MW Restaurant

A wonderful dining experience! Loved all the flavors and presentations. Service was great. Finding the valet parking was interesting as it is on the second floor - the restaurant's directions may seem unusual but they make sense when you get there.

Note: I am reviewing this as a fine dining restaurant, relative to other fine dining restaurants I have been to. Compared to a normal restaurant, this is certainly a 5 star experience. I went in for the tasting menu at open, and had a reservation for the bar. The location is kinda weird, being right next to auto dealerships. I hope that the savings from location rent are passed onto the consumer. I did the 5 course tasting menu; however, I forgot to take a picture of the tenderlion. They accommodated my shellfish allergy, and did a substitution which I appreciated. The food was excellent, certainly showed off the quality of the chefs and was on par with what I expect from chefs claiming experience at the French Laundry. My only complaint on the food was with the first course, which was a soft boiled egg with caviar and wasabi. At the end it just became too eggy, I wish there was more depth of flavor. I got the wine pairing, which I would not recommend for others to get. The wine was fine, and I assume being on Oahu it's not as easy to get the quality wine I am used to in places like California. The cocktail menu seemed good, and the other patrons were enjoying them. So I would use the money on the wine pairing to get 2 or 3 cocktails instead. Overall. Great food, certainly a good option for a celebration or just enjoying fine dining in Honolulu. The chefs clearly know what they are doing and I wish them success in their future endeavors!

Been to many restaurants on Oahu over the last 8 years, and this one takes the cake! Menu is unique and comprehensive — there’s something for everyone — and the execution was flawless. Ordered 4 appetizers, 2 entrees, 1 dessert, and 2 drinks, and every one of them hit the mark. Our favs were the dumplings, inari bombs, and the tenderloin! Our waiter Tyler was so attentive and gave us just the right amount of space. We’ll be back in no time!

First time at the newer location. I remember great food and service at that old location. Requested to sit at the bar with my group. Ordered crab cakes, caesar salad, shrimp with toast, and scallops over fried rice (not pictured). Crab cakes and caesar salad were good. Unfortunately, since the dishes were dropped off with little explanation; I found the shrimp with toast difficult to eat. The fried rice that the scallops sat on was just inedible; mushy and bland. The rice offered nothing to do the dish. I will admit that the drinks were very good. I remember from my first experience the desserts were delicious. My party ordered the candy bar. While it tasted good, I didn’t like that the ice cream was pretty much half melted and the candy bar fell apart trying to cut into it. At least it still tasted delicious.

Ok I have been to a LOT of good restaurants!! This one is the BEST! First it started a little different as it’s in a high end dealership. YES before or after you enjoy one of the best meals you will ever have, stop in and check out the Jaguars, Mercedes, Ferrari’s and more! Let’s get back to the food. We went for three appetizers and three different entree’s and two desserts! Most places do two of the three well but miss the mark on ALL 3! Well MW did it! AMAZING. I know I don’t do the best photos but you will be completely missing out if you do not eat here! The food was fresh, tasted unbelievable, and looked beautiful. Oh and it was PLENTY not too much and not small. It was perfecto. Lastly, everyone was super friendly and service was great.

A year later update: ate here again for our anniversary. Was absolutely outstanding really cheers to the husband and wife chef team they are caviar offering you are doing for the holidays was so unexpected - a delightful combination of flavours. As we’re all the dishes. Small restaurant serving delicious local dishes. Everything we ordered was really good. We found the food to be down to earth - creative yet showcasing the high quality ingredients and not overly complicated. Safe to say our favourite spot in Honolulu. Location is above a car dealership which made for awkward parking but no big deal. Is island hop just to come eat here. Service was excellent.

My favorite restaurant in Oahu for the last 3 years. Their butterfish is the most tender piece of fish I have ever eaten in my life. The scallops are also cooked to perfection with a luxurious amount of seafood in the fried rice. My favorite dish in the whole restaurant however is their brulee. I have never experienced a dish that plays with flavor, texture, and temperature so much and so well. The most depressing part of the whole meal is the last bite of the brulee because the greatness has to come to an end.

The food was okay at best. For the price point it was definitely not worth it. All the dishes were really salty and they just seemed to be ordinary Asian dishes just with unnecessary expensive ingredients to elevate it. The expensive ingredients in my opinion didn’t do much for the dish. I’d have much rather just paid to eat the regular dish that these dishes were inspired by. My dad had the ribeye which had some sort of sauce on it. Sauce on a ribeye? Totally ruined the steak. Would’ve been much better without it.

