SP 18 - A New Restaurant Review by Amy Shiroma https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65 Let's Eat! en-us 2018-01-07 10:19:06 UTC 2025-10-20 22:18:54 UTC hello@padlet.com Applebee's mk484 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/236262938 I just tried Applebee's on Sunday! They defiantly serve the "American foods:" Burgers, Wings, Fries, Mac and Cheese but also Mexican: quesidillas, tacos and even pastas, salads, seafood and desserts! They're a well rounded restaurant.
I would consider it a casual dining or a family restaurant. 
Its not fine dining, considering their paper napkins and limited wine choice. They have a kids menu and a bar. I would say they are most known for their burgers, appetizers and desserts. It's a bit on the expensive side, average entree is between $25 to $30.
Applebee's has a green card for their health inspection completed last month. The only issue commented on was that employee did not was his hands after cleaning out food debris and before reaching into the dishwasher to pull out clean dishes. It was considered a critical violation but corrected on site with no follow up required.
My experience was really good for a restaurant that just opened. It was obvious the kitchen was still trying to find their rhythm. We had a little wait for our food but it was all really good! The manager brought out free chips and salsa for us and apologized that there was a bit of a wait. The manager was the floor just as much as his staff. Our waters were filled often and our waitress brought extra napkins without us needing to ask. I would go again!]]> 2018-02-28 05:45:23 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/236262938 Chili's malone321 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/236309709 This past monday was my first time trying chili's.This is an American restaurant because of the type of meals they have. Burgers, steak, chicken, salads, french fries etc. The chili's i went to is the one in Kahala right next to the mall. There menu is not too bad with the average price of about $18. But there steaks are in the 20s close to 30 a meal. The waiters were all very friendly and awesome at serving us. The way you pay for your food is really cool because, they bring like a ipad to the table and everyone can just pay separate or all together. They weren't that busy but i think that's because it was a Tuesday night. I found it funny that it was my first time eating there because I always pass them when I'm looking for somewhere to eat a good dinner.

]]> 2018-02-28 09:57:33 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/236309709 Eggs 'n Things tsurudan1 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237101971 For my HOST 100 class I also had to visit a restaurant, and luckily I picked Eggs 'n Things which I've never been to. I would consider this restaurant to be a diner, but our textbook didn't go in-depth about those.  Eggs 'n Things serves everything from Hawaiian, Asian, and even some Mexican. They are known for there large breakfast menu which is served all day. Using mainly the breakfast section, the average price of a meal is round $12. When looking on the Health Inspection Portal, this restaurant scored a green. My overall experience was normal. Nothing stood out that really excited me, yet nothing went horribly wrong. Just an average experience at a restaurant. ]]> 2018-03-01 18:36:31 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237101971 PAI Honolulu miguel252 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237745574 I got to dine at PAI Honolulu for the first time last night. It was planned weeks ahead, so this was perfect timing for this assignment. This is definitely a fine dining restaurant that serves seafood/american food in tapas/small plate form. I'm not exactly sure what PAI is known for since they are still pretty new (not even a year old). The average dish is roughly $13, but they do have a chef's tasting menu for $145, prix fixe menu for $65, and even a vegan menu for $65 as well. As for the health inspection, they received a green card but had two violations. One being oysters being stored beneath uncooked beef and the other being hardware/tools stored in same location as food. My overall experience was amazing. The staff was pleasant and attentive. The food was great. There aren't many fine dining places where you can get a well thought out vegan meal. I think my only complaint would be the bathrooms being outside and across from the restaurant. ]]> 2018-03-04 01:07:00 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237745574 Tokkuri-Tei ksasano1 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237853042 This past week I tried a restaurant called Tokkuri-Tei which is an Izakaya style restaurant. I live super close by to the restaurant and decided to eat there for a late night dinner. Their sell point is mainly sushi but they do have other things like agedashi tofu, risotto, miso butterfish, etc. They actually were named "Top 21 Sushi Spot in USA" by Thrillist. I believe their menu goes up to around $30 but they still do have decently priced sushi items available. Looking at the State of Hawaii Inspection Health Portal website, their last inspection done was on February 16, 2018. They received a passing green placard but had a few violations proper cold holding temperatures. I think my overall experience was great! Not only was the food delicious but they pricing is reasonable and along with the friendly staff and wonderful ambience. 

