Arden Waikiki

Arden Waikiki offers contemporary Hawaii cuisine. The flavors and ingredients in their dishes are American and Asian. The staff were friendly and since the restaurant is still new, we asked our waiter for food recommendations. My favorites were the mentaiko dip, Kauai prawns, and roasted cabbage. The steak fries are good for picking up the mentaiko dip but I wanted thinner cut fries. The prawns were grilled so it had the smokey flavor and since they were cut in half, it was easy to remove the meat from the shell. The roasted cabbage reminded me of a dish at Senia but this had an Asian flavor to it and I loved the slight crunch to the cabbage. The prices are high with dished ranging from $10 - $40 and a few items at market price.

The interior of the restaurant is spacious and well lit. If you get a table by the window, you'll enjoy a nice view of Kapiolani Park. I recommend making a reservation a few days in advance. You can also do walk in and get seated at the bar. For parking, Lotus Honolulu Hotel offers valet parking for $7. You could also do self-parking in the metered spaces along Kapiolani Park near the tennis courts. The metered parking is free after 6 pm.

For more information about Arden Waikiki, visit ardenwaikiki.com.

Lotus Honolulu Hotel
2885 Kalakaua Ave, 2nd Floor
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-1700

French Fries w/ Smoked Mentaiko Dip

Kauai Prawns

Roasted Cabbage

Roasted Hirabara Farms Carrots

Mushroom Rice

Chocolatana Cake

Guieb Cafe

Guieb Cafe offers homestyle meals with reasonable prices. This is a great place for breakfast. My favorites are the prime rib loco moco, fried chicken and waffle, and the ube pancakes. The prime rib is tender and the fried chicken is well seasoned. The ube pancakes are moist and fluffy and with some syrup drizzled over it, it was delicious. Their portions are large so you can share a plate between 2 people. The staff are efficient. The food comes out fast and the temperate is hot. Your water cups will always get filled and they clear your plate once you're done.

They have 3 locations, Kalihi, Aiea, and Wahiawa. I've been to the Kalihi location a few times and the interior is small. If you go when they open, they're not busy. If you go later in the day, there is a wait for a table. They accept reservations by phone, just call a few days in advance to reserve it. The tables are set up to seat 2 – 4 people so if you have 5 or more, reservations are highly recommended.

For more information about Guieb Cafe, visit guiebcafe.com.

1311 North King St 
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 913-2131

98-025 Hekaha St
Building 4, Unit 14
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 762-9247

538 California Ave
Wahiawa, HI 96786
(808) 888-2121

Prime Rib Loco Moco

Adobo Fried Rice Omelette w/ Lechon Kawali

Corned Beef Hash w/ Eggs

Fried Chicken and Waffles

Ube Mascarpone Pancakes

La Bettola

La Bettola is known for their uni (sea urchin) spaghetti. The chef, Tsutomu Ochiai, is the creator of uni spaghetti. The food tasted really good and the service from the staff was excellent. The food portions are small and the prices are high. The entrees range from $30 - $65 since the ingredients consist of seafood or wagyu beef. My favorite was the uni spaghetti because the uni was fresh, no fishy smells at all, and it wasn't overly salty like some of the other uni spaghetti I've tried in the past. The macadamia tiramisu was excellent and I highly recommend ordering that for dessert.

The restaurant is in the lobby of the Alohilani Resort and every table has a view of the oceanarium. They only open for dinner and it does get busy so reservations in advanced are recommended. The attire is resort wear since it is inside in the hotel, but you can dress up if you're celebrating a special occasion. For parking, it's complimentary valet parking with validation but you can also do self-parking in the Alohilani Resort guest parking.

For more information about La Bettola, visit alohilaniresort.com/dining/la-bettola.

Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
2490 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 921-6190

Fritto Misto di Mare
(Fried Squid, Shrimp, & Scallop)

Spaghetti Al Ragu di Manzo
(Spaghetti Bolognese)

Spaghetti Ai Ricci di Mare
(Uni Spaghetti)

Macadamia Tirimisu

Pistachio & White Chocolate Semifreddo

 

Saigon Grill

Saigon Grill is a food truck that serves Vietnamese food. They have a large menu and half of it consist of seafood like sea snails, sea scallops, oysters, shrimp, dungeness crab, and lobster. This is one of the few places on Oahu that serves sea snails. The flavor of their food is good, and the prices are reasonable. My favorites were the sea scallops and the pork chops. Once you're done ordering, you seat yourself and the staff will bring the food and drinks to you. You can BYOB.

The seating area is outdoors under a large tent; it's very casual and is great for groups. Each booth under the tent can seat about 4 people and they have the longer tables in the middle for big groups. They only open for dinner, and they stay open till 12am on weekdays and 2am on the weekends. They accept cash and credit. Parking is free and a few steps away from the seating area. They are located across the Hawaii Convention Center. When it gets dark, you'll see the lanterns lit up in the area as you drive down Kapiolani Blvd.

1700 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814

Garlic Butter Sea Snails

Sea Scallops

Grilled Pork Chops

Shrimp Fried Rice

Sugarcane Juice

Upstairs at Pier 38

Upstairs at Pier 38 is known for their seafood. They are located on the 2nd floor above Nico's Poke Market. The menu is mostly seafood but they have a handful of beef and pork entrees. The service from the staff was excellent and the plating of the food was photogenic. The appetizers and fish were delicious but I was disappointed with the rice. The rice in both entrees were uncooked and it was luke-warm when it came to the table. Other than the rice, everything was good, and my favorites were the nairagi carpaccio, crispy brie and sea bass. The prices are on the high side with entrees ranging from $40-$50 each.

The interior of the restaurant is beautiful. They have large windows that overlook the water and I recommend asking for a table by the window to enjoy those views. The restaurant can get loud since it's one big open space. This place is great for celebrating special occasion or for large parties. For parking, there are spaces outside the Nico's building but it that fill up, there's another lot around the corner of the building facing Nimitz Hwy. I recommend making reservations a few days in advanced so you can be seated at a table. If you walk in on a busy night, you'll probably get seated at the bar. 

For more information about Upstairs at Pier 38, visit upstairspier38.com.

Nico's Pier 38
1129 N Nimitz Hwy
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 550-3740

Nairagi Carpaccio

Salmon Lollipops

Crispy Brie

Misoyaki Sea Bass

Furikake Ahi

Basque Cheesecake