Breakfast at San Paolo Pizzeria

Eggs Benedict

Known for their AYCE pizza dinners, San Paulo Pizzeria is also open for breakfast Friday through Monday. Located in the former Outback Steakhouse on Ala Moana Blvd., San Paulo serves classic American breakfast dishes like eggs benedicts and omelets, but also features a signature Brazilian breakfast as well as salads, sandwiches, and pastas.

The restaurant is large and spacious, and the service was friendly and attentive. I had the slow cooked beef short rib eggs benedict, and it was delicious! I also enjoyed the pancakes which were cooked perfectly - fluffy with a crisp edge. 

Chicken and Pancetta Sandwich

Spaghetti Carbonara

Slow cooked Beef Short Ribs Eggs Benedict

Pancakes with fruits on side

House-made Omelet

American Breakfast

Large dining area

The restaurant is perfect for large groups and can accommodate up to 140 guests. Validated parking is available in the structure for $5 for 4 hours. 

San Paolo Pizzeria

1765 Ala Moana Boulevard

Honolulu, Hawaii 

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Nori Bar Waikiki

4 roll set: spicy ahi, maguro, Hokkaido scallop, and blue crab

Located on Kuhio Avenue, Nori Bar Waikiki is a casual eatery specializing in quality handrolls featuring fresh fish. In addition to a variety of handrolls, they also offer sashimi sets and nigiri sushi. Our party enjoyed some shared starters and then ordered about 4 handrolls each. The service was friendly and we never felt rushed. The only downside was the limited parking at Hyatt Centric. Nori Bar Waikiki is open daily from 11am to 10pm and you can make a reservation on Open Table.

Seared Ahi Tataki (fave!)

Hamachi Carpaccio

Marguro Avocado roll

New Zealand King Salmon roll

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Lunch at TsuruTonTan a Hit with Our Family

Signature Lunch Special

It can be a challenge to find a reasonably priced restaurant with a large enough menu to accommodate a 10 person family with kids with picky palates. On top of that, we like restaurants with ample parking. 

TsuruTonTan is located in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and opens daily at 11:30am. They offer their happy hour prices until 5:30pm. They also offer monthly specials as well as kama'aina deals. My husband was most impressed with their January $3 draft Sapporo special.

We ordered a variety of dishes and most of us had their in-house daily made fresh udon which was excellent. Service was also great. We all had a great meal and I think this may be our go to in the future!

Takoyaki

Chicken karaage

Curry Udon

Aburi Shime Saba

Spicy Chicken and Cheese

Beef Udon

Taiyaki dessert with ice cream

Parking is validated for one hour at the restaurant, but if you are Kamaʻāina or military, you can receive 3 hours free parking with a purchase of $25 or more. Guests can receive their Kamaʻāina & Military validations from Helumoa Hale Guest Services, from 11 AM through 8 PM, located Building B, Level 1, next to The Royal Grove.

TusurTonTan

Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center

2233 Kalakaua Ave Ste B 310 

Honolulu, HI 96815

 

 

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Botanico Waikiki

Burrata and Tomato

I was so impressed by Botanico Waikiki when I attended their media event, that I returned with my friend who was visiting Hawaii. My friend has a gluten allergy and fortunately Botanico offers gluten free spaghetti.

We started with the Burrata and Tomato appetizer and I had the House Bolognese which was one of my favorites from the media event. Dinner was delicious! 

House Bolognese

Botanico offers Kama'aina 10% off dinner and 20% off lunch for food only and excludes happy hour. Seems like you need to ask for this discount as it was not offered to me when I dined. The restaurant is open daily from 11:30am and provides 3 hours validated parking at Waikiki Shopping Plaza with a minimum purchase of $30 in the restaurant. 

Botanico
Waikiki Shopping Plaza 1F
2250 Kalakaua Ave #101
Honolulu, HI 96815

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Dinner at Earls Waikiki

My friend wanted to celebrate her birthday at Earls Waikiki and I was excited to try the new restaurant that has 70 locations in the US and Canada. Getting a reservation for a large group on a Friday night was surprisingly easy. The toughest part was figuring out where to park as the restaurant has no validated parking. I decided to park at International Market Place and get validation with a $25 purchase. 

From the parking, it's about a 7 minute walk to Earls. After you check in at the host stand, go up the escalator. The restaurant is open air and was pretty warm that busy night so dress accordingly. The restaurant looks trendy and upscale with lots of greenery and dim lighting. I really liked the fun and lively atmosphere. I was also pleasantly surprised at the variety of dishes the menu offered from pricier steaks to more reasonably priced items like burgers and salads compared to other Waikiki restaurants.  

I ordered the carne tacos and they were delicious! Our group had a great time. Our server was pretty amazing and took good care of us. We were lucky to be seated at a long table as we saw a group squeezed tightly in a booth. The restaurant was also very accommodating and allowed us to bring a cake and did not charge a cutting fee. The parking is a bit of a deterrent, but I would like to return for their brunch menu in the future. 

