Roast Duck Kitchen

Roast Duck Kitchen is known for their Chinese BBQ. Their most popular item is the roast pork and that sells out fast. They also have roast duck, roast chicken, ginger chicken, char siu, and gau gee. I recommend trying all their stuff but the roast pork is my favorite. The skin is always crispy and the pork is tender. They offer lunch plates that come with 2 scoops of rice and your choice of roast duck or roast pork for under $10. Since this place gets so busy, it's best to call in your order by 11:30am and let them know your pick-up time.

They are located inside the Aiea Shopping Center on the 2nd Floor. You can park by Times Supermarket and take the escalators up. The first shop you see with yellow and red is them. If you go around lunch time, expect to wait 15 minutes because they do get backed up with orders. There are a few tables outside to sit and eat but this is mainly a take out place. They accept cash and credit cards.

99-115 Aiea Heights Dr.
Ste 206
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 486-0005

Roast Pork (1/2 lb)

Roast Chicken (half)

Roast Duck (half)

Moku Kitchen

Moku Kitchen is in SALT at Kaka'ako. Their menu offers American food with Hawaiian fusion. The ingredients in a lot of their dishes are sourced locally. There are some similarities in the menu with Monkeypod Kitchen (owned by the same chef). The dishes that I enjoyed at Monkeypod Kitchen, I also enjoyed here. The kalua pork pizza and duck tacos were good but the jalapenos were a bit too much for me. I noticed a lot of the dishes here have jalapenos or something spicy in it. 

This is a very laid back place that you would come with your friends to hang out. The interior of the restaurant is big and it's spacious. They have a bar inside and outdoor seating.  The happy hour is from 3pm-5:30pm; the pizzas are $9, most of the drinks are $2 off, and select appetizers are 50% off. For regular dining, their prices are still reasonable. If you're driving, park in the SALT parking lot because the rate is cheaper. Don't park in front of Moku Kitchen, that small lot has a 1-hour limit. If you're coming on a weekday, walk-ins are fine but if you're coming on the weekend, I recommend making a reservation a few days in advance. Kaka'aako is becoming a popular neighborhood with all the new condos popping up.

For more information about Moku Kitchen, visit mokukitchen.com.

660 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 591-6658

Duck Tacos

Garlic Truffle Oil Fries

Roasted Squash Ravioli

Kalua Pork Pizza

Vegetable Roasted Plate

Flour + Butter - CLOSED

Flour + Butter is a bakery that specializes in cupcakes, cakes, and macarons. They are located on the ground floor of the Imperial Plaza facing Cooke Street. I recommend trying their cupcakes because the cake is moist and the frosting is not overly sweet. My favorite so far has been the Madagascar Vanilla cupcake.

If you want to know what they're baking up, check out their instagram @flourplusbutter. The staff are nice and sometimes, they have samples out. For parking, there is metered street parking on Cooke Street. I have been here around noon a few times and each time I could get one of the metered spaces.

For more information about Flour + Butter, visit flourplusbutter.com.

725 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 593-0566

The Chocoholic

Madagascar Vanilla

Lemon Blueberry

Apple Pie

Tiramisu Eclair

Spicy Pavilion - CLOSED

If you like Chinese food and you can handle heat, this place is for you. More than half of their menu consisted of dishes that were spicy. If you can't eat spicy, there are still items you can try. I enjoyed the Guilin rice noodle and pan fried Jiangxi noodle. The beef broth for the Guilin rice noodle had good flavor and per the waitress, there is no msg in it. The waitress for my table spoke mandarin and some English but the cashier spoke fluent English so don't be afraid to come in here if you don't speak their language. The menu also has a lot of photos and each dish has a short description below it.

I came on a weekend around 12:30pm for lunch and it was quiet. No reservations are needed unless you have a group of 8 of more. The tables are set up to seat 4 people. They are open for lunch and dinner. The restaurant is inside Cultural Plaza and it's by the river where the bridge is. They will validate if park in either of the parking lots (N. Kukui Street entrance or Maunakea Street entrance). I think the Maunakea Street parking lot is cheaper if you plan to be in the area for more than 1 hour.

Chinatown Cultural Plaza
100 N Beretania St, Ste 113
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 888-8306

Beef Rolled in Chinese Pancake

Pan Fried Jiangxi Noodle

Guilin Rice Noodle

Sichuan Spicy Ground Pork Noodle

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