Calcifer

Just saw on Instagram that 12th Avenue Grill will be closing as of January 16th and Koko Head Cafe will be moving into that space.

747FC

Very sad. Azteca restaurant closed in December. Now my two pre-pandemic go-to restaurants have bitten the dust. RIP.

ETA: Azteca closed after 45 years in business.

FlyinHawaiian

EARL Kakaako has Jumbo Shrimp Po' Boys on the menu today and tomorrow. It was pretty darn tasty!


Very sad to hear about Azteca. I remember when it opened; it was my first experience with Mexican cuisine.

strauss2

Hey all, I have been looking around for good coffee. If you have not tried it, check out The Curb in Kaimuki. Excellent espresso!

FlyinHawaiian

For me, Honolulu is a bit of a desert wasteland for decent, non-chain pizza; I used to like Angelina's by the Cinerama back in the 90s, but it's been pretty lean times since then. A friend recommended Pieology in Aina Haina to me but I didn't get a chance to make it over there.

A relatively new kid on the block is 'ili'ili Cash & Carry on Beretania Street, one block Diamond Head of McCully (where the Hawaiian Rent-All is located). They make superb New York City-style pizzas and sandwiches. I ordered pizza twice and a friend brought their garlic balls with pepperoni slices to a potluck and they were all excellent.

Supreme Pizza - Tomato/olives/pepperoni/sausage/onion/peppers


Off-white pizza - Ricotta/mozzarella/caramelized onions/roasted garlic/parmesan/herbs

As the name suggests, it is currently only takeout orders but they do take credit cards and have online ordering. It's about a 10 min drive from their location to most of Waikiki.

ILuvParis

Speaking of pizza, I've noticed that the "famous" Brick Oven Pizza (Kaua'i) now has two locations on Oahu.

FlyinHawaiian

Recap of my January 2022 visit…

First, a word of advice. One needs to be flexible these days and have backup plans. I had to change plans a few times when the places I was going to eat at had sudden closures due to Covid exposures. I also understand that Pig and the Lady unexpectedly pulled the plug on their dine-in service for the remainder of the month. So, check a place’s social media sites often.

Upscale
Kahala - Kapa Hale (Dinner) - Took another FTer and their +1 here and while the menu hasn't changed, it was still very good (I thought the food tasted better than last September). Glad to see they are surviving.
Kakaako - Istanbul - I went here with my gourmand friend and we both had lamb dishes that were superb; I certainly recommend it.

Midrange
Manoa - Feast (Dinner) - reviewed separately
Iwilei - Nico's Pier 38 - Still a great place for a decent plate lunch and lots of open seating on their covered patio.
Kakaako - E.A.R.L. - reviewed separately
Waikiki/Kapahulu - Side Street Inn on Da Strip - Simply put, good and solid food with huge portions. Go hungry!
Niu Valley - Gyotaku - Very reasonable Japanese food. Their curbside pickup is a plus.

Casual
Beretania/Makiki - Grace's Inn - My favorite place for chicken katsu plate lunch.
Moiliili/University - 'ili'ili Cash & Carry - reviewed separately
Moiliili/Punahou - Palama Market - good place for take-out Korean grab and go; I got a meat jun bento and a side of fried mandoo and both were very good and not saturated in oil.
Kaimuki/Kapahulu - Gina's BBQ (Dinner) - My favorite takeout Korean BBQ place; I ordered via DoorDash for delivery.
Kaimuki - Saigon's Restaurant - Decent place for banh mi and summer rolls. I'm still mourning the loss of the Kahala Ba-Le.
Chinatown - Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery - My new favorite place for take-out dim sum. Their joong and gau were also both excellent.

Malasadas
Pipeline > Leonard's (and I had them both). Pro tip - if you order the pre-bagged malasada box on the website for pickup just before you fly back to the mainland, they travel well and can be re-heated in a microwave or air-fryer with reasonably good results. I did this the morning of my red-eye and the results one- and two-days afterwards were much better than what I would have gotten with an order from Leonards.

An original sugar malassada right out of the fryer.


Got a lobster roll for my mom; it was her first one from Feast. She was very happy with it and she was kind enough to share some of her fries.

747FC

Just got notification that E.A.R.L Kaimuki location on 11th Avenue has closed. RIP.

New location is opening tomorrow at Market City Shopping Center. I just hate that parking lot, but will have to go there now.

FlyinHawaiian

I concur that the upstairs section of Market City is a layer of hell; the bottom level less so. I frequent Gina's so am very familiar with it.

ExpatExp

Quick summary of recent dinners.

Another great experience at Fête last week. Consistently delicious food even though it can be busy and take a little while. Without asking or complaining, we were offered complimentary wine due to the longer meal prep time. Fine by us!

Enjoyed the ambiance at Herringbone. Don't recall that the food was particularly special but it was certainly enjoyable and I would go back.

TBD was also a pleasant surprise. Felt a little off the beaten track even though it's in Waikiki.

Senia is a new favourite. So much focus on the beautiful food without worrying about a posh or pretentious atmosphere or interior. Love it.

ETA: Any private dining rooms you all recommend? Need to plan something next week.

FlyinHawaiian

This is a rather old school suggestion but if you have membership to a social club with reciprocity rights to one in Honolulu (Elks, Outrigger, Oahu Country, Waialae Country, etc.) that could be an option. My family are long-time members of the Pacific Club but sadly, their chefs of late have been hired away by deep pocketed hotels and resorts.

747FC

Some private dining options:

Ruth Chris Steakhouse (Ala Moana Blvd. location).

D.K Steakhouse (ask for manager, Ivy, if available).

Fete has a few tables in a loft which might do the trick.

As @FlyinHawaiian said, Outrigger Canoe Club: They have a nice outdoor space if you can access it through reciprocity.

Good luck with finding a site. Do report back.

ExpatExp

Many thanks for these suggestions! Yes, can do Pacific and OCC

Notably, you can get Senia's tasting menu if you book the private dining room, but not in the main restaurant. When I visited last week, I was told they were going to renovate later this year and then bring back the tasting menu to the main dining room after the renovations. Sadly they are fully booked next week so that's not an option.

Will try some of these options and see what I can find. Thank you!

Mickidon

We loved Pig and the Lady, Vietnamese in Chinatown. It is a very popular spot but we were able to be seated for lunch with only a ten minute wait. Pho French Dip and Vegan Bun Chay Nuong were the stars at our table, despite the odd combination. It's casual and has an upbeat vibe. We typically love wandering around Chinatown, but it
seems to be struggling in general and wasn't as pleasant for a walkabout as in years past.

747FC

Yes, I've stopped going there at night because of all the vagrants who roam the street there. Really sad.