Honolulu Weekly

Baci Bistro

30 Aulike St., Kailua (262-7555). Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm, 5:30-10pm; Sat, Sun 5:30-10pm. Appetizers: $3.95-$9.50. EntrÈes: $10.95-$23. AmEx, MC, V.

Kailua residents keep this neighborhood restaurant bustling. Rustic, home-style food such as pungent puttanesca are on the all-over-Italy menu.

Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas

Restaurant Row, 500 Ala Moana Blvd. at South St. (533-4476). Nightly 5:30-9:30pm. Dishes: $6.75-$21.95.
AmEx, MC, V.

Hiroshi could pitch a tent in Mapunapuna and his fans would come. Not a tapas restaurant at all, Hiroshi is where the chef continues his seamless melding of global flavors, with a heavy Japanese accent, of course. You can eat tapas style, ordering an assortment of small plates (recommended) or you can go the usual starter-entrÈe-dessert route too. There are no false moves on the menu–kampachi carpaccio, braised veal cheeks, salmon chazuke–it’s all good.

Islands Fine Burgers and Drinks

1450 Ala Moana Blvd. (943-6670). Sun-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm. EntrÈes: $7.50-$12. AmEx, DC, MC, V.

Oversized burgers, soft tacos and affordable, kitschy tiki drinks–a fail-safe formula for drawing hungry Ala Moana shoppers and tourists. The burgers don’t come with fries, but they do come large and loaded with a range of toppings from teriyaki sauce and bleu cheese dressing to sautÈed mushrooms. The fieriest of the bunch? The Kilauea burger, crusted with jalapeno and pepper and smothered in Monterey Jack cheese with a chipotle-garlic-mayo sauce.

Happy Day Restaurant

3553 Wai’alae Ave. at 11th Ave. (738-8666). Daily 8:30am-10:30pm. Dim sum: $2.30 per plate.
AmEx, Disc, MC, V.

If you miss Chinatown’s Sea Fortune, its homey incarnation is Happy Day in Kaimuki. Servers greet customers like old friends. The place is great for big family dinners (Peking duck is tops), but it also has good dim sum. The turnip cake can’t be beat. The cooks turn coarse, bland daikon into delicately crusted creamy, savory-sweet squares. Insider’s tip: You have to order them from the kitchen.

Mac 24-7

Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel, 2500 Kuhio Ave. (921-5564). Open 24 hours. Large plates $12-$28. AmEx, Disc, DC, JCB, MC, V.

The mod setting of this dressed-up 24-hour bar/diner leaves those in Vinylville far behind. Satisfy wee hour cravings with updated comfort classics gone luxe: lobster pot pie, loco moco with Hamakua mushroom gravy and heirloom tomato soup with grilled white cheddar sandwich. Start your night with a drink from the full bar, or end it with an order of signature Mac Daddy pancakes: As big as hubcaps, they’re enough for four people and the pinnacle of late night gluttony.

Maria Bonita

15 N. Hotel St. between Smith and Nu’uanu Sts. (536-6185). Mon-Sat 11am-8pm. Plates: $7-$10. Cash only.

Diego Gallardo, who ran the popular Waimanalo lunch wagon Maria Bonita, has parked on Hotel Street. Serving the same standard gringofied Mexican fare–enchiladas, burritos–the new cafe is a welcome addition in an area where you can’t swing a rice noodle without hitting a Vietnamese restaurant. You can’t go wrong with soft tacos stuffed with moist, tasty carnitas.

Maui Mike’s Fire-Roasted Chicken

96 S. Kamehameha Hwy., Wahiawa, across from McDonald’s (622-5900, [mauimikes.com]). Mon-Sat 11am-8:30pm. Combo deals: $5.49-$6.79. Whole chicken: $9.95. MC, V.

Launched by North Shore guys Mike Royce and Jairus Cannon, Maui Mike’s Fire-Roasted Chicken is a fast-food joint serving slow-cooked meals. The additive-free birds (flown in weekly from Texas) turn in a rotisserie, the juices dripping into the gas-fueled fire. The result is nicely seasoned supermoist meat that doesn’t need one of the six dipping sauces you can choose from. Sandwiches and sides like fries and baked beans are also on the menu.

Osake Sushi Bar and Sake Lounge

1700 Kapiolani Blvd. (944-4848). Wed-Mon 5pm-2am. Dinner service until 1am. Sushi rolls: $12-18. AmEx, Disc, JCB, MC, V.

Service your lips or your hips: Without traditional dining tables, this club for young sophisticates is not the most conventional place to eat, but that isn’t to say they don’t serve quality sushi and excellent sashimi. They do. Sushi rolls like the Candy Cane Roll, a serviceable California roll topped with red ahi and white ika, are inventive, and the uni is first-rate.

Ono Pono

University of Hawai’i at Manoa Sustainability Courtyard (no phone). Mon-Fri 7:30am-2pm. Full plate: $6.50. Cash and local checks only.

UH’s lunch kiosk uses organic, locally grown ingredients and the price is righteous, too. The menu hinges on the farmers’ bounty; black-bean marinara pasta and miso-mushroom sauce over mashed potatoes are hearty faves. Does it taste good? Ask the fans waiting in line.

Phuket Thai

McCully Shopping Center, 1950 Kapiolani Blvd. at McCully St., ground floor (942-8194). Daily 11am-10:30pm. Dishes: $3.75-$12.95. AmEx, DC, Disc, JCB, MC, V.

In a city blessed with dozens of Thai restaurants, Phuket Thai is one of the unheralded best. Noodle and curry dishes delight with an artful balance of savory and spice, but it’s the touch of sweetness in unexpected places (try the paht ki mao) that really sets this cozy eatery apart. The stuffed chicken wings are also a must.

Spada

First Hawaiian Bank Center, street level, 999 Bishop St., entrance at Alakea and King Sts. (538-3332). Mon 11am-2:30pm; Tue-Fri 11am-4pm, 5pm-9pm. Tapas: $3-$9.95. EntrÈes: $5.95-$26.95. AmEx, Disc, MC, V.

While popular for lunch, this downtown Italian spot is just what you didn’t know you wanted for mellow after-work reverie. Kick off your merriment with a happy hour caipirinha or martini and an order of Thiago’s special dip with housemade bread. Tapas are just $6 from 5-7pm. Save room for zabaglione with mango sorbetto, an exclamation point of fruit and cream.