All That Cake Co.

All That Cake Co. sells cake by the slice with unique flavors that you won't find anywhere else on the island. They pop up at the Kakaako Farmers Market on Saturdays and Kailua Town Farmers Market on Sundays. From time to time, they will also be at events around the island. My favorite is the Fuji apple crumble. It taste like a pumpkin pie and I feel like I'm in the fall season with all those warm spices. Her cake slices are boxed and chilled in a cooler. They are $11.95 per slice. She usually has a special flavor that will be posted on Instagram, @allthatcakeco.hi, prior to the farmers market day and then 2 other flavors available. The chocolate PB&J was too rich for my liking but I've seen other combinations of chocolate cake. I do plan to visit them again soon and try other flavors. 

For more information about All That Cake Co., visit their Instagram, @allthatcakeco.hi.

Fuji Apple Crumble

Chocolate PB&J

  

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

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

 

Agnes' Portuguese Bake Shop

Agnes' Portuguese Bake Shop makes hot and fresh crispy malasadas. They operate out of a food truck in Kailua next to Manuheali'i (clothing store). Agnes' malasadas are ring shaped and fried to golden brown with a generous amount of sugar all over it. The malasadas take 15 minutes to cook so pre-ordering by phone will reduce the wait time. I recommend ordering at least 1/2 dozen because you'll eat a few in the parking lot before you drive off to your next location.

I always go before 9AM on a Saturday and I've never had any issues with parking. There are some tables and chairs with umbrellas so you can eat there if you like. It does get hot because of the morning sun. They accept cash and credit card for payment. 

5 Hoolai St,
Kailua, HI 96734
(808) 284-4963

Malasadas (half dozen)

 

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

 

Lady Elaine

Lady Elaine is a Mediterranean restaurant located inside of Manoa Marketplace. My favorites were the bread & butter, herb lamb, and hen of the woods. The bread was from Breadshop but the butter and honey on top made it delicious. The herb lamb had a sauce made with tomatoes making it light and easy for 1 person to finish. The hen of the woods was paired with polenta and topped with a soft egg. This mushroom dish could have been an entree by itself. The small plates are small so I recommend ordering more if you're dining with a group. Their prices are reasonable. For the entrees, I'd suggest ordering a veggie to make it a complete meal since it's just the protein by itself. 

The interior of the restaurant is big with an open kitchen. They have a small bar opposite of the kitchen. I recommend making reservation a few days in advance on Resy. They accept walk ins but you'll most likely get seated at the bar. The noise level in the restaurant was loud because it was a full house and a Friday night. It starts to get quiet after 8pm. The service from their staff was excellent. Our water glasses were always filled and they checked on us to make sure everything was okay throughout the dinner. For parking, there's a lot of parking at Manoa Marketplace but the spots in front of the restaurant were all taken so I parked by Safeway and walked over. 

Manoa Marketplace
2756 Woodlawn Dr 
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 888-3030

Bread & Butter

Bolognese Meatballs

Heirloom Carrots

Herb Lamb

Hen of the Woods

Ricotta Fritters

Coconut Whipped Panna Cotta

 

Paris Hawaii

Paris Hawaii specializes in modern French cuisine. They offer a prix fixe menu for $85 per person with supplements. I selected all the supplements because I was there for a special occasion and I'm glad I did because it turned out to be a really nice 3-hour dinner. You can add on a wine pairing or the non-alcoholic beverage pairing but I did not. The flavors of French food are much lighter than what I'm used to because I eat a lot of Asian food with bold flavors. Nothing felt heavy or rich and I was full halfway through the duck breast (entree). My favorite dishes were the corn soup because it was a cold soup with crunchy Kahuku corn kernels, the washugyu tenderloin because it was so tender, and the smooth and light chocolate mousse with fresh figs.

They are in SALT at Kakaako. There are 2-seatings per night, 5pm and 7:30pm. Please make sure you arrive on time for your reservation because the chef and kitchen staff will serve everyone at the same time. The service from the staff was excellent and I recommend sitting at the counter so you can watch them prepare the food. To dine here, reservations are required and I recommend making the reservation at least 2 weeks in advance on Open Table. For parking, you can park in the SALT at Kakaako structure and get validation or do meter street parking.

SALT at Kakaako
324 Coral St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 752-2312

 

Caviar Dip (supplement) w/ Bread

Radis Au Beurre

Eclair Aux Legumes

Kahuku Corn Soup

Kona Kampachi Carpaccio

Garlic Shrimp

Garlic Lobster (supplement)

Wheat Bread w/ Sea Asparagus Butter

Duck Breast (supplement)

Washugyu Tenderloin (supplement)

Chocolate Mousse w/ Seasonal Fruits