Top 15 Picks of a Las Vegas Man Who Eats Out in Honolulu 180 Times a Year

 

I met Young Park and his wife, Angela Tang, at a sushi counter. Snapping photos and sunburned from the beach, they seemed like many other tourists—until I overheard Park swapping dining recs with the local to my left. Jajangmyeon at On Dong Chinese Restaurant, he said. Twice-cooked pork at Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine. I’d just researched both places for HONOLULU Magazine’s April food feature. Not only was Park on the money, he was onto places most locals don’t know about. “First, you eat the pork mixed in with noodles,” he was saying, hunkered over and inhaling as if Wu Wei’s barbecued pork were in front of him. “Next, you put it over rice. That’s the way to eat it.”

 

We kept in touch. I learned that Park, a banking attorney based in Las Vegas, helped open ‘Ohana Pacific Bank on Kapi‘olani Boulevard in the late 1990s. His family has run the Los Angeles K-town institution Soot Bull Jeep since the 1980s, one of the few Korean barbecue spots still using charcoal grills. In the last seven years, Park says, he and Tang have been to Honolulu 15 times, staying a month at a time and eating out every meal. They do the same in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Xi‘an (Tang’s hometown in China) and Tokyo. These are also their favorite food cities, along with Miami, Busan in South Korea and Osaka, Japan.

 

What does a regular visitor who loves eating so much—obsessively, at every level from sushi omakase to noodles—love to eat most in Honolulu? Before I could ask, Park offered his Top 15 dishes. So here they are.

 

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Iberico pork shoulder and octopus a la Gallega, El Cielo

The Iberico pork (medium rare and only prepared by chef Masa Gushiken) is flavorful and juicy with zero gaminess, and the house-made Maui onion sauce, paprika purée and mushrooms pair optimally with it. The octopus, cooked to a perfect medium rare, is easily one of the best I’ve ever tasted anywhere. Potato slices and chimichurri sauce take the dish to the next level.

346 Lewers St., (808) 772-4533, @elcielo_hawaii

 

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SEE ALSO: Hawai‘i’s Best New Restaurants of 2023

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Regular jajangmyeon, On Dong Chinese Restaurant

What the best jajangmyeon black soybean noodle dishes used to taste like in L.A. K-town in the ’80s and ’90s, down to the kim chee and raw onions and daikon pickles on the side (but better here because it’s locally sourced).

1499 S. King St., (808) 947-9444

 

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Smash burger, The Daley

As a SoCal In-N-Out Double-Double guy, I am not a fan of smash burgers. But chef Robert Urquidi from Ethel’s Grill said this was his favorite, and I am now a huge fan. The meat quality is so good you can eat the patty on its own. And it’s really smashed so that the edges are thin and crispy. Comes only with American cheese, a special house sauce with a hint of wasabi (damn good) and a slightly sweet potato bun made for exactly this burger structure. You can order to go and eat it 30 minutes later and it will taste absolutely fine. You cannot do that with a Double-Double from In-N-Out.

1110 Nu‘uanu Ave., @thedaleyburger

 

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SEE ALSO: You May Want to Eat at Chinatown’s New Burger Bar Daley

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Delectable Cilbir, Istanbul

The fact that this weekend-only dish was enjoyed by sultans in the 1500s just makes it more special. The poached local eggs with the family’s mint yogurt sauce, Turkish sweet peppers, pine nuts and house-made sourdough bread are amazing.

1108 Auahi St., (808) 772-4440, istanbulhawaii.com, @istanbulhawaii

 

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SEE ALSO: Istanbul Adds Mediterranean Brunch Fare to Weekends in Kaka‘ako

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Hamburger steak, Ethel’s Grill

The regular hamburger steak, not the Japanese one with ponzu and grated daikon. Comes with a scoop of rice and simple salad with house-made parsley-Dijon dressing. Get it with extra dark brown gravy—Urquidi adds small pieces of cabbage for texture and to balance the richness of the hamburger steak. It’s the same idea as Jewish corned beef and cabbage and it’s brilliant. The hamburger steak itself is juicy with crisp edges and great flavor. Served out of a styrofoam box but great even like this.

232 Kalihi St., (808) 847-6467, @ethelsgrill_kalihi

 

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Meatballs, Brick Fire Tavern

Red tomato sauce, shaved parmesan and the house focaccia are perfect paired with the three good-sized meatballs of this appetizer. The mix of local beef and pork delivers a fantastic texture—not too hard and not too soft. Great flavor and juicy. Get it with the Caesar salad, and you will be in heaven.

3447 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 379-2430, brickfiretavern.com, @brickfiretavern

 

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Shrimp quesadillas, Pā‘ia Fish Market

The fresh fish plates here are great, but you can find them at many places. The shrimp quesadillas, though, are bomb. Even by L.A. Mexican food standards, this dish is very good: The shrimps are jumbo and generously portioned, and a thin layer of refried beans gives the quesadilla a rich, creamy texture.

