oahu - honolulu: mana bu's

tommy stuffs himself with even more musubi at mana bu's...

tommy says: the best musubi!!  the rice is excellent.  the location is not quite as convenient to most of the waikiki hotels, but it is worth the effort!  get there early for the best selection, they sell out of popular varieties.

mana bu's
1618 s king st 
honolulu, hi 96826
(808) 358-0287
http://hawaiimusubi.com/

oahu - honolulu: helena's hawaiian food

tommy feels at home at helena's hawaiian food...

menu b: pipikaula short ribs, kalua pig,  haupia, onions, salt

tommy says: great place to try some local fare.  loved the kalua pig with onions and salt.  this is a fantastic version of pipkaula (a spin off of kalbi) as well - the meat is slightly dried, but not so much so that it is jerky; it still has a good texture to it. haupia is bit on the stiffer side texturally, and maybe a tad too coconuty, but not bad. helena's is a must visit!

helena's hawaiian food
240 n school st 
honolulu, hi 96817
(808) 845-8044
http://helenashawaiianfood.com/

oahu: zippy's

tommy goes to zippy's...

korean fried chicken, chili

tommy says:  people hype up zippy's chili as if it flowed from a magical volcano, but the fact is, it is just decent chili.  sacrilege? i'm fine with the chili gods smiting me for saying so, but really, it is not particularly special.  the korean fried chicken on the other hand was surprisingly pretty good - good crisp and a sweet sauce. maybe it benefited from the lack of hype? in any case, i would get it again.

zippy's
numerous locations
http://www.zippys.com/

oahu - honolulu: ailana shave ice

tommy discovers his favorite shave ice at ailana shave ice...

strawberry milk shave ice

tommy says: the absolute best shave ice on the island! they have a select number of syrups that are homemade and the strawberry milk is one of them.  made with fresh strawberries, you can even see some seeds.

ailana shave ice

1430 kona st #102 honolulu, hi 96814 (808) 955-8881 http://ailanashaveice.com/

oahu - honolulu: primo's popcorn

tommy pops up at primo's popcorn...

tommy says: very creative and numerous flavors.  plus they let you sample to help you figure out what you like.  loved the raging crab!  great idea for souvenir gifts - much more unique than the typical chocolate covered macadamia nuts.  they also have an online store if you need your fix once you've left the island.

primo popcorn
120 sand island access road
honolulu, hi 96819
(808) 729-7322
http://www.primopopcorn.com/

oahu - honolulu: rainbow drive-in

tommy gets his plate lunch on at rainbow drive-in...

loco moco

tommy says: loco moco is the name of the game here: rice, hamburger patties, gravy, fried egg, and a side of mac salad.  the two hamburger patties are peppery and a bit on the thin side; would rather have one thicker patty.  the combination of rice, beef, gravy and egg yolk mixed together is pretty great.  mac salad is good here too.  hearty and tasty.  

rainbow drive-in

3308 kanaina ave honolulu, hi 96815 (808) 737-0108 http://rainbowdrivein.com/

oahu - haeliwa: macky's shrimp truck

tommy goes to macky's shrimp truck...

butter garlic shrimp

tommy says: half orders are no offered here.  the butter garlic shrimp is good, but not as garlicky as i was hoping.  shrimp were a bit overdone.  tasty, but there is better.

macky's shrimp truck
66-632 kamehameha hwy
haleiwa, hi 96712
(808) 780-1071
http://www.mackeyshrimptruck.com/

oahu - haleiwa: giovanni's shrimp truck

tommy can't get enough garlic at giovanni's shrimp truck...

garlic hot dog, half order hot & spicy shrimp, half order shrimp scampi

tommy says: there is a reason the apparent o.g. shrimp truck is considered the best - because it is. the garlic hot dog was tasty! why don't more places do that?  shrimp scampi is wonderfully garlicky, and the hot & spicy is garlicky and spicy with a nice tang to it. shrimp were nicely cooked.

giovanni's shrimp truck
66-472 kamehameha hwy
haleiwa, hi 96712
(808) 293-1839
http://giovannisshrimptruck.com/

oahu - honolulu: libby manapua shop

tommy tries libby manapua shop...

manapua, half moon, pork hash

tommy says:  everything here was too sweet.  similar to char hung sut, the manapua bread to filling ratio was too heavy on the bread.  the half moon also had water chestnut that added a crunch. with everything being too sweet, it is very unlikely that there will be a return visit.

