Nico's At Pier 38

         One day, the family was on our way for lunch at a nearby lunch spot. However, this was an epic fail as the restaurant wasn't even open on weekends. Luckily, I had a backup plan, which was the nearby Nico's at Pier 38. This is what some people call a tourist attraction, others a place for good food. Well, we were going to find out either way. This place is really located in an industrial area, but people still tend to find it. It really is open air dining, since the building has open windows and a patio, and consists of a restaurant and a store. The restaurant serves food cafeteria style, so you order and  they prepare your food quite slowly, but give you an electronic buzzer so you can pick up your food. The other section is a store where you can pick up very fresh poke and pre-packaged sushi. The prices on both sides are very fresh, behind in a fishing area, an prices very reasonable for what you get. Oh, and Guy Fieri visited this place too on Triple DDDs.

         The first plate we got was the Furitake Encrusted Ahi (Tuna) which was about $13. Everything was about $13 dollars, and since I forgot the prices I'll just say everything is under $15. This was cooked medium rare, just like a steak, and all I can say is that this is the best way to get it. It was cooked perfectly, very tender and juicy, and the Furitake was very flavourful. Nothing to complain about here, as the salad and rice were good too.However, they only had 1 scoop of rice for some reason, since the normal seemed to be 2 scoops. However, this was still a fantastic 4.5/5 plate of fish and food. We also got 2 deep fried dishes, which were the Beer Battered Mahi Mahi and the some other fish. that was on the daily specials. They were both $13, and the batters were both perfect, crispy but not greasy nor heavy. The fish was flaky and juicy, which meant that every bite was a delight. It also came with a tartar sauce was absolutely perfect, and the tanginess of the sauce was great and went along with the fish. Personally, the mahi mahi was lighter than the other fish, and was great. Moving on to the other part of fish and chips: the chips. They definitely know their way around a deep fryer, as the fries were crispy and not greasy.  I would give both of them a 5/5 as everything was perfect, along with the salad lathered with mayo. Both perfect 5/5 dishes. Would recommend both of the deep fried plates and the ahi to anyone. You can't go wrong with the fish on the menu.

           The other part of the building was the store part, where they sold the sushi and poke. While the raw ahi looked very fresh and was reasonably price, we decided against it. Instead, we went for some poke because everyone liked poke. I forgot the prices, but it was about the same as all other places. We got 2 different containers of shoyu poke and spicy poke, and the response was mixed. I personally liked it better at Ono Seafood because this one was rather chewy in a bad way. It was also less firm. However, my mom and sister liked it so what do I know? The shoyu poke was not very flavourful, and the fish didn't seem as fresh as it looked. MEanwhile, the spicy poke was slathered was mayo and tobiko and onion. The whole works, and the mayo covered the odd scent. Not that it was that noticable, but just something I noticed. In the end, I would give the pokes a 3/5, so it was decent but not the greatest. The meal wasn't bad for a backup plan, at a 4.5/5.

Bottom Line: Really Good Seafood
Tip: Make The Trip Out
Overall: 4.5/5

Waiola Store (Mokihana)

Storefront and Menu

           After freezing at Hanauma Bay, the sun On our way to Ono Seafood, we made wrong turns on wrong turns and by some virtue had ran into Waiola Store, which specializes in shave ice! Maybe luck was on our side after all...  This was actually the second store to open, and now they have 3 different locations. If you didn't know this, Waiola Store is a Hawaiian institution famous for their shave ice. If you don't know what shave ice its, essentially it is like a finely shaved snow cone with all sorts of sweet syrups. Actually, they are a store that sells a couple of weird goods and Waiola Shave Ice merchandise.  Pretty cool, but I was here for the Shave Ice. You can see them making it, and there was only one person in the store making shave ice. This made it so there was a long wait, but you could see them take the blocks out and take their time. That was a good sign.

