Visiting Hawaii in September...
08-15-08, 06:22 AM
#51
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oh..havent been around much so didnt see this thread
if you're still looking for a place, my friends owns some vacation rentals in waikiki. i think he has 12 units in various condos but not sure of the availability in sept. you can check out his website here and give him a call.
www.stayinwaikiki.com
as far as places to eat, what kind of food do you like? ...there's so much places to eat here and many different types of food since it's a really diverse culture in hawaii...for good reviews of places to eat, and even for activities, nightlife in honolulu, try checking yelp...good online community with helpful reviews
www.yelp.com/honolulu
some of my suggestions
Teddy's Bigger Burger, there's one across the street from the zoo and is better (imo) than kua'aina sandwich in ward centre. the original kua'aina in haleiwa was good but the ward one is not
cream puffs from Beard Papa in ward centre (they have other locations too and probably can get them in waikiki too)
garlic ahi from Irifune. near waikiki, up the street about a 1/2 mile from the zoo. very popular hole in the wall place on kapahulu ave.
for greek food, Olive Tree near Kahala Mall. another small place that does one type of food and does it well. they open daily at 5p and by 6, all the tables are full. Kahala mall is fairly close to waikiki by car (3-4 miles)but too far to walk.
where you taking your girl for her b-day?
if you're thinking of a really nice place with incredible food...
Alan Wong's. expensive but worth every penny. that restaurant has been voted best restaurant in hawaii for many years and it deserves it.
some other nice, semi pricey B-Day places I like...
Roy's, but I think there's one in WA somewhere.
Hiroshi's, in restaurant row
Ruth's Chris steakhouse in restaurant row
Hy's Steakhouse in waikiki
Chef Mavro's near ala moana...good food, but big bux too
someone mentioned sushi and Sasabune...the sushi there is really good but expensive and if you go, be prepared to be under the scrutiny of the sushi ****. the sushi chef there is so controlling it's laughable. imagine being served sushi and the guy tells you "sushi chef says you may not dip this in soy sauce" and god help you if you do.
to me, Yohei has better sushi and without the drama. but that place might be hard for you to find.
if you go to Polynesian Cultural Center and do the show/dinner, dont do the luau. the food at the luau is really bad. you'd be better off going to the other buffet in the dining room, better food and cheaper.
Hapaboy mentioned the Makapu'u lighthouse trail. easy walk and great view..here's some pics
sorry, this ended up being long...
have fun when you guys are here
if you're still looking for a place, my friends owns some vacation rentals in waikiki. i think he has 12 units in various condos but not sure of the availability in sept. you can check out his website here and give him a call.
www.stayinwaikiki.com
as far as places to eat, what kind of food do you like? ...there's so much places to eat here and many different types of food since it's a really diverse culture in hawaii...for good reviews of places to eat, and even for activities, nightlife in honolulu, try checking yelp...good online community with helpful reviews
www.yelp.com/honolulu
some of my suggestions
Teddy's Bigger Burger, there's one across the street from the zoo and is better (imo) than kua'aina sandwich in ward centre. the original kua'aina in haleiwa was good but the ward one is not
cream puffs from Beard Papa in ward centre (they have other locations too and probably can get them in waikiki too)
garlic ahi from Irifune. near waikiki, up the street about a 1/2 mile from the zoo. very popular hole in the wall place on kapahulu ave.
for greek food, Olive Tree near Kahala Mall. another small place that does one type of food and does it well. they open daily at 5p and by 6, all the tables are full. Kahala mall is fairly close to waikiki by car (3-4 miles)but too far to walk.
where you taking your girl for her b-day?
if you're thinking of a really nice place with incredible food...
Alan Wong's. expensive but worth every penny. that restaurant has been voted best restaurant in hawaii for many years and it deserves it.
some other nice, semi pricey B-Day places I like...
Roy's, but I think there's one in WA somewhere.
Hiroshi's, in restaurant row
Ruth's Chris steakhouse in restaurant row
Hy's Steakhouse in waikiki
Chef Mavro's near ala moana...good food, but big bux too
someone mentioned sushi and Sasabune...the sushi there is really good but expensive and if you go, be prepared to be under the scrutiny of the sushi ****. the sushi chef there is so controlling it's laughable. imagine being served sushi and the guy tells you "sushi chef says you may not dip this in soy sauce" and god help you if you do.
to me, Yohei has better sushi and without the drama. but that place might be hard for you to find.
if you go to Polynesian Cultural Center and do the show/dinner, dont do the luau. the food at the luau is really bad. you'd be better off going to the other buffet in the dining room, better food and cheaper.
