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"Yelp helped me find this gem :) We loved it so much, we ate here twice in one week! Casual, young, surfer vibe in this neighborhood eatery…" read more »
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I was recently on Oahu with some friends and when we started asking around about where to get some authentic Hawaiian food eveyrone pointed us to Ono and boy, am I glad they did! :-)
Don't be fooled by the unassuming location and decor -- it's all about the food here, trust me. I ordered the lau lau which was the best laulau I've ever had -- granted I'm a mainlander but I do love Hawaiian food and in CA we have more than a few HI eateries. I've also sampled it at luaus and on previous trips. This surpassed any laulau I'd had before.... so moist and flavorful. I also really liked how the leaf it was cooked in became part of the dish and was equally as tasty as the actual pork. The other thing that stood out in my mind was the macaroni salad -- holy smokes, I'm not sure what they put in this but it was divine!
My friends both got the khaula pork -- which I sampled and found quite tasty as well but have to admit the laulau and mac salad were the stars in my Ono book. ;-)
Also.. the service was friendly and prompt -- they didn't even mind when us dumb out of towners asked a ton of questions about what different things were on the menu. They seemed to truly enjoy sharing info about the food. :-)
Seriously?
This place is dirty, overpriced, and the food is like cafeteria food. Oh and not to mention, the service is really bad. I do not like to be treated like a second class citizen and told to go outside and wait on the bench. Just because you're so famous doesn't give you the right to throw customer service out the window.
Never again.
Yummmmm!!
This is, by far, the best Hawaiian food I've had. It's a tad pricey, but the portions are generous, and every special comes with a good variety of little dishes. We ordered all of the specials and shared them.
-Kalua pork: perfect: stringy and juicy with a perfect texture
-Laulau pork: also tasty, though I must say, my favorite part was the taro leaf that it was wrapped in.
-Chicken soup with clear noodles: OMG! How do they make this broth?? My husband and I are both wild for it.
-Salmon salad (w/tomato): Lovely. I wished the portions had been a bit bigger for this one.
The staff was very nice and personable, especially the patriarch (who I assume is Mr. Ono?), who came to our table 3 separate times to chat us up, and gave us extra dessert to take home.
We'll be back!!
I gotta say, while the food was durn good, this is not the best poke I had while in Hawaii this trip. I ordered taki poke spicy and it was NOT spicy. The ahi poke was good, but you mix it yourself so really they just brought us fresh cubed fish with nori. DH had a beauiful chicken soup though. Service was casual and fast, although not exactly what you would calll friendly.
Ono! I ate my weight in taro leaves!
Who knew that leaves could be so delicious? Usually when you wrap pork in something, anything, even more pork, you really just want to eat the pork inside. This vegetation was a rare exception to the pork wrapped rule. Lau lau pork is slow cooked pork wrapped in taro leaves and those taro leaves come out so flavorful and juicy that I could eat them for days.
If you've never tried pipikaula then you are missing out on a way to secretly eat beef jerky for dinner. The lomi salmon was like a tasty little salad that nicely offset all of the heavier dishes we were served.
The poi, especially the day old poi that my friend was so eager to order, is an acquired taste. I was told - definitively - that if I didn't like the poi at Ono Hawaiian Foods then I wasn't going to like the poi anywhere. Noted.
Thank goodness I was with someone who grew up in Hawaii, otherwise I would have no clue as to what I was ordering. He wasn't so sure that I was going to like the haupai, but I was shoving those delicious squares of coconut jelly into my mouth like I had grown up on a Pacific Island instead of the Pacific Northwest.
if authentic Hawaiian food supposed to taste like the food that they served here, then I already felt in love with it. the pork and chicken lau lau are delicious, I love the big chunk of fat that come with the pork lau lau. I was told by the waiter that in Hawaii you eat until it hurt and that just might be the case here, cuz I'm about to explode!!!
Upping my previous review by two stars. I know, two stars is a lot, but upon my last visit, I understood this place and the staff on another level.
