Day-by-day eating plans for Honolulu. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Honolulu weekend: the classics, done right ★ 4.7

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A weekend built around Hawaii's defining plate lunch, the canonical malasada, Chinatown's modern tasting menus and one North Shore food day trip.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: KCC market morning, Chinatown lunch, Senia dinner

    Morning
    KCC Farmers Market at 08:00 on the Kapiolani Community College grounds. Buy Hawaiian apple bananas, a Ho Farms Ali'i tomato, and a butter mochi from a vendor table.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Maguro Brothers Hawaii Chinatown in Kekaulike Market, 1120 Maunakea Street; order shoyu onion ahi poke over rice. Walk the Maunakea Marketplace lei stalls afterwards.
    Evening
    Dinner at Senia, 75 North King Street, Chinatown. Eight-to-ten-course tasting from chef Anthony Rush. Walk to The Tchin Tchin Bar's rooftop for a natural wine nightcap.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: Leonard's morning, Rainbow Drive-In lunch, Waikiki dinner

    Morning
    Leonard's Bakery in Kapahulu at 933 Kapahulu Avenue. Order three sugar malasadas plus a custard; eat them warm sitting on the bench out front.
    Afternoon
    Drive to Rainbow Drive-In at 3308 Kanaina Avenue for the canonical Hawaiian plate lunch. Mix plate (loco moco, BBQ beef, boneless chicken). Eat at the parking-lot picnic tables.
    Evening
    Dinner at Sushi Sho Hawaii, 383 Kalaimoku Street, inside The Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach. Chef Keiji Nakazawa's 16-seat edomae omakase counter, 30-plus courses, the master sushi chef's first counter outside Tokyo. Cocktails after at House Without a Key under the kiawe tree at the Halekulani.

Honolulu on a budget: three days under thirty a meal ★ 4.5

Budget traveller, three days3 days

Three days of plate-lunch and poke counters, Leonard's malasadas and a North Shore day trip for garlic shrimp under $20 a plate.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: Ala Moana market, Kapahulu plate lunch

    Morning
    Foodland Farms Ala Moana opens at 06:00; grab a $12 two-scoop ahi poke bowl from the Mauka Makai counter for breakfast on the lanai.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Rainbow Drive-In, 3308 Kanaina Avenue; loco moco plate, $9, with mac salad.
    Evening
    Dinner at Marukame Udon Waikiki, 2310 Kuhio Avenue; niku udon with a tempura side. About $12 a person.

  2. Day 2: Day 2: Chinatown morning, Kalihi lunch, Kapahulu evening

    Morning
    Maguro Brothers Hawaii Chinatown at 1120 Maunakea Street; shoyu onion ahi poke bowl, $13. Walk Chinatown after; visit the Hawaii Heritage Center if the day is Wednesday or Friday.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Palace Saimin, 1256 North King Street, Kalihi. Saimin bowl plus BBQ stick, around $10. The cheapest sit-down hot noodle bowl in the city.
    Evening
    Late afternoon malasadas at Leonard's Bakery, 933 Kapahulu Avenue. Stop at Waiola Shave Ice in Kapahulu for strawberry condensed milk over vanilla ice cream. Total around $12.

  3. Day 3: Day 3: North Shore food truck loop

    Morning
    Drive Kamehameha Highway north past Haleiwa to Kahuku. Giovanni's Shrimp Truck at 56-505 Kamehameha Highway for the canonical 12-shrimp garlic butter plate, around $16.
    Afternoon
    Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa, 66-111 Kamehameha Highway. Rainbow shave ice with vanilla ice cream and azuki beans, around $8.
    Evening
    Drive back through Sunset Beach. Ted's Bakery at 59-024 Kamehameha Highway for a slice of chocolate haupia cream pie ($6) and a fried rice plate to take home.

Honolulu foodie deep-dive: tasting menus and chef-led tours ★ 4.6

Serious eater, three days3 days

Three days of Hawaii's best tasting menus (Senia, Mugen), a chef-led Chinatown crawl and a Kailua steakhouse lunch.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: Chinatown food tour, dinner at Senia

    Morning
    Hawaii Food Tours Hole in the Wall crawl starts 09:30 from a Waikiki hotel pickup. Six to seven tastings across Chinatown and Kalihi family kitchens.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Fete Hawaii, 2 North Hotel Street, Chinatown; chef Robynne Maii's James Beard winning room runs lunch Tuesday through Saturday.
    Evening
    Dinner at Senia, 75 North King Street. Eight-to-ten-course tasting menu from chef Anthony Rush. Walk to Bar Leather Apron in TOPA Financial Center for a nightcap; the 2023 James Beard Outstanding Bar.

  2. Day 2: Day 2: Kakaako morning, Kaimuki dinner

    Morning
    Arvo Cafe in SALT at Our Kakaako for a flat white and avocado toast. Walk to Lonohana Estate Chocolate next door for the 10:00 tree-to-bar tour and tasting flight.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Highway Inn Kakaako, 680 Ala Moana Boulevard, in the SALT block. Kalua pig combination plate with poi, lomi salmon and squid luau, around $15.
    Evening
    Dinner at Mud Hen Water, 3452 Waialae Avenue, Kaimuki. Ed Kenney's aina-based small plates change weekly with farm deliveries. Drinks at The Tchin Tchin Bar after.

  3. Day 3: Day 3: Kona coffee morning, Kailua lunch, Waikiki tasting menu

    Morning
    Kona Coffee Purveyors at the International Marketplace for a single-estate Kona pour over and a kouign-amann from b. patisserie.
    Afternoon
    Drive to Kailua for lunch at Buzz's Original Steak House, 413 Kawailoa Road. Teriyaki sirloin off the kiawe grill, plus a turn through the salad bar.
    Evening
    Dinner at Mugen Waikiki, 2452 Kalakaua Avenue. Five-course tasting from chef Colin Sato, designed with Alan Wong. Forbes Five-Star room, 34 seats.
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