“Nice to meat you” is the tagline at Toru Ibushi’s cheery izakaya, where flames ignited by fat dripping from chicken, pork belly and beef grilling over charcoal bathe the meats in an essence of smokiness. Small plates abound—this is an izakaya, after all, and a popular one despite a lack of easy parking. As if for nutritional balance, vegetable dishes get real play, a rarity in Honolulu. Shio koji-marinated grilled chicken thighs, snappy sausages, chilled okra in ume sauce, a bowl of oxtail zosui, or fluffy Yukon gold rounds slathered with mentaiko, cheese and butter: Ibushi’s food is unabashed homey comfort. —MT

$$, 740 Kapahulu Ave., Kapahulu, (808) 738-1038, @aburiya_ibushi

Cino is a chophouse dressed to the nines, its blingy art deco motifs and zigzag tile floors dolled up with flowery banquettes. The food holds similar surprises—like a cheesy baked potato with the crispy-cloud texture of toasted marshmallows and an ‘ahi crudo whose intricate tuille frame you’re instructed to smash in with the pristine fish. On no account should meat eaters pass up the 14-day aged pork chop. The kitchen is helmed by Kalihi-born Arnold Corpuz, whose first stint back home after years in San Francisco and Las Vegas made Cino the Hale ‘Aina Awards’ Best New Restaurant of 2024. —MT

$$$, 987 Queen St., Kaka‘ako, cinohawaii.com, @cinohawaii

A second-generation Argentinian trained in kitchens in Japan and Spain, chef-owner Masa Gushiken opened El Cielo with, in his words, food from his Latin heart. It’s mostly Spanish, with dishes like pintxos of guindilla peppers and anchovies, hearty paellas and juicy, twice-grilled Iberico pork filling most of the menu. But since that menu mirrors Gushiken’s life, you’ll also find his mother’s raisin-flecked Argentinian beef empanadas, creamy uni pasta (a Japanese favorite suggested by his wife) and perfectly grilled octopus with a dab of his mother’s chimichurri. As we said, it’s food from the heart. —MC

 $$$, 346 Lewers St., Waikīkī, (808) 772-4533, elcielo-hawaii.com, @elcielo_hawaii

Time stands still at Fukuya, where OG dishes from 1939, the year it opened, still line the counter. Shiraae, bread hash, chow fun, beef teriyaki, makizushi rolls with shoyu tuna and fresh watercress—all are as close to plantation-era flavors and textures as fourth-generation owner Arrison Iwahiro can make them. Newer items like nori-wrapped chicken and sushi rolls stuffed with vienna sausages are on the menu now, drawing college students and surfers into the line of retirees and office workers that snakes out the door. A golden rule for every okazuya: Go early for the best selection. —MT

$, 2710 S. King St., Mō‘ili‘ili, (808) 946-2073, fukuyadeli.com, @fukuyadeli

HK Café became an instant hit when it opened in 2023 as one of Chinatown’s few cha chaan teng, or Hong Kong-style diners. A cup of the Hong Kong milk tea, hot or cold, is enough to power you through a lunch of look fun rice rolls, wok-fried noodles and congee. For a different take on carbs, order one of the clay pot rice dishes and savor the crispy bits. For dessert, a breakfast item of French toast oozing with peanut butter or Ovaltine and condensed milk hits the spot; for dinner, get a bowl of piquant laksa brimming with seafood. —TO

$$, Multiple locations, @hkcafehawaii

Hawai‘i Dim Sum & Seafood

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The place may be bigger and busier now, thanks to its James Beard American Classic award and appearances on national food shows, but the heart of Helena’s Hawaiian Food hasn’t changed in nearly 80 years. Racks of marinated pipi kaula short ribs still hang over the stove, waiting to be pan-fried to order, and lau lau, squid lū‘au, chicken long rice and pretty much everything is as founder Helen Chock cooked it. Don’t make every first-time tourist’s mistake and order just two dishes—eat as locals do and let your spoon roam between bowls of kālua pig, steaming lau lau, lomi salmon, sweet onions dipped in Hawaiian salt, poi (or rice), and back all over again. —MT

$$, 1240 N. School St., Kalihi, (808) 845-8044, helenashawaiianfood.com, @helenashawaiianfoood

