Food & Dining
Hawai‘i Cuisine: Food, Flavors, and Local Favorites
Exploring all your favorite Island dining, from cheap eats to high-end. Craving omakase? We’ve got you covered. Shave ice? Sure thing! Loco moco? Like we’d forget! We’ve got heaping bowls of poke, and acai. You’ll find pau hana deals, foodie cocktails and delicious mocktails. Of course, none of that would be possible without the chefs, bakers, and mixologists you’ll meet here. We also take you to the Hawai‘i farms that fuel our farm-to-table movement.
News
The Lei Stand is featuring $8 cocktails
The bar, located within Romer House Waikīkī, recently started this cocktail discount during weeknights. Customers can take advantage of discounted signature cocktails — including the popular Clifton’s Curse and Wow Lau Lau — along with $5 beers and wines by the glass. Dishes on the food menu — including hurricane fries and chicken karaage — are also 50% off.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 11, 2026
Veterans Day celebrations, 'Moana 2,' and more: what to do on Oʻahu this weekend
From cheering at a football game with a Military Night theme to visiting the special exhibit “I Am An American: The Nisei Soldier Experience" at the Capitol Modern, there are lots of ways to celebrate Veterans Day. This weekend also marks an album release concert for “50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina,” which celebrates five decades of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana. Looking for a movie? Catch a free screening of "Moana 2" in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.
Katie HellandNovember 10, 2026
The Matcha Social is a new kiosk in Pearlridge Center
The business, located in Pearlridge Center Wai Makai, celebrated its grand opening this past weekend. Owner Tamara Chandara — who also runs Saap Saap Hawaiʻi, a Lao fusion food business — says the new space combines her love of matcha and her desire to create a welcoming space for the community.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 10, 2026
Soup dumpling spot Sijie Special Noodle opens in Honolulu
The restaurant, known for its premium handmade noodles and dumplings, just opened on Kamakee Street. Customers can look forward to soup dumplings with a variety of fillings — including pork, shrimp, premium beef brisket and more — steamed dumplings, chef specials and noodle soups.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 09, 2026
Lam’s Kitchen is now open for dinner
The family-owned and -operated noodle shop, located in Honolulu’s Chinatown, recently extended its hours; the biz is now open nightly for dinner. Lam’s Kitchen is known for its beef flank and tendon look funn, along with won ton mein, beef chow funn and look funn rolls.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 09, 2026
Yame Matcha House is opening in Kakaʻako
The business, known for its matcha from Fukuoka, Japan, is opening its first cafe in Kakaʻako. The biz has a trailer that pops up at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa from Mondays to Fridays; its Kakaʻako cafe grand opening is Nov. 7.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 07, 2026
Muʻumuʻu Maui features Italian and Mediterranean cuisine in a casual setting
Described as an Italian trattoria in the heart of Kāʻanapali, Muʻumuʻu Maui is coming up on its one-year anniversary. The eatery is known for its Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, according to executive chef Paul Maloney, who says its name reflects its casual, welcoming atmosphere.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 07, 2026
Buns Gone Wong is a new smash burger pop-up on Oʻahu
Buns Gone Wong popped up at Davy’s Evolution, a bar in Waikīkī, during football season last year. Its smash burgers became a hit — so much so that owner Brian Wong decided to take his business to the next level. Buns Gone Wong now pops up Thursdays to Sundays at Paradise Ciders, and its $7 OG smash burger continues to be a crowd favorite.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 06, 2026
Plumeria Beach House has a new Sunday brunch buffet
The Kāhala Hotel & Resort’s Sunday brunch buffet moved from upstairs (in the former Hoku’s Kāhala) to the resort’s Plumeria Beach House downstairs. Brunch is every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; kamaʻāina can take advantage of a 20% discount until Nov. 25.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 05, 2026
Where to go for Thanksgiving 2026 – part 2
Whether you want to celebrate with a buffet or a cozy meal at home, we’ve got your Thanksgiving plans covered.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 04, 2026
The Collective Cafe has coffee and matcha on tap
The new cafe, located in Kalihi, just celebrated its grand opening. It’s inspired by a New York City-based cafe and offers Vietnamese coffee and matcha on tap. Choose from strawberry matcha lattes, black sesame lattes and more.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 04, 2026
4th annual Kimchi Day Festival Hawaiʻi is coming Nov. 14
