Want the scoop on Honolulu's most happening local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which local businesses have been getting a notable increase in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Honolulu businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are extra cool, right now.
Moke’s Bread And Breakfast
Open since April, this well-established breakfast and brunch spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Citywide, breakfast and brunch spots saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Moke’s Bread and Breakfast saw a 27.8% increase, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Moke’s Bread and Breakfast's review count increased by more than 150%.
Located at 1127 11th Ave., Suite 201 in Kaimuki, Moke’s Bread and Breakfast specializes in home-cooked meals, offering its signature liliko'i pancakes, smothered in passion fruit sauce. The menu also features corned beef hash, French toast and vegetable frittata, as well as fresh-baked pastries and bread.
Moke’s Bread and Breakfast is open from 6:30 a.m.–2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (It's closed on Tuesday.)
O'Kims
Downtown Honolulu's O'Kims is also making waves. Open since 2016 at 1028 Nuuanu Ave., the well-established Korean and Asian fusion spot has seen a 6.1% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.2% for all businesses tagged "Asian Fusion" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis O'Kims's review count increased by more than 130%.
O'Kims offers seaweed salmon with purple rice and pickled tomato; Kalbi steak with roast root vegetables, green salad and kimchi; and confited pork belly brulee with miso sauce, apple ginger jam and sesame leaves. A vegan bibim ramen is also on offer, and includes tangy gochujang sauce, cabbage, red cabbage, cucumber, carrot, beets and tofu.
Over the past month, it's maintained a strong 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
O'Kims is open from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4 p.m.–9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4 p.m.–10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Basalt
Waikiki's Basalt is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The popular bar and New American and breakfast and brunch spot, which opened at 2255 Kuhio Ave. in 2017, increased its new review count by 4.2% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.1% for the Yelp category "American (New)."
Basalt offers breakfast dishes like vanilla-orange brioche French toast, a goat cheese omelet and its signature charcoal buttermilk pancakes, topped with guava-strawberry sauce, whipped cream and fresh berries.
For lunch, dig into rotisserie chicken fettuccine or a peppered turkey club sandwich; or opt for duck empanadas and vegetable risotto for dinner.
Basalt is open from 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