Hapaboy mentioned the Makapu'u lighthouse trail. easy walk and great view..here's some pics
sorry, this ended up being long...
have fun when you guys are here
Last edited by Cuttooth; 08-15-08 at 06:50 AM.
08-15-08, 10:05 AM
#52
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No, thats great that its long.
We can't thank all of you enough, you've been a big help.
We did end up already booking a spot and I hope it works out... the place is called Waikiki Marina Resort. Not to be confused with the Aqua Marina which got terrible ratings/reviews. It's 3.5 stars and says "Condo-style lodging within the Ilikai hotel." I guess they bought a 123-room section of the Ilikai and made it condo-like rooms? Here's our room description:
One king bed and one sofa bed. Furnished lanai with city view. 500 square feet. Kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, stove, coffee/tea maker, cookware, and dinnerware. High-speed Internet access (surcharge), cable/satellite TV with HBO, in-room safe, and complimentary local calls. Bathroom has shower only. Smoking not permitted inside guestroom. Accommodates four guests.
It seems like the Ilikai is in an all right spot next to the Hilton? Next to some lagoon or something? I know its a bit down from the main part of Waikiki beach but I think that'll be good. I'm also aware of the construction thats going on RIGHT next to this spot. I'm not **** about anything like that and I can put up with noise and all that.
We're officially getting into Honolulu airport at NOON on Tuesday Sept. 16th and staying for 6 nights. I think I can book some sort of shuttle from the airport to the hotel? Hoping so at least!
We can't thank all of you enough, you've been a big help.
We did end up already booking a spot and I hope it works out... the place is called Waikiki Marina Resort. Not to be confused with the Aqua Marina which got terrible ratings/reviews. It's 3.5 stars and says "Condo-style lodging within the Ilikai hotel." I guess they bought a 123-room section of the Ilikai and made it condo-like rooms? Here's our room description:
One king bed and one sofa bed. Furnished lanai with city view. 500 square feet. Kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, stove, coffee/tea maker, cookware, and dinnerware. High-speed Internet access (surcharge), cable/satellite TV with HBO, in-room safe, and complimentary local calls. Bathroom has shower only. Smoking not permitted inside guestroom. Accommodates four guests.
It seems like the Ilikai is in an all right spot next to the Hilton? Next to some lagoon or something? I know its a bit down from the main part of Waikiki beach but I think that'll be good. I'm also aware of the construction thats going on RIGHT next to this spot. I'm not **** about anything like that and I can put up with noise and all that.
We're officially getting into Honolulu airport at NOON on Tuesday Sept. 16th and staying for 6 nights. I think I can book some sort of shuttle from the airport to the hotel? Hoping so at least!
08-15-08, 10:18 AM
#53
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I think you'll be fine at the Ilikai. There used to be a nice restaurant at the top called Sorento's, but I'm not sure what's there now.
Cuttooth's suggestions were great. I'll second Alan Wong's, and can tell you their chef sampler is awesome. Definitely make reservations though and bring $$$ LOL. I spent the most ever on a dinner for two there, but it was pretty much well worth it. The other places are good as well.
Another birthday suggestion is Cafe Miro in Kaimuki. French-Pacific Rim type dining which I personally really like for a somewhat reasonable price (as far as fine dining is concerned). John Dominis is another gold-standard place where the seafood is excellent and the atmosphere is wonderful. Service was only so-so last time I was there though.
And about Sasabune...he's right on the mark there as well. I've never been there, but have heard stories about how strict he is as far as what goes with what. His fish is flown in from Japan though, so he means business. The other restaurant, Yohei is also well-known here for sushi, but is in Kalihi and you might be better off catching a cab to that one. There's another place across the street from Yohei called Ideta which I hear can be top-notch if the chef chooses to give you his best fish.
Olive Tree is awesome for Greek bistro-type food. You may have to do take-out though and eat it at the nearby park (j/k). Tables and parking are hard to come by.
I haven't actually checked out any of the Lost websites for actual shooting locations, but I do spend half the time trying to figure out where they are. A lot of CGI is done from what I can tell, so some locations will not be as obvious in everyday clothing.
Cuttooth's suggestions were great. I'll second Alan Wong's, and can tell you their chef sampler is awesome. Definitely make reservations though and bring $$$ LOL. I spent the most ever on a dinner for two there, but it was pretty much well worth it. The other places are good as well.