First of all, their haupia, originally said to be be too cornstarchy, was really great this time, perfect, in fact.
Their kalua pork was perfectly cooked and seasoned.
The rice is really good! I hate when rice is too mushy or too dry, but Ono's is perfect.
The reviews are true: Ono's is kinda dirty. But, if you can power through eating on a table with leftover crumbs from a previous customers meal, or eating off of old, smudged plates, then you will have some of the best Hawaiian food in Waikiki.
The main staff member (is he the owner?) asked if we were locals, told us to pour chili water on our food, then proceeded to tell us about how his restaurant has changed over the years. He said Hawaiians like salt and fat, which is why lau lau is supposed to be fatty, and kalua pork is salty. But, now that Ono's attracts tourists who are health conscious, they now make their dishes a bit more lean. He sounded kind of sad, perhaps sentimental, but they are very friendly to new customers, explaining how to eat the meal and in what order the Hawaiians would eat their family style meal. Keep in mind, this is Hawaiian food, not Jawaiian or plate lunch style. You will not get mac salad with your meal, nor will you see loco moco (or any eggs for that matter) on the menu. Hawaiian, not plate lunch.
I hope you try this place. It is definitely a great place to see and experience!
I heart lau lau.
We ordered their lau lau and chicken long rice. When the food came, our table was…
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Very knick knacky almost dirty little restaurant with traditional Hawaiian food.
Very authentic food... We ordered the combo meal to split. It was tasty the laulau pork was presented in a way I had not come across on the island- wrapped in the leaves and on the bone vs. pureed spinach and meat in the mixture. Good flavors and the basics were well done. The meal was filling and great place to jump into my second island adventure right off the airplane.
FYI's~
* Not a whole lot of seating- but enough...
* Cash only
* Parking is easy to find near by
* Close the Rainbow drive in and Leonard's
* Can have long waits
* On par with Helena's- but a few dishes are done differently
Ono, you are a roughly hewn but valuable treasure.
Whenever my fortune genie whisks me away to Oahu, this is the one and only restaurant that I simply cannot miss.
Lau lau is lickem up ono.
Kalua pig is warm and delicious comfort food.
Chicken long rice is fun in my mouth.
I usually get the Lau lau plate dinner, which is way too much food: lau lau, pipikaula, lomi salmon, haupia, and choice of rice or poi. It's a good deal for so much incredible food. The place is pretty grungy, though with a nice neighborhood feel with pictures of local sports teams and customers on the wall. Beware of weekends and peak dining times, as there is nearly always a line outside. This last time, we only waited 5 minutes - which, according to the waiter meant that they were uncharacteristically slow for a Tuesday.
Fortune Genie, memorize this spot. I'll always come back.
What the heck? I thought Hawaiians were big. Here i am a skinny guy trying to get big and I ordered the Kalua Pork expecting a big pot of pig meat. But instead all I got was a little bowl I could have finished with 4 spoonsful. Don't get me wrong, the kalua pig was juicy and fatty like i like it. but i didn't get enough of it. I rented a car so i could go here... well, that's my only complaint.
I really wanted ono kine grindz while I was visiting my family in Hawaii. I'm Filipino, so when I say grindz to my family that usually entails spam, rice, eggs, and tomatoes with vinegar.
So, I told my cousin I wanted some GRINDZ! She took me here and I must say this was the perfect cap to end my trip.
My cousin and I ordered the laulau plate. When you cut into that mammoth purse, it steams up. So good. I believe each combo came with rice or poi, pipikaula, lomi salmon, and haupia. Imagine the surprise of our server when we asked him for an ala carte kahlua pig.
My other cousin ordered the chicken long rice plate with a side of squid luau. This is was my first time tasting squid luau, and I'm drooling as I write this review.
Small place, come early as it gets packed quick! BTW, don't stand around looking for a table. Sit ya bum outside on the bench, and they'll call you in.