            

Rainbow Shave Ice with Azuki Beans and Ice Cream $4

         I purchased a large rainbow bowl with Azuki Beans (red bean like beans) and ice cream. This is supposedly the way locals get it, and have to trust the locals, right? Anyways, the rainbow bowl cost $3 and the toppings each cost 50 cents, so our bowl came to $4. This was ages above snow cones, with the smooth finely shaved ice and everything, Too bad the syrups were just the normal stuff, as this could have been a really good bowl if it had more real fruit flavour. The syrup was overly sweet and used lots of bright colouring agents and artificial flavours. Not good at all, in comparison to Matsumoto on the North Shore. Still, this was a decent dessert for a hot day in Hawaii. The ice cream on the bottom made the bowl really good when you got both the things in your mouth, with the creaminess and flavours making an impact in your mouth. Azuki beans seemed pretty normal, but I don't know beans so I can't say much. They went well with the shave ice though. All in all, this was a good bowl of shave ice, although it didn't blow us away. Should they have used better and less artificial syrups, the fineness of this ice could have been really good. In the end, this syrup really messed up the Shave Ice, so I give it a 2.5/5. Too bad, hopefully this isn't what the original store is like...

Bottom Line: Mediocre Shave Ice

Tip: Get the Ice Cream and Azuki Beans

Overall: 2.5/5

Highway Inn (Kaka'ako)

Sorry for the Trash Lighting

          After a failed adventure out to Pearl Harbour and the museums and attractions, we were sad and hungry. The main attraction was cancelled due to high winds, even though we had reserved our tickets. Although we ended up going to one of the museums at the memorial, it was decided we would have to get up at 6 am the next day to get tickets. So with the disappointment, we headed to Highway Inn for a traditional Hawaiian meal. Highway Inn is now known as one of the best places to get Traditional Hawaiian Food as Helena's was closed. Upon arrival, we found out that the only parking was pay parking. You can only imagine the happiness when we discovered that you could validate the ticket if you ate or went to any of the stores in the strip mall. As we entered, we were seated immediately in the last table next to the live music! Woo hoo! We were given a brochure which led us through the pronunciation of the names and what they were. On the menu were local plate lunches, sandwiches and breakfast. As the line formed outside, we ordered two combo plates which had everything. Oh, and the photos were messed up because I dropped the phone on it's camera.

Lomi Salmon, Sweet Potato, Haupia, Lau Lau, and Poi ~$15.50

Chicken Long Rice $3.75

            The first order was the Lau Lau combo plate. All plates came with choice of rice or poi (fermented pounded taro), lomi salmon (raw diced salmon and tomato) or a salad, and sweet potatoes and haupia (a coconut dessert). We got the Lau Lau Plate with poi, lomi salmon, sweet potatoes and haupia. This was about $15, but we added a chicken long rice for $3.75. This was just a bunch of clear chinese vermicelli  noodles that came with shredded chicken and chicken broth. Starting with the Lau Lau, or pork and butterfish steamed in taro leaves. They had a chicken Lau Lau, but they were out, and who doesn't like pork belly? The pork inside was so good, melting jn my mouth. However, I couldn't taste any butterfish at all, but what do I know about this? The taro leaves were something new, which was a bit bitter but still very soft and edible. I would give this a 5/5, because it was just really really good and seriously tender. Moving onto another part of the plate that I liked, the Sweet Potato. This resembled a french fry cut thick and diced. The outside was a little bit crisp, while the inside was very soft and potato like. I'm not sure if it was deep fried or what, but lets just say it was really good. I may be a bit biased because I like practically anything resembling a potato, but this was another solid 4.5/5. Moving on to the big bowl of purple stuff. This was poi, and poi, was it thick. I have no idea it would be hard to get out of a spoon, especially when it looks like grape juice and milk. This is without a doubt an acquired taste, with a bit of sourness and bitterness, this was more of a sauce than anything. More on that coming soon, but anyways, it was thick, sour and lacking an appealing flavour. A 3/5 in my books. The final part of the savory part of the plate was the lomi salmon. This was a fresh mix of indistinguishable raw salmon and some very salty tomato. I have no idea why it was so salty, because it hurt my taste buds. You could still feel the salmon and tomato, but it was really hard to eat on it's own. This is where the poi came into play. While the lomi salmon would be a 1.5/5 on it's own but with the poi soaking in some of the saltyness, the poi now gained flavour and the lomi salmon became less salty. If this is the way you are supposed to eat it, they would be a 4.5/5. Onto the savory item that wouldn't fit on the plate, we have the chicken long rice. It was normal in a way, with some nicely cooked noodles, but the shredded chicken was a bit dry and the broth was a bit salty. It wasn't as bad as the lomi salmon though, a 2.5/5. Onto the final item, we have the haupia, or coconut pudding. It looked like a big piece of jello but definitely didn't eat like one. This was one heck of a rich dessert, creamy in a way and filled with some real coconut flavour. Everyone liked it even though it was a bit heavy. In the end, we gave this a 4/5, and the whole plate and side was good.

