Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EATING IN WAIKIKI
24-7
If your flight to Honolulu arrives late and you're starving, your knight in shining armor in
Waikiki is
MAC 24-7
(which stands for Modern American Cooking, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week), at the
Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel,
2500 Kuhio Ave. (at Liliuokalani Ave.;
&
808/921-5564
). All day, every day, the kitchen offers everything from breakfast, lunch, and
dinner to snacks and desserts, and the bar pours drinks all day, except between 4 and 6am.
It's not just for late-night dining (although it comes in handy, as Waikiki eateries shut down by
10-11pm); it's also a great place to get picnic lunches during the day.
The cuisine is coffee shop/diner “comfort” food, reasonably priced for Waikiki ($4-$28, with
most entrees in the $15-$28 range), and plenty of it. Portions can feed two and, in some
cases, three people. Our pick for best meal of the day is breakfast, where the six-pack of but-
tery cinnamon rolls ($6) will feed three and the yummy wild blueberry pancakes ($15) are su-
persized (three pancakes, each one 14 in. in diameter), plenty for two hungry people. Anoth-
er must-try from the menu: the delicious meatloaf with garlic mashed potatoes and mush-
room gravy ($18). The view from the floor-to-ceiling windows is of the landscaped gardens in
the lobby. The decor is sophisticated but sparse with splashes of bright color, and the wait-
staff is friendly and helpful.
Moderate
Arancino
ITALIAN When jaded Honolulu residents venture into Waikiki for dinner, it had
better be good. And Arancino is. The cheerful cafe with Monet-yellow walls and tile floors has
respectable pastas, wonderful pizzas, fabulous red-pepper salsa and rock-salt focaccia, we-try-
harder service, and reasonable prices. The risotto changes daily, and you should not miss the
Gorgonzola-asparagus pizza if it's on the menu. Expect a line on the sidewalk to get in, but
it's worth the wait.
255 Beach Walk (second location at Waikiki Marriott Beach, 2552 Kalakaua Ave.).
&
808/923-5557.
www.arancino.com
.
Main courses $12-$35. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am-2:30pm and 5-10pm.
Ciao Mein
ITALIAN/CHINESE Risotto with chopsticks, fried rice with a fork—such is the
cross-cultural way of Ciao Mein, which is 15 years old and still going strong. The large, pleas-
ant dining room, efficient service, surprisingly good Chinese food, and award-winning menu
have made this a haven for noodle lovers. The honey-walnut shrimp, with snap peas and
honey-glazed nuts, and the angel-hair pasta with spicy ginger-garlic shrimp, are big hits, and
Ciao Mein's tiramisu packs a creamy, ambrosial kick. The antipasto is Italian, and the seafood
fun (as in chow fun) lasagna is a form of Ciao Mein's “collision cuisine”—a mix of Chinese
and Italian. Choose from six different pastas and six sauces.
In the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, 2424 Kalakaua Ave.
&
808/923-2426.
Reservations recom-mended. Main courses
$21-$40, prix fixe $47-$78. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 6-10pm.