05/24/25 Guess I missed the last time we were at MW with the family.. At the last mi it's we decided to go for appetizer dinner. As usual, it's really good including dessert. Service is consistently great, friendly, prompt and service just the way we like it. Appetizers, salad and a rib eye.too much food. Good thing is they allow take home boxes. Caesar salad... good but different... tiny iriko instead of anchovies. Inari bombs-inari skin, filled with sushi rice, topped with fish and ikura, seafood dynamite was so good served with chips, jumbo shrimp escargot style, so buttery! Then we had the ahi/avocado on won ton chips... a bit spicy and of course the crab cakes so good with the fresh corn. Rib eye steak cook medium rare and sliced for us to share. I need to save room for Michelle's dessert... mango ice with tapioca and mango sorbet... finished off with Will and Grace coffee.

Decided to come here for a birthday dinner and my boyfriend and I both really enjoyed the food. We ordered the arancini, dumplings, Caesar salad, and seafood chowder to start. The dumplings were in a truffle broth and the arancini had what we think was okonomiyaki sauce and kewpie mayo on top. For our entrees I had the braised beef and my boyfriend had the butterfish. The beef was super tender however I think I would have liked it more with a risotto or mashed potatos to help soak up some of the rich sauce. It was tasty but very rich. My boyfriend enjoyed the butterfish- seasoned and cooked well. Dessert I had the seasonal mango shave ice panna cotta that was amazing! Boyfriend had the ice cream bars- we really enjoyed the presentation of the bars. They also gave a complementary chocolate cake for my birthday. Parking wise we did valet. Just follow the instructions on the website if not the garage is a little confusing if you're not sure what you're looking for. Service was good, waiter came by regularly to check in- particularly after food was brought over. All in all we would come back to try more of their menu!

MW Restaurant is a local fine dining restaurant with Hawaiian inspired dishes. I've actually come twice, once prior to their move when they operated near First Hawaiian Bank, and after their relocation into a luxury car dealership. Because the restaurant is now in a shared building, it can be confusing to find parking or locate it for the first time. Not sure if I was unlucky both times but I ordered what the server recommended and we were not impressed with the food. It was pretty mediocre for some dishes. I do think customer service, plating, and presentation was amazing. My friend who was celebrating his birthday at the time felt special with his cake and had a great time. We did like the steak and ahi poke nachos for their savory sauces that melded well with their respective dishes. However, I thought the mochi crusted fish was a bit bland and one note. The meringue on the brulee dessert was also too powdery so it triggered my cough multiple times. Overall, it was a hit or miss depending on what we got and that was somewhat disappointing. I was expecting to get blown away considering the positives I've heard about this place. Maybe third times the charm, but until then these were our experiences here.

Check in- excellent food and service as always! Ho Farms Tomato Salad was great! Mochi crusted Kanpachi with somen and Big Glory Bay salmon with bulgur/quinoa salad (infused with ginger/scallion sauce) were wonderful. Lilikoi brûlée and mango shave ice were incredible desserts. The mango shave ice included sorbet, mango shavings, panna cotta and tapioca. It was outrageously good.

This was my second visit to the restaurant in about six months. I wanted to come here to try other menu items & different cocktails, and also eat the chocolate cake that I liked last time. I really want to love this place, because of the wonderful service, unique cocktails and delicious desserts. However, the food is not five stars worthy for me yet, but four stars, which is still good! Crab Cakes - good, but I couldn't taste the crab meat much. Maybe because of the crab they had that particular day. Short Ribs - very fatty and the sauce was a little too sweet for my liking. I didn't like the sticky greasy feeling in my mouth after eating. Ribeye - decent, perfect doneness as requested, and appreciated that they cut them for us to share. I wished we ordered the fish instead of short ribs, but oh well, wouldn't have known until tried that. Maybe next time ;)

So yum! Honestly not sure why we stopped going to MW.. food and service is great! Our server Darren was accommodating and friendly. Parking is valet only I think. Can't park in the velocity or artizen stalls, you'll need to go further in and up the ramp. $6, not including tip. Tried the lilikoi yuzunade drink (non-alcoholic) which was good! Very flavorful. Got a few appetizers: unagi butterfish, crab cakes, ahi poke nachos, and lobster rolls. Butterfish, crab cakes and poke were solid--will definitely order again! Not a fan of the lobster rolls. All bread and barely any lobster. Mostly whatever sauce they mix the tiny pieces of lobster in. Also slightly spicy with wasabi or horseradish ? And the seafood chowder (which included calamari and blue crab that day--I think) was amazing. I had the truffle short ribs- they were good at first, but in my opinion there was too much sauce that everything was just drenched in it, including the vegetables so the flavor was kind of overwhelming. It might've been good with a side of mashed potatoes but I didn't order. Desserts were both great. We also had a complimentary tiramisu for my grandma's birthday. Will definitely be back!!