Pipikalua $3.75

        Unfortunately, I somehow forgot to take a picture of the kalua pig plate. Oddly I took a picture of the item that didn't come on the plate but not the plate of food itself. It looked about the same though as  the other plate, except with some shredded pork, rice, and a salad. Anyways, for this plate which came with the kalua pig, we got the salad, sweet potatoes, rice, haupia, kalua pig (duh) and a add on of pipikalua, which was like grilled beef jerky. This plate ended up at about $20 just like the last one. To get the rice out of the way, I can just say it was pretty good, but people have different preferences so I can't rate this. A bit dry for me though. Moving on, the kalua pig was lretty good when it went with the rice, and especially well with the poi. Very tender, with a bit of salt in a generous portion. It is a 4.5/5 without poi or rice and 5/5 with the poi. The salad consisted of some nalo greens and a citrus based dressing. The greens were pretty fresh like they should be, and went pretty well with the dressing. However, this was nothing special, a 3/5 so stick with the lomi salmon. Now onto Highway Inn's "most popular" dish, the pipikalua. This was a nice portion, for around $3.75, but I can't say this was their best item. It was pretty tender, but couldn't achieve the fatty melt in your mouth feeling even though it was pretty fatty. However, this didn't mean that it wasn't good, because it definitely was, with some pretty tender flavours and a bit of fatty juice. You could eat it on its own with the flavourful but not overly flavourful beef. A solid 4.5/5. The other 2 items, the sweet potato and haupia were consistant with the other plate. A very good 4.5/5 plate. In the end, we got a food filling meal at Highway Inn at reasonable prices. A good way to cap off an unlucky day.

Bottom Line: Good Food and Prices

Tip: Try Poi Dipping

Overall: 4.5/5

Sansei Seafood and Sushi (Waikiki)

Same Entrance as D.K Steakhouse

                     One evening, we were chilling at the hotel when we decided to go for a nice meal at the Waikiki location of the Sansei Seafood and Sushi. We also found out that they had a 25% discount for Happy Hour between 5:30 p.m and 6 p.m, so that was a nice bonus. Too bad it wasn't Saturday of Sunday for they have a 50% discount on everything. The Sansei was located in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa in practically the same restaurant as the DK Steakhouse which was operated by the same Japanese chef by the name of D.K Kodoma, who is quite well known in the Hawaiian Islands. We got the option to sit out on the patio or inside the restaurant. Of course we went for the patio overlooking Waikiki Beach with a nice view of the sunset on the third floor. There were some torches outside to provide some heat, and the Hawaii weather wasn't cold at all. D.K Komoda has won some awards for his dishes, so as always, we went for the award winning dishes on the menu. Before I start, Sansei Seafood and Sushi is a more modern take on sushi, and may offend people who like quality fish and just traditional sushi. It is like the Miku of Hawaii, except a bit more modern and club-like. This is because they have Karaoke from 10 p.m to 1 a.m. That is enough rambling, so time to get on to the food. 

