Best of HONOLULU 2025: Food and Drinks on O‘ahu

READER PICK

Fries

Moku Kitchen’s garlic truffle oil fries live up to the hype. They’re crispy, yet soft on the inside, and served in a large bowl with house-made ketchup, whole-grain mustard aioli and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Normally $12 for a small plate, it’s 50% off during happy hour. While the smashburger and steak frites on the regular menu both come with plain fries, our rec is to spend $2 more to upgrade to garlic truffle. —AL

660 Ala Moana Blvd., #145, Kaka‘ako, (808) 591-6658, mokukitchen.com, @mokukitchen

EDITOR PICK

Place to Enjoy Rice Artistry

I always thought Honolulu had pretty good musubi, until Gohan opened on South King Street late last year. That’s when I learned what makes a musubi great. Sit at the counter and watch a master musubi maker salt and pair warm Tsuyahime rice with yuzu-marinated ikura, salmon flakes and more. Once shaped, the musubi is wrapped with crispy Ariake nori and garnished with the same fillings. What I previously considered a quick snack has become a time to slow down and appreciate Zen artistry at work. Culinary creativity is likewise displayed in preparing Gohan’s exquisite handrolls, with glistening rice topped with such delicacies as torched kakuni pork, simmered beef sukiyaki and fresh fish of the day. The best part: the nori stays crisp from start to finish.  —TO

1314 S. King St., Makiki, (808) 393-9810, @gohan.hawaii

EDITOR PICK

Fresh Pasta

Fusilli, pappardelle, coils of squid ink spaghetti. Ruffle-edged mafaldine and Okinawan sweet potato gnocchi. Onda Pasta & Provisions’ fresh pastas, made daily in the kitchen behind the shop, bring Honolulu pasta maker Andrea Onetti’s creations to the heart of Kaimukī. The best part isn’t even the breadth of selections rotating through the chill case; instead, it’s that offerings are aimed at time-stressed eaters who want to indulge, whether in heat-and-serve pomodoro or ragu sauce, oven-ready beef lasagna, locally made cheeses or imported indulgences like José Gourmet’s cheekily illustrated tinned seafood. —MT 

3449 Wai‘alae Ave., Kaimukī, (808) 376-0065, @ondapastaprovisions 

READER PICK

Mocktails

Arden’s three mocktails are a small but mighty section of the bar menu. Of special note: the Sidewinder, a barely sweet ginger beer creation whose house-made roasted macadamia nut lingers in a nuanced, aromatic finish. Then there’s the Tamarindo, whose tonic and house-made tamarind syrup are topped with Calpico foam flecked with tajín—also house-made, of course, from salt, dehydrated lemon and lime peel and ichimi pepper. Did you catch that? Calpico foam dusted with tajín? We LOL’d at how crazy good it was, then ordered another round of both mocktails. —MT

2885 Kalākaua Ave., Waikīkī, (808) 791-5151, ardenwaikiki.com, @arden_waikiki

EDITOR PICK

Gourmet Happy Hour

While happy hour fare typically isn’t gourmet, Yohei Sushi Kāhala defies the norm. Order strategically and you’ll walk out with both a content tummy and cash left over, all while dining on luxe lacquerware and sipping from crystal glassware in a dining room lined with Hokusai prints. Menu items like tamagoyaki, cold udon, sashimi and assorted tempura range from $4 to $8. And the rotating sake flight is only $12 for three pours; Asahi on draft is just $3.99. While Yohei Sushi has had a major glow-up from its roots in Kapālama, its new location still feels approachable thanks to these happy hour bargains every Thursday through Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. —TO

4210 Wai‘alae Ave., Suite 102, Kāhala, (808) 425-4143, yoheisushi.com, @yoheisushi.kahala

EDITOR PICK

Extra-Large Korean Shave Ice

We’ll always remember the first time. We ordered a bingsu at En Hakkore, expecting the Korean shave ice to arrive in a cup. It came in a ramen bowl—a jaw-dropping mountain of condensed milk ice, house-made and shaved powder-fine, under an avalanche of fresh fruits, mochi, azuki beans drizzled with more condensed milk and dustings of crushed nuts and roasted injeolmi. The best part? A fresh shot of espresso to pour over. After disappearing from the scene for several years, this mythical bowl is back in a new spot, just in time for the hottest days of summer. —MT

