Omakase by Bobae - CLOSED

Omakase by Bobae is a sushi bar inside Back Alley Cafe. Chef Bobae is there on Mondays to Wednesdays from 6pm-8:30pm. You walk into Back Alley Cafe, pick a table, the chef comes over to greet you, and you can start ordering from her menu. The fish is fresh and all things are made to order. When they drop off the sushi on your table, they do say to eat it right away so the nori doesn't get soggy. My favorites were the handroll sashimi combo and the 10-piece nigiri. The handroll sashimi combo had a beautiful presentation. It was a fun dish since you can make your own rolls and choose how much fish and rice to wrap with nori. There were also different seasonings that you could put in the hand rolls. The prices were reasonable and these dishes are shareable. Depending on what type of fish you like/dislike or your budget, ordering ala carte sushi might be a better option for some.

If you love going to sushi bars, I recommend checking this place out. The dress code is casual and it's walk in only, they don't accept reservations. For parking, there is street parking available on Sheridian Street. The meters are free after 6pm. Since Chef Bobae does everything herself, the creation of some dishes will take longer so be patient. You can follow her on instgram, @omakasebybobae, for updates. She also makes take out bentos on certain days.

920 Sheridan St
Honolulu, HI 96814

Handroll Sashimi Combo

Pink Sampler

Cali Roll

Uni Sushi

10 Pieces Sushi

Karai Crab - CLOSED

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

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

Chez Kenzo Bar and Grill

Chez Kenzo Bar & Grill has one of the best happy hours around. Their happy hour is from 5pm-7pm. All food items on the happy hour menu are priced at $7 each. The drinks on the happy hour menu consist of wines, sake, and beer which are priced between $3 - $6. The food portions are a good size and they're great for sharing between a small group of 4 people or less. If happy hour is not your thing, you can order food from the dinner menu. My favorites are the sizzling omurice, ginger pork, cheese gyoza, and pumpkin bacon.

The interior of the restaurant is large and good for groups. I recommend calling ahead to make a reservation because they are busy during happy hour. The noise level can get loud especially when the restaurant is 75% full. The staff did an excellent job of making sure we had enough food, drinks, and kept our water glasses filled the whole time. For parking, the spaces in the lot are free after 5pm and you don't need to pay at the box.

For more information about Chez Kenzo Bar & Grill, visit chezkenzo.net.

1451 S. King St
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 941-2439

Sizzling Omurice

Pork Kakuni

Agedashi Tofu

Deep Fried Rock Shrimp

Ginger Pork

Goya Champuru

Hane Cheese Gyoza

Kenzo Steak

Papa Kurt's - CLOSED

Papa Kurts has delicious local favorites like saimin and burgers. These foods bring back the memories of growing up on the islands. They are open for lunch and it is takeout only. I suggest ordering online 1-2 days in advance because some items will sell out. It is easier to customize your order online instead of over the phone; just check off the boxes for your add-ons. My favorites were the burger and fries and I would go back again to try different add-ons to both. 

They were located in the former space of Agu Ramen across from Old Stadium Park. There are a few parking spaces in the front and more parking spaces in the back of building. As of 2022, they relocated to 808 Center near Ala Moana.

For more information about Papa Kurt's, visit https://www.papakurts.com.

808 Sheridan St., Suite #110B,
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 348-4613

Saimin w/ wontons

Cheese Burger, Fries

Malu Honolulu

Malu Honolulu makes Japanese style desserts, kimbap, and bentos. The chef changes the desserts every week so there is always something new to try. My favorites so far are the double cookie cream puff and nama chocolate slice. For the cream puff, the chef pipes the cream after you order it so the puff remains crisp. The nama chocolate slice reminds me of Royce chocolates; the chocolate is extra smooth and not overly sweet. The desserts are priced between $4 - $6. To see the latest dessert creations or special, check their instagram, @malu.honolulu.

They are located in the Samsung Plaza and only open for takeout. Prior to the pandemic, they had a seating area but it's been blocked off. The parking in Samsung Plaza is free if you exit in 20 minutes or less. When you enter the plaza, let the attendant know you're going to "Malu."

For more information about Malu Honolulu, visit maluhonolulu.com.

Samsung Plaza
661 Keeaumoku St., #106-E
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 600-7104

Double Cookie Cream Puff

News Years Good Luck Tart

Moo Moo Milky Roll Cake

Sushi Murayama

Sushi Murayama is located in the 808 Center at the corner of Sheridan and Rycroft Street. The restaurant is located on the 3rd floor. There is an elevator in the middle of the building by Urban Bistro which can take you up. Some of the other business are still under construction so the 3rd floor is a little empty. Sushi Murayama offers an omakase for $75 which is reasonable compared to other sushi restaurants in town. I ordered from their regular menu and the taste and quality of the food was excellent. I sat at the sushi bar and the chef did a great job of making sure my party had enough to eat. I enjoyed everything except for the natto ice cream. I'm not a big fan of natto because of the texture and smell but the rest of my party loved it. It is worth trying though.

I recommend making reservations in advance because the restaurant is small and it is busy from 6pm-8pm. If you plan to do the omakase, you should request to sit at the sushi bar. If you're coming with a big group, your food will take awhile so be prepared to wait or just go with 4 or less people. For parking, the 808 Center offers free valet parking if you dine at any of restaurants. The entrance to the valet is on Sheridan Street.

1320 Rycroft St.
Unit 307
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 784-2100

Garlic Chip Poke

Mirugai Butter

Butterfish Misoyaki

Otoro Nigiri

Salmon Nigiri

Ika Nigiri

Tiger Prawn Nigiri

Tamago Nigiri

Yuzu Sorbet

Natto Ice Cream

On Dong Chinese Restaurant

On Dong is located on S. King Street between Kaheka and Kalakaua. They are known for their jajangmyeon and the sweet & sour pork. I highly recommend ordering both if these dishes. If you can handle spicy foods, order one of their noodle soups. The soups are red, very red.

The inside of the restaurant is a bit cramped so I don't recommend going with more than 4 people. They have one round table that can seat a big group but it's really tight. One of the seats end up blocking the walkway so the waitress will constantly ask the person to scoot in.

They have parking in the back of the restaurant. If there's an attendant on duty, you need to ask for validation. The restaurant will only validate up to 1 hour so watch your time.

1499 S King St
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 947-9444

Sweet & Sour Pork

Potstickers

Pork Fried Rice

Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup

 Black Bean Noodles (Jajangmyeon)

Chukaya Sea Dragon Table - CLOSED

They are located at the corner of S King and Kaheka Street where Jin Din Rou used to be. They have kept the interior of the restaurant the same. Some of the dishes are very similar to what was on Jin Din Rou's menu but the taste is different. Their signature dish is the dragon ball soup. I recommend trying it. They have xiao long bao but the dumplings didn't have any soup in them. My favorite dishes were the kakuni steamed buns and the crabmeat fried rice because they had the most flavor. The prices of all their dishes are reasonable. If you're coming with a small group (4 or less), you can just walk in. They have parking in the back of the restaurant.

1491 S King St., Ste 105
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 941-2929

Spicy Won Ton

Kakuni Steamed Buns

Sho Ron Po (xiao long bao)

Dragon Ball Soup

Sweet Sour Pork w/ Black Vinegar

Cold Noodle

Crab Meat Fried Rice