A relative newcomer to an eclectic dining neighborhood, Shokudo is a solid choice for approachable Japanese food that won’t break the bank. The lunch menu centers on rice bowls as well as hot and cold soba topped with everything from luxurious uni to duck to a simple heap of fresh Sumida Farm watercress and green onions. Close your eyes, and you’ll feel like you’re in a noodle shop in Tokyo. The nighttime menu is izakaya fare, a mix of popular Japanese dishes (hello, wagyu curry), locally inspired fusion plates (like Okinawan sweet potato salad topped with ikura) and everything in between. Don’t forget the honey toast for dessert. —MC

$$, 1127 11th Ave., Kaimukī, (808) 367-0966, @kaimukishokudo

Keaka Lee’s food is often as beautiful as his commitment to local sourcing—like his Haku Lei Po‘o salad, which resembles the crownlike lei that adorns people’s heads; its ingredients come from a half-dozen farms across the Islands. The Kapa-ccio, another favorite, spells out Kapa Hale’s initials in translucent slices of fresh raw fish and nori. Entrées are hearty, like the rich, satisfying “Where’s the Beef” house-made tagliatelle and the roasted local chicken with cucumber yogurt and pickled grapes. The best parts? Lee doesn’t sacrifice flavor for creativity, and portions are generous, which makes for good value. —MC

$$$, 4614 Kīlauea Ave., Suite 102, Kāhala, (808) 888-2060, kapahale.com, @4614kapahale

Your first taste of Yosselyn De Abreu’s La Casita transports you out of its green strip mall in Waipahu to a new world of flavor. Start with her mother’s hand-formed Salvadoran pupusas stuffed with beans, cheese and loroco buds. Between bites, a side of pickled cabbage curtido lifts with acid and crunch. Also noteworthy are pastelitos, fried empanadas of seasoned ground beef whose flavor packs a punch. Carnitas plates with rice and refried beans are more familiar but also deliver on flavor and texture. This little pupuseria next to Skyline’s Pouhala station is worth seeking out. —TO

$, Tropicana Square, 94-866 Moloalo St., #34-D11A, Waipahu, (808) 676-6987, @lacasitahawaii

Lam’s brings a strong sense of authority to a core menu of thin, house-made rice noodles that shine—or rather, glisten—in stir-fried chow fun dishes and steaming noodle soups with chunks of beef and tendon. At lunch, seemingly all tables are ordering one or the other. In the morning, a bowl of congee soothes you into the day, especially with sides of youtiao doughnut sticks and look fun rolls. Despite being on the outskirts of Chinatown, Lam’s is a place where everyone and their grandma tucks in. —TO

$, 1152 Maunakea St., Chinatown, (808) 536-6222, lamskitchenhawaii.com

For many of us, banh mi sandwiches were just banh mi sandwiches until Le’s came along in 2022. That’s when Chi Lam and her husband, Min Tuan Le, turned the scene on its head. Le’s Banh Mi is an ode to their homeland, a third-floor shop where the couple bake airy Vietnamese baguettes and fill them end to end with house-crafted ingredients. The crispy pork, replete with chunky bits of fat and crispy skin, is a textural joy; the Saigon Special, with steamed pork and char siu and head cheese, has everything you want in a sandwich. Ask for Le’s hot sauce on the side. —TO

$, 808 Center, 808 Sheridan St., #306, Ala Moana, @les_banhmi

MW is an upscale restaurant with approachable food. Husband-and-wife owners Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Wade Ueoka’s recipes frequently draw on memories of foods they grew up with. Won tons of pork hash and foie gras, pressed cubes of jidori fried chicken in a garlicky soy, and miso-honey glazed butterfish are standouts at dinner, and every dessert, from elevated, seasonal shave ice to the chocolatey layers of the MW candy bar, is appropriate for a sweet ending. If Karr-Ueoka’s ice cream sandwiches make a rare appearance, make a special trip. —MC

$$$, 888 Kapiʻolani Blvd., Suite 102, Kaka‘ako, (808) 524-0499, artizenbymw.com, @artizenbymw

