Our Top 5 picks are our faves among faves. Fueled by their personal food passions, Frolickers sample dishes from all over, compare them on qualities including taste, texture and overall stay-on-the-brain power, and come up with these rankings. The scene is constantly changing, so occasionally we’ll revisit Our Top 5 picks to keep the most popular posts updated.

What do you think? Did we miss your favorite food? Feel free to comment on posts or send your suggestions to editor@frolichawaii.com.

Best lobster rolls on Oahu: Our Top 5

  1. Feast by Jon Matsubara
  2. Earl Kakaako and Jolene's Market
  3. Et Al
  4. 12th Ave Grill Deli
  5. Livestock Tavern
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Best fancy-kine Spam musubi: Our Top 5

  1. MW Restaurant
  2. Musubi Cafe Iyasume
  3. Genki Sushi
  4. Da Kitchen
  5. Kansai Yamato
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Best crispy gau gee: Our Top 5

  1. Golden Eagle
  2. Duk Kee
  3. Golden Duck
  4. 8 Fat Fat 8
  5. New Mui Kwai 
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Best okazuyas on Oahu: Our Top 5

  1. Masa & Joyce Okazuya 
  2. Fukuya
  3. Mitsuba Delicatessen
  4. Gulick Delicatessen
  5. Sekiya's Restaurant & Delicatessen
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Best mac salad on Oahu: Our Top 5

  1. W&M Bar-B-Q Burger
  2. Leeward Drive-In
  3. Maruki Tei
  4. Zippy's
  5. Mililani Restaurant
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Best soft serve ice cream: Our Top 5

  1. Kokoro Cafe and Aloha Confectionery 
  2. The Pig & The Lady
  3. SomiSomi
  4. Easy Que
  5. Ube + Vanilla
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Best meat jun: Our Top 5

  1. Tasty Korean BBQ 3
  2. Jin Joo
  3. Young's Kalbee
  4. Chodang
  5. Kim Chee III
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Best chocolate chip cookies: Our Top 5

  1. Aloha Confectionery / The Cookie Corner
  2. The Kahala Hotel & Resort
  3. b. Patisserie / Kona Coffee Purveyors
  4. Forty Carrots
  5. Burgers on Bishop
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two loaded acai bowls

Best acai bowls: Our Top 5

  1. Well + Proper
  2. Island Vintage Shave Ice
  3. Hawaiian Aroma Caffe
  4. Kokonuts Shave Ice & Snacks
  5. Nalu Health Bar & Cafe
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Best saimin: Our Top 5

  1. Palace Saimin
  2. Shige's Saimin Stand
  3. Sekiya Restaurant
  4. Like Like Drive Inn
  5. Dillingham Saimin
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Best loco mocos in Hawaii: Our Top 5

  1. Liliha Bakery
  2. Tasty Crust / Like Like Drive Inn
  3. Original Pancake House
  4. Cafe 100
  5. Pine Tree Cafe
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Best Kalihi plate lunch: Dad's Top 5

  1. Richie's Drive Inn
  2. Kalihi Bar-B-Q Drive-Inn
  3. Best Drive In
  4. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue 
  5. Ray's Cafe
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Best Kalihi plate lunch: My Top 5

  1. Alicia's Market
  2. Upscale
  3. Island Style BBQ
  4. Monarch Seafoods
  5. Pongo's Kitchen
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Best poke: Our Top 5

  1. Tanioka's Seafoods and Catering
  2. Ahi Assassins
  3. Maguro Brothers
  4. Da Hawaiian Poke Company
  5. Kyung's Seafood
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Best chicken katsu: Our Top 5

  1. Gochi Grill / Megs Drive In 
  2. Zippy's
  3. Nico's Pier 38
  4. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue Liliha
  5. Sugoi
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Best late-night happy hour: Our Top 5

  1. Maui Brewing Co.
  2. Yanagi Sushi 
  3. Shokudo Japanese Restaurant 
  4. Otoro Hawaii Fusion
  5. Back Alley Cafe
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Best eggs Benedicts: Our Top 5

  1. Tied: Cafe Kaila and Rise and Shine Cafe
  2. Cinnamon's Restaurant
  3. Button Up Cafe
  4. Koa Cafe
  5. Smith & Kings
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fried chicken

Best fried chicken: Our Top 5

  1. Lahaina Chicken Company
  2. Zippy's
  3. Shiro's Saimin Haven
  4. DB Grill / Cafe Duck Butt
  5. Hanalei Chicken Company
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Our Top 5: Restaurants for Chinese New Year

  1. Lagoon Chinese Restaurant
  2. On On Chinese Restaurant at Kapahulu
  3. Little Village Noodle House
  4. Beijing Chinese Restaurant
  5. Yauatcha
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Our Top 5: Affordable takeout sushi

  1. Makoto Sushi
  2. Hawaii Sushi
  3. Family Sushi House
  4. Domo Cafe
  5. Superb Sushi
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Our Top 5: Manapua

  1. Sing Cheong Yuan
  2. Royal Kitchen
  3. Chun Wah Kam
  4. Char Hung Sut
  5. Libby Manapua
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Our Top 5: Her cheap plate lunches

  1. Richie's Drive-Inn
  2. L&R Drive Inn
  3. Rainbow Drive-In
  4. Waiakamilo Drive Inn
  5. Joe's Grill Express
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Our Top 5: His cheap plate lunches

  1. Rainbow Drive-In
  2. Kahai Street Kitchen
  3. Sugoi
  4. L&L Drive-Inn/L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
  5. Yama's Fish Market
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Our Top 5: Roast pork

  1. Chun's Meat Market
  2. Fong's Meat Market
  3. Roast Duck Kitchen
  4. Nam Fong
  5. Char Siu House
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Our Top 5: Sushi omakase that won’t break the bank

Our Top 5: Sushi omakase that won't break the bank

  1. Morio's Sushi Bistro
  2. Sushi Murayama
  3. Katsumidori Sushi Tokyo
  4. Maguro-ya
  5. Sushi Bar at Natsunoya Tea House
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Our Top 5: Luxe sushi omakase

  1. Sushi Sho
  2. Sushi Ginza Onodera
  3. Maru Sushi 
  4. Gaku
  5. Sushi You 
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After Yotteko-Ya, my top 5 ramen

Our Top 5: Ramen

  1. Agu Ramen Bistro
  2. Golden Pork
  3. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
  4. Manichi
  5. Goma Tei 
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Our Top 5: New wave townie brunches

Our Top 5: New wave townie brunches

  1. Mud Hen Water
  2. Scratch Kitchen & Meatery 
  3. Vegan Hills
  4. Egghead Cafe
  5. Sunny Days
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Our Top 5: New-wave shave ice

Our Top 5: New-wave shave ice

  1. Aloha Ice at The Street
  2. Lemona Hawaii
  3. Matcha Stand Maiko
  4. The Local Hawaii
  5. Island Vintage Shave Ice
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Our Top 5: Old-school comfort cheeseburgers

  1. Jane's Fountain
  2. W&M Bar-B-Q Burger
  3. Okata Bento
  4. Rainbow Drive-In
  5. Shige's Saimin Stand
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Our Top 5: Gourmet burgers

Our Top 5: Gourmet burgers

  1. Square Barrels
  2. Piggy Smalls
  3. Fete Hawaii
  4. Burgers and Things
  5. Artizen by MW
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