Matcha Love - CLOSED

Matcha Love is a soft serve shop that offers flavors like matcha, hojicha, black sesame and vanilla. They also have mango but it's only available in the late summer. When the mango flavor is in season, they don't offer vanilla so you wouldn't be able to swirl the two flavors like how you can for matcha and black sesame. The shop has a variety of green teas in the fridge next to the register and they make shakes with the same flavors noted above. They are located inside Mitsuwa Marketplace on the 2nd level of the International Marketplace.

Most people prefer the matcha soft serve here because it's sweet and creamy. You still get some of the bitter aftertaste but it's not as strong as other places. My favorite flavor is mango but when it's not available, I enjoy the black sesame. If you have a few people with you, I recommend trying the waffle bowl. You get to choose 3 flavors to put into the bowl. The small cup/cone is under $5 and it's a good size for 1 person. If you make a purchase over $10 inside Mitsuwa Marketplace, you can get parking validation. They also offer kama'aina discount so make sure you show your local ID.

Mitsuwa Marketplace
2330 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 664-0563

Hojicha

Vanilla

Mango (seasonal)

Black Sesame

Frankie's Nursery

Frankie's Nursery is located in Waimanalo and they offer a variety of tropical fruits and tropical plants for sale. They are known for their honey cream pineapple (meli kalima) which is extra sweet, juicy and low in acid. A honey cream pineapple can cost anywhere from $10 to $25 depending on the size. At the fruit stand, they sell whole fruits, chilled pre-cut fruits, and fresh fruit juices.

If you are feeling adventurous, I suggest booking the nursery tour for $15 (per person). It's an informational tour about the nursery and you'll also get to sample seasonal fruits as you walk around. The tour is about 1 hour. You'll need to call in advance to reserve your spot. See photos below for some of the items I tried on the tour.

June 2019 update: Tours have been discontinued.

41-999 Mahiku Pl
Waimanalo, HI 96795
(808) 259-8737

Star Apple, Guava,
Honey Cream Pineapples

White Sapote

Green Peppercorns

Mammee Apple

Mamey Sapote

Cashew Apple (did not eat)

Guava

Longan

Jaboticaba

Yield - CLOSED

Yield Restaurant is located in downtown Honolulu near the corner of Hotel Street and Nuuanu Ave (2 shops down from Fete). They are open for breakfast and lunch. The menu is limited but they have a lot of delicious items. I enjoyed the steak and eggs but the portions were small. I highly recommend the dutch baby. You'll want to order this once you get settled because it takes a while to cook.

The restaurant is small so big groups are not recommended. They accept reservations and it might be good to put one in if you come on the weekends. Parking in the area is tough; it would be best to park in one of the Chinatown municipal lots and walk over.

1110 Nuuanu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 233-9453

Moi Ceviche Salad

Steak and Eggs

Dutch Baby

Thai Bistro Suksabay

Thai Bistro Suksabay is located in Aiea at the Pearl Kai Shopping Center. If you want simple Thai food, this is the place. You can just walk in with your friends or family and have a nice meal together. Their food taste good and the prices are reasonable. I recommend doing family style so you can order a bunch of things to share. Walk-ins during lunch and dinner for 4 people or less is okay but if you have a large group, it might be best to make a reservation. If you're lucky, you might get a parking space right in front of the restaurant. If not, you'll just have to park a little farther away and walk. The Pearl Kai parking lot is big.

For more information about Thai Bistro Suksabay, visit thaibistrosuksabay.com.

Pearl Kai Shopping Center
98-199 Kamehameha Hwy, Ste C2
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 488-2881

Tom Yum

Thai House Combination Platter

Spicy Pad Ped w/ Beef

Pad Seiew

Pad Thai

Vintage Cave Cafe - CLOSED

The Vintage Cave Cafe is offering 50% off on their special dinner course. The menu is Italian inspired and you have 3 options to choose from. The photos below are from "Special B" which is priced at $88 without the 50% off. The other 2 options were $58 and $128.

The interior of the cafe is spacious, well-lit and has live music. The dress code is casual. A lot of people were dining there so the service was slow. I wish the food was more seasoned because the flavors in every dish were light. Some dishes came out too quick so we had a lot of things on our table. If you want to have lunch or dinner in a nice space and share a bottle of wine with your friends, you may like it here. I recommend making reservations in advance. They are next to Famous Footwear on the ground level of Ala Moana Center.


For more information about Vintage Cave Cafe, visit vintagecave.com/cafe.

Ala Moana Center
1450 Ala Moana Blvd #1380
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 441-1745

Wagyu Beef Carpaccio

Onion Soup

Shrimp Linguine

Roasted Lamb

Vintage Cave Tiramisu