Carne Tacos

Truffle Tortellini add prime sirloin

Beautiful restaurant

Earls Waikiki

2280 Kalākaua Ave Ste 201 

Honolulu, HI 96815

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ALOH Health Bar & Cafe in Waikiki

Ala Moana Bowl

On a recent staycation in Waikiki, my friend suggested we eat breakfast at ALOH Health Bar & Cafe. They offer coffee, acai bowls, and toasts, but best of all it was a 3-minute walk from our hotel. Conveniently located on Seaside, it appears to be a small shop from the outside, but you will find ample seating in the spacious cozy cafe including a couch in the back.

I ordered the Avocado Toast - Vegan Sourdough Bread, Fresh Avocado, Cream Cheese, Oregano Leaves, Himalayan Pink Salt, Cracked Pepper, Bagel Seasoning, ALOH Dressing. It may not look amazing, but I enjoyed it very much. The sourdough is flavorful and chewy. My friends loved their acai bowls and favored the Caprese Toast and Basil Pesto Toast. The acai bowls come in three different sizes so my friends opted for a small size bowl to pair with their toast.

ALOH Health Bar & Cafe is open daily from 6:30am to 10pm and you can order online for pickup. After 12pm, they offer milky shave ice. 

Avocado Toast

Basil Pesto Toast

Caprese Toast

Honey Ricotta Toast

Diamond Head Bowl - SMALL

ALOH Health Bar & Cafe

407 Seaside Ave Honolulu, HI 96815

  

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Lunch Specials at Appetito Craft Pizza and Wine Bar

Granchio Fettuccine

We were speechless when we arrived to Appettito in Waikiki and learned they did not
serve their delicious pizzas during lunch. For a split second we debated whether we
should just leave, but after the shock wore off we decided to stay and check out their
lunch sets.

The lunch sets feature an assortment of delicious sounding pastas and a daily
sandwich. Each special comes with a salad and soft drink, coffee, or tea. While we missed the pizzas a lot, the pasta dishes were definitely a welcomed consolation. 

Homemade Lasagna

Bacon and Eggplant Arrabiata

Shrimp Genovese Pasta

Daily Sandwich - Egg salad

Salad with set

Lunch is served from 11am to 1:30pm followed by Happy Hour from 3pm to 6pm. Hopefully, they begin to serve pizzas at lunch. Service was friendly and attentive. Validated parking is available at the Outrigger Waikīkī Paradise Hotel (formerly Ohana Waikiki East).

Appetito Craft Pizza and Wine Bar

150 Kaiulani Ave Honolulu, HI 96815

808-501-2001

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Graduates Eat Free Promo at Arden Waikiki

Celebrating with Baked Hawaii

I've been wanting to take my family to dine at Arden Waikiki for awhile so when I spotted their Graduates Eat Free promotion, I knew it was time to make that reservation. From May 14 through June 15, graduates dine free with parties of four or more which was perfect for our family to celebrate my daughter's graduation from high school. 

The menu by husband and wife duo, Chefs Makoto Ono and Amanda Cheng, are meant to be shared family style. We were off to a great start with the Smoked Ahi Poke served with sweet potato chips and  Fries with Mentaiko Smoked Trout Roe. My daughter liked the fries so much, we requested another order. For the rest of the meal we shared the Mushroom Rice, Brussel Sprouts, Ahi, Kanpachi, and Ribeye which was more than what we could eat. All the dishes were beautifully presented and very tasty. My favorites were the poke, ahi, and mushroom rice. My son loved the juicy ribeye and we devoured all the desserts. It was a great dinner! The food was amazing, service was excellent, and the venue was relaxing.  

French 75 and Calpico Sour. So delicious!

Smoked Ahi Poke

Fries with Spicy Mayo + Mentaiko Smoked Trout Roe

Mushroom Rice

Brussel Sprouts

Charcoal Grilled Peppercorn Ahi

Steamed Kona Kanpachi

16 ounce Ribeye

Brownie Bar, Laie Vanilla Panna Cotta, and Baked Hawaii

For the promotion, Arden Waikiki is celebrating all graduates; any type from preschool to college and on. The promotion requires you to present a diploma, photo with diploma, or proof of graduation. The graduate will receive a credit equal to the average food cost per person, up to $80. One discount per table/per party and not combinable with any other discount or promotion. You can make a reservation on Open Table.

Self parking available at the Lotus Hotel.

Arden Waikiki

2885 Kalakaua Ave Fl 2 

Honolulu, HI 96815

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Breakfast at Basalt Waikiki

Pork Belly Fried Rice

My family recently celebrated Mother's Day with breakfast at Basalt Waikiki. Already a favorite of ours for dinner, it had been awhile since we dined for breakfast. Located in the Dukes Lane Market, Basalt is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and dinner.

I like that the breakfast menu is not overwhelming and that there is something for everyone. Plus, the entrees are reasonably priced; especially for Waikiki which makes it a great value for families. 

Avocado Garden Toast + salmon

Basalt Breakfast

Charcoal Buttermilk Pancakes

Loco Moco

Eggs Benedict

We had a lovely time at breakfast and service was great! There's both indoor and outdoor seating. Basalt offers complimentary validation for self-parking at the Hyatt Centric Waikiki Hotel (entrance off of Seaside). 

Basalt Waikiki
2255 Kuhio Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815
808.923.5689

 

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