Supreme Dumplings

Supreme Dumplings has a location in Honolulu at Ala Moana Center on level 2 by Longs Drugs. They are known for their xiao long bao (soup dumplings) but they also have a variety of Taiwanese dishes. My favorites were the supreme pork xiao long bao, pan fried pork dumplings, fried pork chop, and string beans with garlic. For the xiao long bao, their wrappers are thick so you'll want to eat them shortly after the steamer arrives on your table or they get firm. The pan fried dumpling are a must, those have a crispy outer and it's very juicy on the inside. Before we placed our order, the waiter told us what was "sold out" or "not available" and it was because the kitchen is still in training. The service was good and the food came out in a timely matter. Our waiter was friendly and checked on us to see if we wanted to order more food, desserts, or additional drinks. 

The interior of the restaurant is spacious, well lit, and the design is modern. It's best to go with 2 - 4 people. They can accommodate 5 or more if they move tables together. I made my reservation one month in advance to eat there on the weekend. They are busy. They do accept walk ins but your wait time will be over 1 hour. 

For more information about Supreme Dumplings, visit supreme-dumplings.com.

1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Level 2
Honolulu, HI 96814
(877) 230-6165

Supreme Pork Xiao Long Bao

Black Truffle & Chicken Xiao Long Bao

Crab & Pork Xiao Long Bao

Stir-Fry String Beans w/ Garlic

Mini Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings

Supreme Tan Tan Noodles w/ Peanuts

Pork Wonton Noodle Soup

Fried Pork Chop

Onyx Golden Lava Custard Bun

Black Sesame Mochi Rice Balls w/ Peanuts

 

Egghead Cafe

Egghead Cafe is a brunch spot that offers American and Taiwan fusion. The "Egghead Special" menu is mostly Taiwanese dishes with my favorites being the pork belly bowl and the peanut butter french toast. The pork belly is tender and the sauce drips into the rice giving it so much flavor, then topped with a fried egg where the bottom is slightly crisp. For the peanut butter french toastm it reminds me of the cafes in Hong Kong where PB is between 2 slices of white bread and deep fried. It's rich but it taste delicious and I suggest sharing this.

They don't accept reservations. When you arrive, scan the QR code outside and join the wait list. Their interior space is a reasonable size and since they put a time limit on dining in, they turnover tables quickly. The staff are friendly and the kitchen is efficient. The longest I've waited for a table is 10 minutes on the weekend when I come around 830am. They are located at the Kapalama Shopping Center with ample parking. 

For more information about Egghead Cafe, visit eggheadhonolulu.com. 

Kapalama Shopping Center
1210 Dillingham Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 888-2211

Peanut Butter French Toast

2 Eggs Brekky + Mix Greens

Pork Belly Bowl

Green Onion Pancake

 

 

Maruwu Seicha

Maruwu Seicha opened a second location on Oahu in Mo'ili'ili. Their first location is in Waikiki. Their drinks have a very strong tea taste. I prefer the hojicha over matcha because I like the toasted taste and I don't enjoy the bitter aftertaste from matcha. For some of their drinks, it comes with whole milk and you can't substitute it for a non-dairy option. They also have matcha sodas, soft serve, and cheese tarts. I recommend the Hokkaido cheese tart. It was creamy with a buttery crust and went well with my black sesame hojicha. The drink prices range from $8 - $10.

The Mo'ili'ili location has indoor and outdoor seating but it gets busy. A lot of people are there studying so they stay long. If you can get a table inside, stay and hang out for a bit because the AC is nice and cold. For parking, the Mo'ili'ili location offers free parking in the Hale Mahana structure. For Waikiki, it's metered street parking or parking in a structure that does not offer validation. 

Mo'ili'ili
2615 S King Street
Honolulu, HI 96826

Waikiki
260 Beach Walk
Honolulu, HI 96815

Iced Matcha Latte (iced)

Black Sesame Hojicha Latte (iced)

Hokkaido Cheese Tart

 

Tempura Ichika

Tempura Ichika offers an omakase tempura experience where they serve one piece at a time. The course is paced and so each piece is fried fresh and still hot when you bite into it. The menu consistent of seafood and vegetables with ingredients sourced from Toyosu Market. There are 3 kinds of salt to sprinkle on your tempura and the server will let you know which one to use for each piece. My favorites were the ebi, ika, hotate, and the sweet potato. The sweet potato was an add on and it takes 30 minutes to fry so you need to order at the beginning of your meal. All of their tempura were crispy and not oily. The omakase is $150 per person with 15 different items. It's an expensive meal but it is an excellent meal and I highly recommend it.

The interior of the restaurant is modern and the lights are bright; it's great for photos. The space is open so you can watch the chef cook your food. The servers are very attentive and friendly. They open for dinner only and they have 2 seatings (5pm and 7:30pm). You should make reservations at least 2 weeks in advance because they fill up. For parking, the lot behind the building is free after 6:30pm but if that's full, there is street parking on Piikoi Street or Waimanu Street. 

