Cheap Eats

Hungry for good values, we combed through the Islands in pursuit of delicious meals for $20 or less. We lunched, we brunched, we wined, we dined. And we found you can eat well, accompanied only by a minted portrait of Andrew Jackson. The secret is not just knowing where to go, but what to order. So grab your wallet, and follow us.

By Ronna Bolante, Michael Keany, A. Kam Napier, Lori Anne Tomonari, Jen Tadaki and Kathryn Drury Wagner

Published: 2007.08.01 12:00 AM

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Dat One Persian Restaurant

801 Alakea St., Ste. 109, 791-1616.

CHEAP EAT Ghormeh sabzi & fesenjoon plate, $6.50
A new addition to downtown’s lunchtime scene, Dat One Persian Restaurant offers up a refreshingly exotic palette of flavors. From the various stews in their buffet-line pans, we opted for ghormeh sabzi (beef with chives, parsley, fenugreek and dried lemon, with red kidney beans) and fesenjoon (boiled chicken stewed in a walnut and pomegranate stew). The first was a bit bitter, not unlike laulau with its ratio of meat-to-dark-green-leaves. The second was sweet and aromatic, like something you’d serve on a holiday. For an extra treat, visit on Friday’s for the beef kabob special ($7). Lunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m. daily.

Don’t be fooled by the olive-oil cake’s name—it’s actually quite light and airy at Downtown.

photo by Lara Hata

Downtown, Hawaii State Art Museum

250 S. Hotel St., 536-5900.

CHEAP EAT Italian Soda, Duck Confit Sandwich, Olive Oil Cake, for $19.25
Downtown, the new Ed Kenney offering on the ground floor of the Hawaii State Art Museum, has both a counter for takeout, as well as a lively, trendy-but-not-pretentious dining room. The Italian soda ($2.75; we chose pomegranate flavor) is a layer of syrup, topped with club soda and milk, which you stir to create a pink concoction. The duck confit on grilled rye ($10.50) has a joyful, date-spiked mustard, while the olive-oil cake ($6) comes topped with cooked Kula strawberries. A meal here tastes like a summer afternoon in Europe, with your window open. 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.