]]> 2018-03-04 21:10:16 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237853042 Conquito's Latin Cuisine jridge9 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237937140 Conquito's is a small 10 table latin ethnic gem in Waianae. The very small family owned restaurant specializes in Puerto Rican food. I love food from that region and wasn't expecting much, but was very surprised. The food was very flavorful and authentic. They are known for their cuban sandwiches and mofongo .The average price per entree is $15-20. I could not find any info on the State of Hawaii’s Department of Health's inspection website but I remember seeing the green placard. The building is very old looking but decorated well, like a little spanish village restaurant. 
 I had ordered shrimp mofongo, empanadas, and side pastele, and my girl had the cuban. We were super full but did take out for dessert tres leches and chocolate flan. I highly recommend Conquito's if you want a very chill latin meal without breaking the bank 


]]> 2018-03-05 05:45:31 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237937140 Utage Restaurant myp_4xo https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237943153 I went to Utage Restaurant & Lounge in Kalihi on Monday this past week. This is an independent restaurant. They serve authentic Japanese and Okinawan cuisine. The average menu price for an entree is about $17. According to the State of Hawaii's Department of Health Inspection Health Portal, the color of placard is green or yellow. 
My over all experience is great. I ordered Okinawa Soba, which tasted so good and reminded me of visiting Okinawa. This restarant is popular among local people, especially Japanese American people. So this place is very familiar with Japan. If you would like to try Okinawan food, I will definitey recommend this place.

