Best of HONOLULU Family 2017: Eat
Our readers’ and editors’ 16 picks for the best places to eat in Honolulu.
Photo: David Croxford
Best Store for Locally Made Snacks
Readers’ Pick
Wholesale Unlimited
More than 50 years ago, Betty Nagamoto Honma started selling beef jerky wholesale out of the trunk of her car. Now, her snack shops offer kids more than 400 Island-favorite goodies including crackseed, li hing mui gummies, candies and 23 flavors of Honma’s homemade cookies, Betty’s Best.
Seven locations: Kāhala, Kāne‘ohe, Ke‘eaumoku Street, Mānoa, Māpunapuna, Pearl City and Waipahu, wholesaleunlimitedhawaii.com.
Photo: David Croxford
Best Mess-Free Meal
Editors’ Pick
Manapua at Honolulu Kitchen
You can get shoyu pork, fried rice and kau yuk, but this family-owned restaurant is known for its palm-size, deep-fried manapua stuffed with everything from honey chicken and pastele to Oreo with cream cheese and custard. Once your kids pick their favorites of the more than 40 flavors, top them off with colorful keiki characters hand-drawn by owner Steven Wong’s nephew, Joohno Song. He can do everything from Pokémon to Moana and Hello Kitty for special orders. You can even put your own face on the treats, that is, if you don’t mind watching people bite into your profile.
94-861 Farrington Highway, Waipahu, (808) 671-5241, facebook.com/honolulukitchen.
Best Spot for a Parents’ Night Out
Readers’ Pick
Roy’s Hawai‘i
We love taking our kids to Roy’s, where keiki are immediately treated to cheese quesadillas and veggies and dip while they wait for their main entrées. But it’s no surprise this award-winning Hawai‘i favorite tops our readers’ picks for date night. Whether you’re in Waikīkī, on the golf course on the West Side or dining with an ocean view at the original location in Hawai‘i Kai, you’re guaranteed a delicious meal and exceptional service for those rare kidless evenings out. We’re a big fan of Roy’s Hawai‘i Kai’s new “Off the Menu” Thursday nights, where diners in the lounge can order pūpū, cocktails and wines not normally found on the menu after 7:30 p.m. Get there early. The big rush begins around 8 p.m.
Three locations on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Kai, Ko Olina and Waikīkī, royshawaii.com.
Best Place to Pick Up a Weekday Meal and Best Fundraising Items to Sell
Photos: Steve Czerniak
Readers’ Pick
Zippy’s
Chili. Chili with chicken. Zip Pacs. Napples. Do you need more reasons to stop by one of our state’s favorite restaurants? Zippy’s celebrated 50 years last October, marking five decades of serving families local favorites at lightning-quick speed 364 days a year. The flexible fundraising program—tickets can be redeemed for chili, Portuguese bean soup, meat sauce and, just added, pancake mix—makes for an easy sale.
Twenty-four locations statewide, zippys.com.
Best Yeast Doughnut
2016 HONOLULU Magazine Editors’ Pick
Mr. Donut’s & Bakery
We tasted all the local top contenders for best yeast doughnut, and we have good news: Mr. Donut’s & Bakery is undoubtedly it. Judging standard glazed doughnuts on consistency, freshness and taste, there was no question that William and Carlos Borgos’ baked goods knock it out of the park. Where other doughnuts taste oily or dry, Mr. Donut’s is moist, springy and finger-licking sweet. We tried a bunch of other flavors, just to be sure, and were not disappointed.
134 S. Hotel St., (808) 545-2961.
Photo: David Croxford
Best Musubi Shop
2016 HONOLULU Magazine Editors’ Pick
Musubi Café Iyasume
Musubi Café Iyasume, which has opened four locations in Hawai‘i since 2009, sells a variety of triangle-shaped rice balls, from traditional ume to the more adventurous mentaiko (spicy cod roe) with mayo—all using premium rice imported from Hokkaido and all under $2.50 each. The most popular musubi feature Spam. Spam with avocado, bacon and egg. Spam with ume and cucumber. Spam with takuan pickles. You can also order curry bowls, miso soup or bentos packed with mochiko chicken, tonkatsu, broiled salmon, miso butterfish or shrimp tempura.
Ala Moana Center, 1518 Makaloa St., 334 Seaside Ave. and at the Pacific Monarch Hotel in Waikīkī. tonsuke.com/eomusubiya.html.
REST OF THE BEST
Photo: Michael Indresano Sinar
Best Place to Get a Sweet Treat
Readers’ Pick
Baskin-Robbins
Sixteen locations on O‘ahu, baskinrobbins.com.
Best Breakfast Restaurant
Readers’ Pick
Cinnamon’s
Two locations: Kailua and Waikīkī, cinnamons808.com.
Best Burgers
Readers’ Pick
Teddy’s Bigger Burgers
11 locations on O‘ahu, teddysbb.com.
Best Family-Style Caterer
Readers’ Pick
Tanioka’s Seafood & Catering
94-903 Farrington Highway, Waipahu, (808) 671-3779, taniokas.com.
Best Healthy Snack You Can Order and Your Kids Will Love
Readers’ Pick
Jamba Juice
25 locations on O‘ahu, jambajuicehawaii.com.
Best Ice Cream/Shave Ice Location
Readers’ Pick
Waiola Shave Ice
Three locations: Kapahulu, McCully-Mō‘ili‘ili, Ward Warehouse, waiolashaveice.com.
Best Kid’s Menu
Readers’ Pick
California Pizza Kitchen
Eight locations: Ala Moana Center, Honolulu Airport, Kāhala, Kailua, Kapolei, Mililani, Pearlridge and Waikīkī, cpk.com.
Best “Kids Eat Free”
Readers’ Pick
Gyotaku
Three locations: Pearl City, Honolulu, Niu Valley, gyotakuhawaii.com.
Best Local Food Brand
Readers’ Pick
Zippy’s
Twenty-four locations statewide, zippys.com.
Best Pizza
Readers’ Pick
Pizza Hut
25 locations on O‘ahu, pizzahuthawaii.com.