Multiple locations, paiafishmarket.com, @paiafishmarket

 

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French toast, Over Easy

Honestly, all the dishes I’ve had here are damn good. But I’ve not eaten a better French toast anywhere else on this planet. It has a slight crisp outside (the “cinnamon toast crunch”), a soft and airy inside, and it is not doughy or bready at all. Flavor and texture are Michelin-star worthy.

418 Ku‘ulei Road, (808) 260-1732, overeasyhi.com, @overeasyhi

 

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Oxtail porridge, Aburiya Ibushi

A simple dish that’s executed perfectly. Just the right rice-to-broth ratio. Generous portions of oxtail meat. Made with customer satisfaction in mind and not profits.

740 Kapahulu Ave., (808) 738-1038, @aburiya_ibushi

 

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Taco rice and gyoza pizza, Izakaya Naru

True Okinawa dishes and so rare. Taco and not tako! Served in a hot stone pot (Korean dol sol bibimbap style) with white rice, Mexican taco-seasoned ground beef, cheese, lettuce, chunky salsa (Pace Picante style and not pico de gallo) and a raw egg yolk that gets scrambled in front of you until fully mixed and then spread against the hot stone bowl so the rice can cook to a crisp. The gyoza pizza is paper thin and tastes like a smashed gyoza with cheese. Super tasty and unique.

2700 S. King St., (808) 951-0510, naru-honolulu.com, @izakaya.naru

 

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Country style miso soup, Got’z Grinds

Made with love, this is a recipe from a lovely Japanese couple with three daughters who started this to-go spot. Their beef and spicy chicken bowls are probably the best on the island, but the tonjiru pork miso soup is next level. Served piping hot (like McDonald’s hot coffee back in the days before they got sued) with generous chunks of potatoes, carrots, onions and tofu.

45-726 Kamehameha Hwy, (808) 234-0818, gotzgrindz.com, @gotzgrindz_gotzkitchen

 

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SEE ALSO: Hidden Gem: Got’z Grindz Musubis in Kāne‘ohe

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Motsu nabe, Yakitori Ando

This is the final item that is served as part of the chicken-focused omakase yakitori. Don’t get me wrong, the yakitori is very good, but there are plenty of similar or better caliber. It’s the nabe that is truly next level. Motsu (beef intestines), cabbage and chives are piled high when the hot pot is brought to the table and set on a live flame. They melt into a lip-smacking broth that is rich in collagen. This is liquid gold, and I think it may cure depression!

1215 Center St., (808) 739-5702, @yakitoriando

 

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SEE ALSO: Hawai‘i’s Senior Yakitori Master Has Opened His Own Restaurant

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Sushi Gyoshin

Easily the best high-end sushi spot on Oahu and for quality and freshness of ingredients, among the best in New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Majority of the seafood is sourced from Japan or Hawai‘i. The sushi is traditional but with flair that is not pretentious. No courses taste alike. Pieces are perfectly seasoned, with no need for additional shoyu or wasabi. The ambiance suits the level of sushi that is served. Seats eight people max in a minimalist setting that is clean, cozy and warm. You get to interact directly with chef Hiroshi Tsuji, who is professional and friendly but not overly talkative. $150 for 16 courses of sushi, hot dishes and creative mixed dishes—and BYOB (for now)—is an incredible bargain.

436 Pi‘ikoi St., (808) 853-7097, sushigyoshin.com, @sushi_gyoshin

 

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Twice-cooked pork with large egg noodles, Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine

I like to call this cozy shop the God of Noodles. The twice-cooked pork is a dish from the heavens that I have yet to grow tired of despite having enjoyed way too many days at a time. The pork is light and crispy with a good chew, but not tough at all. Great seasoning includes black bean sauce and is milder than Wu Wei’s other dishes. Better than anything I’ve had in China (my wife is from Xi‘an) and a must-try for noodle lovers.

1738 S. King St., (808) 741-2297, @wuweicuisine

 

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SEE ALSO: At Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine, a World of Street Food Noodles

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Peanut kaya maritozzi, Breadshop

It is described as “a sweet bun filled with kaya, pandan whipped cream and roasted peanuts.” But it’s much more. Credit this wonder to Breadshop’s pastry chef, Amanda Tabadero: To create this as a to-go item is crazy—it should be served as a special dessert at somewhere upscale, with a price in the range of $21 and not $7.50. The bun, while fantastic, is not the superstar; the pandan whipped cream is. Words can’t describe it, except holy sheez. Fridays only, order in advance online, pick up at 2 p.m. sharp, eat right away.

3408 Wai‘alae Ave., exploretock.com/breadshop, @breadshophnl