Lucky Belly is a ramen restaurant in Chinatown, Honolulu.
Lucky Belly in Chinatown Honolulu is Dusty Grable and Jesse Cruz's 2012 ramen and bao shop that helped launch the neighborhood's modern restaurant generation along North Hotel Street.
Signature dishes: Belly bowl ramen, Pork belly bao, Spicy chicken bao
Must order: The Belly Bowl ramen with pork belly, bacon and shoyu egg.
Tip: Kitchen runs to 23:00 Friday and Saturday. The Tchin Tchin Bar across the street is the nightcap.
Address: 50 North Hotel Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
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.
Ono Seafood in Kapahulu Honolulu is the family-run poke counter that pulls shoyu ahi, spicy ahi and tako preparations from the refrigerated case for grab-and-go two-scoop bowls.
Signature: Shoyu ahi poke, Spicy ahi poke, Tako poke
Order: Two-scoop shoyu ahi and spicy ahi bowl with rice.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays, 09:00 to 18:00 otherwise. Take it to Ala Wai Park.
Off the Hook Poke Market in Manoa Honolulu is the takeout-only poke counter at the foot of Manoa Valley that draws University of Hawaii students for two-scoop shoyu bowls.
Signature: Spicy ahi poke, Salmon poke, Limu ahi
Order: Two-scoop spicy ahi and limu ahi with rice and furikake.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Order pickup via the website to skip the lunch queue.
Palace Saimin in Kalihi Honolulu is one of the state's oldest saimin shops, opened by Kame Ige in 1946 and still serving the shrimp-and-pork-dashi broth that defined the local noodle bowl.
Signature: Saimin, BBQ stick, Won ton min
Order: A regular saimin and a BBQ stick on the side.
Tip: Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 20:00, Saturday to 15:00. Closed Sunday and Monday. Six-spot parking.
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.
Buzz's Original Steak House in Kailua across the Pali from Honolulu is the surf-shack steakhouse where Obama family Christmases parked at the teriyaki sirloin and salad bar.
Signature: Teriyaki sirloin, Salad bar, Garlic shrimp
Order: Teriyaki sirloin off the kiawe grill, plus a turn through the salad bar.
Tip: Lanikai Beach is a five-minute walk. Lunch is the move; dinner books two days out.