Sansei Special Roll $10.25

Crab Ramen 

                       The order of the items that came out was very odd. Normally you would have the appetizer, the entree and then the dessert. At least the dessert came out last, which was good, but the order of everything else was freaking out. Thus, this blog post will be written in the order the items came out. I have no idea how this would happen, because if everything made fresh, the items are made in the order they should come out, but should they be premade, they could be brought out in the order they should be too. The first item that came out was the Sansei Special Sushi Roll for $10.25. This was a mediocre roll that came with Spicy Crab, cilantro, avocado and furitake, which is a Japanese seasoning. The sauce was the kind of Spicy Thai Sauce that you can get at the supermarket. This really ruined the roll, as the spicy crab was delicious, and wasn’t so spicy so you could actually taste the crab. The furitake didn't have too much taste which was good, and I would give it a 3/5. The next item to come out was the Crab Ramen in Truffle Broth for $17.25.  The best thing about this restaurant is that it goes family style so you can try a bit of everything and share some dishes. The dishes are pretty sharable too. Truffle ingredients are one of those things that can add a nice touch or completely overpower whatever flavours or ingredients are in the dish.  At the very least, this broth was very good with a hint of truffle and went well. If it was a little bit hotter, it would have been even better with the perfectly al dente ramen noodles, cilantro, and slightly spicy Jalapenos rings. The crab was very fresh, but was cooked very well. Easily a 4/5, as it was really good with nothing amiss, but just didn’t have the “blew me away factor.” Also, it was very expensive for the price, even at 25% off. 

Panko-Crusted Ahi Sashimi $13.25

Tempura Shrimp Dynamite $12.25

Japanese Calamari Salad

                      After an entree came out, the server brought us the signature Panko-Encrusted Ahi Sashimi, for $13. This is another one of their signature items (we ordered most of them), and had some butter like sauce on the bottom. That's the yellow like liquid in the picture. The first thing I noticed was that it was a bit greasy with the butter, panko and the combination was very greasy. This made the dish rather heavy with all of the butter. The tuna was not as fresh as the tuna in the poke I had prior for lunch. However, it was still fresher than the tuna we have here in Vancouver. The vegetables were fresh, and helped alleviate some of the heaviness. I would consider it filler, really.Next up was the Tempura Shrimp Dynamite for $12.25. There were 6 huge shrimp. Cooked perfectly, they were plump and juicy, with some extra crunch coming from the batter. Some mayo was added, which added a little more flavour. The batter was very thin, which allowed the shrimp to come through with the crunch and flavour. To add a lot more crunch, there was a deep fried wonton wrapper which had no flavour other than from the mayo. This was one of my favourite dishes, and I would rate it a 4/5. Another appetizer came out next, which was the Japanese Calamari Salad for $11.25, and had the same wonton wrapper which contained the calamari. The salad component was the little bit of greens on the bottom of the dish. They were soaked with some sweetish sauce which didn't exactly go well with the calamari, but added a little bit of flavour to the wrapper. The calamari itself was not very good. The batter was very thin, crunchy, and was a lot easier to eat than the calamari.The squid was very hard to eat, and overcooked to no end. I could barely eat this dish. Thus, I would give this a 1.5/5 due to the hard to eat squid.  Finally, we capped off 

Tempura Ice Cream $10

a meal at Sansei with a dessert that would qualify as a meal in itself, the famed Tempura Ice Cream for $10. This was a large tube of ice cream with a tempura batter. The batter wasn't very crispy, but was rather more cake-like, and there was a bunch of syrup on the bottom, chocolate and caramel flavoured. There was also a strawberry and whipped cream. Of course, this was a very heavy plate of dessert, as you would think. The sauces were sweet, and added some flavour to the Vanilla Ice Cream and the pound cake dressing. I(t tasted good though, even though it was very sweet. The tempura pound cake was still warm, but the ioce cream melted very slowly  even though it was warm. In the end, this was a novelty item that actually tasted pretty good, although it was a bit heavy. This was a good 4/5 dessert, since it did taste good.However, there was one thing that made everyone not like this restaurant: they charge a minimum 17% tip, and even though our server was friendly, that rule is not so great. 

Bottom Line: Good Food, Service, Atmosphere. 
Tip: Tempura Ice Cream
Overall: 3.5/5

