Forked Up

GYU-KAKU KALBI

GYU-KAKU JAPANESE BBQ
1221 Kapiolani Blvd. #105, Honolulu
website gyu-kaku.com

So here’s maybe the most important thing to know about Gyu-Kaku: Go for happy hour. It’s not that Japanese yakiniku doesn’t taste good during peak dining hours; it just tastes better when everything is cheaper. So invest some of your stomach space on the discounted toro beef and pork belly, and your wallet will be more willing to splurge on the best meats (which, sadly, do not receive a price cut): Harami Miso Skirt Steak and Gyu-Kaku kalbi. We also recommend 100 percent that you save room for dessert, because Dorayaki with Gelato (aka the best grilled dessert ever) is back on the menu.

PINEAPPLE TEMPURA

MORIMOTO WAIKIKI
1775 Ala Moana Blvd.
Phone number (808) 943-5900
website morimotowaikiki.com

This appetizer is a must-try. Taking one of these dressy chunks and scarfing it in a single bite yields the expected results — a flood of pineapple sweetness overpowering everything else on it. But breaking it apart and parsing out its components is a little more rewarding and creates a nice little flavor arc. Forking a morsel of pineapple, slathering on some wasabi tzatziki, and layering on a single mint leaf gives you something light and bright. Following it with a bite of thinly sliced Jamon Iberico — a cured ham made from a Spanish Iberico pig — eclipses all sweetness with its dark, rich and savory note.

LILIKOI CHEESECAKE

CAKE ENVY
1129 Bethel St., Chinatown
Phone number (808) 599-8900
website cakeenvy.net

With the tagline, “cheesecakes so fabulous they make the other desserts jealous,” Cake Envy features hand-made cakes. It’s such a cliché to say something melts in your mouth — but, well, these do. The Lilikoi Cheesecake is a sweet, creamy cake topped with a subtle lilikoi flavor that’s just the right amount of tangy. Plus, the interior of this Chinatown shop is cute, in an Instagram-worthy, simple, put-together way.

GRAND MARNIER FRENCH TOAST ‘LONGHI’S STYLE’

LONGHI’S
Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., #3001
Phone number (808) 947-9899
website longhis.com

There’s nothing more indulgent than treating yourself to a weekend brunch, especially one that comes with a beachfront view. So when that meal happens to also include Grand Marnier French Toast, you’re set. It’s an elegant, slightly sweet item you won’t need to pour, or even drizzle, syrup over. You also can request that it be accompanied with fresh berries. our advice: Ask for those berries. And instead of going for regular drip coffee (though there’s nothing wrong with that), Longhi’s offers French Press Coffee that definitely will wake you up. Plus, it pairs perfectly with that French Toast.