Honolulu's food scene extends far beyond resort restaurants and tourist luaus. Here is where to eat like a local, from Chinatown ramen to fine dining at Halekulani.
Plate lunch is the foundation of Hawaii's food identity and the best introduction to local eating culture. The format is simple and immovable: two scoops of white rice, a scoop of macaroni salad, and a protein, kalua pork, chicken katsu, beef teriyaki, or loco moco (a hamburger patty over rice with a fried egg and brown gravy). It is the working lunch of Hawaii, served from small restaurants and lunch wagons across the island, and it costs $10–$14 for a generous portion. The best plate lunch spots are in Kaimuki and around Chinatown; the resort restaurants in Waikiki rarely do it justice. Zippy's, a local chain, is the most reliable option for a quick and authentic plate lunch anywhere on the island. Poke (cubed raw fish seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, green onion, and sea salt) is Hawaii's most exported food, but the version served in Honolulu bears little resemblance to the poke bowl trend that has swept the mainland. The real thing is sold by the pound at fish counters in grocery stores: Foodland and Don Quijote both have excellent poke counters with dozens of varieties, and the quality is exceptional because the fish is genuinely fresh. Ono Seafood in Kaimuki is the most celebrated dedicated poke shop on the island, a tiny counter with a short menu and a line that forms before opening. The ahi shoyu poke is the standard against which everything else is measured. Shave ice is Hawaii's answer to the snow cone, and the difference is significant: the ice is shaved to a fine, powdery consistency that absorbs the flavored syrup rather than letting it pool at the bottom. Matsumoto's Shave Ice in Haleiwa on the North Shore is the most famous shave ice shop in Hawaii, with a line that stretches down the block on weekends. In Honolulu, Waiola Shave Ice in Moiliili is the local favorite; a no-frills shop that has been serving the neighborhood since 1940. Order with azuki beans at the bottom and a scoop of vanilla ice cream inside the ice; add li hing mui powder (a salty-sweet dried plum seasoning) if you want the full local experience. Honolulu's Chinatown is the most interesting food neighborhood on the island; a compact grid of streets that contains Vietnamese restaurants, ramen shops, izakayas, cocktail bars, and produce markets within a few blocks. Livestock Tavern on Hotel Street is the most acclaimed restaurant in the neighborhood, a farm-to-table gastropub with an excellent cocktail program and a menu that changes with local availability. Lucky Belly, a few doors down, serves the best ramen in Honolulu; a rich, porky broth with house-made noodles and toppings that reflect the kitchen's Japanese and local influences. The Saturday KCC Farmers Market at Kapiolani Community College, a 10-minute drive from Chinatown, is the best farmers market in Hawaii and worth organizing a Saturday morning around. Fine dining in Waikiki reaches its apex at two very different restaurants. La Mer at Halekulani is the most formally elegant restaurant in Hawaii, a Relais & Châteaux property with a dress code, a wine list of exceptional depth, and a kitchen that applies classical French technique to the finest Hawaiian ingredients. The tasting menu is the way to experience it fully. MW Restaurant, opened by husband-and-wife team Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka, is the most celebrated contemporary Hawaiian restaurant; a more relaxed setting than La Mer but equally serious about ingredients, with a menu that draws on the full range of Hawaii's multicultural food heritage. Kaimuki is the neighborhood that Honolulu food obsessives call home, a residential area in the hills above Waikiki with a concentration of independent restaurants that rivals any neighborhood in the city. 12th Ave Grill has been the anchor of the neighborhood's restaurant scene for years, a comfortable American bistro with a strong local following. Mud Hen Water, opened by chef Ed Kenney, is the most interesting restaurant in the neighborhood; a menu built entirely around Hawaiian ingredients and food traditions, with dishes that reference the islands' Polynesian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Portuguese heritage. The farm-to-table approach here is not a marketing claim but a genuine commitment to Oahu's agricultural producers. Breakfast and brunch culture in Honolulu is serious. Café Kaila in Market City Shopping Center is the most popular breakfast spot on the island, a small, cheerful restaurant with a menu of creative egg dishes and French toast that draws lines on weekend mornings. Eggs 'n Things in Waikiki is the tourist-friendly option, with a menu of pancakes, waffles, and omelets that has been feeding visitors since 1974; the lines are long but the food is reliable. For a more local breakfast experience, the plate lunch shops open early and serve breakfast plates (eggs, rice, and spam or Portuguese sausage) that are the authentic morning meal of Hawaii. The North Shore food truck scene is one of the great casual eating experiences in Hawaii. Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, parked on Kamehameha Highway near Kahuku, is the most famous; a battered white truck that has been serving garlic shrimp plates since 1993, with the walls covered in signatures from visitors from around the world. The shrimp are farmed locally in the aquaculture operations along the highway, and the scampi-style preparation (butter, garlic, white wine) is simple and excellent. Several competing shrimp trucks have set up nearby, and the quality is generally high across all of them. Matsumoto's Shave Ice in Haleiwa is the essential dessert stop on any North Shore food tour. Practical notes for eating in Honolulu: reservations are essential for La Mer, MW Restaurant, Livestock Tavern, and Mud Hen Water; book at least two weeks ahead, more for weekend dinners. Many of the best spots in Chinatown and the food trucks are cash-only; carry small bills. Parking in Chinatown is challenging; the municipal lots on Smith Street are the most reliable option. The best value eating on the island is consistently found outside Waikiki; the resort corridor charges a premium for food that is rarely as good as what you will find in Kaimuki, Chinatown, or on the North Shore.
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