Honolulu has recently witnessed an influx of new restaurant openings from January until now. While many of them are Japanese, some include local flavors and even a few more exotic flavors. Here are some of our top recommendations worth trying.
Izakaya 855-ALOHA
This swank new izakaya opened during the summer on the first floor of Romer House Waikiki, a new adults-only hotel in Waikiki. The restaurant is named after the phone number associated with Hawaii’s public pay phones of yesteryear. Much like how phones are a social means for people to connect with each other, the Japanese pub is another. The interior art pays homage to these public phones, as does the drink menu, with cocktails named after familiar song titles and lyrics. The cuisine encourages gathering in groups with many shared plates of karaage fried chicken, okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancakes), poke sampler, and even a customizable DIY hand roll concept, all spotlighting local Hawaiian ingredients. Steel teppan grills sizzling with wagyu are grilled right at the table adding to the drama and entertaining appeal of this restaurant with a bar that is open until midnight a few nights a week.
Izakaya 855-Aloha
415 Nāhua St, Honolulu, HI
5 pm-10 pm, Bar: Mon-Wed-Sun 4 pm-11 pm, Thu-Sat 4 pm-0:00 pm, Happy Hour Thu-Sat 9 pm-0:00 pm
(808)795-8013
https://www.izakaya855aloha.
Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House
Fusing the appeal of an all-you-can-eat concept with the nobility of wagyu beef, Mikiya Wagyu Shabu Shabu House showcases three tiers of menus. The Silver, Gold, and Diamond menus respectively priced at $68, $88, and $98, offer a variety of dishes such as A5 ranked Wagyu beef, Wagyu beef tartare, and amaebi sashimi. In addition to wagyu, Jidori chicken and Kurobuta pork are other tempting proteins. Patrons may select up to two types of soup among the four broths available, with the added customization of seasonings.
Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House
1221 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI
Mon-Thu 11:00-22:00, Fri-Sun 11:00-23:00
(808)509-3176
https://mikiyashabu.com/
Butcher Bar
The restaurant conglomerate Zetton Group that owns Aloha Table, Heavenly, and Zigu recently introduced The Butcher Bar adjacent to Aloha Steak House along Seaside Avenue in Waikiki. Here, dry-aged cuts of beef feature extracted flavors that beg for a glass of red wine. New York striploin is dry-aged for 30 days, resulting in a steak that ignites the primal instincts. Also recommended are the bone marrow with toast, fried burrata with sourdough, and beef-intense bone marrow burgers featuring patties made with ribeye, tenderloin, striploin trim, and bone marrow. Those on a budget will really appreciate the Dusk Dinner, a $60 prix fixe featuring a choice of a petite wedge or petite Caesar salad, rib cap or petite New York strip with mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley, and some Lappert’s ice cream for dessert.
The Butcher Bar
364 Seaside Ave, Honolulu HI
4 pm – 11 pm
https://www.instagram.com/thebutcherbar_waikiki/
MARA
Putting a modern spin on Mediterranean cuisine, this hotspot is located on the first floor of the newly opened Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa. Incorporating fresh local ingredients, the menu playfully integrates a unique blend of Hawaii’s bounty from the sea to the mountains with contemporary Greek, Italian, and Moroccan flavors. Hummus and stracciatella share the page with chermoula marinated prawns, beef kibbeh nayeh, crispy calamari and smelt fritto misto, Kefalograviera cheese saganaki, hand-cut linguine frutti di Mara, fresh fish prepared either Moroccan style, as an acqua pazza, or Greek island style with lemon, olive oil latholemono and herbs, among many other presentations. Throw in creative craft cocktails and an impressive selection of wines and you will be transported to the shores of Southern Europe.
MARA
1390 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI
Breakfast 6:30-11am, Lunch M-F 11am-3pm, Happy Hour 4pm-6pm, Dinner 5pm-10pm, Brunch Sat & Sun 11am-3pm
(808)450-3036
https://www.marahonolulu.com/
Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera
Delivering Michelin-quality Edomae sushi on the convenience of a conveyor belt, Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera on South King Street is the more casual outpost of its luxe Sushi Ginza Onodera found on Kapahulu Avenue, in Tokyo, New York and Los Angeles, the latter three being awarded one Michelin star each. Elevating the sushi neta (toppings) with imported fish and seafood from Japan’s famous fish wholesaler in Toyosu, the prices ranging from $4.50 to $18.00 per piece is surprisingly affordable for this level of quality ingredients. Edomae
Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera
2700 S King St, Honolulu HI
11am – 10pm
Sugar Factory
The popular international chain spotlighting sugary delights, Sugar Factory opened its first restaurant on the fourth floor of Ala Moana Center’s Ho’okipa Terrace. Featuring a full-service restaurant, a café, and a candy store, patrons will satisfy their savory and sweet cravings with dishes such as rainbow sliders, ginger sesame chicken salad, penne Alfredo, wild mushroom flatbreads, birria tacos, along with a large selection of sandwiches, quesadillas, monster burgers, waffles, and other entrees, not to mention an impressive array of milkshakes, sundaes/ice cream desserts, and cakes. This chain and its vibrantly designed interiors have attracted the likes of Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, and Bruno Mars.
