Finding good food at a good price in Honolulu can be a challenge. But if you're willing to move away from Waikiki's tourist traps, you can find excellent local food at prices that'll leave you extra cash for the necessities: mai tais, souvenirs and surfing lessons. Here are 10 of our favorite places—ranging from a plate-lunch wagon to a chic chef's paradise—where you can find a good meal for less than a ten-spot.
1. Pu’uwainani’s Plate Lunches
Corner of South and Halekauwila Streets 808-286-5388
A plate-lunch wagon might seem an unlikely place for fine cuisine, but wait till you taste the blackened ahi with sweet wasabi sauce, or the furikake, flaky fish crusted with sesame seeds and seaweed flakes. Take-out lunch only—which you can eat in nearby Kaka’ako Waterfront Park. Arrive early or order by phone; Pu’uwainani often sells out by 1 p.m.
2. Brasserie Du Vin
1115 Bethel St. 808-545-1115
While you’re in the arts district, stop by this brasserie for its extensive wine list and sun-splashed back patio. Lunch might be fresh mozzarella salad or a Gruyère tart with anchovies, nicoise olives and caramelized onions. End with a variety of artisanal cheeses, or one of the delicious desserts: chocolate soufflé, perhaps, or crème brûlée with cardamom-and-raspberry sauce.
3. Kapiolani Community College Farmer’s Market
4303 Diamond Head Rd. 808-848-2074
Amid Waikiki’s glitz, it’s easy to forget that islanders still grow pineapple, macadamia nuts and coffee. Stock up on these and more at this Saturday-morning market, which opens at 7:30 a.m. Pick up a $5 bag of Akamai oatcakes—dense, lightly sweetened muffins—for breakfast, and spend the remaining $5 on cut flowers (bird of paradise, torch ginger) for your vacation pad.
4. Hale Vietnam
1140 12th Ave. 808-735-7581
Folks from the posh Kahala neighborhood flock to this Vietnamese spot where the food is light, fresh and tasty. A favorite is Bun cha gio, tom nuong (seen above)—a steaming bowl of thin rice noodles layered with sprouts and cucumber, garnished with cilantro and toasted peanuts, and topped with grilled shrimp and a sliced spring roll.
5. Contemporary Museum Café
2411 Makiki Heights Dr. 808-523-3362
Work up an appetite strolling through this intimate museum overlooking Waikiki. After puzzling over the David Hockney installation, L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (a strangely lit room where a loop of the Maurice Ravel opera plays), recharge at the café in the grassy sculpture garden. The soba noodle salad’s peppery watercress and garlic shoyu dressing sets off the chilled tofu nicely. Other standouts are the gazpacho, served in a baked tortilla ring surrounded by greens, and the chicken namasu sandwich. Lunch only; closed Monday.
6. The Pineapple Room
Macy’s, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. 808-945-6573
You’ll pay $30 a plate to dine at chef Alan Wong’s restaurant at the upscale Ala Moana Shopping Center. But if you sit at the bar at lunchtime and order the roasted Waialua asparagus salad, or a bowl of chilled Hamakua Springs tomato soup topped with shrimp, avocado and crunchy Japanese cucumber, you can get out for less than $10. Then hit the shops.
7. Mermaid Bar
Neiman Marcus, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. 808-951-3428
Save your shopping money by eating at this lunch spot tucked away on Neiman Marcus’s second floor. The minimalist decor attracts power-lunching businesswomen and savvy locals. The orange soufflé offers a cool, sweet counterpoint to the chicken salad (about $9 for both). Lunch only; reserve ahead to avoid a wait.
8. Teddy’s Bigger Burgers
134 Kapahulu Ave. 808-926-3444
The shakes at this 1950s-style diner seem to contain a half pint of heavenly ice cream each. A terrific teriyaki burger, soda and fries costs about $8. Sit in a window booth and watch the surfers parade by, or head for the beach picnic tables shaded by pergolas on Kalakaua Avenue.
9. Chez Sovan Express
500 Ala Moana Blvd. 808-599-8812
Try the crisp seared salmon and green mango salsa at this Cambodian lunch spot. It’s also known for Amok: ground basa, a Vietnamese white fish similar to catfish, blended with shallots, collard greens, paprika and lemongrass, all steamed in a banana- leaf basket. Lunch only.
10. Diamond Head Market & Grill
3158 Monsarrat Ave. 808-732-0077
On a busy street under Diamond Head, this gourmet market’s grilled fish draws white-collar locals, surf bums and neighborhood residents. The mini grilled ginger ahi plate offers up two pieces of smoke-kissed, tender fish with a spicy ginger sauce. Takeout only.
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.