Went here for a nice family dinner. This is definitely a nice restaurant and appears to take the place of the former Alan Wong's restaurant. The food and drinks were excellent, and the service was top-notch. Make sure you read the website about parking and the exact location if you rideshare there. A nice upscale restaurant in Honolulu that made our trip memorable.

Although they provide the valet parking, you need to approach from the back of the building (Mercedes side), so be careful. We ordered seafood salad, Pork hash dumplings, ahi nachos, kona kampachi, and brûlée. The presentation is great and we enjoyed all the dishes except ahi nachos and pork hash dumplings: ahi nachos were a bit spicy (maybe good with some alcohol) and pork hash dumplings were a bit salty on that day. This restaurant is so popular that many local customers were there even on Thursday: therefore we had difficulty finding our waiter. Yet we love their seafood dishes as well as desert. We would like to come back again to try other dishes. Thank you very much for nice dinner!

This review is for the CARROT CAKE take out. It was not part of their dessert menu whenever we've dined in. I also did not see it served per slice at Artizen downstairs. Seems like it's only available via pre-order. Premium cake 6" for $85. To those of who you are carrot cake connoisseurs or you just love Carrot cake, this is THE.BEST.CARROT.CAKE.IN.HAWAII.PERIOD. 5 layers, delicious cream cheese frosting - very good balance between cheese and sweet, topped off with a crispy wafer base. Reminds me of the Carrot Cake at our fav Steakhouse in San Diego - Born and Raised. Yea I'll be ordering it again!

I have a sweet tooth, so I have always loved the M-side of MW. Artizen cookie bar? Already added to the calendar. All you can eat MW candy bars at Food & Wine? How many times is too many times to get in line? Asking for a friend. I don't always think of the W-side of MW, but I should. We recently went back for dinner with friends and here are the notes. Do try the arancini. Light, crispy, with the scent of truffles. This is a nice appetizer. The corn chowder was less exciting and served just barely warm. The entrees are classic bistro favorites, the King Salmon had a soft, melt in your mouth texture and was served with a generous amount of beurre blanc. The braised short ribs are fork tender with a rich truffle sauce and foie gras. And the Steak Au Poivre was better than some steakhouses. The steak had a deep beef flavor, had a nice sear, and the sauce was heavily seasoned--I would suggest getting the sauce on the side. We finally made it to dessert and coffee--French press of course--and why stop at just one? Michelle's signature dessert, the brûlée is a fun mix of textures, the crispy burnt sugar balancing out the tangy lilikoi. The tiramisu is the coffee version of the brûlée with the same brûléed top and the same textures of pearls, cream, and jellies. The MW candy bar is perfect if you like chocolate and peanut butter. Lightly crisp and so indulgent. Strawberry Napoleon is puff pastry, strawberries, ume and shiso sorbet, it's crunchy and refreshing. We enjoyed ourselves and it reminded me MW is still a lovely way to wile away an evening.

The parking is tricky, but once you get there you'll love the service and food! Our table had a wonderful view. The food was excellent. We'll go back when we vacation there again, it was that good.

Went here for a belated Mothers Day dinner and it was delicious! We used to go back in high school when they had their happy hour and it was just as good as I remembered. I had the mochi crusted kanpachi over a bed of somen and we shared a couple of appetizers for the table. The portions are on the smaller so it's a perfect place to share a few appetizers before the main. Everything was very good and the service was great. Loved all of the natural lighting that came in from the windows - 10/10.

A lot of this rating comes from our experience with server Tyler. He deserves all the accolades in that even if we were to have a terrible meal (which we didn't) he would still be able to turn this around. He shows empathy and care for his customers. Knows when to lean in and lean out of conversations and is not awkward about it. Commands the floor and should be a manager if he's not by now. But nevertheless MW, has been at this location for about 3 years now. Drive your car up to the valet located on the 2nd floor, but come with a smaller car because there are tight turns in the parking lot, the way the cars are tandem parked on a busy night. Valet parking is $6 (not including tip and no validation is necessary). The restaurant is located on the same floor, less than a minute away from valet. Bar is to the right, check-in counter to the left, and more dining tables around the check-in corner on the left. Restrooms are located in the hallway of velocity, by the elevators. Came here for the restaurant week menu which was good! Was torn between the chowder and arancini as the starting course. Noticed that the chowder was on their ala carte menu, so opted for the restaurant week menu arancini and got an order of the chowder as well. Didn't think the arancini was going to come with 7 pieces! Already full by the time both items were consumed, but kept pushing through. The chicken cordon bleu came with a duck pastrami which wasn't too gamey, which I liked. Though the sauce was a little too salty for my liking. The corn was sweet and veggies were crunchy. Huge portion, so took half of that home, to save room for dessert. My dining partner opted for the salmon which had a nice Beurre blanc sauce, also a huge portion. As for the desserts, I liked the strawberry napoleon far more than the tiramisu. The tiramisu wasn't bad. It had a creme brulee type of crust on it, and under that had a chocolate mousse with a coconut espresso tapioca, that part I liked the most. That strawberry napoleon though, needs to be on your menu permanently! Just the right amount of crisp/crunch for the puff pastry, and just the right amount of creme to strawberry and when you mix it together with that ume, strawberry, shiso sorbet, perfection. Thank you for the lovely restaurant week menu, well done!