]]> 2018-03-05 06:38:01 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237943153 McDonald's lemedo1 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237943859 As much as I would have liked to go out to a restaurant I’ve never been to this past week, time did not prevail for me to do this. However, as I was on my way to an event Saturday morning, I stopped by McDonald’s in Wahiawa to pick up a quick breakfast for my son. McDonald’s is a well known quick-service/fast food restaurant that serves hamburgers, fries, and has an all day breakfast menu. Their prices are low, with $1 soft drinks and the average sandwich meal costing around $7 or $8. The restaurant was last inspected January 26, 2018 and they have a green placard. There was one violation of improper reheating procedures, but it was corrected on the spot. My overall experience was satisfactory. My son was happy, and that makes me happy.]]> 2018-03-05 06:43:09 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237943859 Herringbone Waikiki eleven_kyle211 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237958453 I visited Herringbone for the very first time for my sister's engagement celebration. It's a fine dining restaurant that is located at the new international market. They are known for fun twist on classic concepts. They serve both meat and seafood in 'unique' ways. The average food prices would be $25-$50. They passed all of their health inspection but they were linked to an norovirus outbreak that left dozens of people sick but they were cleared after so many weeks. My experience there was the worse restaurant experience i've ever had. There was a problem right in the beginning when we arrived at the restaurant. The host were very nice and welcoming so waiting for 15-20 mins to set our table was alright. But when we sat at the table, there was no server that greeted us for about 30 mins. My family and I were really patient because most of us work in the restaurant industry so we understand the struggle of being busy and not being able to greet our guest right away. But 30 mins was way too long so of course I had to say something and so I did.. waited about another 10-15 mins till the manager came. He took all of our drink, appetizer and entree order since we had so much time waiting. So at that point, I was calmer and happy again. Drinks and appetizers started coming but there was still no server. He hooked us up with couple appetizers for waiting for too long.The manager checked up on us a couple of times if we were okay and we were but that was the last time we seen him.  When we were done eating the appetizers, entrees started coming except my little nephews food. Everyone was done eating and his food still didn't come yet but we told the manager to send his food first because he was getting grumpy but I think he forgot to punch it in because he didn't write it. So we had to ask another server that we had to bother because the manager was no where to be found. Then finally, my little nephew's food came but he was throwing tantrum because he was starving. It was the very first time he acted like a brat in a restaurant. Servers, busser/food runners weren't working together. No one was pre bussing the table even though our table is so crowded and full with dirty dishes unless we asked them too even though we stacked all the plates so it's for them to just grab and go. We had to ask to refill our water and soft drinks through out our dinner. My family and I were so irritated that we skipped dessert. So we asked another server that was around and asked for the check. And again, we still didn't have a server and the manager didn't come back to check up on us. Then when the server came back, I asked him what happened and he said that the server that was suppose to help us, picked another table over us which didn't make any sense. The manager should've fixed the problem and find a server to serve us. We were so disappointed and irritated that we didn't leave tip and left a note on the receipt saying "Sorry but we didn't get any service, so we won't tip." It was the very first time that we didn't leave any tip and that says a lot. We work in the restaurant industry and it's so sad to experience that. There was no team work, horrible management and the food wasn't that great. They don't deserve to be a fine dining restaurant. I will never go back  there ever again. I give them -10000000000000000000 stars.]]> 2018-03-05 07:55:02 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237958453 Arancino on Beachwalk als63 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237959625 I love Italian food and have tried numerous times to dine at Arancino but never make reservations early enough. I was finally able to dine at Arancino on Beachwalk last weekend and it was delicious! It is a casual Italian restaurant with an Italian cafe atmosphere. The servers were amazingly friendly and attentive. The menu choices were terrific! They were featuring a crispy Branzino dish that was delicious and many seafood options.  I had the carbonara pasta that was ono! The Italian beer was great and price was great too! They have 3 locations. They were last inspected on October 2, 2017 with a green placard and no violations.]]> 2018-03-05 07:59:02 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/237959625 Casablanca Moroccan Restaurant akie221 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/238324261 I dined at Casablanca Moroccan Restaurant in Kailua, Hawaii with my friend for her 40th birthday. It's a fine dining ethnic restaurant, and I thought it was an independent restaurant, but when I Googled it, I found some other restaurants of the same name on the mainland so I'm not sure. This restaurant survives by word of mouth and doesn't have a website or Facebook page, so I couldn't find out. They are known for their Moroccan decor and atmosphere, as well as traditional appetizers and cuisine. It's set up to look like a Moroccan tent with low seating or poufs. The appetizers are to be eaten by hand, and most of the meal is served family style. The b'stilla, with the white arrow pointing to it, is kind of a meat pastry and it was yummy. It is fixed price, at $40 for regular menu entrees and $50 for the chef's special. The State of Hawaii gave it a Green placard on May 21, 2017 and I don't see any issues listed for the restaurant.
It was an amazing experience. The servers were friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed. Washing hands before eating and after the main dish was really interesting, they sprayed rose water on our hands and that was very different than any other restaurant I've been to. At the end of the meal they serve sweet mint and honey tea, and the server pours it from a very high height. That was interesting to watch. I would love to dine at Casablanca again, but it was quite expensive, so it would probably only be for a very special occasion.
]]> 2018-03-05 19:53:46 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/238324261 Gordon Biersch misatoa1 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/238924125 I visited Gordon Biersch for dinner with my friends last week and it was first visit there. This restaurant is chain restaurant.  Gordon Biersch currently operates 35 restaurants in the United States, including Honolulu, Hawaii. Additionally, four Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants operate in Taiwan. The choice of menu were various.Southern taste food, Asian taste chicken, pasta and sandwich etc. According to Yelp, price range is $10~30. They were last inspected on February 26, 2018 with a green placard. When I visit there first time, some peoples were played the instruments and singing. The atmosphere was amazing and also the servers were nice and friendly. ]]> 2018-03-06 22:16:45 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/238924125 Piggy Smalls khs251 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/239022824 This past Sunday I went to Piggy Smalls with my family for brunch. I was excited to try this place as I heard many good things about it. It was a casual restaurant with an asian twist to its dishes. I ordered the crab cake Benedict pie (top right photo) and we shared a milk & honey French toast. Both were AMAZING! I was a little let down at first as our server forgot to put in my partners food and inform my sister-in-law earlier that they did not have her quiche. However, I appreciated that he took responsibility and acknowledged the mistake. He even bought our first round of drinks AND two extra desserts which were also really yummy. Other than that, service was amazing. I love a place that never lets my water go empty.]]> 2018-03-07 07:52:02 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/239022824 Pho Bistro 2 nonakat1 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/239029290 The past few weeks have been extremely windy and rainy here and there. So I decided to go to a restaurant named Pho Bistro 2. The place gets busy from what I've heard during lunch and dinner times. While I was there, they had a decent service, checking up on waters and asking if everything is okay. I would say this is an individual restaurant. They serve Vietnamese food there and I would say it is one of the best pho on island. My friend recommended me this place and it is amazing. The average entree is about $10-$12. I tried searching this restaurant in the Healthy Inspection health portal but can't seem to find it. My overall experience is excellent. ]]> 2018-03-07 08:17:27 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/239029290 Leoda's Kitchen and Pies hjudd41 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/239511310 I have heard a lot of things about Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop in Olowalu. Things like they have great sandwiches, breads and pies but very small pies and they are on the pricey side. I’m really not a sandwich person so I never ventured in this place. I guess you could classify this as a Sandwich shop/Ethnic (American) Café. They are a casual dining with a “plantation style” décor.

