Joyful Garden is probably better than I think it is. I may just be too much of a Honolulu snob to give a restaurant on the Windward side its deserved praise. Regardless, I cannot bring myself to like this place as much as my parents do. Put simply, it is a casual Chinese restaurant with inconsistent but friendly service and pretty good food.
Kirin is on the same level as Mandalay, which is possibly the best compliment I can give to a Chinese restaurant. They are great for different reasons. I prefer the dishes and location of Mandalay, but the atmosphere and décor of Kirin is much nicer. Kirin gives free valet parking, which I consider a huge plus since I absolutely hate parking. You walk through a cheesy Chinese archway and enter a beautifully decorated interior, with deep wood tones separating smaller private rooms from the larger dining area, ornate chairs, and splashes of pale green.
For the most part, their dim sum is nonpareil. However, there are one or two dishes that are better at other dim sum restaurants, such as Hee Hing or Mandalay. For example, their seaweed roll is a bit too heavy. Other than that, I've been completely satisfied with Kirin.
Kirin Restaurant (Mo'ili'ili)
Tai Sei Ramen is conveniently located on the edge of downtown. The food is decent, but they give a lot of freebies: a free drink if you spend over $5; a $3 kids menu... The service is friendly but a bit slow.
My ramen came with an abundance of vegetables, but the noodles were somewhat bland. However, I did appreciate the large portions. Our gyoza was delicious, but I have never had bad gyoza.
Tai Sei Ramen (downtown)
I know, I know. It's a bit pointless to write about Zippy's; every Hawaii resident has eaten here and has formed their own opinions of this statewide chain. However, recently Zippy's has held a special place in my heart, and so I think it deserves to be on my blog.
Zippy's serves "local" food, whatever that is. From saimin to chili to teriyaki chicken, the menu reflects the diversity of our state. The quality of the food itself is nothing special. What I really appreciate about Zippy's is not its food but its convenience. In almost every neighborhood, you will find a Zippy's. At 2 am, when you are still out and about, you can always depend on Zippy's to satisfy your late night cravings. Unlike other late-night places in other cities, e.g., Montage, Hot Cake House, Zippy's is always dependable (not to mention not sketchy!). Clean, friendly, and cheap - what else could you want?
I love this place! Habibi is a casual, friendly Lebanese restaurant in downtown, right next to the Persian House (which is also right next to India House). My friends and I went on a Friday night. It was pretty full when we came, so I'm glad I had made reservations earlier. We were led up the stairs, which were lined with hookahs, to the upper level.
The service was quick and friendly. One of the guys (the owner, I think?) was quite flirtacious, which is always a nice touch on a Friday night with the girls. I need to go back very soon because I am craving that coffee!