The world food tour made a return visit to MW. It has been 18 months since our last visit, r and we looked forward to the special menu in October. MW is celebrating their 11th anniversary and offered classics from their opening year. We started with a 2019 Chapter 24 Last Chapter Pinot Noir ($180) from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Ruby red, full of red fruit and a hint of chocolate and mushroom; a very good wine. We opted for three October specials: Spam Musubi ($16), Oxtail and Pork Hash Roulade ($48), and the Hawaiian Plate ($50). We chose one appetizer off the regular menu, Pork Hash Dumplings ($18). The appetizers were the highlight of the evening for us ... The Pork Hash Dumplings with a Truffle Bacon Dashi was sublime! I could smell the scent of truffles as the dish was served, such an intoxicating aroma! My tablemate used the dashi atop her Spam musubi. We both thought the crispy rice made that dish perfect. I would order the Pork Hash Dumplings as my entrée. The Hawaiian plate contained a thick slice of Porchetta pork loin with tomato halves and cooked taro leaves in a poi sauce. Visually, it was stunning! The oxtail and pork hash roulade was interesting ... The plate is not what I envisioned but, hey, it's a roulade. The slice of roulade was atop a bed of peanut and Shiitake mushroom risotto. We ordered the Mud Pie ($18) and the MW Candy Bar ($16) for dessert. I paired my candy car with a French Press containing one of my favorite coffees ... 100% Ka'u ($12). The mud pie presentation differed from our prior experience ... It reminded me of a Baked Alaska. The candy bar was delicious ... It hasn't changed, and that's a good thing. Final thoughts: MW continues to offer inventive food at reasonable (for 2024) prices. Service is very good, and the atmosphere is inviting. 4.5 stars from me.

Went last year when we visited Hawaii and MW was "knock my socks off" amazing. This year - I'm not sure what is going on but our food was either OVER cooked or UNDER cooked. We did let the manager know. She offered to replace one dish that was meant to be cooked fish but was raw fish in the middle (a big section). We let her know about other issues but she did not seem to take as much notice. I feel bad writing this review but it's just not the same as a year ago :( Hope they can get their act together as business is getting tough and this was not a cheap dinner.

We try to dine at MW every time we go to a blaisedell show, but caution to everyone that you should try to book your reservations early because they are very popular! It's a little strange coming here because it is in the car showroom but they do valet which makes it less stressful. But once you're inside, it is clean, very modern and chic and feels like a high end restaurant. The menu is always changing so we eat something new everytime. The appetizers are always delicious. We have sat down at the tables and the bar, both were good experiences. I gotta say my favorite part of the meal is always dessert. Their sweets are just so balanced and yummy I always look forward to it

Food was perfect! Service was Awesome!! They opened at 5pm, got seated quickly, so the drinks, appetizers and main courses came out quick!!!

MW Restaurant in Honolulu is my go-to spot because of Its convenient location - makes it hard to resist, especially when I'm craving something delicious. Most of the time, the food is on point--like the mochi-crusted kampachi that's basically a hug on a plate. The drinks? Let's just say they're consistently pretty good. The truffle braised short rib is a solid option and most of the time it's cooked damn well. I also like the MW candy bar for dessert. If there's events in town or at the Blaisdell then good luck getting in but most times it's not an issue.

MW stands for Mouth Watering food! I've been a fan of MW Restaurant since dining at their previous Kapiolani Boulevard locale and at Artizen, its sister restaurant. MW stands for the wife and husband team of pastry chef Michelle Karr-Ueoka and chef Wade Ueoka, who was gracious enough giving us a tour of the dining room on a previous visit. They are both disciples of Alan Wong, having worked for him at his restaurant. For start, I ordered the Farmer's salad, a beauty to behold. For entree, I considered the King salmon, but could not resist the mochi-crusted Hawaiian kanpachi, which is MW's most popular entree. It was perfectly cooked, served atop two round mounds of somen noodle, and accompanied with delicately chopped kim chee and bok choy. Since MW is also known for its desserts, we ordered the banana cream with ulu crust topped with Kohana rum ice cream and creme brulee. Just soooo good! My dinner mates were quite content with the food and the excellent service from our server Giorgio. Loved the ambiance of their dining room! Valet parking ($6) entrance is on Kapiolani Boulevard; take the second right to the ramp, where you arrive at restaurant's entrance.