I tried searching the link for Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop and had no luck. I even did a search on just Maui and found restaurants in Oahu with Maui in their name. I did take a picture of their placard while there and it was green.

They serve hamburgers which I didn’t know but mostly sandwiches, soups, breads and lots of little scrumptious 4” pies that would throw anybody off their diet. Their average entrée price is $14. I ordered the Bacon and egg sandwich that came with “Laniopoko egg”, Applewood bacon, hapa bread, sprouts, cheddar cheese, avocado and tomato. This sandwich was very tasty, although I think they could have put more then one piece of bacon (but that’s me) on the sandwich. It was a really nice, clean restaurant. I will definitely tell visitors from America and Canada about this place as I’m sure they would really enjoy the food choices.

]]> 2018-03-08 05:48:22 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/239511310 Mexico Cantina jbuaklan1 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240672350 Last week Tuesday I had a chance to try a new restaurant. It names "Mexico Cantina" which is located on the 3rd floor at ward center. The foods they serve are Mexican foods, they also have a happy hour beer which starts from 2 pm - 6 pm (awesome!!). The menu price for an entree starts from &12.95 - & 25.95. Their portions are huge, their service is excellent, their staffs are friendly. The most impressive thing is their service. The restaurant when I went to last time was busy, I had to wait for like 30 minutes until I got the foods. while I was waiting for the foods, a waitress brought a free snack for me. I would say that this restaurant is an independent restaurant. As I visit the State of Hawaii's Department of health Inspection Health Portal website, this restaurant has a green color of a placard.


]]> 2018-03-12 02:00:49 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240672350 Maui Grill - Ka'anapali marycfpalu1 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240676227 Whenever my daughter and I visit Maui, we always go to Lahaina. Yesterday, we drove to Lahaina and instead of going to our family favorite, Bubba Gumps, we opted for a local place - Maui Grill. 

When we walked into the Grill, I wasn't expecting the decor to be what it was. The interior was wooden, the couches could be updated but it was definitely a sports bar feel. 

The menu itself was pretty good, they had local favorites (Loco Moco, Chicken Katsu & Poke). They also had a kid's menu which I loved. The portions of the food were HUGE and the food was so good!! 

My husband got a half rack of ribs (which I thought was a full rack) and I got BBQ pull pork sandwich which was pretty good. 

Our entire order :
Fries, mac & cheese, half rack of ribs, BBQ pulled pork sandwich and two drinks came out to $40. 

