Food to try in Oahu, Hawaii

Below is a list of restaurants that I compiled based on the various reviews that I read online and also based on my experience. I am sure that I missed a lot of other good restaurants in Oahu, so I will try to update this list as I go.


1. Alan Wong's Restaurant (1857 S. King St. #208, Honolulu, HI 96826)
Voted as one of the best restaurants in Honolulu. I made a reservation for this restaurant to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday. We ordered the 5 course tasting menu for $85/each, wine is additional cost. The best course that I like was their dessert, The Coconut, which has the haupia sorbet in the coconut shell with tropical fruits and lilikoi sauce. The presentation on the dessert was beautiful and tasted great as well. The service was very good and our waiter was very attentive to us.

2. Diamond Head Market & Grill (3158 Monsarrat Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815)
They serve a variety of American and Hawaiian food. You can drop by after a hike at Diamond Head.

3. Giovanni's Shrimp Truck (66-472 Kamehameha Hwy., Haleiwa, HI 96712)
They served shrimps along with 2 scoops of rice. Do note that it is in the North shore, further away from Waikiki.

4. Helena's Hawaiian Food (1240 N. School St., Honolulu, HI 96817)
They have been serving authentic Hawaiian food for the past 64 years. Some of the items on their menu are poi, kalua pig, short ribs, lomi salmon, etc. Do note that they only accept cash.

5. Leonard's Bakery (933 Kapahulu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96816):
They sell Malasadas, which is a Portugese doughnuts without a hole. There also have a mobile truck which is at Waikele Shopping Center (94-894 Lumiaina Street, Waipahu).

There are 3
different coatings : Plain Sugar, Cinnamon Sugar and Li Hing (salted plum favor)
different fillings: Custard, Dobash (chocolate) and Haupia (coconut)

6. Marukame Udon (2310 Kuhio Ave. #124, Honolulu, HI 96815)
They make the udon (Japanese thick noodles) fresh every day at the restaurant. There are different udons, tempura and Musubi that you can choose from. Be aware that there is always a crowd at this restaurant but the line moves pretty fast. The location is also a plus as it is walking distance to the hotels in Waikiki. My kids love the udon and they can easily finish the bowl. Price is very affordable.

7. Musubi Cafe Iyasume (2427 Kuhio Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815)
There are many different locations near Waikiki, the one listed above is in Pacific Monarch Hotel). They served different kinds of Musubi and is voted as one of the best Musubi places.

8. Rainbow Drive-In (3308 Kanaina Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815)
They sell plate lunches which consists of BBQ beef, Mahi Mahi, boneless chicken, etc. They also sell a variety of sandwiches.

9. Sweet Home Cafe (2334 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96826)
They serve Taiwanese hot pot which you can choose from a variety of different broths and cook your food in the broth. There are also different dipping sauces that you can dip your food in after it is cooked. At the end of your meal, they serve complimentary shave ice.