New & Coming Restaurants on O‘ahu
Fourteen new and coming places with ice cream, onigiri, Portuguese fare, sushi, shave ice and gourmet baked goods.
430 PKWY
Kaka‘ako
A speakeasy cocktail bar and lounge from Chris Kajioka is planned for the Waimanu-Pi‘ikoi corner of Kaka‘ako, already home to Tempura Ichika, Sushi Gyoshin and Hangang Korean Grill House. Look out for opening details in December.
430 Pi‘ikoi St., @430_pkwy
Amaterasu
Ala Moana
Frolic’s editors have been fond of Hideo Ohmiya’s thoughtful sushi omakase since he opened his first counter at Artizen inside the Velocity luxury car showroom. Since Amaterasu closed in April, we’ve kept our ears to the ground for when and where it would reappear. Amaterasu’s first brick-and-mortar opened yesterday, Nov. 20, one floor below Ala Moana Center’s Lanai food court near Macy’s. Soft-opening price is $100 a person; reserve on OpenTable.
1450 Ala Moana Blvd., @amaterasushi808
SEE ALSO: Amaterasu, the City’s Newest Sushi Omakase, Is in a Car Showroom
Big Island Burger
Waikīkī
Photo: Thomas Obungen
Jeff Carzino’s Big Island beef burgers are now in Waikīkī. Carzino’s Ultimate Burger in Kailua-Kona is popular for its commitment to local ingredients, 100% grass-fed Big Island beef and fresh-cut fries. On O‘ahu, I’m told there will be plant-based options, a 10% kama‘āina discount and parking validation with a minimum spend. Find this in Waikīkī Shopping Plaza on the street level.
2250 Kalākaua Ave. #102, @bigisland.burger
Faria
Kailua
Photo: Courtesy of Faria
Faria bills itself as a Pasifika Portuguese restaurant that, when it opens in early December, will pay homage to Hawai‘i’s Portuguese immigrants and their descendants. Recipes from co-owner Kawehi Haug’s family include alcatra con purê de batata, an Azorean pot roast stew; and pulvo á lagareiro, seared octopus with potatoes and sausage. I’m looking forward to the Butter Mochi Amendoa, Haug’s riff on bolo de arroz (rice flour cake) and butter mochi with an almond float topping.
305 Ku‘ulei Road, fariahawaii.com, @fariahawaii
Favorite Son
Waikīkī
Favorite Son has a lot going for it. Offerings at this deli-meets-diner on the ground floor of the Romer Waikīkī start with breakfast and continue through the day with toasted hoagies, Detroit-style pizza, salads, protein bowls and cocktails too. The bright, airy space is on the quieter ‘Ewa end of Waikīkī.
2040 Kūhiō Ave., romerhotels.com, @favoritesonwaikiki
Gecko Girlz Shave Ice
Diamond Head
Photo: Thomas Obungen
There can never be too many shave ice shops in Hawai‘i. Gecko Girlz proves my point, bringing its vibrantly hued creations and syrups from Kona to a location near Diamond Head. The Kona Sunset with vanilla ice cream, liliko‘i and lychee syrups, liliko‘i puree, coconut cream snow cap and mochi is an especially sweet signature item, but you can also craft your own.
3045 Monsarrat Ave., geckogirlz.com, @geckogirlzshaveice
Honolulu Bagel Co.
Downtown
With the recipes and baker from now-shuttered Lox of Bagels on board, Honolulu Bagel has opened Downtown on the Pauahi Street portion of Fort Street Mall. Daily bagel selections, schmears and a roster of sandwiches round out a menu that will also bring back the schmear-stuffed Bagel Bombs.
73 S. Pauahi St., @honolulubagelcompany
Gohan
Makiki
Photo: Thomas Obungen
Honolulu’s first made-to-order musubi and hand roll bar brings new excitement to this stretch of South King Street. Gohan pairs fluffy, freshly milled Tsuyahime rice with crisp Ariake nori to make excellent rice balls and hand rolls with classic and inspired toppings. The tonjiru pork miso soup and tsukemono pickles are also worth trying. Grab-and-go options are available, but dine at the counter for the best experience.
1314 S. King St., @gohan.hawaii
SEE ALSO: Gohan Is Honolulu’s First Craft Musubi Bar, and It Just Opened in Makiki
Harumi
Waikīkī
Photo: Thomas Obungen
Waikīkī’s newest izakaya offers a broad menu of Japanese classics: sushi rolls, nigiri, yakitori and tempura. Menu items that stand out: fava bean tempura ($6.95), beef and pineapple kushiyaki ($3.95) and Hawaiian-style oxtail soup ($11.95). If you’re game to brave Waikīkī parking, Harumi looks like it might be a fun joint to start the night.
339 Royal Hawaiian Ave., @harumi_waikiki
SEE ALSO: Where to Park in Waikīkī
Lady Elaine
Mānoa
Lady Elaine, the second Mānoa Marketplace restaurant by Dusty Grable’s Lovers + Fighters group, is expected to open in December. Grable says menu items will range from Southern Italian and Sicilian to dishes with Moroccan, Provençal and Lebanese influences. The restaurant will have indoor and outdoor seating and a large by-the-glass wine program, which I am especially looking forward to.
2752 Woodlawn Dr.
SEE ALSO: The Hospitalitarian: Dusty Grable Is the 2024 Restaurateur of the Year
Mille Fête
Chinatown
Photo: Sean Marrs
James Beard Award-winning chef Robynne Maii is putting the final touches on her new Chinatown bakery-café with pastry chef Katherine Yang of Gigi Blue in New York. Expect sandwiches, ice cream, baked goods, cakes and other confections from these two powerhouse chefs. The opening was planned for December but it’s looking more like January 2025.
1113 Smith St., @millefete
Please Come Again
Kailua
Photo: Thomas Obungen
Ube crunch. Rose lychee. Shiso mint chip. These are some of the 16 ice cream flavors lingering on the brain after a visit to Please Come Again, a craft parlor that opened in early November in Kailua. As the name suggests, we will be coming again and again to try more whimsical ice creams and sorbets.
322 Ku‘ulei Road, @pleasecomeagainhawaii
SEE ALSO: Sweet Treats: Kailua’s New Ice Cream Parlor Has One Request
Tonkatsu Kuro
Kaka‘ako
Expect cold soba and premium kurobuta pork tonkatsu combination sets from Tonkatsu Kuro, which is slated to open in coming weeks in the space on the corner of Halekauwila Street and Robinson Lane, kitty corner from Rinka.
1000 Auahi St., @tonkatsu.kuro.hi
Youpo Noodles
Chinatown
Photo: Thomas Obungen
After a brief experiment with Nasi Lemak, a farmers market stall with a focus on Malaysia’s national dish, Andrew Pressler is bringing back the hand-pulled biang biang mien that was the original star of his operation. The super chewy, spicy noodles get their flavoring from scalding hot oil hitting the herbs and spices in an aromatic flash. This time, however, Youpo Noodles has graduated from the farmers markets to its first brick-and-mortar spot in Chinatown. It’ll be closed Thanksgiving week and back in operation the first week of December.
1109 Maunakea St., @youponoodleshi
SEE ALSO: Find Fresh, Spicy, Hand-Pulled Noodle Bowls at These O‘ahu Farmers Markets