Char Hung Sut

Front and Large Sign

Menu

          One day on our trip to Hawaii, we decided to make the short trip out to Chinatown. After boosting our appetites through looking at pig heads, green frogs and fresh salmon, it was time to try some of Hawaii's Manapua. Manapua is practically Char-Siu Bao in Hawaiian, and there was one place that stood out above the rest: Char Hung Sut. Char Hung Sut has been around for over 70 years and always have been well known for their Manapua. When we walked into the "restaurant" it was obvious this wasn't a sit in eatery or an actual restaurant, and they do take out only. Luckily this Chinatown in Honolulu isn't very sketchy at all compared to Vancouver's Chinatown. There were a bunch of nice older ladies making the products, one guy steaming the items and another lady who took orders. The pork they were using looked like ground pork, and the items were premade ready for take out. I have no problems with premade food as long as it isn't too unhealthy and tastes good. One good sign was that they were still siting inside the steamers. After pointing us towards the chalkboard on the wall, she tried to get us to buy every single item on the menu. Luckily we stopped her after getting a nice assortment of items to sample. While Char Hung Sut is famous for their Char Siu Bao, they also do a few other porky and non porky items. A little variety is good, just like the prices here for everything, as we paid about $10 for everything, and filled us up as a snack. We were in and out within 3 minutes due to the quick service and lack of lineup, but I have heard that lines pick up later in the day.

       

Sui Mai/Pork Hash 80 cents

Half Moons 80 cents

     Once I picked up the box filled with all of our goodies, I went to photograph them within 5 minutes while they were still hot. Maybe putting them into a large bamboo steamer keeps them warm, or maybe we just lucked out. All that matters was that our box was hot. The wax paper that prevented the box from sticking to the food was a nice touch. The first item we tried after getting to the nearest waterfront park was the Pork Hash. At 80 cents a piece, these were pretty small, but I guess you get what you pay for. In this case, we got a mini Siu Mai, which was practically what this was. Nice and hot, these little one bites were nice and tender, not overcooked at all. The flavours were good, and were pretty juicy being steamed. They were solid, reasonably priced and met the criteria for a 3.5/5.Moving onto the half moons, which were 80 cents each. They definitely looked like half moons, and were filled with mostly water chestnut. Well, this wasn't very impressive at all, but edible. Serves me right for ordering that at a restaurant that does mostly pork items. The water chestnut was a little crunchy and the outside layer was soft, but even the people that know this dish weren't very impressed. In the end, a 2/5. 

Large Manapua $1.80

Look at The Size!

         Finally, we get to the main course, the big boys, the Manapua. And boy, were these some huge char siu bao. The picture doesn't really show you the beauty of these. Just imagine the average 2 inch or so Char Siu Bao, take 3, and put into one massive bun. That was legitimatly the size of this bun. It was a great value, for $1.70, and had a good ratio of bun to pork. It wasn't one of those places where you get a sandwich and end up with a slice of ham on 2 pieces of bread for $5. Inside the bun, the pork was stringy like Pork Floss, and looked like it had been baked in an oven. No worries though, as the shredded pork was without a doubt one of the best Manapua/Char Siu Bao I have ever eaten. There was enough pork for you to get some in each bite, and it was really juicy. You really shouldn't judge this book from it's cover. The sweet char siu flavour was just right, not overly sweet or salty and there really was no liquid inside the bun. Just pork and bread, with the bread basking in the flavour of pork, softly complimenting it perfectly. While the bun was a tiny bit dense, it didn't put off the Manapua very much. Overall, everyone liked the Manapua and came to a 4.5/5. Very good but not quite nearly perfect.In the end, if you find yourself strolling through Honolulu's Chinatown, it is well worth the short walk to get some of their famous Manapua

Bottom Line: Good Manapua, Ok Everything Else
Tip: Stay with the Manapua
Overall: 3.5/5 Total, 4.5/5 Manapua

Ono Seafood

Hidden Entrance!

Menu

         Ono Seafood is a hole in the wall restaurant with a great reputation for having the best Poke on Oahu. Poke is raw fish, often ahi (tuna) mixed with a variety of ingredients such as shoyu (soy sauce) and seaweed. I love raw fish, along with the rest of the family so we hopped over here after Diamond Head. This place is really easy to miss, and is really just a hole in the wall with a few tables. The truth is that we ran in a few circles before finding this place, which is hidden behind a few umbrellas. You order at the counter and take it outside or wherever to eat. Inside there is a big freezer filled with other foods, but we cane here for the fresh poke. We got 2 Super Combo Bowls for $10 each although the normal size comes with 1/3 pound of poke rather than the 1/2 pound out of the Super size. If you get any size poke bowl, you get a free soft drink or fruit juice. Pretty good deal to me, especially when you see that quality and quantity you get for your $10. The service was quick and were very helpful when we were asking about what was good. The only thing they need are a more exposed storefront.

