Assagio's Italian Restaurant  396-0756
Hawaii Kai, Koko Head Shopping Center, behind the Foodland and Chevron Station, right on the water. Great place for fresh fish and pasta and lots of garlic, don't miss the ceasar salad made fresh at your table.

Dixie Grill, 596-8359
404 Ward Avenue, Honolulu
This is kind of place you'll want to come back to. Screamin' Mai Tais, Trash Can Buffets, Lots of Crab Legs, Racks of Ribs, Chicken. You'll love it all. They even have a sand box for the kids.

Irifuni, 737-1141
563 Kapahulu, Waikiki, this is the street the zoo is on
Garlic ahi, but be sure to get the dessert first (ice-cream banana crepes), cuz you won't have enough room by the end of your meal. It's Japanese with a twist. They have great combo plates, garlic ahi and crab, or chicken, or sashimi. Dinner is usually around $10-15.

Auntie Pastas, 523-8855
Beretania/Pensacola, Honolulu
Great pasta, all made to order. They always have awesome specials. If you love pasta, cheap pasta, made fresh, this is da kine. Dinners are around $10-12.

Ken Was Chinese Restaurant
Kamehameha Highway, Kaneohe
Great Chinese food. Another place you want to go family style. We usually get soup, and a sizzling platter of something (scallops, beef, chicken, vegetables), sweet and sour pork, rice. Just name it, whatever your favorite dish, they got it. Very big menu and great prices. $5.00-$10.00 an item. We usually get our of this place for $22 for two. If you want a treat, order the peking duck with buns and plum sauce (usually available at banquets only). Take Kamehameha Hwy. (83) towards Kaneohe, make a U-turn at Likelike Hwy., see Island Mini Mart and gas station on right, Ken Was is right behind it.

Gordon Biersch
Aloha Tower, Honolulu
This place is right next to Bad Ass Coffee Company . A micro brewery and restaurant, right on the water. We usually sit at the back bar so we can check out the comings and goings of Honolulu Harbor, the brilliant blue of the water makes a great backdrop to any meal. They'll give you a taste of each of their beers so you can decide which one you like best. They have great salads and pizzas, and, of course, their famous garlic fries.

Don Ho's Island Grill
Aloha Tower, Honolulu
Right across from Bad Ass Coffee Company , right on the water, the new locals hang-out, with Hawaiian music every night, surfboard pizzas, relaxed atmosphere. Nice place to hang-out, have some pupus, sit back and relax, island style.

Natsunoya Tea House, 595-4488
1935 Makanani Drive, Honolulu
This is a special occasion place. If you have a group of 10 or more you'd like to take to a one of a kind dinner, this is it. One of only 3 teas houses left in Honolulu, located on the mountain above Honolulu. They serve 10+ course meals Japanese style, you can bring your own sake and they'll heat it up and serve it for you. We had the room to ourselves, awesome room, incredible view and sunset, each course was better than the last. It was a good thing we were sitting on the floor by the last course. Be sure to make advance reservations.

Sam Choy's, Breakfast Lunch & Crab
580 N. Nimitz in Honolulu, towards airport from Aloha Tower
545-7979
Great place for seafood local style. They have whole dungeness crab and lobster and a fishing boat in the middle of the restaurant. This is also a micro brewery. Sam Choy is a well known local chef. Very fun atmosphere.

Roy's in Hawaii Kai
on Kalianaole Highway, past Foodland, 396-7697
Pacific Rim Style food. Very good food, another well known local chef. A little pricey, but you will not be disappointed with the food.

Giovanni's White Shrimp Truck, Kahuku
On your way to the North Shore, up the East Coast, you will come into the town of Kahuku. There you will see a white shrimp truck on the side of the road with all kinds of graffitti on it. Stop and eat lunch. Shrimp scampi is what they make, regular, hot and extra hot.

Chai's Island Bistro, Aloha Tower Marketplace
Chai is an incredible chef and serves Pacific Rim style food with a Thai twist. There is Hawaiian music every night and the atmosphere is very beautiful with incredible orchids throughout the restaurant and a small waterfall and pond in the outside area. The food is a little pricey. The Sampler is great with coconut encrusted prawns, crab cakes, ahi, and more. Kini always gets the duck.

Keneke's in Waimanalo next to the 7/11 and Post Office.
This is a great place for plate lunch, local style all the way. They also have a cheap breakfast special and Shave Ice.

Boots & Kimos in Kailua
BEST place for breakfast. Awesome banana macadamia nut sauce pancakes (open until 2 p.m. only). Take the 72 right to 61 right, right on Hamakua Road, make left at first little street, it curves to the right and Boots and Kimos is on the right just after curve, just past Napa Auta Parts store.

Alan Wong's in Honolulu >>>> www.alanwongs.com
This is our new favorite... a little pricey, but well worth it. If you're gonna splurge once, this is the place. Check out the online menu. We loved the "Soup & Sandwich" and Macadamia Encrusted Ono and the Coconut for dessert.