Mmm sooooo ONO!! yeah?!!! EVERYTING from the Haupia, lomi lomi, to the LAU LAU.. oooohh soooo GOOOD. This Hawaiian restaurant is DIFFRENT from all others because 1. its not like L&L or Rainbows
2. ITS islandstyle "home" style cookin jus like tita made it!
yes they DEFINATELY NEED TO MAKE THE PLACE bigger, and No there isn't very much parking, but its DEFINATELY worth the wait if you wanna get your Island style grub on. TRY WAIT AND TRY IT!! (~.~) SOOOO ONO!!
Our last day here in Oahu and my friend's aunt suggested this place. It was very good. Enjoyed the food, I had the chicken long rice plate and my friends had the combination plate. Ordered beef stew which was my favorite. I'll be back when I visit Oahu again.
Discovered this place by accident two years ago. It's great - cash only, so be prepared or dart across to the ATM across the street. Healthy portions of food; the chicken long rice is particularly tasty! Definitely a hole-in-the-wall vibe, but oh so good.
Things you should know:
1. There is almost always a line out in front. Just wait in line because it's worth it. There is no list and you don't need to go in to check in. Da guy will come out and talk to you when he is ready for you. As they say on their hand written sign, " Be cool. No hu hu. No get mad."
2. The lau lau are almost as big as a small babies head. Bigger doesn't always mean better, but in this case it damn well does.
3. Get the poi. Dab the sweet Maui onions in salt , grab up a little kalua pork, dip it in the poi and then place in mouth. This might convert those people who aren't fans of poi.
4. Do not eat anything for 5 hours before arriving. You will not need to eat anything for five hours or more after you have your local style feast either.
5. If you don't eat here you're really missing out on some of the best Hawaiian soul food around.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
AND to the genius who gave Ono a one star uninformed review because they were closed on a Sunday, THINK about the fact that Yelp is for reviewing businesses that you have actually patronized and experienced NOT ones that you have driven by on your way to the airport. Try actually eating there and then writing a review.
I guess it really is just my unrefined palate for local hawaiian food, but I just don't enjoy it as other cuisines I've had in the past...
I found the butterfish luau to be very salty.
The chicken longrice soup was good, I enjoyed it, but they weren't very generous with the longrice.
The laulau was good & large. I really enjoyed the onions & sea salt - nothing special, but it was good.
My friend & I were lucky, we got seated right away cuz it was just the 2 of us. Parking is tough, we parked around the corner on some street.
The waiter was super nice & taught us how he ate the kalua pig.
Would I go again? Prob not, b/c I'm just not a fan of hawaiian food I guess :(
I think it's slightly more expensive than Highway Inn & I think I like it there a tad better AND it's closer to where I live... So I'd rather go there, if my friends wanted to try local hawaiian ...
Dude.. this place is freaking delicious.
After days and days of just mediocre places like Cheeseburger in Paradise, we came here after my brother suggested it.
Wow... talk about comfort food. We almost ordered one of everything on the menu. Laulau, pig, chicken, fish, all of it. OMG it was good!! I think the best thing ever is their "Salt Meat Watercress" Who the hell came up with that name. Cause it's aweful. It does the dish no justice. It should be called "Tastiest thing you will ever eat" cause it's freaking awesome.
Poi, poke, lomi, haupia, blah blah blah blah everything we ordered was delicious.
We got here at 11:05am. They open at 11:00am. We were the 3rd table, and by 11:15am, the place was full. Come here early. Or come here and expect to wait. It's worth the wait.
The prices compared to everyone else is awesome. The service is awesome. My only regret is not knowing about this place earlier. Cause I would have come here daily!
If you dont know what to order, ask the wait staff for suggestions. They are happy to help you.
Eat and BE HAPPY!!
