Honolulu Weekly

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American

Bob’s B-B-Q

– Kawehi Haug (6/6/07)

The prices here are easy on the pocketbook–you can order a burger and fries for under $6 and walk away full. But cheap fare aside, the food that comes out of the walk-up kitchen is stick-to-your-ribs good. The portions are big, the food is fresh and there’s something for everyone. Bob’s will even give you a breakfast better than most restaurants in town. Don’t visit Bob’s for ambience–eat here because you like good food with a semi-Southern flair. Eat here because you’re hungry.

1366 Dillingham Blvd. (842-3663) Daily 6am–10pm. Entrees: $2.50–$13.25. MC, V.

Downtown

- K.H. (8/8/07)

The bright and spare cafeteria-like eatery on the ground floor of the Hawai’i State Art Museum is the most necessary addition to the downtown lunchscape. It promises fresh, locally grown, no-frills fare; and it delivers. Quiches, antipasti and panini are the building blocks for ultra-fresh plate lunches that come served to go in earth friendly take-out containers that are guaranteed to break down naturally within 80 days. Talk about guilt-free eating–not only are you satisfying your hunger with bright orange-carrot hummus, you’re supporting a movement to save the Earth. Who knew you were so aware?

Hawai’i State Art Museum, 250 S. Hotel St. (536-5900) Mon.–Sat. 11am–2pm. Entrees: $9.50–$14.95. AmEx, Disc, MC, V.

Duc’s Bistro

– K.H. (10/3/07)

The little restaurant on Maunakea Street is as unassuming as it is surprising. Duc himself is the gracious host that greets and seats you. Start with the Kobe beef tartar, a tender mound of pink beef minced with lemon, onions and capers and served with toast and a trio of condiments–diced tomatoes, onions and capers–to spoon onto the build-it-yourself open-faced triangles. The throwback to the simple French preparation is a welcome deviation from the over-the-top treatment we’re used to giving seafood. Classicism is the common thread for the remainder of the menu, where French and Vietnamese dishes co-exist, but don’t commingle. The Vietnamese dishes are clean, fresh and fragrant. The French dishes are hearty and rich, like the seafood Feuillete Joinville, a decadent blend of prawns, scallops and morels tossed in a crawfish sauce and served in a flaky puff pastry.

1188 Maunakea St. (531-6325) Mon.–Sat. 5pm–10pm. Entrees: $20–$32.95. AmEx, MC, V.

‘Elua Restaurant and Wine Bar

– K.H. (8/15/07)

‘Elua, the Hawaiian word for “two,” is the theme of the culinary collaboration between Donato Loperfido and Philippe Padovani. The two opt for a dual menu in which one part –the part with the French-inspired dishes–belongs to Padovani and the other to Donato, where his Italian heritage is splashed all over the page. Here, the experience is in eating as much as it is in the food itself, which means that you should allow a few hours for a meal. The servers don’t rush the courses–they want you to sit, sip and eat. Slowly. All the comfort and familiarity of gasthaus food, with the delicacy of a French gourmet.

1341 Kapi’olani Blvd., (955-ELUA) Lunch Mon.–Fri. 11:30am–2pm, Dinner Daily 6pm–10pm. Entrees: $12–$38. AmEx, Disc, MC, V.

Food for Thought

– Carlie Singh (4/2/08)>

For the owners and patrons of Food for Thought, being “green” means more than just organic, local ingredients–it also means handmade, homemade and slow-made. Along with delicious food, this wagon offers 100 percent biodegradable and compostable packaging, made from renewable resources such as corn, potato and sugarcane. The falafel pita wrap is especially satisfying–light and crispy on the outside, steamy and savory on the inside. The Ho Farms cherry tomatoes make several dishes pop with juicy joy and as one patron says, “these sprouts are so good, they make me want to laugh.”

66–472 Kamehameha Hwy., (780-7928) Mon.–Sat. 11am–6pm.

Hank’s Haute Dogs

– K.H. (8/22/07)

We’re talking good, solid, all-beef franks that are no more harmful than your hoity-toity slices of say, mortadella. The menu is all hot dogs, with a few sides like French fries (bistro-thin and twice-cooked to perfection) and onion rings, made with sweet Maui onions. His classic dog (the Chicago) anchors the menu, and is made with Vienna brand all-beef franks. Gourmet dogs run the gamut from meat-on-meat to no meat at all (”No Dog,” an all-veggie sandwich).

324 Coral Ave., (532-4265) Mon.–Fri. 10am–5pm, Sat & Sun. 11am–5pm. Cash only.

Ige’s 19th Puka Restaurant & Tavern

– Walter Rhee (4/30/08)

Although the tavern has a honky-tonk feel with live bands belting out tunes and line dancing diners, the family dining area is filled with all ages and groups. The dinner menu offers four different daily entrees with the choice of two sides. In particular, the saimin deluxe has a taste to die for. The 1940s original broth is taste-fortified with different flavors of pork, kamaboko, mustard greens, and shredded cabbage topped with green onions. Good food, good music and a very friendly staff with good service–it’s the place to and relax in the ‘ohana spirit.

98–761 ‘Oihana St., (486-3500) Mon, Wed & Thu 3pm–10pm, Tue 3pm –9pm, Fri 3pm–11:30pm, Sat 3pm–11pm. Entrees: $8.49-$14. AmEx, MC, V.

Kiawe Kitchen

– Leanne Trapedo Sims (7/13/08)

Kiawe Kitchen’s menu morphs daily, with Executive Chef Jonah Van Gieson’s signature infusion of improvisational wizardry and experimentation concluding in the gustatory experience of your life. Van Gieson seeks to take Kiawe Kitchen to a “greener” place, as he works intimately with local vendors and the farming community. For fish lovers, the uku, or gray snapper, has resulted in a new special: steamed uku in the Kitchen’s wood-fired oven seared with shallots and leeks, truffle oil, almond basmati rice and spicy macadamia nuts. As Van Gieson says, “It’s a keeper.”

