Tonkatsu Atmark

Tonkatsu Atmark is a new tonkatsu restaurant near Ala Moana Center. Their specialties are the pork loin and pork tenderloin katsu but they also have beef, chicken, shrimp, and oyster. I highly recommend the A5 miyazaki-gyu tenderloin katsu because the beef melts in your mouth. The pork tenderloin katsu was very good as well but it was not as tender as the beef. Their prices are high. The beef katsu set was $135 and pork tenderloin katsu set was $33. The set comes with rice, miso soup, cabbage, tsukemono, and 3 side dishes. They give free refills for rice and cabbage. They also have 3 dipping sauces for the katsu but my favorite was the mild sauce. The flavor was light and it complimented the katsu. The other 2 sauces had too much flavor. 

The restaurant is located across Hawaiki Tower between Hangang and Bernini. You should make a reservation in advance because they will turn away people who walk in. The staff are nice and they're really appreciative of the customers. The wait time for food was reasonable and I would come back again for the A5 miyazaki-gyu tenderloin katsu. For parking, there is a small parking lot next to the restaurant which is shared with other businesses and metered parking on Waimanu Street.

1232 Waimanu St Suite 101
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 200-2110

A5 Miyazaki-gyu Tenderloin Katsu (180g)

Dry Aged Pork Tenderloin Katsu (200g)

Sesame Seeds, Tsukemono,
3 side dishes

Dipping sauces

 

Juicy Brew

Juicy Brew is a plant-based restaurant that offers dine in as well as grab and go options. They are open for lunch and dinner at the Kaimuki location. The chefs are creative with the food menu and the presentation for each dish is colorful and pretty. Their flavors are on the lighter side for me since I like a lot of sauce and seasonings in my food but this was an option for eating healthy. I enjoyed the soba salad with tofu poke and the banh mi style tofu burger. Their prices range from $12 - $18 and the portions are reasonable. Since its plant based, I noticed the buns, noodles, and the desserts are more wet/sticky. Overall, the food is not bad. If you're doing a no meat diet or prefer some healthier alternatives, give this restaurant a try. 

They are located on Waialae Ave between 7th and 8th Ave block across from Finance Factors. The inside is small but they have a few tables and counter seating against the window. The staff are friendly and they gave us some good recommendations on the food and desserts. The desserts are in the fridge so save room to try the tres leches cake with blueberry compote. For parking, there is metered street parking in front of the restaurant or you can find free street parking in the residential areas of Palolo or Kaimuki.  

For more information about Juicy Brew, visit juicybrew.menu/home. 

3392 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 797-9177 

Orange-Yuzu Hirata Buns

Soba Salad w/ Tofu Poke

Chow Fun Noodles

Banh Mi Style Lemongrass Tofu Burger

 

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

 

Threadfin Bistro

Threadfin Bistro is located in the Kapahulu area inside Kilohana Square. They offer a 3-course set menu priced at $74 per person. For the entrees you can choose from scallops, short ribs, or filet mignon. Their food taste good and the portions are reasonable. My favorites were the amuse bouche, and the corn & wild mushroom risotto that came with the diver scallops. The filet mignon was tender but I wasn't a fan of the sauce. The $74 price point is good and I highly recommend it. The service was excellent and our waiter did a great job timing each course. If you're looking for appetizers or shared plates, they have an ala carte menu with different items. Those prices were also reasonable. 

Their dining room is well lit and spacious but it gets loud as more people come in. They are open for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, 5:30pm – 8:30pm. It would be good to make a reservation at least 1 week in advance. Their tables are set up for 2 - 4 diners but if you reserve ahead, I'm sure they can accommodate 5 or more. The dress code I recommend is business casual. For parking, they have a private lot in the back of the building. The spaces in the lot are tight. They have a back entrance from the parking lot but the front entrance on Kapahulu Ave looks better and has their signage. 

Kilohana Square
1014 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 692-2562

For more information about Threadfin Bistro, visit threadfinbistro.com. 

