Mini Garden Orient Cuisine

I always used to drive by this place but never went to eat there because I thought it was street parking only. I wasn't until I went with someone who was a regular and they told me there was a parking lot next to the bakery. The interior of the restaurant is big and it's good for groups and or family lunches/dinners. Most of the items on the menu are similar to what you find in the other Chinese restaurant except for the crispy shrimp balls. It's chopped shrimp rolled into a ball with egg noodles around it and deep fried. When I went back a second time to order it, they were sold out.

If you want to get away from the noisy restaurants in the Chinatown area, I would recommend this one. Their prices are reasonable and the portions are big. They don't get overcrowded but if you are coming with a big group you may want to make reservations.

2065 S Beretania St
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 946-3828

Salt & Pepper Pork Chops

Honey Walnut Shrimp

Stir Fry Garlic Vegetables

Cold Ginger Chicken

Beef & Choy Sum Chow Funn

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

There has been a lot of new ramen shops opening up lately. This one is located in the Kaheka area by Don Quijote. Their specialty is the toroniku ramen. It's a bowl of ramen that comes with pork cheek, jelly ear, bamboo shoots, and ume on the side. You can pour all your toppings into the bowl or you can eat off the plate after every bite of ramen like me. They don't teach you how to eat it and this place isn't like a sushi restaurant where the chef will yell at you for dipping sushi in shoyu.

The interior of the shop is small and their biggest table will only seat 4. They have counter seats that let you see into the kitchen. The prices are a bit high but I loved the taste of the broth and the pork cheek that melted in my mouth. They get really busy during the normal lunch and dinner hours. Your wait could be anywhere from 30-45 minutes and they don't take reservations. When you arrive, just get your name on the clipboard and sit on the benches outside to wait.

For more information about Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, visit santouka.co.jp/en/index.html

801 Kaheka St #A-8
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 941-1101

Toroniku Shio Ramen

Shoyu Ramen

Gyoza

MW Restaurant

MW is a new restaurant located in the Ala Moana area. MW stands for Michelle and Wade who are both chefs and the owners of this place. They have a good selection of items on their menu. The lunch and dinner menus are both slightly different so you may want to dine here more than once. I came for dinner and I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. This place is like a 5-star restaurant but their prices are very reasonable. My favorite items were the crab lumpia & crab cake, ahi nachos, roast duck sandwich, mochi crusted opakapaka, and the ice cream sandwiches.

If you plan to dine here, I highly recommend making reservations. They only offer valet parking for $4 (tip not included) but if you come early enough for dinner, you can probably get a space on the Makaloa Street.

For more information about MW Restaurant, visit www.mwrestaurant.com.

1538 Kapiolani Blvd
Ste 106
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 955-6505

Alaskan King Crab Lumpia & King Crab Cake

Fried Chicken

Ahi Nachos

Ox Tail Soup

Hot Chinese Roast Duck Sandwich

Mochi Crusted Opakapaka

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Kula Strawberry Cheesecake

MW Candy Bar

Mama Woo's BBQ

If you like Korean food, you'll love this place. They are located in the McCully/Mo'ili'ili area. Their prices are reasonable and they are generous with their portions. They have a nice assortment of vegetables to choose from. I did take out for a big order and my food was ready in about 10 minutes. Most places outside of downtown take anywhere from 20-30 minutes to get food out so I was really impressed. Overall, the taste of the food was good but I was a bit disappointed with the meat jun. I prefer meat jun to be a little more crispy and the sauce they used, didn't taste great.

There is a small parking lot in front of the restaurant but I parked on the street since it was easier to get out. They only accept cash. If you want to eat in, they have 3 tables but it's tight.

For more information about Mama Woo's BBQ, visit www.mamawoosbbq.com.

2080 S King St
Ste 101
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 941-6262

Meat Jun

BBQ Chicken & Kalbi

Mama's Special

Meat Jun & Kalbi

CUBE Seafood - CLOSED

This is a quiet little spot located in Kaimuki near Happy Days and Big City Diner. In order to see the store front of this place, you have to go into the parking lot. The exterior looks like a coffee shop with big windows and there are colorful potted plants near it. The interior is small as it only seats 7 people.

They have a nice selection of items on their menu and I like that the prices are cheap. In my opinion, trying to find a meal under $10 in that part of Kaimuki is difficult. For a small shop like this, the presentation of the food is pretty. Most of the items you order will come with miso soup, salad, and kongbap (rice and beans). The food itself is tasty and I recommend trying their ahi poke. I've had it twice and both times, the fish had a nice red color to it. If you're ever in the Kaimuki area, I would say give this place a shot. You don't be disappointed. You can do take out and they accept credit cards.

1137 11th Ave
Ste 103
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 373-3573

Ahi Poke Bowl

Seared Ahi Plate

Kalbi Burger Plate

Fresh Lemonade