Broome St General Store - CLOSED

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

 

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

 

Straits Hawaii

Straits Hawaii serves Singaporean dishes with bold flavors. If you like spicy food, you'll enjoy this place since a lot of their signature dishes have chili peppers in it. I ordered dishes that were mild and they were delicious. My favorites were the garlic noodles, Yeo's chicken salad, and the bone marrow. The drinks are interesting and worth trying. The service was good and our food time came out in a timely manner even with a full restaurant. The prices are high with entrees ranging from $25 - $30 and the seafood items for double that price.

I recommend making reservations in advanced if you want to sit at a table. If you plan to do a walk in, the bar is available. They are located at Ward Village in the former space of Big City Diner next to the movie theater. The interior of the restaurant had dim lighting and loud music during my dinner. As far as space, it is tight. I tried to find the big gaps between 2 chairs so I wouldn't hit anyone getting to the table and leaving after dinner.

For more information about Straits Hawaii, visit straitshawaii.com.

Ward Village
1060 Auahi St #4
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 888-0683

Singapore Satay Sticks

Straits Frites

Yeo's Chicken Salad

Garlic Noodle

Roasted Bone Marrow

Pandan Soda

Rinka

Rinka offers authentic Japanese cuisine. They are open for lunch and dinner. I recommend the sushi rolls and sashimi. The Uni Ikura Wagyu Roll was a special item, and it was the best roll I ever ate. The presentation for that roll was beautiful. It was topped off with gold flakes and truffle salt on the side. Other items I enjoyed were the sashimi, tempura, and the beef tongue. Their items are pricey, but they use quality ingredients, and the portions are reasonable. The service was excellent, and they did a great job timing the dishes, so my table didn't get overloaded.

The entrance to the restaurant is on the back side of Whole Foods by the parking for the movie theater. The interior of the restaurant is modern and spacious. This restaurant would be great for group because they have private dining rooms. If you plan to come for dinner, reservations are recommended. If you plan to do lunch, walk ins are okay but come when they first open because it can get crowded. For parking, you can park inside the Whole Food parking garage on level 4 or higher.

For more information about Rinka, visit rinkahawaii.com.

1001 Queen St #105
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 773-8235

Uni Ikura Wagyu Roll

Sardine w/ Tofu Salad

Crab Cream Croquette

Tempura

Sashimi Combination

Beef Tongue

Fried Tofu w/ Miso

Kinako Chiffon Cake

Houjicha Jelly

Pizza Dadi - CLOSED

Pizza Dadi is known for their NY style pizza with the thin crust. They have a small menu with about 7 different pizzas, and a few salads and appetizers. It's BYOB. They have some sodas and juices in the fridge. The pizzas are priced between $17-$20. My favorites are the Dadi fries, NYC pizza, and the cheese, onions, & honey pizza which was a special.

They are located inside Ward Centre by Kids City Adventure. This is a casual spot where you order at the entrance and then take a seat anywhere that's open. The cooks will bring the food to your table when it's ready. If you're coming with 4 or more people, it would be best to sit at the counter instead of a table. For parking, I prefer to park at South Shore Market since the spaces are larger than the ones in Ward Centre.

For more information about Pizza Dadi, visit pizzadadi.com. 

1200 Ala Moana Blvd #429
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 744-2221

Dadi Fries

Eggplant Parm Sticks

Pizza of the Week (Cheese, Onions, & Honey)

NYC

Carbonara

Atsushi

@sushi is a sushi bar located inside Ohana Hale Marketplace. You can pre-order sushi sets for lunch or dinner if you don't feel comfortable with dine in because of the pandemic. The @sushi lovers set had 10 pieces of nigiri and 1 sushi roll; priced at about $40. It was a good amount of food and everything tasted delicious. For phone orders, I recommend calling the shop to see what is available first. I also recommend ordering 1 or 2 days in advance for the sushi sets to make sure they have enough ingredients. If you want to dine in and have their omakase, you should make a reservation 1 month in advance.

The parking lot gets buy during peak hours so account for some extra time to find a parking space. Their shop is in the middle near the stage. Ohana Hale Marketplace is closing at the end of March 2022 so plan accordingly. You can also follow @atsushibv on Instagram for updates. 

Ohana Hale Marketplace
333 Ward Ave., Ste 3-51
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 358-4593

@sushi lovers set

Boba Bros

Boba Bros is locally owned and are known for their organic milk tea. They are a vendor in the farmers market at Blaisdell Center (Wed. 4pm-7pm), Kakaako (Sat. 8am-12pm) and Kaiser High School (Tues. 330pm-6pm).