libby manapua shop
410 kalihi st
honolulu, hi 96819
(808) 841-2253
http://www.libbymanapuashop.com/

oahu - honolulu: char hung sut

tommy checks out char hung sut...

manapua, half moon, pork hash, ma tai soo

tommy says: all of the fillings were a bit on the sweet side.  the manapuas have a chinese bbq pork filling (they are basically cha siu bao), but the filling to bread ratio is a bit off; too much bread.  the half moon is more bbq pork but with chopped water chestnuts, which give it a crunch and tasted interesting in a good way.  ma tai soo is even more bbq pork, but in a baked bun.  the pork hash was like an all pork shumai and had pretty good flavor. wouldn't be against a revisit for more half moons and pork hash.

char hung sut
64 n pauahi st 
honolulu, hi 96817
(808) 538-3335
http://charhungsut.com/

oahu - haleiwa: matsumoto shave ice

tommy tries matsumoto shave ice...

strawberry cream

tommy says: hmmm... not really understanding all the hype for matsumoto.  yes, it is an acceptable version of shave ice, but the ice isn't particularly soft, and the flavors don't taste better than others.  mediocre hawaiian shave ice... but that is better than no shave ice.

matsumoto shave ice

66-087 kamehameha hwy haleiwa, hi 96712 (808) 637-4827 http://www.matsumotoshaveice.com/

oahu - kaneohe: dean's drive inn

tommy checks out dean's drive inn in kaneohe...

ahi belly with shoyu ginger sauce

half rack of lamb

tommy says: both the fish and lamb were done quite well!  the ginger sauce on the fish is more of a relish as it is quite chunky, and the ginger flavor is very strong.  the lamb was tender and juicy.  the mac salad was just ok. 

dean's drive inn

45-773 kamehameha hwy
kaneohe, hi 96744

(808) 247-1300

oahu - kaneohe: kj's local grindz

tommy discovers a new twist on fried chicken at kj's local grindz...

furikake fried chicken

tommy says: good flavor, but the panko-like breading was a little too thick.  the flavor comes from some kind of soy based sweet sauce and a sprinkling of furikake.  some of the pieces were a bit over fried, but some were just right.  first time to come across furikake fried chicken, and hopefully not the last.

kj's local grindz
45-480 kaneohe bay dr ste d-02
kaneohe, hi 96744
(808) 235-5799
https://www.facebook.com/pages/KJs-Local-Grindz/87787723945

oahu - honolulu: iyasume musubi

tommy fills up on musubi at iyasume musubi...

spam musubi, double tuna mayo, spicy fried chicken

tommy says: how can you go wrong with rice and spam? iyasume musubi offers not only the classics but many other flavors as well. all were yummy, but the spicy fried chicken was the favorite. the triangles could all have used a bit more filling. 

iyasume musubi
2410 koa ave, suite 4
honolulu, hi 96815
(808) 921-0168
http://www.tonsuke.com/eomusubiya.html

oahu - honolulu: waiola shave ice

tommy chills out at waiola shave ice...

strawberry cream with condensed milk, thai tea and orange creamsicle

tommy says: this place has the the softest textured ice on the island!  the syrup flavors are good and numerous, but nothing particularly special.  what is special though is their magical soft snow!

waiola shave ice

2135 waiola st 

honolulu, hi 96826

(808) 949-2269

https://www.facebook.com/WaiolaShaveIce

oahu - honolulu: ono hawaiian foods

tommy kicks off his trip to oahu at ono hawaiian foods...

lomi lomi salmon, chicken long rice soup, boiled butterfish, haupia, pipikaula, kalua pig

tommy says: the kalua pork and haupia make this place worth a visit.  the pork was tender and was very flavorful (unlike many other versions of this dish which seem to be on the bland side), and oh-so-good with the raw onions!  the haupia had a nice slightly soft texture, not too firm, and the coconut flavor was not overpowering. lomi lomi salmon is ok, just don't think it is my thing - like a very mild salsa with salmon.  the chicken long rice soup has a mild flavor; it is basically just a chicken noodle soup with glass noodles.  the boiled butterfish was also ok.  pipikaula was a bit too dry and sweet, reminiscent of a teriyaki jerky.

ono hawaiian foods

726 kapahulu ave honolulu, hi 96816 (808) 737-2275