Black Shamrock Tavern

Black Shamrock Tavern is an Irish pub that serves Jersey style pizza. They have the standard pizzas like cheese, pepperoni, o'Maggie (margherita), and a white pie but what I recommend are their specials. The pizza specials are a fusion of Hawaii ingredients and it changes often. I love their pepperoni because it's only $18 but I've also enjoyed any of the specials that have burrata in it. The pizzas come to the table hot and fresh and you get that really nice cheese pull from that first slice. They have a full bar of beverages but also soda for those who don't drink.

They are in Honolulu Chinatown at the corner of Marin Street and Nuuanu Ave. Their exterior is a red brick building and you'll see a sign hanging out in front. The staff and owner are friendly. Even when it's busy, the owner stops by the table to check and make sure everyone is doing okay. That's not something I get at other locally owned food establishments on Oahu so this is excellent service. Their prices are reasonable and it keeps me coming back for both lunch and pau hana/dinner. For parking, there is metered street parking on Nuuanu Ave or the Marin Tower Municipal Parking since they are 1 block away and they rates are cheap. 

For more information about Black Shamrock Tavern, visit blackshamrocktavern.com. 

902 Nuuanu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 777-3000

Pizza Special

Pepperoni Pizza

Basket o' Fries

Jalapeno Poppers

Izakaya Tenkichi

Izakaya Tenkichi is a Japanese restaurant that offers a variety of appetizers, tempura, and sushi. The kitchen is in the middle of the restaurant so you can watch the chefs prepare and cook your food. The food portions are small and meant for 1 person. Some of my favorites were pumpkin tempura, sweet potato tempura, and maitake mushroom tempura. I enjoyed the hand rolls more than the rolled sushi because it had more protein in them. The prices ranged from $5 - $12 for the individual portions. They have some larger shareable items like an ikura bowl or uni bowl and those are between $25 - $60.  

The restaurant is located on the 2nd floor, you enter from a door on the side of Tori Ton on S. King Street and walk up the stairs. If you sit near a window, you get a view of Old Stadium Park. They have counter seats that surround the kitchen in the middle and booths against the wall which are great for groups. The vibe here is fun with the friendly staff and the dress code is casual; slippers are okay. The noise level gets louder as the night progresses. I recommend making a reservation a few days in advanced because they get busy from 6:30pm onward. For parking, you can park in the lot and pay with the app or do meter street parking on S. King Street or Isenberg Street. The metered parking is free after 6pm.

For more information about Izakaya Tenkichi, visit tenkichihawaii.com.

2334 S King St., 2nd floor
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 367-0012

American Wagyu Beef Nori Rolled Tempura,
Dashi Marinated Avocado Tempura,
Brie Cheese Tempura

Pumpkin Tempura, Sweet Potato Tempura

Maitake Mushroom Tempura,
Brie Cheese Tempura

Eel Avocado Maki, Salmon Avocado Maki

Negitoro Avocado Hand Roll

 

Vintage Books

Vintage Books is a bookstore in Kaimuki but if you ask to see the private collection, you'll get access into their speakeasy. I highly recommend making reservations a few days in advanced because they are busy during dinner. They have a small food menu because most of the focus is on their drinks. The food tasted good but some of the portions were small so you may want to order a few more plates if you're hungry. The staff were friendly and our waitress gave us really food recommendations. My favorites were the cowboy beef salad and the crispy lamb ribs.

The interior of the restaurant has dim lighting. The chairs are worn in so you might sink into them when you sit. The dress code was business casual but some guests were dressed up. Overall, the atmosphere is nice and we hung out in there for a few hours. For parking, there is an underground garage where you enter on Wilhelmina Rise. The parking was free with validation.

For more information, visit vintagebookshawaii.com and select "Private Collection."

3660 Waialae Ave
Ste 101
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 739-9050

Tutu's Old Fashion

 

 

Crispy Lamb Ribs

Cowboy Beef Salad

Cochinita Pibil w/ Masa Cakes

House Karaage

Taco Flight

S'mores Surprise!

 

 

Kaimuki Cruise

White Sands Spritz

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)

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

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

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