Skip to main content

Two Waikiki Restaurants to Try & One to Skip

Skillet of Lasanga

Dining in Waikiki

My dear polite travelers,

When traveling, I sometimes feel that we are always searching for our next meal.  Is this place good?  Does that place serve wine?  Well, for our most recent trip to Waikiki, we decided to revisit one of our favs and test the waters on a few more.    

Hula Grill: The View & So Much More

For those of you who follow me, you know how much I love the Hula Grill.  It’s a great combo of good food, affordable prices, friendly staff, and one of the best views in Waikiki.  

For this trip, we kept it simple with bar food: a hamburger with fries, battered portobello mushroom, and Hula Grill Tacos.  Every dish was good, not great, but good—with one exception.  The battered portobello mushrooms were excellent—crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside with an enticing, earthy flavor. 

Hula Grill; 2335 Kalakaua Ave., Suite 203

Cheaper Than a Flight to Italy: Arancino di Mare

One of our fellow travelers suggested a visit to Arancino.  In her opinion, it serves the best Italian food she ever tasted.  It did not disappoint. 

As a fan of real Italian fare, I opted for a mushroom risotto while my hubby chose a lasagna.  Both were excellent.  Mine was finished at the table by warming it on a hot plate and then tossing it in a huge Parmesan bowl.  His was a large slice of multi-layered pasta filled with meat and cheese in a Bolognese sauce served in a hot cast-iron pan. 

Our dessert was a small slice of tiramisu, free with a coupon. 

Arancino di Mare; 2552 Kalakaua Avenue

Liliha Bakery

Don’t Even Bother Trying the Liliha Bakery

Because we met an extraordinary woman who works there—plus, it was directly across the street from our hotel—we chose to dine at the Liliha Bakery.  We tried a few of their pastries earlier in the day and weren’t too impressed.  Still, we have elevated expectations, and this could have been a one-off difficult day for them. 

Nope.  Dinner wasn’t any better.  We tried the grilled Mahi Mahi and the New York steak.  Both were served with rice, corn, and a few salad greens.  The fish fillets were paper thin and battered, not grilled.  My steak was pounded, tenderized, overcooked, tough, and tasteless. 

No amount of anything could get me to try the Liliha Bakery again.  Nope.  Not me.


Liliha Bakery; Waikiki International Market Place; 2330 Kalakaua Ave. 

More by The Polite Traveler 

What to Know Before Visiting Honolulu’s Hawaiian Airlines Airport Lounges

Why We Always Visit The Royal Hawaiian Hotel Waikiki

Look Closer at the Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki


Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hotel Review: Comfort Inn Downtown Morro Bay, CA

Old, Needs Update, but Perfectly Located Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, I’ve always wanted to visit our central coast, an ocean town known for its big rock.  Staying in a hotel one block from the coast...dreamy.  The Comfort Inn Downtown is central to just about everything and overlooks a majestic bay with, yes, a huge rock.  This hotel is adequate, and the staff is accommodating .  Most importantly, it is inexpensive for this area, especially considering the view.  Note : Follow CDC and county guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.   Also, during the pandemic, some amenities may not be available.  Please remember, this is only temporary. The Positives Proximity to the shore, the wharf, and Morro Rock Fitness center/gym equipped with up-to-date machine Guest laundry Free hot breakfast: limited Free WIFI Free on-site parking Interior corridors—excellent for cold weather C...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pluses & Minuses of The Hyatt House Vacaville

Beautiful But Needs Adjustments to its Accessible Rooms My Dear Polite Travelers I recently read about a new Hyatt House and since I needed a short brain-tidy-vaca near my home base in Davis, CA, I ventured twenty miles west to the sprawling city of Vacaville, the shopping mecca of our general area.  The Lobby/Bar/Restaurant Walking into the lobby, I noted calming tones, striking art, décor, and welcoming faces.  The registration staff was delightful and efficient.  The attractive bar and eating area are tastefully decorated and have ample seating areas. In fact, the entire area was so lovely that I brought many of those decorating ideas home with me.  The restaurant’s menu was limited and similar to what is typically found at bars: hamburgers, pizzas… etc.  I ordered a hamburger which was delivered overcooked.  Grr… Accessible Room 133 First off, this is a gorgeous room filled with outstanding artwork.  It includes a kitchenette, small ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Look Closer at the Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki

  Why We Might Not Return: Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki My dear polite travelers, Imagine waiting three years to revisit a pleasant memory.  You’d probably be thrilled to be on that journey.  Right?  Well, I am, and ...well, I’m lukewarm to some aspects of it, especially our room: #1537.  But the Ocean is Right There! In our room, #1537, we have the ocean view and the fresh breezes associated with it.  Still, due to the central, otherwise excellent location, it’s noisy—very noisy.  Thus, those breezes remain outside all night.  Darn.  The pleasant sweet-ocean-air-in-our-room-memory I dream of often eluded us on this trip.  Now, it’s just sad. The Good & the Weird Beyond the noise, it is a comfortable room—especially the shower—but there’s not enough counter space.  Instead of a long counter or desk, the hotel designer thought a long built-in seat would be a clever idea??  Hint.  It’s not.  We can only ...
Post a Comment
Read more