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

The Cutlery

The Cutlery is a Steakhouse and Barbershop located in Kaimuki. They are split in half but share an entrance. The restaurant/Steakhouse is on the left side and the barbershop has another sliding door on the right side so the 2 areas are separate. The Steakhouse is known for their ribeye and prime rib. I enjoyed all the items ordered and did family style dining. The duck fat fries were the best item of the night because those fries were salty and crispy. The kitchen does take a while so order some appetizers to snack on while you wait. The food prices are reasonable and they give big portions. As the restaurant got busier into the night, it was a bit challenging to get the staff's attention but when we finished our food, they stopped by to clear the plates.

The inside has a bar and a couple of high tops. The rest of the seating is outdoors on the patio. There is a 2-hour time limit for dining in so make sure everyone arrives on time and peek at the menu on OpenTable or Yelp. I recommend making a reservation one week in advance. If you walk in with 1 or 2 people, they might be able to seat you at the bar but if you want a table, you need to reserve it. The atmosphere is casual and they played 80s music all night. For parking, it's street parking only on Waialae Ave or in the residential areas of Palolo. If you're okay with walking a couple of blocks, you can park in the paid parking lot where Happy Days and Big City Diner is at.

For more information about the restaurant at The Cutlery, visit thecutleryhnl.com.

3435 Waialae Ave #103
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 260-1321

Duck Fat Fries

Ribeye

Kurobuta Pork Chop

Fire Roasted Corn

Mushroom Medley

Onoya Ramen

Onoya Ramen is located in Kapahulu. They are known for their tonkotsu ramen but they have other items on the menu like chicken karaage, katsu, takoyaki, and curry rice. My favorites are the shio ramen and the tonkotsu ramen. The shio is a light chicken broth and it's great for those rainy days. The tonkotsu is good if you like flavorful broths. It's rich but it goes well with the noodles and the charsiu. The ramen is priced between $15 to $18 which is reasonable. If you're just ordering ramen, your food will come out fast. This is one place where you can be in and out in 1 hour or less.

They accept reservations but I always just walk in because the wait is short. I recommend using Yelp to join the wait list before you start heading to the restaurant. Their parking lot is small and shared with Papa John's and the laundromat. Once the parking lot fills up, you have to look for street parking in the residential areas or park in the paid lot on Kapahulu Ave. next to Side Street Inn On Da Strip.

For more information about Onoya Ramen, visit onoyaramen.com. 

611 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 425-4415

Assari Ramen

Shio Ramen

Shoyu Ramen

Tonkotsu Classic Ramen

Rinka

Rinka offers authentic Japanese cuisine. They are open for lunch and dinner. I recommend the sushi rolls and sashimi. The Uni Ikura Wagyu Roll was a special item, and it was the best roll I ever ate. The presentation for that roll was beautiful. It was topped off with gold flakes and truffle salt on the side. Other items I enjoyed were the sashimi, tempura, and the beef tongue. Their items are pricey, but they use quality ingredients, and the portions are reasonable. The service was excellent, and they did a great job timing the dishes, so my table didn't get overloaded.

The entrance to the restaurant is on the back side of Whole Foods by the parking for the movie theater. The interior of the restaurant is modern and spacious. This restaurant would be great for group because they have private dining rooms. If you plan to come for dinner, reservations are recommended. If you plan to do lunch, walk ins are okay but come when they first open because it can get crowded. For parking, you can park inside the Whole Food parking garage on level 4 or higher.

For more information about Rinka, visit rinkahawaii.com.

1001 Queen St #105
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 773-8235

Uni Ikura Wagyu Roll

Sardine w/ Tofu Salad

Crab Cream Croquette

Tempura

Sashimi Combination

Beef Tongue

Fried Tofu w/ Miso

Kinako Chiffon Cake

Houjicha Jelly

La Vie Waikiki - CLOSED

La Vie is a French inspired restaurant that uses seasonal ingredients. For dinner, they offer three courses ($99) or four courses ($115). You can pick one item from each section of the menu to create your own combination. There are supplemental items like caviar and wagyu to make your meal more memorable. The fourth course is dessert but if you're not a fan is sweets, the selection of cheeses is good. I came with a friend, and we decided to share/split some of the items. Everything tasted amazing but the items that really stood out were the Frog Legs Provencal and the A5 Miyazaki Wagyu. I highly recommend coming here to celebrate special occasions or just to treat yourself and splurge.

They are located on the lobby level of The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Waikiki. The restaurant is outdoors but it is covered, and every table has a view of the ocean and the sunset. The staff were excellent, and they took great care of us the whole evening. There was also a pianist playing live music. The dress code for the restaurant is casual. For parking, it's valet only and you can get validation from the restaurant. 

For more information about La Vie, visit laviewaikiki.com.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach
383 Kalaimoku St.
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 729-9729

Gruyere Cheese Puff w/
Sweet Land Farm Goat Cheese, Garlic Pistou

Baby Beets + Foie Gras

Oysters on the Half Shell

Frog Legs Provencal

Dry Aged Kona Amberjack

Sonoma Duck à l'Orange

A5 Miyazaki Wagyu

Tropical Vacherin

Selection of Cheeses