1670 Makaloa St., Ala Moana, (808) 230-3513, @enhakkorecafe

READER PICK

Roving Food Vendor

Drive-in cheeseburgers. Crab rangoon. Bacon, egg and cheese. These flavors and more are rolled and deep-fried until they’re crispy and golden at Corner Rolls, a staple at the farmers markets in Kaka‘ako and Kailua. If you want something lighter, the hand-held crunchy spring rolls—a reader favorite—will tide you over between meals. For potlucks, there’s a “Party Box” available online with 30 rolls in a handy to-go carrier. —TO 

cornerrolls.com, @corner.rolls

EDITOR PICK

Budget Brunch Buffet

Brunch buffets are notoriously pricey, so we’re always on the hunt for deals. Our top find: Eleven, the Ala Moana Foodland Farms bar/restaurant, offers an impressive weekend brunch buffet for just $39 ($18 for keiki 10 and under). Although the prime rib carving station is a constant, the rest of the spread is refreshed every month with seasonal ingredients showcased among the pastries, salads, main dishes and desserts. Options have ranged from slow-roasted pork loin with apricot chutney to strawberries and cream French toast. Reservations recommended. —AL 

1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Ala Moana, (808) 949-2990, elevenhnl.com, @eleven.hnl

EDITOR PICK

Downtown Lunch Deal

It’s rare that all hands go up when someone at the office suggests a quick Downtown lunch—unless it’s New Kamana Kitchen. Lunch sets are only available at the Bishop Street location, and at $11, vegetarian picks will tempt you to put away your home lunch. Entrée choices like chana masala and aloo gobi come with dal, another side dish, basmati rice and a half-moon of grilled naan—as do non-veg picks like chicken tikka masala, lamb curry and seafood curry, which cost a couple of dollars more. Our top vegetarian pick: rich, tomato-savory eggplant. (Pictured are full-size portions of these dishes.) —MT

1102 Bishop St., Downtown, (808) 537-5309, newkamanakitchen.com, @newkamanakitchen

EDITOR PICK

Rotisserie Chicken

Although Roti-Si’s porchetta gets the social media raves, it’s the rotisserie chicken, with Italian spices rubbed into pasture-raised J. Ludovico chicken, that gets us to brave the crowds at the FarmLovers Markets in Kaka‘ako and Kailua. Roasted and rotated on-site, the tender, juicy chicken will transport you straight to Tuscany. Note: They sell out quickly, so be sure to DM ahead of time on Instagram to place an order. —DS 

@roti_si.hi

EDITOR PICK

Wine Tasting Bar

Part speakeasy, part garage, Silver Lining Wine Bar isn’t just a cool place—it’s a community destination for Honolulu’s makers and tasters. In the back of an auto body shop in industrial Kaka‘ako, owner Rick Lilley offers pours of his growing collection of low-intervention wines, top-shelf spirits and Italian bites from the nearby Bocconcino.

And because wine is meant to be enjoyed with food and others, most of what’s on the menu is shareable. Standouts include Nature Waikīkī chef Nae Ogawa’s chicken liver mousse, sliced-to-order charcuterie, and of course bottles upon bottles from across the New World and Old. Sit at the bar with Lilley or anyone on his staff, and they’ll show you the ropes with tastings of Champalou’s La Cuvée des Fondraux Vouvray from France’s Loire Valley or an effervescent orange wine from Austrian biodynamic producer Meinklang. You’ll leave eager to try even more varietals on your next visit.

What’s best about Silver Lining is the absence of pretentious energy that sometimes makes wine drinking seem elitist. Here, it’s not about labels or vintages as much as what’s in the bottle and the intent of producers. Patrons’ conversations are more often about how wine makes them feel rather than what they smell or taste, which is more approachable. After a night at this unique bar, it’s easy to leave with a renewed appreciation about the pleasures of a good glass of wine. —TO

999 Waimanu St., Kaka‘ako, (808) 593-2749, @silverlininghawaii

EDITOR PICK

Iced Hojicha Latte

Matcha this. Ube that. When you’d rather enjoy a mellow euphoria than a sweet caffeine high, Drip Studio’s iced hojicha latte will soothe you out of any afternoon slump. With roasted, ground green tea from Japan, this bev contains far less caffeine than matcha yet is richer in flavor, especially when sweetened with maple syrup or house-made strawberry purée. If there’s one drink I’ll splurge on, it’s this roasty-toasty escape. —TO 

1114 Fort St. Mall, Downtown, (808) 260-4739, dripstudiohnl.com, @dripstudiohnl 

EDITOR PICK

Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich

It looks like egg salad, smells like egg salad and tastes like egg salad—uncanny for a creation made from tofu. But Planted by La Tour Café’s open-face sandwich hews to the philosophy of food that its omnivore founders would crave. We also crave the Aloha Tamago Tartine, a sunny-hued mix of Aloha Tofu, kabocha and Himalayan salt. Inspired by the cult-status egg salad sandwiches sold at Japanese convenience stores, it’s perfect with a cup of mushroom-rich Umami Broth. —MT

987 Queen St., Kaka‘ako, (808) 200-5985, latourcafe.com, @planted.hi