Ming’s Chinese Restaurant - CLOSED

Ming's Chinese Restaurant is located in Kalihi at the Waiakamilo Shopping Plaza. The restaurant is hard to spot but you'll see McDonald's at the corner of the block and a Firestone Car Service Center. Next to Firestone, the glass doors with the big red Chinese characters are the entrance for Ming's. Ming's is known for having the best xiao long bao (Shanghai soup dumplings) and some authentic Shanghainese dishes. The xiao long bao takes about 20 minutes to make and steam so order it first. Other dishes I recommend are the pan fried scallion pancakes, Shanghai style fried rice cake, and the deep fried buns with condensed milk. Everything I ate tasted good and the prices were reasonable. It might be best to do family-style so you can try more dishes. I went on a week night for dinner and it wasn't busy. The waitresses can speak English so you don't have to be afraid if you don't know the language. They also have photos of all their dishes so it's easy to order.

If you plan to go with 10 or more people it might be a good idea to make reservations because they only have 3 large tables. All the other tables only seat up to 4 people. They accept credit cards and there's lots of parking available in the lot, just don't park in the stalls marked "reserved."

1414 Dillingham Blvd, Ste 101
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 841-8889

Xiao Long Bao

Pan Fried Scallion Pancakes

Jellyfish

String Beans w/ Minced Pork

Roast Duck (half)

Sour Cabbage w/ Rice Noodle

Shanghai Style Fried Rice Cake

Corn Pancakes

Steamed & Deep Fried Buns w/ Condensed Milk

Mud Hen Water

Mud Hen Water is located at the corner of Waialae and 9th Ave. This is Chef Ed Kenney's 3rd restaurant in Kaimuki (Town & Kaimuki Superette are the other two). The ingredients used in dishes are locally sourced so it is a bit pricey. The portions for most of the dishes are small. My favorite dishes were the pa'i'ai, chorizo, rabbit, he'e, and fried half chicken. The portion for the fried chicken was great for sharing between 6 people. You may want to double up on the other dishes mentioned.

They are only open for dinner and it gets very crowded so I recommend making reservations. There is inside and outdoor seating. The lighting inside is very dim. They also have a small bar area. The restaurant doesn't have a parking lot but if you get a reservation around 6pm, you might have a better chance at street parking along Waialae Ave.

3452 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-6000

Yaki o Pa'i'ai

Shinsato Dry Chorizo

Clams w/ Kalua Pig

Grilled Beef Stew

Soup Noodle w/ Braised Spare Rib

Cold Ginger Rabbit

Grilled He'e

Multi-Grain Risotto w/ Oxtail

Fried Half Chicken

Manichi Ramen

Manichi Ramen is located across the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Their ramen comes in a tonkotsu (pork bone) broth but you can also have it mixed with black garlic oil or spicy miso. I recommend getting special #1 or special #2. For special #3, I didn't taste the ebi (shrimp) flavor and the ebi were very small. The ramen tasted good but the broth was too oily. After finishing my noodles, the thin film of oil thickened really quick. The ramen prices range from $10 - $14 which is a bit on the pricey side.

If you go during peak dinner time (6pm-7:30pm) you might end up having to wait 15-20 minutes for a table. They have a clipboard hanging at the front where you can write your name. There is a shared parking lot where you can enter from Kapiolani Blvd or Kona St. The parking spaces are tight.

1430 Kona St
Ste 101
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 943-1430

They also have another location inside the Windward Mall Food Court.
46-056 Kamehameha Hwy
Kaneohe, HI 96744
(808) 235-7670 

Negi Negi Gyoza

Manichi Special Tonkotsu-Shibori (Special #1)

Manichi Special Miso Tonkotsu-Shibori (Special #2)

Yakiniku Futago - CLOSED

Yakiniku Futago is located at the corner of Kapahulu and Kaimuki Ave. across from Crane Community Park. It's a Japanese and Korean style yakiniku restaurant. They offer special meats for grilling, one of them is the hamideru kalbi. The grill concierge will cook the special meats for you. For the regular meats, you will have to cook them yourself. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable about all the different meats on the menu. If you want the hamideru kalbi, you will need to call in advance to order it along with your reservation. My favorites were the fatty sirloin sushi, wagyu with ponzu, hamideru kalbi, and US prime kalbi. If you are feeling adventurous, try the ippon hormone.

The ventilation here is very good so you don't have to worry about the smell on your clothes when you leave. This place is on the pricey side so you might want to save it for a special occasion. There are a few parking spaces behind the restaurant that is mixed with residential so check the signs before you park. The other option is to park on the street (Kaimuki Ave).

949 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 734-3956

Broiled Fatty Sirloin Sushi

Japanese Black Wagyu w/ Ponzu

Potato Salad

Avocado & Wasabi

Filet Steak w/ Garlic & Tongue w/ Salt

Hamideru Kalbi
(prepared by grill concierge)

US Prime Kalbi

Eringi & Shiitake Mushroom

Ippon Hormone
(prepared by grill concierge)

Vanilla Ice Cream w/ Kinako

BREW'd Craft Pub

BREW'd Craft Pub is located on Waialae Ave at the corner of 9th Ave. This place is known for having a huge selection of beers but since I'm not much of a beer drinker, I came for the food. The items on the menu are mostly appetizers with the exception of one burger, the Brew'd Burger. The portions for some of the items are small but for the pipikaula poke, it was big. The candied bacon is highly recommended but it only comes with 4 strips so you may want to double or triple up on that one. The mac & cheese was also really good because they make theirs extra cheesy. The tables inside are really close to each other and the noise level is loud. They are always busy so if you plan to go with a group, make reservations. There is a lot behind the building where you can park but I lucked out and got a space on the street.

For more information about BREW'd Craft Pub, visit www.brewdcraftpub.com.

3441 Waialae Ave
Ste A
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 732-2337

Mac & Cheese

Jerk Style Candied Bacon

Pipikaula Beef Poke

Bacon Fat Fries