     

Shoyu Ahi and Shoyu Tako Poke Bowl $10

Spicy Ahi and Wasabi Ahi Poke Bowl $10

    As stated before, a super combo poke bowl is $10, and comes with rice and 1/2  pound of poke. Pretty good bang for your buck there. Because we could pick 2 different kinds on each one, we choose the Shoyu Ahi (tuna) and Shoyu Tako (octopus). As a person who quite dislikes tako, I was a bit relectant to try it, and I was glad it was done. The Tako was very fresh, not frozen and at room temperature, but the main draw was that it was so freaking tender. You just needed to chew a little bit, and it would be gone, with the lightly flavoured shoyu sauce. The Shoyu Ahi was even better, or at least better than the run of the mill stuff back in Vancouver. Not saying the tuna isn't good back home, but it just isn't as good. This one had the same dressing as the tako, which made it nice and light and allowed the fish to shine. And boy, did it shine. One bite and you were in ahi heaven, with the fresh ahi melting in your mouth, maybe pressing your teeth together every once in a while. This went great with rice, as the rice had the same flavouring, although it was nothing special, it did it's job as filler. This poke bowl was easily a 4.5/5, and was a 5/5 on what I tried. For poke bowl number two, we got the other popular item, which was the spicy ahi and we decided to get the wasabi ahi for our other choice. Starting with the spicy ahi, it was lathered with mayo, but was still nice and fresh at the same time, complimenting the fish and not overpowering it. Some masago was rolled onto the outside, giving the fish a crunchy feel. For me, the ahi wasn't too spicy, and I can't tolerate that much heat, so most people can eat it. The other poke we got was the wasabi poke because that was the feel at the time. When they said wasabi, they weren't kidding. It gives you the "too much coke burp" feeling, and lots of it. However, once you get past that you get the same fresh fish, with not too much flavour. Not sure if I could recommend this item, for it didn't have too much taste, which wasn't too bad, but wasn't good either. I would give the spicy ahi a 5/5 and the wasabi ahi a 3/5.

Bottom Line: Fantastic Poke and Poke Bowls

Tip: Combo for MORE selection

Overall: 4.5/5

Leonard's Bakery

          After spending the morning as a tourist at Hanauma Bay, why not keep being a tourist for half of lunch? Prior to our stop at Ono Seafood, we stopped at Leonard's Bakery for some freshly fried malasadas. This is probably one of the most the most famous eateries around Oahu, as they sell merchandise alongside the malasadas. If you don't know what Malasadas are, essentially they are just deep fried pieces of dough that have Portuguese origins. If you want a simple explanation, think doughnuts without holes. At Leonard's you can't miss the big flashy sign or the group of people hanging around eating their malasadas. Inside you can see a big case filled with baked goods, but you are here for the malasadas, which are nowhere to be found. Well, I guess that the goods could be gold, but we didn't try any, and they are (obviously) famous for malasadas. The reason is that they are made fresh to order, so there may be a wait. The pricing is average, put up on a board and a few other things so just watch the T.V showing odd and comedy like commercials for Leonards.

        

Malasadas, Cupcakes and Drinks Menu

           You can get two different kinds of malasadas, with or without filling. The filled ones are $1.50 and the none puffed items are $1.10. From what I see, there is no discount from buying more of them and you can pick what flavours you want. For the filled items, there are always the macadamia nut, chocolate, coconut, and custard flavours to choose from along with the flavour of the month. For the normal malasadas, you had the choice of the original sugar, cinnamon and li hing (salty dried plum). Of course we tried everything, starting with the macadamia nut, or the ones on the bottom right and left. Not sure why it was a macadamia nut flavour, as it was just sweet and tasted nothing like the nut. At least the dough was nice and airy: 3/5. Next we tried the original which was very good. Not overly sweet from fillings  this was a nice light airy deep fried ball of joy: easy 5/5. The guava, which was the flavour of the month during our visit was not very good at all. Although it was nice and airy as usual, the filling was much too tart and sour, and made the malasada not sweet enough: 2/5. Finally, we tried the li hing flavour, which seemed like nothing was out of the norm and was just like the original 5/5. Those were the 4 that we tried when they were hot, as we saved the other ones for later. It really isn't the same to write about the fresh and unfresh, so I won't try. Overall, what we tried at Leonard's Bakery was very hit and miss. Some were overly sweet, some hit the target spot on. I think the ones without filling are better than with filling. 