We've been to Ono's multiple times. Every time we are in Oahu, we stop by for some ono kine grindz. For this visit, we shared a Kalua pig and Lau Lau plate... which included rice or poi, pipikaula, lomi salmon, and haupia. We also added a side of Chicken Long Rice. As usual, we were not disappointed. The food was yummy and we still had a lot of food leftover! I especially loved the Kalua pig with the chili water... it gave it a kick, but didn't overpower it. The Lau Lau is huge and could've served 3 people! It was really finger-lickin' good! Come to this place if you are looking for authentic Hawaiian food and want to experience the local Hawaiian flavor.
TAKE NOTE: There is not a lot of parking on the street and at times it can take you multiple time to circle around to finally find parking. So, plan ahead.
If you want to experience authentic Hawaiian food, this place is a great spot! Its a bit small but I guess that what makes it feel like home! The walls are covered with pictures of past customers and random souvenirs.
The service is fast and friendly! And the food is brought out to you on time! What i found funny was that the dish-ware was random and made in the 70's. It gave everything that homestyle feel.
If its your first time eating here, try not to order the combo meals. They are used as a default choice for unknowing tourist. Not everyone has a palette for poi.
We ordered:
1. Beef Stew with potatoes
2. Pork Lau Lau
3. Chicken long rice
4. Poke (with a side of onions and sauce)
5. One bowl of Rice
Note*
When you find this place, just peep your head inside to see if its busy. If it is, you will need to wait outside on the bench and they will call you in.
Me and a bunch of my brothers finally took a lil vaca in Honolulu. I really wanted to try something authentic and thats what I got AUTHENTIC!
ORDERED
1. POI a root pudding a staple of the Polynesians!
2. Spinach
As a vegetarian I couldn't eat anything else but that haha!
STAFF
Friendly
SERVICE
so-so
FOOD QUALITY:
They have these small old sckool looking bowl that they use...it's like cafeteria hard plastic plates. To be honest I felt that everything was a bit watered down.
FOOD QUANTITY:
Portions are ok.
SHALL I RETURN?
Maybe
OTHER NOTES: This place is very small. You have to wait outside to be seated.
4.5 stars.
This was our first meal in Honolulu during our first trip to Hawai'i. So I have no idea what authentic Hawaiian food tastes like, but I chose this restaurant for its authentic, no frills approach to good honest food.
I read about the waiting bench outside and was dying to try the kaluha pig and lau lau. We arrived before the rush and didn't wait too long to get a table for four along the back wall covered in memorabilia. We ordered (in order of the tastiest) pork laulau, kalua pig, chicken watercress soup, beef curry, butterfish, (purple) sweet potato which came served cold. And poi...
The laulau was so tender and soft it barely needed chewing and reminded me of the Cantonese braised belly pork which is usually served with a cabbage. The kalua pig was outstanding. The soup was the first dish to arrive and didn't last long! The beef curry was disappointing as it seemed to lack flavor; it was just like a Japanese curry but one made from curry mix cubes you add water to. I quite liked the sweet potato but it was a little odd being cold. The butterfish was pretty bland and a bit boney. The poi was like melted lard with little flavor. I didn't give it a second try.
You can't get a better introduction to Hawaiian food than Ono. The setting, the service (generations of the same family) and the menu are all authentic. This was one of my favorite meals during our 9 day stay.
I love the food, the ambiance and the employees. The owner is awesome, super cool, very personable and genuinely nice.
The space isn't large and during peak hours, you usually have to wait for a table but the wait is fine because the food is fabulous. I love the pipikaula, the onions and Hawaiian salt, the lomi lomi salmon, the poi, the super large lau lau with butterfish, and the perfect haupia.
Soooo good and I always feel like Magnum P.I. or Jack Lord is going to walk in or be in the next booth. Ono's small size and homey interior is part of its charm ... reminds me of old time Hawaii, before all the flash and over-commercialization.
I'm deducting a 1/2 star for not accepting credit cards, but man oh man, was this place deelish!