The drinks cost between $5-$6, for diary free, it's an extra $.50. Their drinks are photogenic if you get the ones with the walls. I usually go in the evenings, so I get the caffeine-free options like the tiger milk and ladybug. My favorite is the ladybug because it goes well with all the different food, I'm eating at the farmers market. If you go towards the end, they are usually sold out, so I recommend going early if there's a specific drink you want. They accept cash and card payments.

For more information about Boba Bros, visit bobabroshawaii.com or check out their instagram, @boba_bros_hi.

Tiger Milk

Crème Tea

Lady Bug

Fat Cheeks

Fat Cheeks is known for their seafood rolls. Their most popular is the lobster roll but there is a shortage on lobster so I ordered the trio with crab, shrimp, and crawfish. I got half a sandwich for each. My favorite was the shrimp roll because the pieces of shrimp were big and the sauce was light. The crab was my second favorite and I didn't care for the crawfish; it was a bit too fishy for me. All three sandwiches were served cold on lightly toasted brioche. The trio also came with a bag of chips and it was $16. I recommend the online ordering so you don't have to wait inside Ohana Hale Marketplace.

For more information about Fat Cheeks or to place an order online, visit fatcheekshawaii.com.

Ohana Hale Marketplace
333 Ward Ave
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 773-4129

Trio
(1/2 crab roll, 1/2 shrimp roll, 1/2 crawfish roll)

 

Holey Grail Donuts

The Holey Grail Donuts are on Oahu. Their taro donuts are made with locally sourced ingredients and fried in coconut oil. The donuts are made to order so they are always hot and fresh. The tasting box is $15 and contains 4 donuts. The flavors change weekly. You can also get the "hot single" donut which is topped with honey and sea salt. You can buy donuts individually at $4 each. Some of my favorite flavors are the dragon slayer, strawberry fields, and hot single.

The bright yellow truck is parked at Ward Village near the former location of Bed Bath & Beyond. The best time to go is mid-morning or after lunch to avoid the crowds. They open daily from 8am - 2pm. They accept cash, credit cards and have contactless payments. You can follow them on instagram for updates, @holeygraildonuts.

Ward Village
1200 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 482-0311

Reincarnated, Strawberry Fields
L&L, Chocolate Crunch

Dragonslayer, Hot Single
Theobroma

Reincarnated, Lucky Charm
Lilikoi, Saffron Snickerdoodle

Viaggio Honolulu - CLOSED

Viaggio is located on the 2nd level of the Velocity Honolulu above Italica Bar & Cafe. They serve Italian food and they incorporate local ingredients into the dishes. I recommend coming here for happy hour or an early dinner if you have an event in the Blaisdell Center. The happy hour is available at the bar from 4-6pm; walk ins only. If you prefer to have a nice sit-down dinner, then make a reservation for the dining room.

The restaurant overlooks Ward Ave. and the Blaisdell Arena. Their prices are high but the food taste great. The dress code is business casual unless you plan to sit at the bar then casual is okay. They offer complimentary valet parking; enter on Kapiolani Blvd. If you do street parking or you parked in the Blaisdell Center, you can enter Velocity Honolulu on Ward Ave. at Italica Bar and Cafe and take the elevator up.

For more information about Viaggio Honolulu, visit viaggiohonolulu.com.

888 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 592-8881

Steamed Clams

Pizza Fondue w/ Fresh Baked Focaccia

Spinach & Bacon Dip

Kunoa Beef Sliders & Fries

Polpi In Umido (braised octopus)

Mochi Lab - CLOSED

Mochi Lab is known for their butter mochi creations. They put filling into the center of the butter mochi so it has an extra burst of flavor. You can only find them at the Farmers Market (Blaisdell Concert Hall, Kailua, and Ala Moana Center). The butter mochi is $3 each but you're going to want to buy more than one. My favorite is the pandanilla because it's different and no one on the island makes mochi with pandan. If you follow @mochilab808, you can find out their flavors of the week.

For more information about Mochi Lab, visit mochilab808.com.

Pandanilla, Purple Sweet Potato, Lilikoilada

Piggy Smalls - CLOSED

Piggy Smalls is the 2nd restaurant by The Pig & The Lady. Most of the items on the menu are unique to Piggy Smalls but you'll find some popular favorites such as the Laotian Fried Chicken here as well. The restaurant is located in Ward Village next to Kakaako Kitchen. They offer indoor and outdoor seating. The patio seating is nice but there is a lot of foot traffic from people going in and out of the parking structure. The staff are friendly and they made good recommendations on what to order/try. They do not take reservations so I recommend going when they open to get the first seating.

For more information about Piggy Smalls, visit thepigandthelady.com/piggysmalls.

1200 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 777-3588

Hurricane Style Creamed Corn

Scallion Corn Cakes

L.F.C.

Loaded Baked Potato Beignets

Salad of Sprouting Seeds

Pho-strami

Milk & Honey