Mad Bene - CLOSED

Mad Bene in Kapolei Commons offers pastas and New York style pizzas. This is a great place to eat with a large group because they can push tables together. I recommend doing family style dining, so you get to try more dishes. The pastas are portioned for 1 person and are priced between $20 - $25. The pizzas can be shared between 2 people and are about $20 each. The pizzas here are the same as Pizza Dadi in Ward Centre. My favorite dishes were the gnocchi, mafaldine alfredo, crispy potato guy, and tiramisu. 

They have indoor seating as well as patio seating. If you sit inside, it can get loud during dinner especially on the weekends. The staff assigned to our table that evening was friendly, and the timing of our dishes were just right. I've dined here for lunch before, and the service was slow because there's less staff. If you are planning to dine with a large group (6 more more), I highly recommend making reservations a week in advance. For parking, there's lots of open spaces available at Kapolei Commons, just try to find something close to the movie theater so you don't have to walk as far to the restaurant.  

For more information about Mad Bene, visit madbene.com. 

Kapolei Commons
4450 Kapolei Pkwy., Ste 540
Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 744-7400

Gnocchi

Tagliatelle Dogana

Mafaldine Alfredo

Linguini Scampi

Crispy Potato Guy

N.Y.C.

Pizza of the Week

Mrs. Tran's Tiramisu

Izakaya Agaru - CLOSED

Izakaya Agaru is a new restaurant located in Waikiki. I recommend ordering the "izakaya" which has 8 dishes to share and adding a few more items like the nigiri sushi, hand rolls, chirashi, or ahi toast. The photos below of the "izakaya" were for 2 people. My favorites were the potato salad, ahi toast, and bruleed tamago. The potato salad was creamy, and it worked well with the crispy chips. The ahi toast on buttery milk bread was amazing and I added caviar to mine. You also have an option of adding uni on it as well. The bruleed tamago was the perfect way to end the meal since we were too stuffed for dessert. 

The restaurant is located on the 2nd floor. When you're on Royal Hawaiian Avenue, look for the gray doors with the neon blue "agaru" sign and proceed up the stairs. You will be greeted by the staff once you get to the top of the stairs. The interior design is all wood. Behind the hostess is the kitchen and a sushi bar where you can watch the chefs create the dishes. I had a table in the back and so I got a view of Royal Hawaiian Avenue. The service was excellent, and the staff were knowledge about all the items on the menu. After we finished our meal, the manager came by our table to introduce himself. Overall, the food was excellent, and it was a great dinner experience. For parking, you can park inside the Waikiki Galleria Tower and get a 3-hour validation.

355 Royal Hawaiian Ave., Ste 201
Honolulu, HI 96815 

Ahi Toast with Kaluga Caviar
Egg Yolk Jam, Milk Bread

Potato Salad
Serrano Ham, Fudgy Yolk

Sunomono
Crushed Cucumber, Sesame, Rayu

Seasonal Vegetable
Cabbage, Shio Kombu Salsa Verde

Sake
King Salmon, Maui Onions, Smoked Shoyu

Nairagi
Marlin, Ginger Scallion

Karaage
Smoke Oyster, Lemon

 

Kakuni
Kabocha, Black Garlic Tare

Beef Tongue
Lemon, Rayu, Tare

Grilled Tako
Binchotan Grilled Spanish Octopus, Shiso Chimichurri

Bruleed Tamago

Pizza Dadi - CLOSED

Pizza Dadi is known for their NY style pizza with the thin crust. They have a small menu with about 7 different pizzas, and a few salads and appetizers. It's BYOB. They have some sodas and juices in the fridge. The pizzas are priced between $17-$20. My favorites are the Dadi fries, NYC pizza, and the cheese, onions, & honey pizza which was a special.

They are located inside Ward Centre by Kids City Adventure. This is a casual spot where you order at the entrance and then take a seat anywhere that's open. The cooks will bring the food to your table when it's ready. If you're coming with 4 or more people, it would be best to sit at the counter instead of a table. For parking, I prefer to park at South Shore Market since the spaces are larger than the ones in Ward Centre.

For more information about Pizza Dadi, visit pizzadadi.com. 

1200 Ala Moana Blvd #429
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 744-2221

Dadi Fries

Eggplant Parm Sticks

Pizza of the Week (Cheese, Onions, & Honey)

NYC

Carbonara

Westman Cafe + Lounge

Westman Cafe + Lounge is a brunch spot formerly located in Waikiki but moved to Kakaako in 2026. They are open daily from 7:30am - 2pm. Their menu consists of breakfast and lunch items with a local flare. My favorites were the Big Island honey souffle pancakes and the wagyu loco moco. The souffle pancakes take 20 minutes so place an order with your waiter once you get seated. The pancakes are great for sharing between 3 people and everyone can still order their own entree. The wagyu loco moco was excellent but that item was filling because of the meat and rice.

The interior of the restaurant is spacious, breezy, and has a lot of natural light. This place is great for a casual brunch or lunch with friends or family. I would suggest making a reservation because they do get busy during the peak lunch hour. For parking, you can park in the Ward Center structure and take a short walk over. 

For more information about Westman Cafe + Lounge, visit westmancafe.com.

1000 Auahi St 1 #110, 
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 798-0372

280 Beach Walk, Suite 106
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-1500

Big Island Honey Soufflé Pancake
w/ Pineapple Mango Sauce

Breakfast Special w/ Smoked Salmon

Wagyu Loco Moco

 

Little Sparrow

Little Sparrow is known for their spaetzle bowls. This is the only place on Oahu you can get fresh spaetzle which is a type of pasta or dumpling that originates from Germany. Their prices range from $15 - $20. They also have weekly specials posted to their Instagram. My favorite so far is the garlic shrimp spaetzle because the shrimps were large and the cheese spaetzle compliments it.

You can find Little Sparrow at the farmers market in Honolulu (Blaisdell, Kakaako, KCC), Kailua, and Mililani. Your order is made fresh, and it does take about 10-15 minutes. You can also watch them cook your food on the side as you wait.

For more information about Little Sparrow, follow them on Instagram, @littlesparrowhnl.

Garlic Shrimp Spaetzle

Truffle Spaetzle

Guava Apple Cider Iced & Spiced