We stopped by for lunch after some time at the beach. Parking is scarce in the area so we parked around the corner on Date St.
The decor was cool, with the walls covered with pictures of movie and television stars -- not a new concept, but interesting to think that you could be sitting in the same spot as Yuji "Chozen" Okumoto and Danny "Sato" Kamekona (the two antagonists in Karate Kid II).
We ordered two Special plates: Laulau and Chicken Long Rice. Had we have known how much food was about to come out we would have just ordered the Laulau!
The food comes with a little history lesson, a map, and instruction. They lay out the food in a certain way, and they tell you how to eat it.
The Laulau was really good -- not too much fat but really juicy and tender! We had no idea what the Chicken Long Rice was, but when it came out it was very similar to Chicken Sotanghon (Filipino glass noodle soup).
Like I said, it was a lot of food, great service, at reasonable prices.
ARGH Ono, What Happened to You?!?!
The taste is not the same after that one guy passed away. Did he forget to tell the secret ingredient? Did he have the magic fingers? We'll never know. Oh so sad, so sad...
And the prices went up, too! Price up, quality down...Frustration!!! I noticed that we weren't the only couple sharing a combination plate. We ordered double lomi and poi to make up for us sharing. And we got really full from that. I think the only thing I really enjoyed was the poi, but that's kind of hard to mess up. I've only tasted bad poi once and it's because I bought it off the side of the road.
But I do have to say that service is great. They always seem to remember if you are a newbie or not. I don't know how, because so many people go through here.
Go to Ono's because it's Ono's and remember how it used to be.
After an hour hike from Diamond Head to get here... I don't think the food could taste any better!!!!
Not just the hike and starvation made this food great!, but this place really is amazing, just like everyone had said.
We ordered 2 of everything on the menu since we had a big group and my favorite dishes were the butter fish (which you had to find swimming in the seaweed filled bowl, not literally swimming, but it was hard to find lol), their was this beef jerky type stuff which was tasty, but more of a snack than for a meal ( i still liked it a lot), the Kalua Pork tasted like all the others, yummy, and the Lau Lau was the first time I've ever tried it and it was good as well.
The beef stew wasn't for my taste buds, but everyone else liked it.
Also, I forgot what it was called but it had salmon pieces, & was mixed with something that looked like salsa. That was another favorite of everyone's, except mine because I don't like fresh tomatoes.
Luckily when we went it had JUST opened and we were second in line, but when we were done eating there was already a 30 minute wait. This place filled up so quick!
Before we left I bought an Ono's Hawaiian T-Shirt, $15 dollars, but since I was on vacation and a tourist I decided to sport it. It was black with a screen printed pig in a hula skirt iin bright pink on it. Great for girls, probably not really guys.
I liked this place, but if there was a wait and I was hungry... I would probable go somewhere else.
If you don't care about the ambience of the place, this is the place to go for authentic Hawaiian food.
Parking could be found on the streets, not too bad. The place is small though so there could be a long wait.
Food was really, really good. I had the lau lau pork special and I wanted to finish everything but couldn't - portions were large!
Service was fine. They don't smile much so I think it is more about efficiency - getting you in and out. One of the waiter /owner did offer to take our pictures though, which was nice. But after we finished our food they obviously wanted us to leave ASAP because I think they close at 8pm (it was a Thursday evening).
One nice thing, they were able to split the bill for all of us (we had 8 in the party).
Short version:
It's good. Go and try it.