Miro delivers luxurious tasting menus at decent prices, with warm and attentive service. While prices vary with the season and what’s being featured, dinner generally includes fancy “snacks” and six courses for $100 to $125, with wine pairings about $60. If you’re visiting Hawai‘i, go early in your trip—people have been known to book second dinners before flying home. Supplements are worth the extra and less subject to change—the escargots are good for sharing, especially with fluffy, savory milk bread (get two). And Chris Kajioka’s ‘ahi, uni or caviar brioche—iterations of an intermezzo that’s followed him through successive restaurants—can induce bliss. —MC

$$$, 3446 Wai‘alae Ave., Kaimukī, (808) 379-0124, mirokaimuki.com, @mirokaimuki

If UH Mānoa were the brains of the valley, Morning Glass Coffee + Café would be the heart. A tight-knit crew brews perfect cups of coffee and serves up iconic baked goods and breakfast fare, all with a relaxed demeanor despite a constant line. Liliko‘i honey butter biscuits, mac and cheese pancakes, Egg-a-Muffin sandwiches—everything is worth getting out of bed for, especially on weekends when you can take your time on the shaded patio. Dinner with music and natural wines is on the horizon, a fitting progression to extend the good vibes. —TO

$, 2955 E. Mānoa Road, Mānoa, (808) 673-0065, @morningglasscoffee

For a good part of her life, Olay Somsanith cooked Thai food in other people’s restaurants. At age 63, at daughter Macy Khounkeo’s urging, she finally spotlighted the cooking of her native Laos. The Olay’s Thai-Lao menu is still mostly Thai, because we’ll always have a spot for green curry and stuffed chicken wings, but its locale amid Chinatown’s destination restaurants puts Somsanith’s Lao cooking front and center. Olay’s is where much of Honolulu got its first tastes of lemongrass-flecked pork sausages; crispy rice salads twined with herbs and raw chiles; and khao poon, Laos’ signature vermicelli curry soup. All are best eaten in the fairy-tale courtyard garden. —MT

$$, 66 N. Hotel St., Chinatown, (808) 536-5300, olaysthaihawaii.com, @olays_thai_lao_cuisine

Patê has the requisite variations of pho—what Vietnamese eatery doesn’t? Skip these in favor of a house specialty and an inconspicuous standout among the rice dishes. Bun bo hue spicy beef noodle soup accomplishes what many versions outside Vietnam don’t—a meaty broth as rich as it is spicy, with a near-overload of beef shank, beef tendon, pork hock, pork meatballs and pork loaf (unless you specify otherwise, jellified pork blood is in there, too). Patê’s grilled pork plates offer a similar next-level touch, with marinated pork riblets replacing typically thin grilled chops. Out of street view in Samsung Plaza, details make all the difference in this homey nook. —MT

$$, Samsung Plaza, 655 Ke‘eaumoku St., (808) 940-5432, patehi.com, @patehiofficial

Its spot on Chinatown’s thinly trafficked mauka side notwithstanding, Pho Que Huong packs in Vietnamese diners. Tables are loaded with family-style soups, hot pots, crispy noodles and other IYKYK staples. The menu, vast even among Vietnamese restaurants, has well over 100 options including garlicky tangles of sautéed ong choy, spareribs or catfish caramelized in clay pots, and clear, steaming soups of mustard cabbage and shrimp; with rice, these would be a workaday family dinner in Ho Chi Minh City. Goat hot pot, a rarity even in Vietnam, pairs tender chunks with kalo, fresh greens and fried tofu skins; it outshines home country versions. —MT

$, 1160 Maunakea St., Chinatown, (808) 528-3663, @phoquehuong.hi

Plate lunch through a Japanese lens was never really a thing until Pioneer Saloon showed up on Monsarrat Avenue in 2009. A cult classic from the beginning, Pioneer makes a name for itself with rather large plates of garlic ‘ahi, fried mochiko chicken and menchi katsu with shiso wakame rice and pesto macaroni salad. Fans crossed town for these plates, and before Pioneer opened a second spot in Kaka‘ako, anyone who wanted one had to jockey for parking on the slopes of Lē‘ahi. It’s still worth it. —TO