Chef's Special Amuse Bouche

Raw Beet, Fuji Apple,
Herb Chevre, Lemon Truffle Vinaigrette

Diver Scallops
corn & wild mushroom risotto, tomato relish

Washugyu Filet Mignon
mushroom onion ragout, peppercorn diane sauce
($15 supplemental)

Chef's Choice Dessert

SingSing Thai Street Food

SingSing Thai Street Food is in Honolulu Chinatown in the former space of Opal Thai. Their dishes are spicy but you can ask for mild on some. Like their name, "street food," the cooking style is mostly grilled. They have a few curries and some fried rices but no noodle dishes. My favorites were chicken cilantro salad because it was refreshing and perfect to eat on a warm evening and the pork neck which had a lot of flavor and the dipping sauce was on the sweet side so it was good balance. For dessert, the black sticky rice pudding was good and the portion was enough to share with 3 people. The dessert reminded me of the Chinese read bean soup with purple rice. Their appetizers and entrees are priced between $14 - $25 and it can be a bit pricey for some but if you compare it the other restaurants nearby, these prices are reasonable.

Their interior space has the same set up as the restaurant before but they painted the walls and added decor to make it feel more casual. The staff were friendly and they gave us great suggestions on what to order since it was our first time. We did an early dinner so we didn't make a reservation and got seated right away. If you're going with more than 4 people, I recommend making a reservation since it got busy from 6:30 pm on. For parking, there is metered street parking in front of the restaurant along Smith Street or the Marin Tower Municipal Parking.

1030 Smith St
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 785-6463

Isaan Beef Tongue

Chicken Cilantro Salad

Pork Neck

Beef Short Rib Fried Rice

Black Sticky Rice Pudding

Young Coconut Jelly

 

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

Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine

Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine is known for their Chinese spicy noodle soup but you can get it non-spicy. There is very little interaction with the staff after being seated at the table. You order by scanning a QR code. The online menu has photos of each item and you can customize it to your liking. For my spice level, I select "clear broth" which is no chili or spicy. The clear broth still has flavor and I think it's made with pork bones. My favorite is the shredded pork pickle noodles because it's savory and has a hint of sour from the pickled cabbage and the beef noodles because the strong beef flavor in the broth. The garlic cucumbers and braised duck were too spicy for me and there's no way to adjust the spice level for those so I suggested getting a drink to help manage the heat. Their prices are reasonable for the pork and beef noodles, it's about $15 - $17 and its portioned for 1 person.

The restaurant is small and the wait time for a table during dinner could be anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes. This isn't a place where people would hang out, you eat and you leave so the wait time is reasonable. They don't have space to accommodate groups of 5 or more because all the tables are set for 2 or 4. For parking, it's metered street parking on S. King Street.

For more information about Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine and to browse their menu, visit www.fetail.com/storev2/shop?store_id=212.

1738 S King St #101
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 741-2297

Shredded Pork Pickle Noodles

Beef Noodles

Twice Cooked Pork Dry Noodles

Garlic Cucumbers

5 Spiced Braised Duck

 

Aroma Italia

Aroma Italia is the go-to place for Italian comfort food. They have 2 locations on Oahu, 1 near Diamond Head and another in Manoa Marketplace. A lot of their ingredients are imported from Italy and their menu consists of pizza and pasta. The pasta is portioned for 1 person and the pizza can be shared between 2 people. Their prices are reasonable if you were to compare them with other Italian places that are also locally owned. My favorite is the linguine meatballs because the meatballs were tender and there's enough sauce. All pastas come with parmesan cheese so if you don't want that, let your server know when you order.

For the Diamond Head location, I recommend going for lunch instead of dinner because it's less crowded. Their space is small and if you sit outside, there's so many cars driving by and people walking past to get to other businesses. The lunch prices are a few bucks cheaper. I've always done a walk in but if you have 3 or more people, I suggest making a reservation 1-2 days in advance. They can move tables around and accommodate a larger group of needed. For parking, you can park on Monsarrat Ave or in the residential areas because the parking lot is always full and the spaces are tight.

For more information about Aroma Italia, visit aromaitaliahawaii.com or check their Instagram @aromaitaliahawaii.

Diamond Head Center
3045 Monsarrat Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 888-2229

Manoa Marketplace
2756 Woodlawn Dr
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 492-1221

Garlic Bread

Linguine Meatballs

Beef Short Rib Tortellacci

Tirimisu

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