Kyoto Katsuda

Kyoto Katsuda specializes in beef katsu. You can order the katsu ala carte or as a set. For the set, it comes with rice, soup, and cabbage. They offer free refills for rice and cabbage. The waiter will recommend what temperature is best for that cut of beef based on what you ordered but if you don't like it that way, you can ask to change it. Based on the quality of the meat which was very tender, the prices are reasonable. The katsu sauces had subtle flavor and they also had a curry sauce that I didn't care for. They have different salts on the side and that was better pairing for the beef katsu. The 120g is a good size for one person but since I was sharing, I chose the 240g. 

The restaurant is located inside STIX Asia. I did a walk-in on a week night around 6pm and was seating right away. The restaurant starts getting busy around 7pm. The service was excellent because our waiter came by a few times to offer us refills on the cabbage. They have a kamaaina discount so show your Hawaii ID or driver's license at the time of ordering. For parking, I parked at Royal Hawaiian Center and walked over. 

For more information about Kyoto Katsuda, follow them on Instagram, @kyotokatsudahi.

Waikiki Shopping Plaza
2250 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815  

US Beef Tenderloin Katsu Set 240g

US Beef Katsu Set 240g

 

Victor's Dessert Lounge

Victor's Dessert Lounge is a daytime pop up at Nanzan Giro Giro. All the desserts on the menu are made by Victor himself. They also offer coffees, teas, and mocktails. My favorites were the Dubai chocolate crepe and iced chocolate. Both were delicious and not too sweet. The desserts are priced between $15 - $18 and the drinks are between $4 - $9. I highly recommend checking out this spot if you love sweets.  For parking, there's metered street parking and a few spaces in front of Nanzan Giro Giro on Pensacola Street. 

For more information about Victor's Dessert Lounge, follow them on Instagram, @victorsdessertlounge.  

560 Pensacola St. Suite 107
Honolulu, HI 96814

Dubai Chocolate Crepe

Apple Tart

Blueberry Flaugnarde

Lounge Fizz

Iced Chocolate

 

Lady Elaine

Lady Elaine is a Mediterranean restaurant located inside of Manoa Marketplace. My favorites were the bread & butter, herb lamb, and hen of the woods. The bread was from Breadshop but the butter and honey on top made it delicious. The herb lamb had a sauce made with tomatoes making it light and easy for 1 person to finish. The hen of the woods was paired with polenta and topped with a soft egg. This mushroom dish could have been an entree by itself. The small plates are small so I recommend ordering more if you're dining with a group. Their prices are reasonable. For the entrees, I'd suggest ordering a veggie to make it a complete meal since it's just the protein by itself. 

The interior of the restaurant is big with an open kitchen. They have a small bar opposite of the kitchen. I recommend making reservation a few days in advance on Resy. They accept walk ins but you'll most likely get seated at the bar. The noise level in the restaurant was loud because it was a full house and a Friday night. It starts to get quiet after 8pm. The service from their staff was excellent. Our water glasses were always filled and they checked on us to make sure everything was okay throughout the dinner. For parking, there's a lot of parking at Manoa Marketplace but the spots in front of the restaurant were all taken so I parked by Safeway and walked over. 

Manoa Marketplace
2756 Woodlawn Dr 
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 888-3030

Bread & Butter

Bolognese Meatballs

Heirloom Carrots

Herb Lamb

Hen of the Woods

Ricotta Fritters

Coconut Whipped Panna Cotta

 

Paris Hawaii

Paris Hawaii specializes in modern French cuisine. They offer a prix fixe menu for $85 per person with supplements. I selected all the supplements because I was there for a special occasion and I'm glad I did because it turned out to be a really nice 3-hour dinner. You can add on a wine pairing or the non-alcoholic beverage pairing but I did not. The flavors of French food are much lighter than what I'm used to because I eat a lot of Asian food with bold flavors. Nothing felt heavy or rich and I was full halfway through the duck breast (entree). My favorite dishes were the corn soup because it was a cold soup with crunchy Kahuku corn kernels, the washugyu tenderloin because it was so tender, and the smooth and light chocolate mousse with fresh figs.

They are in SALT at Kakaako. There are 2-seatings per night, 5pm and 7:30pm. Please make sure you arrive on time for your reservation because the chef and kitchen staff will serve everyone at the same time. The service from the staff was excellent and I recommend sitting at the counter so you can watch them prepare the food. To dine here, reservations are required and I recommend making the reservation at least 2 weeks in advance on Open Table. For parking, you can park in the SALT at Kakaako structure and get validation or do meter street parking.

SALT at Kakaako
324 Coral St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 752-2312

 

Caviar Dip (supplement) w/ Bread

Radis Au Beurre

Eclair Aux Legumes

Kahuku Corn Soup

Kona Kampachi Carpaccio

Garlic Shrimp

Garlic Lobster (supplement)

Wheat Bread w/ Sea Asparagus Butter

Duck Breast (supplement)

Washugyu Tenderloin (supplement)

Chocolate Mousse w/ Seasonal Fruits

Tonkatsu Atmark

Tonkatsu Atmark is a new tonkatsu restaurant near Ala Moana Center. Their specialties are the pork loin and pork tenderloin katsu but they also have beef, chicken, shrimp, and oyster. I highly recommend the A5 miyazaki-gyu tenderloin katsu because the beef melts in your mouth. The pork tenderloin katsu was very good as well but it was not as tender as the beef. Their prices are high. The beef katsu set was $135 and pork tenderloin katsu set was $33. The set comes with rice, miso soup, cabbage, tsukemono, and 3 side dishes. They give free refills for rice and cabbage. They also have 3 dipping sauces for the katsu but my favorite was the mild sauce. The flavor was light and it complimented the katsu. The other 2 sauces had too much flavor. 

The restaurant is located across Hawaiki Tower between Hangang and Bernini. You should make a reservation in advance because they will turn away people who walk in. The staff are nice and they're really appreciative of the customers. The wait time for food was reasonable and I would come back again for the A5 miyazaki-gyu tenderloin katsu. For parking, there is a small parking lot next to the restaurant which is shared with other businesses and metered parking on Waimanu Street.

1232 Waimanu St Suite 101
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 200-2110

A5 Miyazaki-gyu Tenderloin Katsu (180g)

Dry Aged Pork Tenderloin Katsu (200g)

Sesame Seeds, Tsukemono,
3 side dishes

Dipping sauces