CuisinePoke
Price$
Neighbourhoodkapahulu
Why locals love it: Tourists go to Foodland for poke; locals come to this Kapahulu storefront for the sashimi-grade shoyu ahi at half the price.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. No inside seating; sells out by 16:00 weekends.
Location
Address: 747 Kapahulu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816
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Why locals love it: The Manoa Marketplace sandwich shop is a hike from Waikiki, but UH students and Manoa Valley families have eaten here since 1977.
Tip: Monday to Friday 07:00 to 16:00, Sunday to 14:30. Closed Saturday. The papaya smoothie is the must-order.
Why locals love it: Locals queue for this 1946 Kalihi institution but most visitors never venture past Chinatown to North School Street.
Tip: Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 19:30. Pipikaula short ribs are the must-order; the kalua pig is also canonical.
Why locals love it: Most Honolulu visitors buy Mauna Loa macadamia chocolates at the airport, missing this tree-to-bar chocolate maker in SALT Kakaako.
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Why locals love it: Hidden up Waialae in Kaimuki, Ed Kenney's aina-based room cooks with farms tourists never see and rotates the menu weekly.
Tip: Sunday brunch is the locals' move. The shishito pepper romesco runs as a small plate most weeks.
Why locals love it: Tourists rarely make it past Chinatown to Kalihi for this 1946 saimin counter, but locals have eaten here for three generations.
Tip: Tuesday to Friday only. The custom-order Sun Noodles thicker than the city standard; broth is the secret shrimp-pork dashi.
Why locals love it: Manoa Valley is twenty minutes off the tourist track but UH Manoa students fill the counter for the city's best two-scoop bowls.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Order via the website for pickup to skip the lunch queue.
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