croissant

Matcha Sea Salt Coldbrew, Mocha Latte

Strawberry Milk Cream, White Milk Cream

Croque Monsieur, Salt & Butter Rolls,
Le Chocolat, Chocolate Croissant

Citrus-ade

 

Ellie Girl Poke - Hilo

Ellie Girl Poke is a poke shop located in Hilo on the Big Island. Their fish are locally sourced and the poke is made fresh. Most of their poke use ahi (tuna) but they'll have specials with other types of seafood and fish. I ordered by the pound ($18/lb.) and my favorites were the sesame shoyu ahi and the miso tako. They also have poke bowls with up to 3 choices of poke which range from $12 - $22. Their prices are reasonable and based on customers in front of me, they give a generous portion for their poke bowls.

The interior of the shop is big. The poke display case and cashier take up a small corner in the front. They have tables and chairs outside of shop where you can sit and enjoy your food. They are open from 8am - 6pm daily. There is lots of parking right in front of the shop.

Prince Kuhio Plaza
111 E Puainako St
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 333-3469

Sesame Shoyu Ahi Poke

Ahi Basil Poke

Miso Tako Poke

Kawamoto Store - Hilo

Kawamoto Store is an okazuya (Japanese-style delicatessen) located in Hilo on the Big Island, Hawaii. They serve local style Japanese food and it's takeout only. When you drive by their store, there is always a line because locals and tourist go there. The food is cheap and it taste very good! One of my favorites were the shrimp tempura because the batter tasted like shrimp chips, it had so much shrimp flavor in every bite. I also enjoyed the Korean chicken, which was a deep fried drumstick dipped in a delicious sauce. Other things I would recommend is the cone sushi, maki sushi, nori chicken, and fish cake.

They are 10 minutes from the Hilo airport so if you come for a day trip, this would be the ideal place for breakfast. They are open Tuesday - Saturday from 6am -12pm. You should go early for the best selection of food. You can also do a phone order which makes pick up quicker but some items might not be available at the time you call to place the order. If you plan to stand in line and order, the wait will be around 30 minutes. This will give you enough time to decide which items you want to eat and what items are coming out from the kitchen. For parking, there is free street parking along Kilauea Ave. They accept cash and credit cards.

For more information about Kawamoto Store, visit kawamotostore.com.

784 Kilauea Ave
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-8209

Cone Sushi, Nori Chicken

Maki Sushi, Corned Beef Hash,
Shrimp Tempura, Korean Chicken

Deli Case

Moon and Turtle - Hilo

Moon and Turtle is an Asian fusion restaurant located in Hilo on the Big Island, Hawaii. The menu consists of seafood, mainly fish and their ingredients are locally sourced. My favorites were the smokey ahi sashimi, pipkaula mac salad, mushroom risotto, and basque-style miso cheesecake. Their prices are high ranging from $10 - $20 for an appetizer and $30+ for an entree. The portions can be shared between 2 people and the staff will recommend family style dining. 

They only open for dinner and reservations are highly recommended. I suggest reserving one week in advance if you plan to dine on a Friday or Saturday night. For parking, they have some spaces in front of the restaurant but you can also find street parking around the area. The staff were friendly and they checked with us a few times to make sure everything was right and the food tasted delicious.

If you are planning a day trip to Hilo, you could reserve the first seating, eat fast and still be able to catch the last Hawaiian Airlines flight out of Hilo to Oahu. I asked for the basque-style miso cheesecake to-go and so I got to enjoy that on Oahu.

51 Kalakaua St
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-0599

Smokey Sashimi

Sizzling "Tetsuyaki" Poke

Smoked Tonnato Caesar

Pipikaula Mac Salad

Tomato Caper Ahi Belly

Mushroom Risotto

AnyPlace Cocktail Lounge

AnyPlace Cocktail Lounge is a homey bar that serves delicious food with reasonable prices. Their menu includes local favorites like lechon, fried pork chop, fried noodles and fried rice. My favorites were the lechon, obachan's fried chicken, and kalibi.

This place is perfect for large groups because they have a big space. If you plan to go with 10 or more people, I recommend calling them before you head over so they can set up the tables and chairs. The dress code here is casual, you can walk in with shorts and a t-shirt and it's fine. If you're wearing a collar shirt, you're overdressed. The staff are friendly and the atmosphere is laid back. For parking, they have a few stalls in front but it fills up fast. You can do street parking on Young Street or park in the CPB parking lot across the street after 5pm for $7 which covers you for 24 hours.

For more information about AnyPlace Cocktail Lounge, visit anyplacehawaii.com.

1018 McCully St
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 947-8977

Lechon

Traditional Combo
(Hamburger and Spam & Egg Sandwich)

Obachan's Fried Chicken

French Fries

Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings

Fried Pork Chops

Fried Noodles

Fried Rice