19-4005 Haunani Road, Volcano Village, Big Island (967-7711)

Molly’s Smokehouse

– Walter Rhee (7/9/08)

Molly’s meets all the criteria of good Southern barbecue: well-marinated, rich brown coloring, meat falling off the bones and a superb balance of flavors. A standout among the barbeque is Molly’s Southern Fried Catfish; fried in traditional cornmeal batter, the catfish hits home on taste, consistency and has that soul-searching crunch only a homesick Southerner can fully appreciate. Molly’s is a rare find of Southern flavor in Wahiawa–it may be a drive from downtown Honolulu, but this place will feed your stomach and your soul.

23 S. Kamehameha Hwy. (621-4858). Daily, 11am–2pm, 4pm–9pm. Entree: From $10–$16.95.

Tio’s Garage & Taco Station

–Ryan Senaga (1/30/08)

Tio’s offers New-Mex cuisine with amazing spicy salsa–the kind of salsa that you shovel in your mouth and ask for a third basket of chips ordering your meal and being completely full by the time the entrees show up. The appetizers shine with flash fried calamari and the chile con queso. Dominated by reds and yellows, the room is airy, pleasant and fun, especially with the bushels of peppers on the walls and the Latin music pumping through the system. If you’re looking for a relaxing place to waste away an afternoon, Tio’s is the place to be.

404 Ward Ave. (596-8359). Mon.–Thurs. 11am–10pm, Fri.–Sat. 11am–11pm, Sun. 4pm–10pm. Entree: From $8.75–$10.50.

Filipino

Marilou’s Restaurant & Catering

–Walter Rhee (3/5/08)

The allure of traditional Filipino cooking lies in the braising of meats slow-cooked for several hours to release the flavors. Each lunch/dinner combo comes with 4 items of your choice–pinapaitan, pinakbet (a soup with long green beans, few pieces of lechon-crispy fried pork, bitter melon, eggplant and tomatoes), dinguanan, pork guisantes, pork adobo, mungo beans or pork menudo. All items on the combo plates are savory. Banana lumpia and halo halo for dessert. Marilou’s is the place to go for a real comforting home-cooked Filipino meal.

70 Kukui St. (621-1196). Mon.–Sat. 9am–9pm. Sun. 9am–3pm, Entree: From $7.35-$9.50.

Japanese & Okinawan

Chiba-ken

– Rachel Brown (5/21/08)

Chiba-ken is a quiet garden in Dante’s dark wood of outer Waikiki, just over the bridge and the crawling Ala Wai canal. Their outdoor seating even includes a proper lava rock wall to shield you from the sidewalk traffic and really makes you feel like you’re in Hawai’i. While they offer Western-style drinks, the true star is the sake. They have over a dozen selections ranging from very sweet to very dry. And the sushi? Chiba-ken makes it as it’s supposed to be made: perfectly bite-sized with just a tiny mouthful of rice under a slice of fish you don’t have to gnaw in half. Reasonably priced delicious sushi in a great location with a spectacularly helpful staff, Chiba-ken promises a perfect evening before you can say “banzai!”

468 ‘Ena Rd., (941-2800). Sun.-Thu. 5:30pm–11:30pm, Fri.–Sat. 5:30pm–1:30am. Entrees: $8.50–$17.50. AmEx, MC, V.

Miyo’s

– Leanne Trapedo Sims (7/23/08)

The biggest attraction of Miyo’s is Miyo herself. A woman who is distinctly Japanese and non-Japanese–is what defines Miyo. With top-quality food and a harmonious buzz from the customers hanging out on the stairs or “living room,” as Miyo likes to call her home-style restaurant, Miyo’s has become more than just a restaurant. Although the signature of Miyo’s culinary odyssey is her open-air kitchen, the truly essential ingredient is aloha.

400 Hualani St., Ste. 19A, Hilo (935-2273).

Rokkaku

– Eugenie Goodman (1/23/08)

Rokkaku offers an extensive menu with plenty of seasonal specials and is a great place to try the unusual. With the tastefully minimalist setting and handmade serving pieces it is easy to believe that you are in an elegant Tokyo bistro. For those who appreciate the Japanese concept of exquisite morsels savored slowly, Rokkaku is the perfect dining out excursion. Their signature dish is kamameshi, rice cooked in a ceramic pot with a choice of goodies, such as unagi, ikura and shiso. The grilled dishes or sumiyaki are another of the menu’s featured attraction. All dishes are suitable for sharing and savoring.

Ala Moana Center #2056, (946-3355), Daily 11:30am–1:30pm, 5:30am–9pm. Entree: From $12–$38. AmEx, DC, Disc, JCB, MC, V.

Yohei Sushi Restaurant

– Walter Rhee (3/26/08)

The food at Yohei Sushi exceeds expectations. Tamago sushi, the traditional litmus test to check out the cooking skills of the chef and/or his recipe was superb, definitely an in-house production by an experienced hand. The Shokado, the most expensive item on the prix fix dinner other than the market price sushi combo, is a colorful assortment of more than 11 dishes on a large laquer tray. For true traditional Japanese dining, you don’t need to go to Japan. The delightful mini-dishes range from kazunoko and ikura in a bonita broth transitioning to mini-sashimi platter of tuna, tuna tataki, hamachi and flounder. The word to describe the food at Yohei’s is “Whoa!”

1111 Dillingham Blvd. #E1A .(841-3773). Mon.–Sat. 11am–1:45pm, 5–10pm. Entrees: $5–$28.