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

La Bettola

La Bettola is known for their uni (sea urchin) spaghetti. The chef, Tsutomu Ochiai, is the creator of uni spaghetti. The food tasted really good and the service from the staff was excellent. The food portions are small and the prices are high. The entrees range from $30 - $65 since the ingredients consist of seafood or wagyu beef. My favorite was the uni spaghetti because the uni was fresh, no fishy smells at all, and it wasn't overly salty like some of the other uni spaghetti I've tried in the past. The macadamia tiramisu was excellent and I highly recommend ordering that for dessert.

The restaurant is in the lobby of the Alohilani Resort and every table has a view of the oceanarium. They only open for dinner and it does get busy so reservations in advanced are recommended. The attire is resort wear since it is inside in the hotel, but you can dress up if you're celebrating a special occasion. For parking, it's complimentary valet parking with validation but you can also do self-parking in the Alohilani Resort guest parking.

For more information about La Bettola, visit alohilaniresort.com/dining/la-bettola.

Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
2490 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 921-6190

Fritto Misto di Mare
(Fried Squid, Shrimp, & Scallop)

Spaghetti Al Ragu di Manzo
(Spaghetti Bolognese)

Spaghetti Ai Ricci di Mare
(Uni Spaghetti)

Macadamia Tirimisu

Pistachio & White Chocolate Semifreddo

 

Giovedi

Giovedi is a pop-up restaurant that offers an Asian Italian tasting menu. The menu is priced at $95 per person and consists of 5 courses. The staff were friendly and when each dish came to the table, they shared the idea/inspiration behind it, and the ingredients used. All their food was delicious, and I liked the Chinese and Japanese flavors that were incorporated. My favorites were the Hokkaido milk rolls with saffron honey butter, marlin with Calabrian chili crisp, linguine vongole, and the pork alla char siu. They encourage you to BYOB so bring a few bottles and come with your family or friends to celebrate a special occasion.

Their dining room is on the 2nd floor of Island Sausage (formerly Vino) and you enter from a door in the parking lot. You will see small sign on the wall with their logo and the door next to it. Since their space is small and they only offer dinner on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, making the reservation was a bit challenging. I suggest making a reservation 3 weeks in advanced on Resy. They will provide parking validation if you park inside the Waterfront Plaza.

For more information about Giovedi, visit giovedihawaii.com.

Waterfront Plaza
500 Ala Moana Blvd #6F
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 723-9049

Hokkaido Milk Rolls
Saffron Honey Butter

Crudi
Tuna, Marlin, Octopus

Linguine Vongole

Pork alla Char Siu

Nanatsuboshi Rice, Lamb Pancetta

Kahumana Farms Carrot

Coffee Budino
Coconut Whipped Cream

Little Sparrow

Little Sparrow is known for their spaetzle bowls. This is the only place on Oahu you can get fresh spaetzle which is a type of pasta or dumpling that originates from Germany. Their prices range from $15 - $20. They also have weekly specials posted to their Instagram. My favorite so far is the garlic shrimp spaetzle because the shrimps were large and the cheese spaetzle compliments it.

You can find Little Sparrow at the farmers market in Honolulu (Blaisdell, Kakaako, KCC), Kailua, and Mililani. Your order is made fresh, and it does take about 10-15 minutes. You can also watch them cook your food on the side as you wait.

For more information about Little Sparrow, follow them on Instagram, @littlesparrowhnl.

Garlic Shrimp Spaetzle

Truffle Spaetzle

Guava Apple Cider Iced & Spiced

 

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)

Rigo

Rigo offers the flavors of Spain and Italy in one place. They renovated the former Genki Sushi and turned it into a beautiful open concept restaurant with a huge wine display case. From the dining room, you can look into the kitchen and watch the chefs prepare your pasta dishes. My favorites were the ajillo, crostini, and cacio e pepe.

The prices are a bit high and the portions are small but the service and taste of the food was good. They can accommodate big groups but reservations are recommended. They have a small parking lot on the side of the restaurant but if that fills up, there is metered street parking on Kapahulu Ave.

For more information about Rigo, visit www.rigohawaii.com.

