Nana Ai Katsu

Nana Ai Katsu is known for their tonkatsu. Their katsu is made fresh and I recommend doing a pre-order by phone so you don't have to wait as long for your food. The 100% Kurobuta kasane tonkatsu is the most popular and it has 7 layers of thin sliced pork. Everything I've ordered from them has tasted good and I eat it within 15 minutes of pick up so it's crispy. The portions are good for one person and the food is reasonably priced. If the bento is too much food, try something smaller like the giga ebi katsu burger or the premium spam katsu musubis (2 pieces per order) instead.

The shop is located in Kaimuki and are open for lunch and dinner. They have seating inside but they haven't opened it yet and so it's takeout only. There is metered street parking in front of the shop on Waialae Ave or you can park in the parking lot in the back and enter the shop from the back door. To see their weekly specials, follow them on Instagram, @nana_ai_katsu.

For more information about Nana Ai Katsu, visit nanaaikatsu.com. 

3585 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 772-0146

Uzumaki Shiso Katsu Roll Bento

100% Kurobuta Kasane Tonkatsu

Giga Ebi Katsu Burger

Kyra The Baker

Kyra The Baker has a pop-up cookie shop at the International Marketplace in Waikiki. She is a teenager and she bakes a few hundred cookies each day to sell. My favorite cookies are the passion fruit (lilikoi) buttercream and the biscoff because those flavors are unique and no one else on Oahu makes them. The lilikoi buttercream was a special that I've only seen twice since she started the pop up in June 2022. That cookie has a layer of lilikoi sauce and is topped lilikoi buttercream. The biscoff one has a small amount of cookie butter in the center and is topped with a lotus biscoff cookie. All the cookies are chewy and the sweetness level is just right. The cookies are thick so you can hold it up for photos and they won't crumble.

The pop up will be at International Marketplace till August 2022. You can follow Kyra on Instagram, @kyrathebaker, to see what flavors are available and other places she will pop up at. Her cookies do sell out so I recommend going early if you have specific flavors you want. You can also text your order and pick up later.

For more information about Kyra The Baker, visit kyrathebaker.com.

International Marketplace
2330 Kalakaua Ave, Level 2
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 391-1189, text only

Biscoff

S'mores

Chocolate Chip

Passion Fruit (lilikoi) Buttercream

Duc's Bistro

Duc's Bistro is a Vietnamese French restaurant located in Chinatown. Their prices are reasonable and they give a good-sized portion. My favorites were the lamb chops and the duck breast. You get a rack of lamb when you order the lamb chops so it is perfect for sharing. It was priced at $44 and each piece had a lot of meat. The duck breast was thinly sliced, topped with fresh herbs and paired with fish sauce. 

They are open for lunch and dinner on weekdays. On the weekends, they only open for dinner. This place is great for groups because they have a large space in the back by the bar area. The tables in the front are set up for 4 people. I recommend making a reservation a few days in advanced if you plan to eat here. For parking, metered street parking is available in front of the restaurant and along Maunakea Street. If you are coming here after sunset, park across the street in the paid parking lot instead of in Chinatown at the municipal parking lots because it's a shorter walk back to your car.

For more information about Duc's Bistro, visit ducsbistro.com. 

1188 Maunakea St
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 531-6325

Escargots à la Chablisienne

Lamb Chops w/ Red Wine Demi-Glace

Breast of Duck Saigon w/ Nuoc Mam

Sautéed Long Beans

Coconut Tapioca

 

Nami Kaze - CLOSED

Nami Kaze has transitioned to a sit-down brunch restaurant. During the pandemic, they did take out bentos. The brunch menu offers the classics like pancakes, waffles, and sandwiches but they also have a teishoku (Japanese set meal), sashimi, poke, and sushi. My favorites were the roasted caesar salad, honey walnut shrimp waffle, and buttermilk pancakes. Their food is pricey but the portions are large enough for sharing and they encourage family style dining. When you dine here, make sure you have your phone charged up since you need it to order and pay. To start, the waiter will have you scan the QR code for that table and it will take you to the website. You enter your name, then you can view the menu and add items into the cart. This makes separate bills easier because when it comes time to pay, you can select "pay my items" and you won't have to figure out how to split the check and pay people back.

The interior design of the restaurant is modern Japanese and they have an open kitchen so you can see the food being prepared by the staff from your table. We had excellent service from the staff, they checked on us often and kept our water glasses filled. The restaurant is in the Fresh Island Fish building across from Nico's Pier 38. You should see the "Nami Kaze" sign on the side of building and you'll see the entrance doors. There is free parking available in the lot with the shared businesses and some parking spaces along the side of the buildings.

Nami Kaze
135 N Nimitz Hwy
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 888-6264

Roasted Hirabara Gem Caesar Salad

Royal Eel (Sushi Roll)

People's Choice (Teishoku)

Honey Walnut Shrimp Waffle

Buttermilk Pancakes

a la maison by MAnYU Flowers - CLOSED

à la maison by MAnYU Flowers is a boutique shop in the McCully area that sells unique teas, floral arrangements and home decor. They also have a barista in the shop who makes tea lattes. Their tea tasting menu offers matcha latte, hojicha latte, chai tea latte, and pour over coffee. Each drink is priced at $4. The drink I recommend is the hojicha latte which is made with oat milk and sweetened with brown sugar. While you wait for your drink, you can shop around and see the different items they sell. If you rather watch the barista, you can have a seat at the table and watch your drink being made. They accept cash and credit card.

The shop is located on the 2nd floor above Wagaya, it's the same complex as Mama Woo's BBQ. There is a sign at the gate to go upstairs, call the number on the sign and the shop staff come down to let you in. They have a few parking spaces in the lot but if none are available, you can park in the metered spaces on South King Street.

2080 S King St., Unit 203
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 638-1876

Iced Hojicha Latte

Iced Matcha Latte