Long version:
It's not that easy to find, but not impossible. No private parking lot. A small dining room. Real decorations that can't be bought. Cash only. That last point is GREAT b/c it's a clear sign of "I don't care if you normally don't carry cash, cuz you will if you want to eat here you will!, and it's a big F.U. to the credit card companies and government...i love it. We got the combination plate to share. A pepsi, and a side order of kimchi. Enough food for two normal-eating adults. My favorite was the kalua pig. It was just perfectly cooked imho. The pork laulau was good, but in retrospect we should've gotten it with chicken. The kimchi wasn't that great for my Korean taste buds. The coconut stuff was good, but for an American dessert, it's definitely not sweet enough. The salmon was great, but we didn't realize it was the salmon until we almost finished it (just wasn't paying attention). The beef was pretty good, but it's a small portion. The white rice was a little stickier than I am used to, but tasted great. I was a little perplexed by the strips of fresh cut white onions. I just ate them raw, but I think we were supposed to put it in one of the dishes. All the food came out really quick. It's just the way it is I think. Certainly not a sign of "fast food". $25 all in... I will go back again!
No I didn't try the food!
Thanks for raining on my parade Ono's!
Ok...
so people rave about this place... so I had to try it out for myself.
but with BAD CUSTOMER service... you will lose business!
there are other fishes in the sea! Not just Ono's!
Ono Hawaiian Foods is on the bottom of my list, thanks to last night!
Came by here last night, hoping to get a chance to taste what everyone is raving about!
We pulled up around 7ish... scored a great parking right in front... things were looking good... there was no line either. Asked if we could be seated and they told us there would be a wait... then the guy came out with a rude attitude and told us alot of food was already sold out... basically telling us to leave. We asked what was left and he wasn't that helpful, it's almost as if they are so popular that he didn't care to give us the time of day to talk. Talk about bad customer service. He was really RUDE and could've cared less.
After last night's experience... I don't care about how good the food is... I'm not planning on going back to make a 2nd attempt. I rather eat Hawaiian food at another business.
#303 review
0 stars for NO ALOHA!
We had dinner here tonight after seeing this place on the Travel Channel with Anthony Bordaine..
The restaurant is small (20 people cap) and the furnishings are sparse and old school (think 1960's tables/chairs).
We ordered the kalua pig, pipikaula (think beef jerky), lomi salmon, haupia (coconut jello), portuguese sausage, poi and beef stew.
The food was very authentic, local Hawaiian style entrees.
The service was excellent, the prices were quite high considering the portions were very small.
If you want to try a local, old school joint, U must come here.
The place is small, be prepared to wait!!
This place is awesome! The lau lau is unbelievably good and kalua pork is so moist and delicious. The portions are huge and it's hard to finish everything even if though the food is soo yummy. The haupia was my favorite part of the meal. So light and cold and creamy. The best I've ever had. This place is great especially cause the prices are so reasonable being in such a high tourist area. The staff is so nice and friendly especially to all the tourists who aren't familiar with Hawaiian cuisine. The restaurant is pretty small so you might have to wait outside for a bit for a table to open up. Definitely check this place out if you're in the Honolulu area. You won't be disappointed.
Thanks Anthony Bourdain for coming here!!! Ono's was on the show No Reservations, Hawaii. I came here a year ago because Bourdain promoted it.
The place is a little small, but the service is great. The food is delicious, especially the Portuguese sausage. If you want to try Hawaiian food without being too adventurous, I recommend this place.
This place. This place. If you go to Hawai'i and don't go here, you should understand that you are missing a truly fantastic and traditional homestyle Hawaiian Plate Lunch. There is no other. Ono's is the spot and will remain to be the spot in Honolulu. Visit this place. Worth it.
It seems silly to go to Hawaii and not try the local food. Everyone talked up this place so we definitely had to try it.
I ordered the chicken long rice plate and the bf ordered the combination plate. I must admit that I ordered my plate not fully knowing all if the food I would be received our waiter asked us if we wanted a side of rice or poi. My bf responded that we didn't know what poi was and the waiter decided that we should get rice but he would bring us some poi to try. I really liked the limo salmon and the kalua pig. I think poi is an acquired taste that I haven't yet gotten yet.
I think the best part of the experience was having one of the waiters come to our table and explain everything to us. He told me how the best way to drink my soup and how to the best flavor of the poi. He was so charming and hospitable and it really made our experience. Make sure you bring cash because it's the only thing accepted here. I was so pleased and full at the end of our meal!
