Kona Coffee Purveyors | b. patisserie

Kona Coffee Purveyors | b. patisserie is a coffee shop in the International Market Place. They are located by the Kuhio Ave entrance of the market place. The beverage menu is small but they have a variety of pastries and desserts. My favorite is the kouign amann by b. patisserie. I was surprised that it's consistent with the kouign amann I ate at their San Francisco shop. If you're visiting from out of town, I recommend the black sesame kouign amann because you won't find at the SF shop. The mocha from Kona Coffee Purveyors was good but it was strong. I stayed awake for more than what I needed.

There are a few tables inside and some outdoor seating in front of the shop. The prices are high. If you plan on getting a beverage and a pastry, it will be around $10. If you park in the International Market Place structure, you can get validation if you make a $10 purchase. The validation will give you free parking for 1 hour.

International Market Place
2330 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 845-1700

Kouign Amann

Sesame Kouign Amann

Croissant

Cafe Mocha

Senia

Senia is in Chinatown next to The Pig and the Lady. They now open for lunch and there is a $35 Prix Fix lunch menu. The menu consists of 3 courses but you have 4 options for the appetizer, 4 options for the entree and 2 options for dessert. You can also add on some of their popular dinner items like the poke cracker and chicken liver mousse. This is a pricey lunch but it's reasonable compared to the dinner. The food is delicious, the presentations are amazing and the service is excellent. The wait staff is friendly and they made great recommendations on the food and drinks. 

If you haven't tried Senia yet, this prix fix lunch is a good way to try the food and see if it's for your taste and you can go back for the dinner. The restaurant is small so you need to make a reservation. For lunch, casual dress code is fine but there are some diners who dressed formal. For parking, I recommend the Marin Tower parking lot; you enter on Smith Street.

For more information about Senia, visit restaurantsenia.com.

75 N King St
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 200-5412

"Poke" Cracker

Chicken Liver Mousse

Hirabara Chopped Salad

Beef Tartare

Mafaldine

Porchetta Sandwich

Upsidedown Cake w/ Vanilla Beeswax Ice Cream

Rita's Italian Ice Hawaii - CLOSED

You can cool off this summer with Italian ice and frozen custard from Rita's. They are located inside Tiki's Family Fun Center next to the Regal Theaters in Dole Cannery. This is a mainland franchise and their first Hawaii location.

You need to get the vanilla frozen custard because it's delicious. If you want to step it up a bit, get the gelati; which is a combination of Italian ice and frozen custard. The regular size will cost you less than $5 and you won't be disappointed. You can park in the Dole Cannery parking structure and they'll give you validation. Depending on what time of day you go, there may be a lot of kids inside Tiki's but Rita's is in the back so you can go in get your frozen treats and get out. If you don't mind the noise, you can stay inside to eat because they have some tables and chairs.

For more information about Rita's visit, ritasfranchises.com.

Tiki's Family Fun Center
735 Iwilei Rd
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 206-9143

Mango Gelati

Strawberry Gelati

Frozen Custard Swirl

Yauatcha - CLOSED

Yauatcha is a high-end Chinese restaurant located in Waikiki. They are known for their roast duck but they also take dim sum to the next level using quality ingredients and creating beautiful presentations. All the steamed items are made after you order it so you're getting it fresh. The service is excellent and our waiter made great recommendations on the food and drinks. Everything tasted delicious and my favorites were the venison puff, prawn & crispy beach curd cheong funn, truffle duck, and duck salad. The outdoor seating is nice especially in the evenings because you'll get a light breeze.

You want to save this place for a special occasion because you'll find yourself spending between $60-$80 per person if you want to leave full. This amount does not include drinks. If you park in the International Market Place parking, the restaurant will give you validation for 1 hour. Depending on how much food and drinks you order, your dining experience may take about 3 hours. You should make reservations a few days in advance because they do get busy. I highly recommend giving this place a try and a small tip; don't order items you'll find at the dim sum restaurants in Chinatown.

For more information about Yauatcha, visit yauatcha.com/waikiki.

International Market Place
2330 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 739-9318

Venison Puff

Shrimp & Chive Dumpling

Morel Crystal Dumpling

Shanghai Siew Long Bao

Roasted Duck Pumpkin Puff

Prawn & Crispy Bean Curd Cheong Funn

Crispy Duck Salad

Chili Squid w/ Oatmeal

Truffle Duck

Tonkatsu Tamafuji

Tonkatsu Tamafuji is known for their deep-fried pork loin. They are a chain in Japan and this is their first Hawaii location. The quality and taste of the food is excellent. The teishoku's are in the $20 range but you get rice, cabbage, miso soup, and tsukemono with it. I recommend the pork tenderloin over the pork loin because the meat is juicer. This will probably be the crispiest tonkatsu you've ever eaten on the island and you'll want to go back for more.    

They are located on the 2nd floor of the Hee Hing Plaza in Kapahulu. You can easily spot this place because they always have people waiting outside on the balcony. They don't take reservations and the wait can sometimes take up to 60 minutes. Do not go in big groups because it holds up the entire restaurant. There is parking in the Hee Hing Plaza for $2 but sometimes it's free because the attendant is not there. The restaurant suggests parking inside FHB's parking lot after hours.

449 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-1212

Jyukusei Pork Tenderloin Katsu Teishoku

Jyukusei Pork Loin Cheese Katsu Teishoku

Pork Loin Katsu Don