I had the opportunity to dine in at MW restaurant for a work function when we hosted a VIP visiting from Okinawa. We knew the food and service was excellent when we catered lunch bentos for another set of visitors a couple of months ago. Our group at the time had a variety of dietary restrictions, which Executive Manager Kathy accommodated with so much grace and patience. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their lunch bentos, and MW was the natural choice this time! Our reservation was for a Tuesday and it was a relatively big group. I noticed there was a lot of space between each group of diners, which is not common in my experience (don't restaurants usually fill their floor with as many tables as possible for higher yields?) so there was adequate privacy. The dining room had big windows along one wall which looked out at the Blaisdell (I think) but I admit I barely looked out! The interior was brightly lit and classy and modern and simple at the same time. The food was SO GOOD. For appetizers we had the ahi poke nachos (so fresh and delicious), unagi arancini (delicious, esp with the seaweed sauce thing at the bottom - omg), pork hash dumplings (super super good, so dense and juicy and perfectly seasoned), and seasonal persimmon salad (I didn't sample). I had the duck confit while everyone else had the signature kanpachi and butterfish. I had had the kanpachi bento before and knew it was good, but seeing it served hot and fresh and hearing the crunch of the crispy mochi is another matter! (I took a bite from my colleague's fish hehe.) My duck was super crispy outside and super tender inside and so so delicious. It was a mini Thanksgiving meal with the arabiki stuffing and cranberry sauce and truffle mashed potatoes. SO SO GOOD. I thought I wouldn't be able to fit anything else but the folks at MW timed it so well; between clearing our plates and whipping out the dessert menu and letting us peruse it, somehow my stomach made room for a banana cream pie, which was just the right amount of sweetness and richness. I swear I gained 5 lbs from that meal. Service was stellar, from the cheerful hostess who doubled as server/busser, to our main guy Kyle who was prompt, courteous, and appeared like magic when we needed him, and to exec manager Kathy who once again accommodated us! The price points may seem high at first glance but for the overall quality (taste, portion size, execution) they are quite reasonable, in my humble opinion. Definitely worth the treat for special occasions. It is valet parking only, $6 for 3 hours. Getting to the restaurant is straightforward but also tricky for first-timers. Directions are clearly written on their website.

The last time I ate at MW Restaurant prior to this visit was when they were located in the same complex as Pho Saigon and HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union. Of course, HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union is no longer there but that was how long ago it has been. So you can say it's been a minute. They are now located on the second floor of Velocity. For those of you who don't know where that is, they are on the corner of Ward and Kapiolani with all the exotic cars. You drive up the ramp to the second floor for valet parking which is $6. Your car is relatively safe since it's probably one of the least valuable vehicles on property so you can dine in peace. With tip you're looking at paying about $11. You walk through the glass doors and MW Restaurant is in front of you. Immediately to your right is the bar and to the left is the dining room. There is a view of NBC through their windows and of the kitchen along the far wall. We came this most recent visit as a surprise birthday party for Mink. After a month of planning, it definitely failed but she gave me points for effort. One couple flew in that morning and couldn't make it as jet lag hit them hard. Another couple whom I asked to pick up the balloons I ordered got stuck in crazy traffic so they didn't arrive till after we arrived. The last couple came separately due to work so only one person was there on time lol. I really appreciated they came because they were flying out the next morning and they didn't book their hotel nor packed yet. Since no one was there nor the Happy Birthday balloons, Mink didn't even know it was a surprise birthday party for her lol. She thought she was there to have dinner with my clients and was like "what are you doing here?" to her one friend that was there on time. I even tried to drive around the block to pretend I'm lost to give the second couple more time but yeah, I failed. If you want to have a birthday cake, you need to order from the restaurant ahead of time. They do not allow you to bring cake from outside. That's fine because they have some good options and everyone really enjoyed the chocolate cake. I came 2 weeks before the party to order and pay for the cake. After our meal, it did take a while before they brought the cake out so I had to tell Mink I ordered one which ruined the final surprise of the evening. Moral of the story, don't let me plan any surprise parties lol. The men all ordered their own meals while the girls ordered several dishes to share. We got a few appetizers to share that along with lots of wine for everyone. Overall, the food was good and we even tried items off their Mexican and Latin American menu. It was their first day offering it and it's being offered till September 25th (except Sundays). Fun night with friends and a very Happy Forever 21st Birthday to Mink!

I recently ate here for a birthday dinner and it did not disappoint! It's in the same building as a car dealership, valet only- $6. For a starter we got the sliders- our waiter warned us they were small, the tiniest cutest burger I ever ate. For my main I got the miso glazed butter fish- it was amazing, melts in your mouth. Comes with a kimchee potato salad on the side that was to die for, legit best potatoes I've ever had. Will go back just for that!

