10 New & Coming Restaurants on O‘ahu: January 2024
Where to find new and coming tapas, dim sum, handmade pasta, luxe conveyor belt dining and a cozy izakaya.
AC Lounge
Remington College’s former Bishop Street campus is now the AC Hotel Honolulu, a 112-room boutique Marriott property. The renovated address brings to Downtown a rare cocktail bar and a pūpū menu that leans heavily Spanish and Mediterranean. Tortillas española, meatballs cazuela and crispy potatoes dusted in paprika feature, along with toasts crowned with tomato and prosciutto or roasted carrots and harissa. Coming up in mid-January is the hotel’s speakeasy, Yours Truly, whose details will highlight the space’s former life as a post office.
1111 Bishop St., (808) 599-6006
SEE ALSO: Check Out 9 New & Coming Eateries on One Block at Ward Village
Cucina Moon
Photo: Thomas Obungen
Fresh, handmade pasta comes in three-course set menus at this new eatery on the second floor of McCully Shopping Center. House-made focaccia opens, followed by a choice of eight rotating pastas in sauces including arrabbiata, lamb or crab; finish with a scoop of house-made vegan gelato. The new restaurant gets its name from chef and co-owner Takeshi Tsukii: Tsuki means moon in Japanese.
Open from 12 noon to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., closed Wednesday and Sunday, 1960 Kapiolani Blvd., (808) 200-5933, @cucina_moon
SEE ALSO: Cucina Moon Brings Legit Fresh Pasta Bowls and Gelato to McCully Shopping Center
Fuji Sushi & Teppanyaki
This 7,500-square-foot restaurant just soft-opened in the old Monterey Bay Canners space near Macy’s Pearlridge overlooking Sumida Watercress Farm. As the name suggests, it specializes in sushi and teppanyaki at lunch and dinner. While it’s the only teppanyaki restaurant in ‘Aiea, diners in West and Central Oahu will recognize its style—this is the sister restaurant of Sakura, the sushi and teppanyaki restaurants in Mililani and Kapolei. Grand opening is Jan. 3. —Melissa Chang
Open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 10 p.m., Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. and 4 to 9:30 p.m., 98-1005 Moanalua Road, (808) 486-7777, fujihawaii.com, @fujisushiandteppanyaki
Honolulu Seafood Restaurant
Photo: Courtesy of Terry Cheung
Banquet-style Chinese dining is returning to Downtown Honolulu. The opening of Honolulu Seafood Restaurant in the old Bourbon Street-Mandalay-Yong Sing space on Alakea Street will mean lunch and dinnertime menus heavy on crab, shrimp and other seafood dishes, plus extensive dim sum selections. In fact, the menu will be identical to that of Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant, co-owner Terry Cheung’s other eatery. Tables on both levels of the two-story dining room will seat up to 320 customers, including in private dining rooms. Cheung is shooting for a January opening, ahead of Lunar New Year on Feb. 10.
1055 Alakea St.
SEE ALSO: Good-Time Dim Sum at Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant 醉開心海鲜餐廳
Kaiten Sushi by Ginza Onodera
Photo: Mari Taketa
Mō‘ili‘ili’s upcoming conveyor belt sushi restaurant is not what you think. This one is from Sushi Ginza Onodera, the high-end Kapahulu eatery that’s part of the Michelin-starred sushi micro-chain from Tokyo. What that means for the old Sushi King space are touch-screen menus, made-to-order Edomae-style creations delivered on a conveyor belt, and prices expected to average about $100 a person, according to the new shop’s managers. Standards and quality won’t differ from the omakase-only Kapahulu shop, but size will: While Kapahulu has an eight-seat sushi counter and a small private dining room, Mō‘ili‘ili will seat 85 customers. And this one will be a la carte—just as at other conveyor belt sushi restaurants, you’ll order by the piece.
Targeted opening for Kaiten Sushi by Ginza Onodera is the end of February. It will open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
2700 S. King St.
Kāne‘ohe Dim Sum Station
Fresh, made-to-order dim sum is coming to a counter at Windward City Shopping Center in March. This will be Terry Cheung’s second opening of 2024 and the only one of his eateries not to offer full-service dining. Cheung says siu mai, house-made look fun, shrimp in deep-fried yuba wrappers and other dishes can be ordered to go or for dine-in at nearby tables.
45-480 Kāne‘ohe Bay Dr.
Mara
A 204-seat tapas and seafood restaurant is coming to the Kapi‘olani corridor with the opening of the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa. Mara, meaning “of the sea” in Latin and “eternally beautiful” in Greek, promises a family-style menu melding “Hawai‘i’s multicultural cuisine with the exciting flavors of the Mediterranean.” It will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in the 39-floor condotel across from Yung Yee Kee Dim Sum when it opens in March.
1390 Kapi‘olani Blvd.
Paris Baguette
Photo: Mari Taketa
With hiring and training starting this month, the first of four planned Paris Baguette shops on O‘ahu looks set to open Downtown in February. The South Korea-based chain specializes in daily-made breads, cakes, pastries and sandwiches. Local fans who’ve been to some of its 4,000 stores worldwide have been waiting since news of its Honolulu arrival broke last summer. Look for Paris Baguette in the former Starbucks space in the Cades Schutte Building at Bishop and King.
1000 Bishop St., parisbaguette.com, @parisbaguette_usa
Sage Creamery
Photo: Thomas Obungen
From Instagram business to farmers markets to an ice cream truck and now, finally, a brick-and-mortar ice cream shop at Ho‘opili in ‘Ewa Beach, Sage Creamery’s road has been long. The luxe, handmade, locally sourced ice cream business has built a strong following for small-batch flavors like Lā‘ie Snow Cream, Kiawe Honey Lavender and Campfire S’mores. Those were December’s flavors—check the shop’s Instagram for January specials and grand opening plans.
Soft-opening hours Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 91-3575 Kauluakoko St., sagecreamery.com, @sagecreamery
SEE ALSO: This Is the New Luxe Local Ice Cream We’ve Been Craving
Waikīkī Shokudo
Westman Corp.’s third Shokudo will be a “PM-only restaurant but izakaya-style and open late,” the company says. In keeping with Kaimukī Shokudo and Kapi‘olani Shokudo—the latter a smaller version of the sprawling original restaurant opened in 2005—Waikīkī Shokudo will be cozy. Westman promises a different menu and focus for this one, set to open on the ‘Ewa side of the neighborhood in February. But you can pretty much bet there will be honey toast.