885 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 735-9760

Garlic Parmesan Bread, Ajillo

Crostini

Cacio E Pepe

Funghi Pizza

Basque Cheesecake

Soffritto - CLOSED

Soffritto is Cafe 8 1/2. The chef still has his usual dishes on the menu along with some new rice dishes and ready to eat items. What's good about this location is that the interior is new and you can order take out on certain items. If you plan to dine in, the seating is tight and if you get a big table, you'll be sharing your table with others. They are busy from 11:45am - 1pm so I recommend an early lunch if you don't want to wait long for your food. If you can't make their lunch service, they open on Saturday evenings for dinner only. My top favorites are the carbonara and the radiatore verde. The portions are reasonable and the entrees are priced between $15 to $18. The specials can cost over $20.

They are located in downtown Honolulu on Fort Street Mall next to Doner Shack along the same row of shops as Subway. The closest parking would be Mark's Garage or metered street parking. 

73 S Pauahi St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 524-4064

Focaccia

Radiatore Verde

Carbonara

Taormina Sicilian Cuisine

Taormina Sicilian Cuisine is located on the ground level of Wyndham on Waikiki Beach Walk. They offer a prix fixe lunch consisting of 4 items for $45. Most of the items on their menu contain seafood and it's Japanese Italian fusion. The prix fixe is a good way of trying some of their signature dishes. If you're okay with spending more on a meal, I suggest the dinner tasting menu for $85. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is really nice but if you prefer quiet then choose indoors instead. The service is excellent and they give a reasonable amount of food. If you have a special occasion to celebrate, I would recommend coming here.

For more information about Taormina Sicilian Cuisine, visit taorminarestaurant.com.

227 Lewers St
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 926-5050

Rosemary Focaccia (complimentary)

Kona Kampachi Carpaccio

Granchio Fettuccine

Mentaiko Spaghetti

Prime Filet Mignon w/ balsamic reduction

Seasonal Panna Cotta

Appetito Craft Pizza & Wine Bar - Restaurant Week 2017

Appetito Craft Pizza & Wine Bar is new to restaurant week. They are offering a lunch and dinner menu. The lunch menu consists of 3-courses and is priced at $25. You have the option of choosing 1 of 3 entrees to go with your appetizer and dessert. The restaurant opened earlier this month in the Ohana Waikiki East. They're working a few things out but the food is delicious, the service is great and the staff are friendly. If you're on a tight budget and you still want to support restaurant week, this is a good place to check out for lunch or dinner.

For more information, visit www.restaurantweekhawaii.com/restaurant/appetito.

3 Appetizer Sampler

Hanger Steak Tagliata

Porcini Cream

Matcha Tiramisu

Ricado's Italian Restaurant

Ricado's serves up delicious Italian food for a reasonable price. They are located inside the Pearl Kai Shopping Center a few doors down from Baskin Robbins. The interior of the restaurant has dim lighting but the space is big. The wait staff is super nice and they will keep refilling your bread basket with fresh bread while you wait for your food.  I recommend the cabonara because it's different from the other Italian restaurants. They don't crack a raw egg on top of it but it's still really tasty.

This is a popular dinner spot for locals who live on the West side of the island.  If you plan to come for dinner, reservations are recommended because it gets busy. The best time to eat is before 6pm. After 6pm, there is a crowd and the parking lot is full.

98-199 Kamehameha Hwy
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 484-0215

Caesar Salad

Carbonara

Veal Saltimbocca

Fettuccine Salmon Alfredo

Cafe Lani Hawaii - CLOSED

If you enjoy freshly baked bread, Cafe Lani is for you. They offer all you can eat bread with their salads, pasta, rice dishes, and special sets. The restaurant is in Ala Moana Center next to Longs Drugs. They don't take reservation and the wait time can be anywhere from 15 minutes - 45 minutes depending on the time you go. If you don't want to wait for a table, the best time to go is between 2pm-3pm because the lunch crowd is done and it's too early for dinner.

The inside the of the restaurant is well designed and brightly light. If you're dining with 2 the table is a bit small. They have 4 tables in the front that can accommodate large groups. The staff are knowledgeable and they recommended some good items to order. When the restaurant gets busy, the staff forgets to come around to refill water and give more bread. If you are in the mall, I recommend trying this place. If the wait is long, just put your name in first and go window shopping in the Ewa wing.

For more information about Cafe Lani Hawaii, visit cafelanihawaii.com.

Ala Moana Center, Mall Level 2
1450 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 955-5599

Assorted Breads

Assorted Breads

 French Fries w/ Sweet Chili Sour Cream

Vongole Bianco Soup Style

Shrimp Doria w/ Clams and Edamame

Fedelini Amatriciana

 Fedelini w/ Porcini Cream Sauce