The event will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Makiki District Park; it’s open to the public and free to attend. Attendees can look forward to live music, cultural performances, a kimchi-making demonstration and K-Pop dance contest.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 04, 2026
Queen’s Deli Market now offers sandwiches
The Kakaʻako convenience store recently launched a new sandwich menu. Choose from a variety of six-inch and footlong sandwiches, available in flavors like Queen club, Italian, pastrami with Swiss cheese, and more. Additional sandwiches — including chicken parm and roast beef cheesesteaks — will be added soon to the menu.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 03, 2026
Girl Dinner returns to Honolulu for the holidays
Earlier this year, The Dotted Line launched an elevated dining concept called Girl Dinner, in line with the social media trend. The downtown Honolulu restaurant brought back Girl Dinner 2.0 for the holidays; this version is designed to share among two to four people, and includes festive desserts like peppermint bark.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 03, 2026
Serg’s Mexican Kitchen just opened in Kalihi
The business, which has been open in Mānoa for about 17 years, just opened its third location in Kalihi. The biz celebrated its grand opening yesterday; the menu is the same at all three locations, according to chef Sergio Arellano, who says the eatery’s enchiladas, birria tacos and chimichangas are especially popular.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaNovember 02, 2026
Kapa Hale chef creates dishes for Hawaiian Airlines First Class flights
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines recently announced chef Keaka Lee of Kahala-based Kapa Hale will design select Hawaiian Airlines domestic First Class flights menus. Lee says that a loco moco and braised beef with roasted ‘ulu (breadfruit) will be featured on outbound domestic First Class flights from Hawaiʻi. He emphasizes the importance of supporting local at Kapa Hale, and explains how that translates to meals at 30,000 feet in the air.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaOctober 30, 2026
Budget Bites: $9.99 chicken tenders plates at Don Don Donki
Don Don Donki, located in Kapolei, is launching its $9.99 plates on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Customers can get $9.99 chicken tenders plates starting at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays for all of November — including the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaOctober 30, 2026
These Hawai‘i coffee subscriptions, shops are among the 10 best in the U.S.
The USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards aim to rank the 10 best in several areas of travel, lifestyle and other categories. See where these Hawai‘i businesses landed.
Stephanie SalmonsOctober 29, 2026
Hula Girls Sourdough Stand is open monthly in Hauʻula
The stand — which specializes in sourdough and desserts — is usually open on the first Sunday of the month in Hauʻula. Customers can look forward to fresh sourdough loaves, cookies, mini banana breads and iced coffees, according to business owner Michelle Ellis, who explains that the stand began as a summer homeschool project with her daughters, and quickly turned into something more.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaOctober 29, 2026
This solo dining restaurant now serves Japanese breakfast
Katsu Zen, the only solo dining restaurant in Hawaiʻi, just launched a new breakfast menu. Its Japanese breakfast — served from 8 to 10:30 a.m. — features broiled fish, salmon dashi chazuke, and soup sets, which usually come with rice, choice of soup, pickles, a side dish and a rolled egg.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaOctober 29, 2026
Where to go for Thanksgiving 2026 – part 1
Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday, Nov. 26. Whether you’re dining out or looking for an at-home feast, check out the following options:
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaOctober 28, 2026
Makawao Public House has a new happy hour
Located in Upcountry Maui, the eatery recently launched a daily happy hour menu. The menu features plates priced at $8, $10 and $12; choose from hurricane fries, tofu katsu, rib-eye sliders and single smashburgers.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaOctober 28, 2026
Gotcha Matcha offers matcha lattes with cookie lids
The matcha trailer, which opened in early September, is located in Duke’s Lane in Waikīkī. The biz serves matcha and espresso lattes, and offers drinks with edible cookie lids on the weekends.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaOctober 27, 2026
Preview of Stillwell’s Bakery & Cafe’s second location
Stillwell’s Bakery & Cafe, which has been located in Wailuku for more than 30 years, is opening its second location soon. The second store will be inside the Central Pacific Bank building in Kahului. It’s scheduled to open around mid-November, and will offer the bakery’s bestselling treats, along with exclusive menu items. Aloha State Daily got a preview of the new space during a recent trip to Maui.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaOctober 26, 2026