Love coming here for a great meal. Nice open airy space and great friendly staff. The menu is a great example of using asian flavors in a western setup. I wish they had more places like MW on the mainland

Location of this restaurant is a little strange. It's on the second floor of a car dealership. So driving there and parking might seem a little confusing. The don't have a dedicated parking lot. It's valet parking only ($6). Getting to the restaurant might be a little tricky but it's totally worth it! The servers were really helpful and very attentive. Helped make some great ordering suggestions. I started with the white sangria (a sweet and refreshing chardonnay with lychee, fuji apples, and elderberry). I had the truffle braised short rib, which was delicious. The meat was really tender and the truffle sauce was fantastic. The dish had a good assortment of veggies and potatoes to balance out the taste. Finished my meal with the beautiful strawberry shortcake pavlova that had a really nice meringue. What really made the dessert top-notch, IMO, was the strawberry yuzu sorbet. A really nice touch at the end was the packaged chocolate chip cookie gift, a special recipe from the chef's grandmother. So sweet!

I haven't been back to this restaurant in five plus years and didn't realize it had moved. The directions were so confusing, had to pull up Yelp reviews to find the actual parking lot. This is located inside of a dealership on the 2nd floor. Only valet is available. Upon arriving we were stuck in a line of cars that had no one actually in them. Since we were almost late for our reservation, I stepped out to talked to the valet. I was informed that the cars in front of me were getting dropped off of service? Nevertheless, he took our keys which help us skip the wait time. The new location is a lot fancier than its previous. We got sat right away but service was very slow. Didn't have a server come by til almost 20 minutes. FOOD **I was a bit disappointed because I had checked the website for the menu prior but it looks like a few of the items were changed. - Oysters 5/5: Very fresh and decently sized. - Beets Salad 2/3: Underwhelming and lacked flavor. - Foie Gras Wonton 2/5: A bit too sweet and salty for my liking. The wonton itself was also a little stale. - Garlic Parmesan Potato Gnocchi 5/5: Please order this as a side! It was the best gnocchi I have ever had. Just the right amount of chewiness with immense flavor. The stars of the show were the entrees: - Truffle Braised Shortrib 3/5: So juicy and tender. The scalloped potatoes complimented the dish so well. However, the dish was very rich and a bit too sweet. - 16oz Brandt Brand Beef Prime Grade Ribeye 3/5: Very flavorful but it was overall a bit chewy. - Mochi Crusted Kona Kamapchi 5/5: This dish was chef's kiss! The fish had the perfect amount of crunch but was still so moist and chewy. The somen noodles were so refreshing and complimented the fish very well. I would come back just for this dish alone! Sad that we had decided to share dishes. The tab was overall pretty high for a mid-level restaurant. I had remembered enjoying the old location more over the new. I'd probably only come back for the mochi crusted fish.

Out of this world food and desserts! The location is different, which we explain when we recommend this place to friends. Pricey, but worth it for exceptional food and service

This restaurant might actually be worth it! I came after seeing this on the Buzzfeed video on the Worth It series and knew I had to come on my first trip to Hawaii. The location from the video was different and the inside was a lot smaller than I thought it'd be. It was also a little confusing getting there, too. Prepare for a lot of stairs. But once we found it, we were promptly seated and greeted by really friendly staff. Crab Cakes - 4.5/5 these were pretty good! I think this was my favorite appetizer of the night. They were small, but they were equally crisp and soft. I really enjoyed them. Short rib & Foie Gras Won Tons - 4.5/5 these were flavorful as well, but honestly, if you're never had foie gras, you wouldn't be able to tell. I wasn't super blown away by it, but my boyfriend really enjoyed these. Wagyu Beef Sliders - 4/5 my boyfriend really enjoyed these ones as he's big on burgers. I do think these were really juicy and the sauce paired with it was quite delicious as well. Mochi Crusted Fish - 4/5 while I was really excited to try this, I found that I honestly preferred some of the appetizers more than I preferred this one. While the crust on the fish was really nicely crisp and the fish itself was really light, I found that I just wasn't totally blown away. The accompanying veggies were really good and eating them with the fish did help, but I honestly was a little confused. It unfortunately, didn't pop for me. Overall, this was a great experience overall. It was a nice middle ground restaurant in terms of price but also experience. Not quite luxury and not quite casual dining. I definitely suggest ordering tons of appetizers and sharing as these were definitely more fulfilling.

Simply amazing and hands down the best restaurant in Oahu! We love the Ahi nachos, Caesar salad, miso glazed butterfish. The desserts were also outstanding. Super grateful to have been served by the executive pastry chef (Michelle Karr-Ueoka). They are a must try! The ambiance is clean, ultra modern and high end fancy restaurant. I highly recommend MW Restaurant without reservation.

