SALT Kitchen & Tasting Bar - CLOSED

If you're looking for a nice and slight fancy restaurant, this would be the place. They have 2 levels. The downstairs has bar seating and the upstairs has tables. The restaurant is a bit small so I don't recommend big groups. I'd say come here with your other half because there's dim lighting and the setting could be pretty romantic.

Their menu is very unique. I wasn't sure what to order because a lot of the stuff on there, I've never seen at other restaurants. All the dishes we ordered turned out to be really tasty except for the dessert. The apple cobbler with bacon bits was too weird. The cheddar ice cream had this cheddar taste but it was ice cream. My taste buds were confused. Anyways, the portions were decent but the prices were a little high.

There's a parking lot with meters in the back of the restaurant. If you get lucky you might find street parking on Waialae. I also recommend making reservations before you come.

For more information about SALT, please visit http://www.salthonolulu.com.

3605 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 744-7567

Oxtail Empanadas

Local Tako

Charcuterie Board

Porchetta Sandwich

Bacon Apple Cobbler w/ Cheddar Ice Cream

Aloha Pho - CLOSED

This Vietnamese pho restaurant opened up in the summer. They're located across Sweet Home Cafe in Moili'ili. The pho here is not bad. Their soup base is salty but after a few bites, your tongue just gets used to the saltiness. They give you a lot of meat. It's almost twice the amount of rare beef you would get at most pho restaurants. I think their prices are a bit high. I order a small size and it was about $8.00.

They have a parking lot but the parking spaces are limited because there's so many other restaurants in the area. I'd recommend parking on S. King Street since meter parking is free after 6pm.

2320 S King St
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 941-1170

Combination Pho

Crepes No Ka 'Oi

I don't venture to this part of the island very often but since I was there, I decided to try some crepes. I came in the afternoon so the restaurant only had 2 tables with people. We choose the sweet crepes because we had some Chinese food prior to this.

As the chef was preparing our crepes, the entire restaurant smelled really good. The cooking station is in the back and it's all open. If you want to, you can stand in front of the plexiglass and watch the chef.

The crepes came out pretty quick. The portions are big and the prices are reasonable. I was a bit disappointed that the crepe skin wasn't sweet. This is probably because they use the same batter for the savory crepes too. Other than that, I thought the crepes were very good and I would want to go back and try a savory one someday.

For more information about Crepes No Ka 'Oi, please visit http://www.crepesnokaoi.com.

131 Hekili St
Kailua, HI 96734
(808) 263-4088

Temptation in Paradise

Berry Heavenly 'a la mode'

Cafe VIII 1/2 - CLOSED

This place is a one of a kind dining experience. They're located in the heart of downtown Honolulu in between Mandalay and Ali'i Place. The interior of the restaurant is a bit cluttered. The highlight is the chef. He has an interesting personality. For some reason, he gets angry while he's cooking so you'll hear him mumbling, swearing, and throwing pans around in the kitchen. If he recommends you a dish, you should order it or make someone else in your party get it. You can say no but when he gets back into his kitchen, you'll hear something. Don't let the chef scare you away, the food here is excellent and his wife is very nice. She takes care of the front of the house. The prices are high but the portions are big.

They don't take reservations for lunch. I recommend getting there by 11:45am because at 12pm, the restaurant is already full. They only seats you'll get is the small tables outside. Another reason why you should dine here is because the Alliance Building is up for sale and so the restaurant will be closing. They don't have the exact closing date yet but you can leave your business card with them and they'll contact you in the future when they find their new location.

1067 Alakea St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 524-4064

Bread (complimentary)

Radiatore Verde

Carbonara

Puttanesca

Chodang Restaurant

I consider this place a hidden gem because they're tucked in the corner. Their sign isn't super noticeable especially if you're driving down Piikoi Street to catch the freeway. One way to find this place is to look for the Nijiya Market or Payless Shoes signs because this business shares the same parking lot with them.

I enjoy coming here because their food taste good and they're cheap. They offer all-day specials and the prices range from $5 to $11. My two favorite items are the soondubu and meat jun. Both of those are $5 and it comes with a bowl of white rice. Like all Korean restaurants, they give you complimentary vegetables.

451 Piikoi St
Ste 110
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 591-0530

Soondubu (Soft Tofu Soup)

Meat Jun