Alan Wong's Restaurant
Alan Wong is one of the most well-known chefs in Honolulu, and his restaurant on South King Street is a very popular, slightly upscale place to eat. It is an especially fun and authentic place because they use local ingredients and cook in a contemporary local style. There are usually some vegetarian options, but the menu also includes lots of local fish and other kinds of meat. According to the restaurant's website, they have nightly five-course and seven-course menu tastings. Menu options and prices change depending on which local ingredients are in season, and as chef Alan Wong comes up with new ideas. The restaurant opens daily at 5 p.m. for dinner.
Alan Wong's Restaurant
1857 S. King St.
Honolulu, HI, 96826
(808) 949-2426
alanwongs.com
Chef Mavro
Chef Mavro is an upscale restaurant which was started by chef George Mavrothalassitis. The chef and the restaurant have won awards such as the prestigious James Beard Foundation award as the Best Chef in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest, and it is the only Hawaiian restaurant named by the Gayot restaurant critics in their Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. 2008 to 2009.
This is a good place for wine-lovers to dine, because every dish is paired with an appropriate wine. In fact, wine pairings are one of the restaurant's specialties. The cuisine is inspired by life in Hawaii and cooked with many local ingredients, so it is a good place for visitors who want a local experience. There are always vegetarian options at the restaurant. Menu items vary, but typical items include exotic salads, several meat entrees and a couple desert choices that incorporate local fruit. Prices vary, but as of 2009 a three-course dinner starts at $69, making it a somewhat pricey choice.
Chef Mavro
1969 S. King St.
Honolulu, HI, 96826
(808) 944-4714
chefmavro.com
I-Naba
I-Naba (also sometimes spelled Inaba) is a casual Japanese Restaurant on South King Street in Honolulu. According to their website, they serve lunch and dinner and specialize in tempura (battered and fried vegetables or seafood) and soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles). The restaurant is relatively inexpensive, with prices in 2009 ranging from around $10 to $20 for dinner entrees.
I-Naba
1610 S.King St.
Honolulu HI 96826
(808) 953-2070
inabahonolulu.com
L & L Hawaiian Barbecue
L & L is a very popular, inexpensive and quick local franchise. Many locals eat at the restaurant regularly, and it is a good place for tourists to visit to get a local experience. The L & L website describes Hawaiian barbecue as a fusion of Asian, Hawaiian and American foods. The restaurant is most famous for its plate lunches, which have large portions and include an entree (usually some type of barbecued meat) and two side dishes (usually macaroni salad and rice). They also serve varieties of seafood, fried meats (like chicken katsu), noodles, spam musubi (a local food with spam and rice wrapped in seaweed), sandwiches and burgers.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
2320 S. King St.
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 951-8333
hawaiianbarbecue.com