Sugar Factory
1450 Ala Moana Blvd, HI
Sun-Thu 3 pm-10 pm, Fri-Sat 3 pm-11 pm
(808) 400-8641
https://www.sugarfactory.com/
Waikiki Shokudo
The sister restaurant to Kaimuki Shokudo, this outpost perched on the second floor of a building on Royal Hawaiian Avenue in Waikiki offers a variety of Japanese izakaya classics, including tako-wasa, edamame, sashimi, charcoal-grilled dishes, hand-rolled sushi, teppan dishes such as hormone and yakisoba, and rice dishes such as beef curry, washu beef bowl, and bara chirashi-don (rice bowl with rice). Plus, with a nice happy hour program, this is a spot worth checking out.
Waikiki Shokudo
355 Royal Hawaiian Ave. Honolulu HI
Open Daily: 5pm-1am
Happy Hour: 5pm-6:30pm & 10:30pm-1am
(808) 425-4061
https://www.instagram.com/waikikishokudo/
Ribs & Broth
Lots !
Specializing in Vietnamese pho, this eatery opened in Stix Asia, an Asian-inspired food hall located in the lower level of the Waikiki Shopping Plaza. Found inside of a section called Noodle Street, Ribs & Broth’s signature dish is the Double Beef Short Rib Pho, which contains a large bone-in short rib wading in the delicate spiced broth. Other recommended menu items include the banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich made with French bread, along with the papaya salad and spring rolls.
Ribs & Broth >> Get a special offer!
2250 Kalākaua Ave. Honolulu HI
11am – 10pm
(808)744-2445
San Paolo Pizza and Wine
Lined up next to the Prince Waikiki on Ala Moana Boulevard is San Paolo Pizza and Wine, a restaurant that fuses Italian pizza with Brazilian influences. Combining the seemingly divergent cultures of flavor, this pizzeria offers familiar pizzas such as the Margherita and Quattro Formaggi (four cheeses), but also presents some exotic twists such as the Brazilian Formaggi incorporating Brazilian cheeses. A selection of appetizers whet the appetite, and among them is the Coxinha, crispy croquettes filled with chicken and the soft, mild-tasting cheese, catupiry. Save room for the dessert pizzas with alluring options such as the banana & cinnamon, chocolate & strawberry, and pistachio.
San Paolo Pizza and Wine
1765 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu HI
Wed-Sun 5pm-10pm
(808)425-5396
https://sanpaolopizzeria.com/
Sushi Gyoshin
This restaurant which opened in February of this year may be among the most difficult to secure a reservation. With seats in 2024 already booked, sushi aficionados may only hope to snag a spot at this eight seat counter along Piikoi Street. Featuring a 15-course omakase consisting of appetizers, sashimi, a grilled dish, sushi and miso soup for just $150, Chef Hiroshi Tsuji infuses innovative approaches into each bite, drawing from his background growing up in Ishikawa Japan and his 21 years of culinary experience working in Japanese kitchens that produced some of the world’s finest kaiseki and sushi. The fish and seafood served are mostly flown in from Toyosu, with some sourced from California, Washington, and Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. Each exquisite morsel is presented on ceramic plates imported from Ishikawa Prefecture, the chef’s hometown.
Sushi Gyoshin
436 Piikoi Street, Honolulu HI
Monday-Saturday 5 pm – 10 pm (Seating hours: 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm and 7:45 pm – 8:15 pm)
(808) 853-7097
https://www.sushigyoshin.com/
Tanaka Kahuku Shrimp
This garlic shrimp hotspot is easily found on the North Shore. Simply seek out an eye-catching blue building and you will discover Tanaka Kahuku Shrimp, which opened in October 2023. With lines out the door any time of the day, the restaurant was designated to be one of the “Top 5 Best Lunch Places to Eat in the U.S.” and has been featured in numerous television shows, magazines, and more. Located near the old Fumi’s Kahuku Shrimp, this eatery shares that the secret to its unique garlic shrimp flavor is rooted in its homemade sauces–the garlic butter and spicy version–all prepared fresh daily. The plates are affordably priced at $18, and if the spicy sauce is too much to bear, you can soothe your tongue with some Dole Plantation’s pineapple soft serve for dessert.
Tanaka Kahuku Shrimp >> Get a special offer!
56-931 Kamehameha Hwy., Kahuku
10am-6:30pm
(808) 691-9777
Is there a restaurant that opened this year or late last year that you love and feel we missed? Let us know and we will check it out!