Another birthday suggestion is Cafe Miro in Kaimuki. French-Pacific Rim type dining which I personally really like for a somewhat reasonable price (as far as fine dining is concerned). John Dominis is another gold-standard place where the seafood is excellent and the atmosphere is wonderful. Service was only so-so last time I was there though.
And about Sasabune...he's right on the mark there as well. I've never been there, but have heard stories about how strict he is as far as what goes with what. His fish is flown in from Japan though, so he means business. The other restaurant, Yohei is also well-known here for sushi, but is in Kalihi and you might be better off catching a cab to that one. There's another place across the street from Yohei called Ideta which I hear can be top-notch if the chef chooses to give you his best fish.
Olive Tree is awesome for Greek bistro-type food. You may have to do take-out though and eat it at the nearby park (j/k). Tables and parking are hard to come by.
I haven't actually checked out any of the Lost websites for actual shooting locations, but I do spend half the time trying to figure out where they are. A lot of CGI is done from what I can tell, so some locations will not be as obvious in everyday clothing.
08-15-08, 10:34 AM
#54
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As far as her b-day dinner, we both have bad reactions to seafood. All of it. I know, it sucks. (no more sushi suggestions!! lol) I checked out Alan Wong's and our dinner options are pretty limited. She said she just wanted to do a dinner cruise for her b-day... more for the experience than anything else. Shes pretty picky with food and I've wasted hundreds of dollars on plates that I insisted she should try. Not a good idea. I feel bad because I love experimenting and trying new things but it just doesn't work the same for her.
Ruth's Chris steakhouse is good but we have those here. Hmmmm... =/
Ruth's Chris steakhouse is good but we have those here. Hmmmm... =/
Last edited by T.K.O.; 08-15-08 at 10:39 AM.
08-15-08, 11:29 AM
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So which bed are YOU sleeping on??? 
j/k I"m sure you'll like that place. Its close to the Hilton, so go and check out the Hilton when you have time at around sunset or later. The Hilton shoots fireworks every Friday nights at 8, so don't miss it.
You're not the only one. I love seafood, my wife has the same allergic reaction to seafood. Morton's has great steak, but also a mainland chain. Benihana at the Hilton or Kobe Steak House (right next to the Hilton) are great choices as well.
j/k I"m sure you'll like that place. Its close to the Hilton, so go and check out the Hilton when you have time at around sunset or later. The Hilton shoots fireworks every Friday nights at 8, so don't miss it.You're not the only one. I love seafood, my wife has the same allergic reaction to seafood. Morton's has great steak, but also a mainland chain. Benihana at the Hilton or Kobe Steak House (right next to the Hilton) are great choices as well.
08-15-08, 12:27 PM
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........ lets hope theres fair sized bathtub 
Thats great that the Kobe Steak House is so close. I'll have to check out some reviews on it!
08-15-08, 02:42 PM
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As far as her b-day dinner, we both have bad reactions to seafood. All of it. I know, it sucks. (no more sushi suggestions!! lol) I checked out Alan Wong's and our dinner options are pretty limited. She said she just wanted to do a dinner cruise for her b-day... more for the experience than anything else. Shes pretty picky with food and I've wasted hundreds of dollars on plates that I insisted she should try. Not a good idea. I feel bad because I love experimenting and trying new things but it just doesn't work the same for her.
Ruth's Chris steakhouse is good but we have those here. Hmmmm... =/
Ruth's Chris steakhouse is good but we have those here. Hmmmm... =/
08-15-08, 02:44 PM
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You may also want to try Big City Diner...they have about 5 restaurants on Oahu....the closest might be at Ward Entertainment Center....which is also close to Saturday night StarBuck meet.
http://bigcitydinerhawaii.com/locations.asp
Their menu is on this site as well. Portions are huge...and price is very reasonable...even in Hawaii.
http://bigcitydinerhawaii.com/locations.asp
Their menu is on this site as well. Portions are huge...and price is very reasonable...even in Hawaii.
Last edited by PHML; 08-15-08 at 02:48 PM.
08-15-08, 02:51 PM
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Nice let me check it out...
Saturday morning I'm renting a car and were going to North Shore to do the Shark Encounter thing. After that we're gonna go to some spots like Waimea Falls (sp?) and I guess some other places up there where LOST filmed. Hopefully we'll be back at around 6 o'clock so we can go grab some food and then.... some coffee? >8]
Saturday morning I'm renting a car and were going to North Shore to do the Shark Encounter thing. After that we're gonna go to some spots like Waimea Falls (sp?) and I guess some other places up there where LOST filmed. Hopefully we'll be back at around 6 o'clock so we can go grab some food and then.... some coffee? >8]