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

 

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

Nami Kaze - CLOSED

Nami Kaze has transitioned to a sit-down brunch restaurant. During the pandemic, they did take out bentos. The brunch menu offers the classics like pancakes, waffles, and sandwiches but they also have a teishoku (Japanese set meal), sashimi, poke, and sushi. My favorites were the roasted caesar salad, honey walnut shrimp waffle, and buttermilk pancakes. Their food is pricey but the portions are large enough for sharing and they encourage family style dining. When you dine here, make sure you have your phone charged up since you need it to order and pay. To start, the waiter will have you scan the QR code for that table and it will take you to the website. You enter your name, then you can view the menu and add items into the cart. This makes separate bills easier because when it comes time to pay, you can select "pay my items" and you won't have to figure out how to split the check and pay people back.

The interior design of the restaurant is modern Japanese and they have an open kitchen so you can see the food being prepared by the staff from your table. We had excellent service from the staff, they checked on us often and kept our water glasses filled. The restaurant is in the Fresh Island Fish building across from Nico's Pier 38. You should see the "Nami Kaze" sign on the side of building and you'll see the entrance doors. There is free parking available in the lot with the shared businesses and some parking spaces along the side of the buildings.

Nami Kaze
135 N Nimitz Hwy
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 888-6264

Roasted Hirabara Gem Caesar Salad

Royal Eel (Sushi Roll)

People's Choice (Teishoku)

Honey Walnut Shrimp Waffle

Buttermilk Pancakes

Rita's Italian Ice Hawaii - CLOSED

You can cool off this summer with Italian ice and frozen custard from Rita's. They are located inside Tiki's Family Fun Center next to the Regal Theaters in Dole Cannery. This is a mainland franchise and their first Hawaii location.

You need to get the vanilla frozen custard because it's delicious. If you want to step it up a bit, get the gelati; which is a combination of Italian ice and frozen custard. The regular size will cost you less than $5 and you won't be disappointed. You can park in the Dole Cannery parking structure and they'll give you validation. Depending on what time of day you go, there may be a lot of kids inside Tiki's but Rita's is in the back so you can go in get your frozen treats and get out. If you don't mind the noise, you can stay inside to eat because they have some tables and chairs.

For more information about Rita's visit, ritasfranchises.com.

Tiki's Family Fun Center
735 Iwilei Rd
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 206-9143

Mango Gelati

Strawberry Gelati

Frozen Custard Swirl

Max's of Manila

This was my first time eating authentic Filipino food. It's a combination of Chinese and Thai flavors. If you've never had Filipino food before, I'd recommend giving it a try. I thought the sinigang, inihaw na liempo (pork belly), and ube ice cream were very good. One small tip about the ube ice cream, it makes your mouth purple. So don't be surprised.

For more information about Max's of Manila, please visit http://www.maxschicken.com.

801 Dillingham Blvd. Ste 108
Honolulu, HI 96817

Lumpiang Shanghai

Sinigang Na Baboy

Kare-Kare

Garlic Rice

Inihaw Na Liempo

Bicol Express

Pancit Palabok

Ube Ice Cream