Bottom Line: Hit and Miss Malasadas

Tip: Unfilled > Filled                                        

Overall (hot items only): 4/5                                                                        One of Everything!!!

Marukame Udon

Front Of Marukame Udon

Making Fresh Udon

           After a grueling 8 hours of waiting on a plane and waiting for a rental car, we came out with a free upgrade for our rental car. We upgraded from the cheapest compact car to a moderately priced mid size SUV. However, this was a bit confusing as the rental car attendant just pointed to the lot and said the grey SUV, so we had to get her to explain. Finally, we went in a few circles looking for the exit onto the main road. After a snack at Costco, we finally proceeded to our hotel. Lets just say it was a long day, so what better way to end it than getting some udon at Marukame Udon. There wasn't that much of a line, but by the time we left, or around 8 pm, there was a line and a half. We waited for about 10 minutes, which gave us plenty of time to choose what different kind of udon you want. On entering the establishment we saw someone making fresh udon. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough but managed to get another snap. Anyways, the way you ordered was to tell the chef what udon you wanted, toppings or not (of course toppings!) and grabbing some tempura left under the warmer. None of us grabbed any musubi or anything like that because it was prepackaged and we had enough food either way. Udon is really filling, you know. Finally, you would grab chopsticks, tempura sauce and pay for your order. Our's came to $31 U.S.D for 4 bowls of udon and tempura. By the way, this place has a 4.8/5 rating on Zomato and was put as the 10th best place to eat in the United States according to Yelp. 

Regular Ontama Udon $4.25 + $3 for Tempura

 Regular Niku Udon $5.25

           Along with my sister, I got the Ontama Udon. It comes with lots of thick udon noodles in a nice shoyu broth with a soft poached egg, along with a scoop each of Tempura Flakes and Green Onion. I just got a sweet potato tempura and a shrimp tempura. Not feeling very adventurous again after walking for 30 minutes with a backpack. The udon itself was actually only $4.25 U.S.D, which wasn't very pricey at all, especially for Hawaii. Adding the shrimp tempura for $1.75 and sweet potato for $1.25 wasn't the best idea, as I barely touched the sweet potato, and was very full at the end. This was a fantastic bowl of udon that made my    taste buds sing. The soft boiled egg acted like a yellow waterfall that streamed into the soup. The broth was just flavorful enough to complement the al dente udon.The large scoops of green onion helped add color, texture and some freshness to the dish, along with the crunchyness of the tempura flakes. The only problem was that as the evening went on, the tempura flakes got soggy and tasted like wet flour. You couldn't really blame them though, as there really is no way to counteract it. I would give this udon a 5/5. My family was kind

Large Curry Udon $7.25

 enough to give me a bit of the Niku udon, which practically just replaced the soft poached egg with some shredded beef. At $5.25, this was a decent value, and was quite good. The beef was very tender, and the broth was slightly richer. However, the difference wasn't that noticeable and just tasted good. It was about that same as the Ontama Udon with the same al dente noodles. I would give the Niku Udon another 4.5/5. The final udon we got that night was the large Curry Udon, which was a pretty large portion as well for $7.25. I didn't get to sample this one because my dad ate it all really quickly and gave me 2 thumbs up and a 4.5/5 rating. He said it had the same al dente noodles with a small hint of spice. Supposedly it wasn't too spicy, although the broth did smell different to me. In the end, Marukame was a very affordable and filling meal that tasted really good too. Definitely would recommend this place as it isn't far from Waikiki. Just remember that the line gets longer as the evening goes on.

Bottom Line: Delicious Inexpensive Udon
Tip: Come Earlier for Shorter Wait
Overall: 5/5 (5/5 for noodle lovers)