The Lau Lau plate filled me up!! I wasn't hungry for another 5-6 hours! Seriously! It was my first time eating here even though I've been to Oahu the past three years. My friend who's stationed at Pearl ate here for the first time too. He didn't even know about this place until I told him about it and where it was. Glad we stopped by here before he took me on a tour around the island. Great food! Next time...the Kalua pig =). I had my camera with me and forgot to take a picture of my food.
I ate the best lau lau in my entire fatty life here. It was freakin amazing. Even the leaf tasted good. The kahlua pork, butterfish, long rice chicken, poi, and curry beef were just ok. You have to eat the lau lau.
I don't really know what the hype is about. I give them 3-Stars for the food & give them a 0.5-Stars for having pretty good service.
Kalua Pig, Laulau, Rice, Poke Fish, Haupia (Coconut Jello Dessert), Long Chicken Rice
http://static4.px.yelp...
(Saturday, June 6, 2009)
I love authentic Hawaiian food and I can't believe I didn't try this place until my 4th time in Oahu! I kept hearing from my best friend about how good the food was when she was there, so when we finally went back together with our boyfriends, we knew this had to be a place we ate at. The staff was extremely helpful in helping us determine what to order. We ended up getting one of the combinations along with the chicken long rice and the ahi poke. We definitely weren't disappointed by the food...it was sooo good that I stopped by here again when I went back to Oahu this past May.
FYI, this place is very tiny so don't come here during peak meal hours. Also, the place is cash only.
LOL! Have you guys seen the sign outside? The store is pretty small, so there's a sign on the door asking you to wait outside to be seated. I'm attaching a picture of the sign, but here's the text:
ALOHA
Please wait outside to be seated
Make a line to the right
Be cool
No get mad
We will be with you Very soon
Be happy & enjoy
(The aloha)
Mahalo & Thank You
Hahhaha so we were a bit taken aback by that. Anyway, we were seated pretty quickly by a sweet older woman who has probably been there for ages.
We explained that we're totally new to Hawaiian food, so she very kindly and patiently explained what everything was (the menu doesn't really offer descriptions of what pipikaula or laulau are). She suggested that the combo ($17) would be good for two to share, so we did that. We opted for rice instead of poi... sorry guys, I just haven't developed a taste for that stuff yet!
She brought our food quickly, and even brought a little bowl of poi for us to try - very sweet of her. I felt guilted into trying it... it was less bleh than the poi I'd had the previous night at a luau, but still not my cup of tea. The kalua pig was incredibly moist, but it was also rather salty and I couldn't eat much of it. And this is ME! Saying something is too salty! For those of you who don't know me, I will happily eat Top Ramen every day, even if it's just dry noodles with the salt packet poured on. Anyway, I digress.
The laulau was new to me; we chose pork, and it was pretty good. However, I personally didn't like the flavor of the taro leaf wrapping. Poke was pretty good and flavorful and fresh. I really enjoyed the coconut pudding for dessert - not too jiggly, not too sweet, just right.
There was one thing that makes me want to give Ono moooooore stars - the chicken long rice soup! Oh my god, so well-seasoned and tasty. Please please please order that!
It was a nice experience to come here, and I do get the feeling that this is pretty darn good local fare, but I think that these flavors are not my preference. Ah well. I still think it's a must try if you are in Honolulu!
Good food & large servings. Only wish there was more parking & more tables.
This place is overrated. I had the Lau Lau with rice and a pepsi. The Lau Lau had a ton of MSG and gave me a major headache. The rice was soft and mushy instead of my preferred light and fluffy. The Pepsi was the best part of the meal.
Ultimate failure.
Honolulu, HI
Category: Hawaiian
Honolulu, HI
Category: Hawaiian
Honolulu, HI
Category: Hawaiian
Honolulu, HI
Category: Ethnic Food
Honolulu, HI
Category: Hawaiian
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