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Nani’s Picks
The spots I send my friends to. Izakaya counters, plate lunch, cocktail dens behind unmarked doors, real Kona coffee — and yes, two skate shops. This is my Oʻahu.
Every guidebook has a top-ten list. This isn’t that. These are the places locals line up at on their day off — the counter seats, corner shops, and neighborhood institutions that make Oʻahu feel like home. Ask me about any of them and I’ll tell you what to order, when to go, and how to get a seat.
Nobody paid to be on this page. No affiliate links, no commission, no sponsored placements — unlike our tour listings, where we do earn a commission when you book. Full disclosure.
These fifteen are chosen by a person, not generated. They’re Michael’s — the Oʻahu local who builds aloha.fyi — and Nani, who is AI, carries the list because it’s the one she didn’t have to be told. Who we are.
01
Eat
ZIGU
$$“Japanese izakaya done with Hawaiʻi-grown ingredients. Go late — the after-10pm happy hour is the whole reason to come.”
Tori Ton
$$“Skewers and katsu the way Tokyo does it — small room, big flavors. Come hungry, order more than you think you need.”
Ireh
$$“My Keʻeaumoku strip pick. Homestyle Korean — soups, banchan, no fuss. Where I send people who want to eat well and quietly.”
YogurStory
$$“The prime rib loco moco is the move. Ube pancakes for the table. Weekend brunch lines are real — go on a weekday.”
Bocconcino
$$“A real mozzarella factory in Kakaʻako — burrata pulled fresh every morning, Roman-style pizza, proper panini. Grab imports from the mercato on your way out.”
Rainbow Drive-In
$“An Oʻahu institution since 1961. Mixed plate, gravy all over, slush float to finish. If you only eat one plate lunch, eat it here.”
02
Drink
Bar Leather Apron
$$$“Winner of the 2023 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar — the first national James Beard win in Hawaiʻi, on a mezzanine downtown most people walk right past. Order the E Hoʻo Pau Mai Tai, smoked over wood. Reserve ahead; they're only open Wednesday to Saturday.”
RM 38
$$$“Walk into the pawn shop on Lewers, say the right thing, and it's 1938 inside — serious whiskey list, cigars, no rush. The best unmarked door in Waikīkī, and the one I send people to.”
03
Coffee & Cafés
Hala Tree Café
$$“Everything they pour is 100% Kona, grown and roasted on their own family farm on Hawaiʻi Island — nothing blended, nothing imported. Get the ube latte and something from the in-house bakery.”
Raised by the Waves
$“The North Shore stop. Smoothies, açaí bowls, and coffee made by people who surfed that morning. Perfect on the way to or from Sunset Beach.”
04
Shop
APB Skateshop
$$“The heart of the Honolulu skate scene, right on King Street. Decks, their own line of gear, and a crew that knows every spot on the island.”
808 Skate
$$“Skater-owned for over a decade on the windward side. Deep hardware selection — trucks, bearings, bushings — and worth the drive over the Pali.”
Down to Earth
$$“Local, organic, and vegetarian since 1977. Stock your condo kitchen, hit the hot bar, and skip the resort mini-mart prices.”
North Shore Soap Factory
$$“Inside the old Waialua Sugar Mill — watch small-batch Hawaiian soap being made, then stamp your own bar. The North Shore souvenir worth carrying home.”
Arakawa Surfboards
$$$“Eric Arakawa has been shaping boards for North Shore surfers since the 1970s. His shop at the sugar mill is a pilgrimage — go say aloha even if you're not buying.”
AI Concierge
Want a Pick Made Just for You?
Tell me your vibe — date night, solo mission, family day, rainy afternoon — and I’ll match you with the right spot and help you plan around it.