I definitely recommend this place for local eats. ]]> 2018-03-12 02:33:05 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240676227 Sura Hawaii tzutingc1 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240685635 Last week I went to Ka Makana Ali'i and I had lunch there. The restaurant is called Sura Hawaii. It's a Korean BBQ restaurant and it's a chain restaurant. Another Sura Hawaii is located in Honolulu. The one I went, they provide all you can eat the meal and each person is around $22 dollars at lunchtime. When I walked in there has a service lead me to my seat and explain the menu. If you need any help there has a bottom right next to you that you can use that to call the server. The server is nice and the food is nice, too, but since it's all you can eat. When you order they don't give you too much among, but still you can continue ordering it. I guess they afraid the customs waste the food that's why their food just give a little by little.
I checked the State of Hawaii’s Department of Health Inspection Health Portal, the most recent one was on 10-03-2017 their Placard is from Yellow to GREEN. Their problem was adequate hand washing facilities supplied & accessible and proper cold holding temperatures, I guess because they are a new restaurant some of things still need to be more careful.  
Overall, I still recommend this restaurant. It was a great experience.]]> 2018-03-12 03:54:25 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240685635 Billy - Gen Korean BBQ House https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240698464 Over the weekend, I went to Gen Korean BBQ House in Ala Moana to see what all the hype was about.  It's an all you can eat Korean BBQ restaurant.  It is definitely categorized as casual dining.  They serve mostly meats, a few choices of soup, and a lot of sides/sauces.  They are known for their flavored pork bellies.  They come in such flavors like smoked garlic, red wine, spicy, miso, and cajun.  The prices are set.  Lunch is $16 and Dinner is $27.  Dinner has more choice of meats (premium cuts such as beef belly and shrimps.)  This place previously received a yellow placard...I did not know that.  If I had known, I would've chose a different restaurant.  My god.  The violation was for the mechanical dishwasher not working properly, therefore dishes coming out dirty.., hand sink was being used to fill up water, fridge not set at the right temperature, and plumbing issues.. After reviewing this placard, I am definitely iffy about going back.  My overall experience was honestly pretty good until now.  Their food is definitely not the best, but it was good.  Services were a bit slow, but it was understandable because they were extremely busy.  

]]> 2018-03-12 05:57:54 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240698464 Buca Di beppo raquelro2 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240715862 I don't go to new restaurants often, but the last place I went for the first time was Buca's. Its in town so I rarely go to that side being I live in Hawaii Kai. I definitely didn't expect the naked paintings. I really like that they show you the kitchen and like a tour before you sit down. The people were very welcoming and the food was really good. I always heard people talk about how big the portions were but its true, perfect sharing size. It's on the pricey side but I overall enjoyed my experience.]]> 2018-03-12 07:43:41 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240715862 Mikawon Korean Restaurant sakih3 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240729677 Yesterday I went to this Korean Restaurant in Kuhio Avenue. This location is kind of hidden from the main street but the food was great and the service was great. This restaurant would be categorized as casual dining. They serve Korean food like meat, bibimbap, sundubu jjigae which is very delicious. In the picture I ate yukgaejang soup. I love spicy food and I wanted to eat something soup based so I decided to order this. The price range for one entree is around $24. I visited the State of Hawaii’s Department of Health Inspection Health Portal and looked up the restaurant and the color of the Placard was "Yellow". I checked the report and there was one issue that was stated. "Observed raw beef above Kim Chee soup not covered in the walk in. Observed an open bag of raw meat next to cooked fish jun in the walk in. Observed kim chee soup (cooked) below raw meat in an open bag." And there were also 50 fruit flies. Also 2 other violation issues were stated.Overall the food was great and the service was outstanding. I was satisfied with my experience. ]]> 2018-03-12 08:33:46 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240729677 Helena Hawaiian Foods yl42 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240735769 This restaurant is close to my house. So I always went there to get food. I like Hawaiian food. They're homestyle Hawaiian food. It is nice place to get Hawaiian food, it taste super good. There service are fast. One time, I'm kind of rush to get my food, because I'm was waiting the bus to go home. They only taks about five minutes to make my food and then is fresh. Because we can tell from the taste. ]]> 2018-03-12 08:54:40 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240735769 Yogurstory shiona2 https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240752477 This restaurant is a casual dining Asian Bistro for breakfast and brunch items with colorful touches and cocktails.  The average menu ranges from $10-$20.  Although may seem a little expensive, it is definitely worth it!  There breakfast menu is amazing and has a variety from their prime rib local moco to their ube, red velvet and chantily pancakes.  The atmosphere is nice and casual and gives off a very home like feeling.  There most recent placard was in June 2017 which they received a green placard.  I’ve heard so much about this place from friends and family and to finally experience on my own was not a disappointment.  It is definitely a place to go again and will recommend to others.

]]> 2018-03-12 09:49:55 UTC https://padlet.com/als63/fd9s1vwogy65/wish/240752477