MW restaurant has consistently good food. This is my first time visiting them at their new location on the corner of Ward Avenue and Kapi'olani Boulevard. It's a little tricky to find as it's in the Velocity car building on the second floor. The parking entrance is located on Kapi'olani Boulevard right before Mercedes-Benz. You pull in there and go up the ramp to the end where there is a valet parking only. Valet parking is six dollars. From there you're already on the second floor and MW restaurant is right in front of you. I was there for a meeting, so it had a set menu, including a trio of appetizers, salad of local greens, surf and turf and dessert, which was the MW candy bar. Portion sizes are small, but very tasty. Appetizer included, kombucha soup, raw oyster, and spicy Ahi. Salad was pretty basic with local greens. Dinner entrée included small portions of butterfish and braised short ribs which were really wonderful. Dessert is the famous MW candy bar made by Michelle, the James Beard award, winning pastry chef. Excellent food as always.

Service is great but the food is really so-so. Maybe I ordered the wrong things? Inari appetizer was too rice heavy and the color of the fish was a bit grey. The tuna nachos were ok. Too much gojujan sauce IMO. I ordered the seafood cioppino and it was okay. I've never had so many potatoes in a seafood soup. Steak came out lukewarm. Tomato salad was unmemorable. For the price of $290 I expected more.

First time visit & it won't be the last. 1st of all-customer service was above and beyond. Our server, wait staff & front of house were ALOHA filled, knowledgeable & well trained. 2nd, the food was sooooo good. Portion was solid & qualtity & variety was top notch. Celebrated our anniversary & they were such a blessing to us Great job MW, we recommend you to all. Pricing is as expected but the quality & quantity was a great value

Getting here was such a chore that I'd love to be critical of this place. I find it a bit gauche to have a restaurant charging roughly $100/person within a car dealership - Bentleys and Ferraris notwithstanding. It's still a bit ghetto-fabulous for my taste - though it does remind me of Alan Wong's old Pineapple Room within a Macy's back in the day. Regardless, let me get to the point. The food is delicious. The signature kampachi fish is excellent and definitely worth a try. I also loved the additional banchan-style pickled side dishes. Phenomenal. The ahi nachos and arincini were also well-received appetizers. For this kind of fare, I guess I'd be willing to drive to the back alley of a service station up a shady ramp filled with cars without a complaint. So keep it up MW. We loved it. As an aside, maybe the restaurant's name would fit in a bit better if you added a 'B' in front?

CODY came in for light supper CODY ordered Caesar salad CODY food was tasty CODY server was friendly and helpful CODY dining area was spacious and inviting CODY will return to order more food

Great place for a special occasion. Food was delicious and they had a vegetarian option. They even gave a second vege option not on the menu when asked. We ordered some vegetables on the slides which were also tasty. Service was attentive, ambiance nice. They provide a complimentary desert for your b-day. I was charged the wrong bill but MW quickly fixed it and my bill showed up correctly on my credit card within the next business day.

Interesting place. It's a fine dining restaurant that's on the second floor of a car dealership. Service was outstanding. Food was what you expect at fine dining in Hawaii. Food was good, taste was spot on. Parking is valet only and parking entrance is not very well marked. We actually missed it and had to do a big loop to get back around since it's difficult to make a left turn through on coming traffic on the busy streets. Limited vegetarian options. Overall not a bad place.

MW never disappoints! We LOVE coming here for the Kanpachi but always leave with trying something new and leaving with a new "must have". The service is always amazing and the ambiance is always on point. Our server was great and walked us through all the new and specialty items for the night. Food was perfectly coursed and delicious as always. We ordered a few starters and two orders of Kanpachi, which came out beautifully plated and cooked to perfection as always. Our pavlova dessert was a must try! So light and airy. Thank you MW for another amazing dinner.

This is one of our friend's favorite restaurants to take people and I had a very pleasant experience. First off, if you have never been here before, the parking (valet only) and restaurant itself is a little tricky to find. However, the website does a good job of explaining and it is basically inside an upscale car dealership. The restaurant space is trendy and open with windows lining the wall and an open kitchen. On to the menu - great mix of Asian fusion and local dishes and love that they have daily specials. We ordered quite a lot so I will attempt to list everything below: Lychee-hoo cocktail Steamed Manila clams Mochi crusted Kona kanpachi Seafood paella Truffle braised short ribs Steamed opakapaka Chinese style (daily special) MW candy bar dessert Banana crème pie Hibiki whiskey ice cream Everything was flavorful and delicious and my favorite dish would have to be the mochi crusted Kona kanpachi. My friends also mentioned that they are known for their desserts and I can see why, highly recommend getting at least one to try. Lastly, service was great, friendly and quick and we even had the honor of meeting the owners/chefs! I would definitely recommend MW to anyone visiting Honolulu and hope to make it back again soon.

