This is one of my favs: small saimin and burger combo. Nori’s burgers are always awesome… freshly made thick juicy patties. Once in awhile the saimin broth is just right and drinkable, but lately, like on this visit, it was so salty I could only eat the noodles.

Nori’s please taste your broth before sending it out. I love everything else about you!

Such a nice place! Feels like I’m in Paris and I’ve never even been there before.

La Provencal crepe ($10). Chicken breast, spinach, mushrooms, mozzarella, mustard.

Alaska crepe (half size) with side salad ($10). Red salmon, spinach, artichoke, mozzarella, olives.

Both crepes were delicious! Crepe was so light, thin and moist and fillings were very flavorful and fresh. They use a special “magic” sauce which is super ono too.

Also offered here are desert crepes and other French inspired dinner items.

Le Magic Pan
64 Keawe St., Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-7777

Last time I’ve been to the Kaikodo building was about 5 years ago when Restaurant Kaikodo was still open. The food was great and the ambiance super nice. Sadly, they ended up closing and it’s been empty for awhile, until Uncle Don’s Ohana Grill opened up just a few months ago.

Don’s Ohana Grill is taking a different approach: local, casual, affordable. So the important part… How’s the food?

First up we were given some fresh baked bread with lilikoi butter. It was dense, with an almost biscuit-like flavor… not yeasty but more like a soda bread. Not a big fan of the bread and the lilikoi butter didn’t really help either.

Humongous portion of deep fried butterfish with a sweet miso sauce (~$16). The fish itself didn’t have much flavor and the sauce was not anything special. Rice was overcooked. Veggies were cooked well, though.

This was their special: 8oz rib eye with shrimp tempura (~$24). Figured how can you mess up a ribeye steak? Easy! Serve it lukewarm, thin, and with an overly sweet bbq sauce over it. Shrimp tempura was very doughy and oily.

I was really trying to like this place since it caters more for the locals with reasonable prices but they really need to step up the quality of their food. To be fair, I’ve heard good things about this place from others, so maybe we went on a bad day. They also serve breakfast and lunch.

Would love to hear any other reviews of this new place. I wish them the best!

Uncle Don’s Ohana Grill
60 Keawe St., Hilo HI
(808) 961-5551

No matter how many times I’ve been here before, I still feel nervous ordering. You need to know what you want to order. Man, da pressure is a lot for an indecisive guy like me!

I always refer tourists here for a great lunch… you know, somewhere the real locals eat. But if even I’m intimidated ordering here, I feel bad for the uninitiated! I just hope to help a little bit. I’m not even sure if I’m doing it right myself, but so far so good.

How for order at Hilo Lunch Shop:

1. Get here early! Before 11am, or else the best stuff will be sold out.

2. Know what you like order before stepping in the door. Or at least be ready to be experimental.

3. No cut in line or else you going get mean stink eye! The line may wrap around to the right so be sure to know where the line starts. Be nice. It can get pretty crowded.

4. Once in line, check out the food and finalize your order as much as you can in your head. Listen well to the people ordering to get a feel of everything and what’s good.

5. When you get near the sushi and musubi on the left, your turn is near. You can do this! A helpful and very efficient (a.k.a. not very patient) lady will yell “Next!”. If the person in front of you already ordered, make eye contact with her and make your first choice… Quick

6. Order a musubi (or 2), or a few maki sushi. You need rice with this salty tasty cuisine. They have anykine. Most popular it seems is the spam or plain musubis and sushi. They have a great maki sushi which uses mustard cabbage instead of nori. Their cone sushi is well done. I prefer keeping it simple with a plain musubi or some sushi.

7. Order some main items. Just choose what looks good to you. Ask questions if needed but keep it short. If you will be eating this later for a picnic or want something easy to pack, you may want to choose drier items. Otherwise, anything goes. My favorite must-haves is the nori chicken and fishcake. Other amazing items are their tofu cakes, fried chicken, breaded ono, and any of their tempura. You can’t go wrong with any of these.

8. On the far right, don’t miss their choices of pickled veggies and salads. These all go great with their food. I chose some pickled mustard cabbage this time. For a real plate lunch get a scoop of mac salad.

9. Your practically done. You’ll be asked “fork or chopstick” then you pay! Cash only.

10. Now head to the beach, and grind!!!!

Hope this helps people. Follow these steps and you will not hear, “No sushi for you!!”. Feel free to add on any recommendations yourself.

posted with an iphone (including photos)

Hilo Lunch Shop
421 Kalanikoa Street, Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: (808) 935-8273

To test, I’m attaching a photo of one of my favorite delicacies enjoyed on a recent camping trip. Hope it works.

Freshly picked opihi. Risked my life for these but it was so worth it! Love it straight off the rocks or grilled (as seen) with some shoyu and lemon. Perfect with beer.

Great prices and nice service. They also have some mean cake noodles!

235 Waianuenue Ave
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 933-2808

L-R: Coconut, lilikoi, and custard cream (there was also a rum chocolate cream, but we ate it before we could get to the camera)

Amazingly light, fresh, and the ganache was soo delicious! Not really missing Beard Papa’s anymore. So happy to have somewhere here with fresh cream puffs… and they are right down the street from our house!

Call for daily specials.

Puff City
1348 Kilauea Ave
Hilo, HI 96720
808-961-6964
www.puffcityhilo.com

Really, I think this is the only “real” italian restaurant in Hilo.  Chef Lando Landi, a native Italian, puts so much love and passion into his food that it creates a wonderfully warm family style atmosphere in his little restaurant.  Cafe Pescatore has nothing on this place. 

The food here is so fresh, homestyle, affordable and unpretentious.  Perfect for a fun romantic date or even a get-together with friends over wine (BYOB!).  There is even a great wine store next door (Grapes) if you need to get a bottle (closes at 6pm).

Fresh Caprese Salad

Super juicy tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and fresh salad. Good stuff.

Penne with Pesto.

Best pesto I’ve ever tasted. Fresh, bright, rich and full of flavor.  Pasta was cooked perfectly al-dente.  I highly recommend trying any of their dishes with the wonderful pesto!

4-cheese Ravioli w/spinach.

This practically melts in your mouth and is soooo delicious.  I could eat 2 (or 4) plates of this!  Nothing beats freshly made ravioli — you gotta try it.

Cappellini w/meatballs

Refreshingly light and bright sauce with freshly made meatballs. I love how they keep their pastas fresh, light and flavorful.

Pasta with clam sauce  (Pasta al vongole)

Very nice  with a kick of spiciness.  I appreciate that the chef was not afraid to make this spicy!  

I can’t forget to mention the bread!  The chef actually brought out fresh loafs and cutted them up for the guests.  The bread was so wonderfully yummy straight out of the oven.  We couldn’t have enough!

Creme Brule

Soooooo so good!  Highly recommended!

Tiramisu

Light, refreshing and swimming in rum — not too rich like many other Tiramisu’s.

The chef also serves a free homemade “digestive”, sorta like a limoncello, but with his own flavors.  He makes different flavors all the time.  Tonight it was fresh ginger.  Don’t turn down the opportunity to try it! It’s a perfect ending to the meal.

If you haven’t yet tried this place, you are missing out.  Definitely one of Hilo’s gems.  A meal for two is well under $40 yet tastes like a $100 meal.

Cafe Concerto
808 Kilauea Ave., Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: (808) 934-0312 (call to check their hours/days open)

I have a few places in queue: Puku Puka Kitchen (the Ahi Don is awesome!), Cafe Concerto, and Sushi Shiono (Kailua-Kona).

Thanks for your patience! <3