Good Restaurants in Ala Moana (Honolulu)

Dynasty Restaurant

The three spacious dining rooms here are almost always packed with tourists and residents alike. In addition to regional Mandarin, Szechuan and Cantonese dishes, the restaurant serves excellent prime rib and a great lobster and crab combination. One must-try entree is Honey-Glazed Ribs. Another recommendation is the Crispy Duck. Both will make you glad you braved the crowds. Large plate-glass windows in all three of the large second-story dining rooms overlook Ala Moana Boulevard.

Camellia Buffet

Camellia serves simple but well-prepared Korean cuisine. The daily lunch buffet ($9.95) is a bargain. A la carte entrees ($12-20) can also be ordered. This is the place to go for cheap Polynesian buffet. Although not fancy, the food is good and as affordable as all-you-can-eat gets. The dining area is spacious and comfortable, with enough room between the wooden tables to afford leg room for each diner.

The Makai Market

More than 20 food stands, three sit-down restaurants and a bar are located here. You can choose from any kind of cuisine, including American, Hawaiian, vegetarian and Indian. Fresh fruit smoothies, pastries and daiquiris can all be enjoyed. While there are quite a few standard food stands - Sbarro, Blimpies - the local ones are much more interesting. Little Cafe Siam serves Thai food, the Noodle Co. offers a dozen kinds of sai min, and the Poi Bowl serves a Hawaiian plate lunch. The average cost is $40.

Pearl's Seafood

This restaurant features an extensive menu that is equally divided between Japanese and Chinese fare. You can choose between several dozen entrees including noodle dishes, sizzling platters, cold items and stir-fries. Seafood specialties include Scallop Soup and Oysters with Green Onions and Ginger. While seafood is the specialty, it is easy to find a poultry, meat or vegetarian dish. The decor is pleasant if unremarkable. The restaurant is pristine and spacious, with polished black furniture and a dark gray carpet.

Assaggio's

Spacious, breezy and modern, this restaurant is equally appropriate for business lunches or family dinners. It has an extensive - if not very creative - menu that features deliciously prepared Italian favorites. Entrees include Baked Stuffed Eggplant, Sicilian Chicken and Rigatoni alla Ricotta. From the outside, the distinguishing feature of the restaurant is the large, square fountain, graced with an eight-foot-high abstract sculpture. The interior is airy and bright, with a pristine white tiled floor and chrome fixtures.

Jose's Restaurante Mexicana and Cantina

While the prices here don't drop as low as at your local neighborhood taqueria, the dishes are treated with a lot more care. The menu is 10 pages long, covering all the variations on the classics. Vegetarian and seafood dishes are available. People who like the taste of sweet-n-sour should try the Li Hing Mui margarita—it's sure to make you pucker. The atmosphere is laid-back and friendly. This place is located on Restaurant Row, one of the most popular dining neighborhoods in the city.

Kincaid's Fish, Steak & Chop House

Located on the second floor of the Ward Warehouses on Ala Moana Boulevard is this renowned steakhouse. The seafood menu is also extensive while the chops—both pork and lamb—are huge. Open for lunch and dinner, this is a favorite place for Honolulu professionals to meet, greet and date one another. The bar area is roomy and the patrons are sophisticated and stylish. One of the best elements of the dining experience is the service, which is terrific every time.

Pagoda Restaurant

In a city filled with Japanese restaurants, this one stands out. Located off the beaten tourist track in the Pagoda Hotel on Rycroft Street, the large restaurant is a popular spot for locals and hotel guests. Many people choose to make a meal out of several of the fine appetizers and sushi rolls. Typical offerings include Crabmeat Sandwiches and Sunagimo. The impressive imported beer selection includes Kirin and Asahi. There is also a decent American menu and a Sunday brunch buffet.

The Cove Bar

Low walls, about four feet tall separate this establishment from the main Makai Market dining area. About 20 tables are arranged in a circle, and stools are placed all around the bar. Standard bar food is served here, and the prices are very low. The smoothie and juice menu is much more interesting than the specialty drink menu. Juices are freshly squeezed, and smoothies are inventive and flavorful. If you want something alcoholic, go for a blended daiquiri.

Ala Moana Poi Bowl

Sad to say, 'real' Hawaiian food cannot be found at a luau. You find it at a place like this, where entire meals are available for just a few dollars. The menu offers all the Hawaiian favorites. There's a choice of about six 'plate lunches' the local meal that includes two scoops of rice, macaroni salad and a meaty main dish. This is not a formal restaurant; it is a food stand in the Makai Market at Ala Moana.

Yokozuna Restaurant

Uniquely Asian in style, this is the sort of restaurant found all over Hawai'i and in few other places in the Western hemisphere. It serves inexpensive Japanese food to go. Prices are rock-bottom and service is peremptory. Sushi, tempura, udon, soba and teriyaki are available, for prices ranging from $4.75-7.95. Stylized prints of threatening-looking sumo wrestlers hang in the window. Order at the front counter from a brief menu written in Japanese, with English as an afterthought.

Mariposa

Treat yourself to gourmet island cuisine. Located inside Neiman Marcus at the Ala Moana Center, this restaurant offers delicious and innovative food in an upscale environment. A variety of excellent salads and appetizers are available, averaging in price from $7-$15. Start with Pacific Salmon Tartar ($10). A signature entree is the Sauteed Opakapaka. The Sunday High Tea is a highly enjoyable event, done in classic British style from the Earl Gray to the finger sandwiches. Complimentary valet parking and a private elevator are available.