For more information about Tempura Ichika, visit ichikahawaii.com. 

434 Piikoi St
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 888-0000

Ebi (Shrimp)

Okra, Califlower

Snow Crab

Salad

Megochi (Big-Eyed Flathead), Ika (Squid)

Potato Chip w/ Truffle Seasoning

Hotate (Scallop)

Maitake (Mushroom), Eggplant

Roasted Fig

Potato

Tencha w/ Snow Crab

Yuzu Sorbet

Dahan Skewer - CLOSED

Dahan Skewer is a Chinese-Mongolian restaurant in the Kapahulu area. Besides skewers, they also have steamed seafood and noodle soups. My favorites were the scallop with vermicelli and braised pork noodle soup. The scallops got topped with a generous amount of minced garlic and were delicious. The braised pork and the soup for the noodles were very flavorful. The skewers were too spicy for me and the waiter did not give us any options for what level of spice we wanted. The skewers are placed on a tray with some candles underneath so the food stays warms as you eat. You can choose between 3 skewers or 5 skewers for their proteins.

The interior of the restaurant is small and there was only 1 waiter working on the day I went. I was there for a late lunch on the weekend and did a walk in. They have outdoor seating but it's too hot to be outside during the afternoon. Their prices are reasonable. The parking lot is not so great since it's shared with a few other businesses so we parked in the residential areas and walked over.  

For more information about Dahan Skewer, visit dahanskewer.com.  

755 Kapahulu Ave Ste 6 
Honolulu, HI 96816

Pork Belly skewers, Lamb skewers

Scallop w/ Vermicelli

Braised Pork Noodle Soup

Milk Snow Ice

 

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

 

Flair European Steakhouse

Flair European Steakhouse is in the Shops at Keahou Lane in Kakaako. Their food is French and Italian inspired but I was most excited for their steaks. My favorites were the carpaccio de boeuf and wagyu ribeye. I recommend sharing the steak, pasta, and sides but the appetizers and desserts are portioned for 1 person. The prices are high but it's worth it. All the food tasted amazing and the service was excellent. They have live music playing indoors. If you're on a budget, they have a happy hour from 4 - 6PM at the bar. The dress code is business causal but if you want to dress up, that's fine too.

For parking, you can park in the Keahou Lane garage and they will provide validation. It was busy between on a weeknight from 6pm - 8pm so I'd suggest making a reservation 1 - 2 weeks in advance so you can secure that prime dinner spot. 

For more information about Flair European Steakhouse, visit flairhawaii.com.

502 Keawe St.
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 462-3312

Carpaccio de Boeuf

Kanpachi Crudo

Pear ala Flair

Pappardelle al Tartufo

Wagyu Ribeye (14 oz) 
w/ Olive Oil & European Salts

Truffle Fries

Creme Caramel

 

Kyoto Katsuda

Kyoto Katsuda specializes in beef katsu. You can order the katsu ala carte or as a set. For the set, it comes with rice, soup, and cabbage. They offer free refills for rice and cabbage. The waiter will recommend what temperature is best for that cut of beef based on what you ordered but if you don't like it that way, you can ask to change it. Based on the quality of the meat which was very tender, the prices are reasonable. The katsu sauces had subtle flavor and they also had a curry sauce that I didn't care for. They have different salts on the side and that was better pairing for the beef katsu. The 120g is a good size for one person but since I was sharing, I chose the 240g. 

The restaurant is located inside STIX Asia. I did a walk-in on a week night around 6pm and was seating right away. The restaurant starts getting busy around 7pm. The service was excellent because our waiter came by a few times to offer us refills on the cabbage. They have a kamaaina discount so show your Hawaii ID or driver's license at the time of ordering. For parking, I parked at Royal Hawaiian Center and walked over. 

For more information about Kyoto Katsuda, follow them on Instagram, @kyotokatsudahi.

Waikiki Shopping Plaza
2250 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815  

US Beef Tenderloin Katsu Set 240g

US Beef Katsu Set 240g

 

Victor's Dessert Lounge

Victor's Dessert Lounge is a daytime pop up at Nanzan Giro Giro. All the desserts on the menu are made by Victor himself. They also offer coffees, teas, and mocktails. My favorites were the Dubai chocolate crepe and iced chocolate. Both were delicious and not too sweet. The desserts are priced between $15 - $18 and the drinks are between $4 - $9. I highly recommend checking out this spot if you love sweets.  For parking, there's metered street parking and a few spaces in front of Nanzan Giro Giro on Pensacola Street. 

For more information about Victor's Dessert Lounge, follow them on Instagram, @victorsdessertlounge.  

560 Pensacola St. Suite 107
Honolulu, HI 96814

Dubai Chocolate Crepe

Apple Tart

Blueberry Flaugnarde

Lounge Fizz

Iced Chocolate