Bungalow neighbourhood east of Kapahulu where Ed Kenney built his Mud Hen Water room. The Pig and The Lady relocated here in 2025, joining bakeries and bistros along Waialae.
The Pig and The Lady is chef Andrew Le's modern Vietnamese room, which moved from Chinatown to a Civil Beat Plaza space on Waialae in Kaimuki Honolulu in late 2025.
Signature: Pho French dip, Mama Le's pho, Banh mi sandwiches
Order: Mama Le's pho and the pho French dip with brisket.
Tip: Lunch and dinner separated menus; lunch leans pho and banh mi, dinner runs a tasting-style chef's choice. Reservations are tough on weekends.
Mud Hen Water is Ed Kenney's Kaimuki Honolulu room of contemporary Hawaiian aina-based plates, named for the English translation of Waialae and a 2025 James Beard semifinalist.
Signature: Shishito pepper romesco, Aina-based small plates, Sunday brunch
Order: The shishito pepper romesco and whatever fish the kitchen ran that morning.
Tip: Sunday brunch is the locals' move. The menu changes weekly with farm deliveries.
Koko Head Cafe in Kaimuki Honolulu is chef Lee Anne Wong's Top-Chef-alum brunch room where the cornflake French toast and breakfast bibimbap have anchored Kaimuki since 2014.
Signature: Cornflake-crusted French toast, Breakfast bibimbap, Hangtown fry
Order: Cornflake-crusted French toast and the breakfast bibimbap with kimchee bacon.
Tip: Daily brunch, dinner Friday to Monday from 17:00. Walk-in queue is steady at 09:00 weekends.
Mud Hen Water is Ed Kenney's Kaimuki Honolulu room of contemporary Hawaiian aina-based plates, a 2025 James Beard semifinalist named for the English translation of Waialae.
Signature: Shishito pepper romesco, Sunday brunch, Aina-based small plates
Order: Shishito pepper romesco and whatever fish landed that morning.
Tip: Sunday brunch is the locals' move. Menu changes weekly with farm deliveries.
The Pig and The Lady in Kaimuki Honolulu is chef Andrew Le's modern Vietnamese room, relocated from Chinatown to the Civil Beat Plaza on Waialae in late 2025.
Signature: Pho French dip, Mama Le's pho, Banh mi sandwiches
Order: Mama Le's pho and the pho French dip with brisket.
Tip: Lunch is pho and banh mi, dinner a chef's-choice tasting. Weekends book two weeks out.
Koko Head Cafe in Kaimuki Honolulu is chef Lee Anne Wong's brunch room where the cornflake French toast and breakfast bibimbap have anchored 12th Avenue since 2014.
Signature: Cornflake-crusted French toast, Breakfast bibimbap, Hangtown fry
Order: Cornflake French toast and the breakfast bibimbap with kimchee bacon.
Tip: Daily brunch; dinner Friday to Monday from 17:00. Walk-in queue steady at 09:00 weekends.