Multiple locations, pioneer-saloon.net, @pioneersaloonhawaii

Andrew Le’s ideas run wild across his menu, which is precisely the draw for Pig fans. This isn’t a Vietnamese restaurant, it’s Viet-inspired, which can mean anything from a braised brisket banh mi smeared with Thai basil chimichurri and dipped in pho broth, to Moloka‘i venison tartare with roasted pear and Laughing Cow cheese, a staple of Vietnam’s banh mi street carts. Le’s potato banh xeo of hot, creamy mash with carrot salsa and cheese in lettuce wraps was one of the best things we ate all year. Pray it stays—creativity comes with a price, and Pig diehards know their favorites may disappear with the next seasonal menu. —MT

$$$, 83 N. King St., Chinatown, (808) 585-8255, thepigandthelady.com, @pigandthelady

Pizza Mamo brings Honolulu closer to East Coast pie culture with its foldable pan pizzas—both Brooklyn-style and cheese-laden Detroit-style versions. The Detroit-style square is one of the best examples around, even outshining those of venerated Buddy’s Pizza, which created the style generations ago in the Motor City. The trick is keeping toppings like pepperoni, pesto, hot honey and pickled jalapeños simple enough to harmonize with the Wisconsin brick cheese and house-made marinara sauce, on a crust so airy it seems to defy gravity. —TO

$$, 16 N. Hotel St., Chinatown, (808) 369-2445, eatpizzamamo.com, @pizzamamo

A drive through Wahiawā is never complete without a stop at Shige’s. Whether you’re a diehard saimin and barbecue burger combo fan or you waver between the hamburger steak and the fried saimin with a side of teri beef sticks, Shige’s rarely disappoints. It’s the only saimin shop on O‘ahu that makes its own noodles, a signature thick and curly style that holds up in the clear dashi. Despite its small size and long lines, after 35 years, Shige’s is still reliably consistent. —TO

$, 70 Kukui St., Wahiawā, (808) 621-3621, @shigessaiminstand

Good Texas barbecue is difficult to come by outside of, well, Texas. So Honolulu is lucky that James Kim, who’s from Austin, decided to settle here and start a side hustle smoking meat. Now, it’s his full-time gig. After starting out with a food truck at Sunset Beach, Kim set up his smoke pit in industrial Kaka‘ako, where he turns USDA Prime brisket into jiggly lumps of black gold. His racks of pork spareribs are also masterpieces—and they take almost no effort to devour. —TO

$$, 443 Cooke St., Kaka‘ako, sunsettxbbq.com, @sunsettxbbq

Tucked away with little signage in a corner of Kilohana Square, Threadfin is Jason Kiyota’s fusion take on local, American and Asian food. Thai touches are frequent, since he studied cooking in Bangkok for a time. His three-course menus change frequently; standouts have included escargot-style abalone in cognac butter, washugyu rib-eye au poivre, and Thai crab curry pasta. The cozy eatery recently expanded into the space next door, so while the $68 menus are an amazing deal, Kiyota plans to add à la carte dishes sometime this year. —MC

$$$, Kilohana Square, 1014 Kapahulu Ave., Kapahulu, (808) 692-2562, threadfinbistro.com, @threadfinbistro

Wu Wei Chong Qing is what every Asian-facing city should have: a hole-in-the-wall whose noodle bowls deliver as much excitement as nostalgia. A rarity among Honolulu’s Cantonese-dominated Chinese restaurants, Wu Wei’s menu highlights the flavors of Lulu Sie’s hometown, until recently part of Sichuan province. On one visit, you might lose yourself in the fiery, tangy depths of Sie’s boiled fish and preserved mustard cabbage noodles; on another, in an aromatic jumble of barbecued, twice-cooked pork belly strips in a familiar black bean sauce. Wu Wei is worth repeat visits to discover more. —MT

$, 1738 S. King St., McCully, (808) 741-2297, @wuweicuisine

Yi Xin Café

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