Try 33 Filipino Food Week Specials at These O‘ahu Restaurants

Roy’s, Obake Honolulu, Stage Restaurant and others join Filipino eateries offering pulutan bar snacks from June 20 to 26.

June 19, 2023

Frolic Hawai‘i,

Bar snacks, tapas, pūpū: In Filipino, the name for this jovial genre is pulutan. For the 5th annual Filipino Food Week, the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu invited restaurants to come up with food and drink specials inspired by pulutan. “While the usual bar food mainly consists of finger foods and appetizers, ‘pulutan’ may range from light offerings such as adobong mani (garlic fried peanuts) to heavy meals like crispy pata,” the Consulate explains.

Of the 17 O‘ahu restaurants participating this year, only a handful typically serve Filipino food. The rest have come up with specials ranging from an Aloha Mabuhay bento (‘Ōlena by Chef Ron Simon) and a seven-course family-style dinner (Chef Chai) to sisig with foie gras butter (Eating House 1849) and cocktails including an adobo-infused whiskey cocktail (Basalt Waikīkī) and Pai Honolulu’s margarita with tequila and calamansi. Other participating restaurants are Joey’s Kitchen and Macadangdang on Maui and Shan-J Restaurant in American Samoa.

Filipino Food Week starts Tuesday, June 20, and runs through Monday, June 26.

Basalt

Waikīkī

• Adobo Chicken Wings ($16) with soy-vinegar glaze, garlic chili dipping sauce
• Adobo Bourbon Kaktel: adobo-infused whiskey, pandan syrup, macadamia liqueur
• BBQ Pork Belly Sticks ($15) with sweet soy lemon barbecue sauce, calamansi

2255 Kūhio Ave., (808) 923-5689, basaltwaikiki.com, @basaltwaikiki

Chef Chai

Kaka‘ako

Photo: Courtesy of Chef Chai

Family-Style Dinner for Two or more, $65 per person:

• Crispy Duck Lumpia
• Crispy Pork Adobo
• Pork Guisantes
• Chicken Tinola
• Escabeche
• Steamed Rice
• Minatamis na Saging (sweet plantains ala mode with vanilla ice cream)
• Halo Halo with strawberry shave ice

1009 Kapiolani Blvd., (808) 585-0011, chefchai.com, @chefchaipapcifica

Eating House 1849

Waikīkī

• Sisig appetizer ($25) with foie gras butter, pickled onions, lomi tomato

2330 Kalākaua Ave. 3F, (808) 924-1849, royyamaguchi.com, @eatinghouse1849

Elena’s Home of Finest Filipino Foods

Waipahu

Elena’s Pulutan Plate ($20.99):

• Fried Silet
• Lechon Kawali
• Shanghai Lumpia

94-866 Moloalo St., (808) 676-8005, elenasrestaurant.com, @elenasfilipino

J&S Lumpia Spot

Salt Lake

Lumpia Sampler Tray ($43):

• Beef & Vegetable
• Pork Shanghai
• Turon
• Strawberry Cheesecake
• Pastele

4369 Lawehana St. A-1, (808) 400-1855, jslumpiaspot.com, @jslumpiaspot

Max’s of Manila

Iwilei

• Classic Pork Sisig, $16.50
• Fried Lumpiang Ubod, $12.50
• Lumpiang Shanghai, $13.50
• Chicharon Bulaklak, $14.50

801 Dillingham Blvd., (808) 793-5512, maxsdillingham.com

Waipahu

• Fried Lumpiang Ubod, $12.50
• Lumpiang Shanghai, $13.50
• Chicharon Bulaklak, $14.50
• Fried Calamari, $15.50

94-300 Farrington Hwy. Bldg. F, (808) 698-7910, maxswaipahu.com

Obake

Chinatown

• Pusit Real Good ($11): Adobong pusit, fried garlic
• Tinikling ($11): Fish balls, sawsawan, atsara
• Cascaron ($6): Deep-fried mochi donut, coconut caramel sauce, coconut shreds
• Aricini con Caldo ($16): Chicken Arroz Caldo deep-fried, on egg purée
• Embutido ($14): Pork with chicken sausage, pineapple, banana ketchup

1112 Smith St., obakehonolulu.com, @obakehonolulu

Ōlena by Chef Ron Simon

Iwilei

Filipino Food Week Aloha Mabuhay Lunch Bento Combo ($20):

• Adobo slices
• Rice
• Pineapple coleslaw
• Filipino lemonade or Royal Filipino lemonade
• Fresh baked banana-poi bite

650 Iwilei Road #135, (808) 745-7777, chefronsimon.com, @olenahi

Pai Honolulu

Downtown

• Dinakdankan Potstickers ($10): Utek ken sibuyas aioli, pickled red onions, pea tendrils, chile bean thread (created in collaboration with chef David Dela Cruz)
• Sili-mansi Margarita ($15): Tequila, calamansi, chile simple, orange liqueur

55 Merchant St #110, (808) 744-2531, paihonolulu.com, @paihonolulu

Roy’s

Hawai‘i Kai

• Shrimp & Scallop Combination with candied bacon and Miki noodles ($63)

6600 Kalaniana‘ole Hwy, (808) 396-7697, royyamaguchi.com

Sama Sama

Pearl City

• Manila Sunrise drink (calamansi butterfly tea with sparkling soda)

96-045 Ala ‘Ike, samasamahawaii.com, @samasamahawaii

Skull & Crown Trading Co.

Chinatown

• Biko ($12): sticky rice coconut cake steamed in banana leaf with brûléed bananas
• Ube-Bae ($14): Tanduay Especial Rum, ube, pineapple, coconut, lime

62 N. Hotel St., (808) 372-0620, skullandcrowntrading.com, @skullandcrowntradingco

Stage Restaurant and Amuse Wine Bar

Kaka‘ako

miniature ube roll ice cream sandwiches line up on a plate

Photo: Courtesy of Stage Restaurant

• Calamansi Coconut Leche Flan with banana sherbert, caramelized banana, coconut honey crumble, calamansi foam
• Family-style “Ice Cream Sandwiches” with house-made ube rolls, coconut lavender ice cream, butter mochi, salted caramel sauce

1250 Kapi‘olani Blvd., stagerestauranthawaii.com, @stagerestaurant, @amusewinebar

Tiki’s Grill & Bar

Waikīkī

Photo: Courtesy of Tiki’s Grill & Bar

• Sisig ($29, entrée): Pork belly braised and crisped, Kula onions, ginger, soy sauce and smoky aioli with garlic rice and Kahumana Farm organic greens salad
• Shrimp Sarciado ($17, appetizer): Jumbo shrimp sauteed with Kamuela tomatoes, scallions, silky Island Fresh Egg custard and calamansi

2570 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 923-8454, tikisgrill.com, @tikisgrill