8/12/2024 MW Restaurant is hard to find so drive around on Kapiolani Blvd. We found it, though the wait was awhile before being seated! As for the food, delicious with a flair! Ordered #49 Red-Wine Braised Short Ribs...Maybe a little too much red wine in the braised short ribs! For dessert, had Banana pie (with Butterscotch pudding & Ko Hana Rum Icecream) and that was very delicious..Yums! Otherwise, we enjoyed the unique and stylish scenery, food, and much mahalo for the birthday singing for one of our family member! It was an experience to attend a new & Fancy food restaurant.

Brought the family here based on a recommendation from a friend. The restaurant is situated in a building with high end car dealerships. Cool location in my opinion. Restaurant had a nice, clean trendy vibe. Service was excellent. Food was also excellent. Starters: Foie Gras Short Rib Won Tons - this had the savory flavors of short rib with the creaminess from the foie gras. 5/5 Wagyu Beef Sliders - very tender, buns were toasted perfectly. 5/5 Ahi Nachos - fresh Ahi over won ton chips. Very good. 5/5 Kusshi Oysters - nice and fresh served with mignonette preset on each oyster. 5/5 Mains: Bristol Bay Scallops - these were cooked perfectly with a cauliflower puree which was seasoned nicely. All bits of lobster was included. 5/5 Miso Honey Glazed Butterfish - cooked to perfection. Fish flaked as it should with moist yet sweet bits of char. 5/5 Truffle Braised Shortrib - again cooked to perfection. Moist and seasoned well. Came with foie gras seared on top. Was excellent. 5/5 Sides: Truffle smashed potato's - very good with the right amount of truffle. 5/5 Garlic Parmesan potato gnocchi - these were equally scrumptious and well seasoned. 5/5 Dessert: MW Candy Bar - excellent presentation and flavor. 5/5 Brownie Sundae - this is an elevated brownie sundae with truffle caramel sauce and caramelized bananas 5/5 Banana cream pie - an elevated version with Hibiki Japanese whisky ice cream. Very good. 5/5 Strawberry Shave Ice - another elevated version of shaved ice with Panna cotta at the bottom. While I love Waiola's, this was a nice twist. 5/5 Overall, this was the best elevated Hawaiian dinner I've had on Oahu, Maui and Kauai. Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a nicer dinner in Hawaii.

Great time. Sat at the bar for dinner. Great seafood chowder and salad. My wife had scallops but were a little overdone but still tasted great. Desert was the Pavlova~creamsicle and the MW signature desert, both were great. I tried their version of an old fashioned and it was a great take on the classic.

Finally got to try MW's new location in the Symphony building right across of the Blaisdell. The parking structure is a little hard to find if you haven't been there before. It's in the back of the building & it's the driveway before the resident driveway. I believe it's valet only which is currently $6. You'll know you're in the right place when you see Ferrari's, Lambo's and all the niceee cars! The entrance is right next to the valet desk. The restaurant itself seems fancier but a bit smaller then their last location. We started off with appetizers - unagi butterfish arancini, steamed Manila clams, pork & foie gras wontons, wagyu beef sliders, & Caesar salad. All of it was so so tasty! Then we ordered our main dish - I got their famous mochi crusted kanpachi. That came with a bed of somen noodles, pickled veggies, kimchee & a house made soy yuzu kosho dressing. And we got a bunch of desserts that I didn't get to try because I was so full from the apps & main dish. Our server was really nice and recommended some dishes to us. Go check them out at their new location if you haven't already! And if you have well then you know it's just that good.

A meal at MW is a must when visiting Honolulu. This is probably the best meal I have ever had on Oahu. MW is located in the Velocity Honolulu Building. See their website for details on location and valet parking. Every single bite of our meal made me sigh. For two people we probably ordered too much but we had a hard time deciding. Furikake scallop dynamite was a fun starter with homemade shrimp chips to eat with the edamame avocado scallop dip. The Manila clams were in an amazing broth with mushrooms and spinach and with a side of toasted sourdough bread to sop up the broth. Omg. Sooooo good. The Mochi crusted Hawaiian kanpachi is one of their signature dishes and was another wow. The crisp kanpachi on top of the somen noodles with the yuzu sauce. And the banchan were a beautiful touch. Truffle short ribs -- tender and so flavorful. Ahhhhh. Even though we couldn't finish the dishes, we ordered the Lilikoi brulee for dessert and it was wonderful finish to our meal. The light lilikoi flavor on top of tapioca. The flavors just danced in my mouth. Loved our server, Alyssa, who was so personable (and uses cute pens to sign for your check!). The ambiance is modern and open. A meal at MW is a must! Make a reservation via Open Table.

My better half took me here for my birthday. I'm generally opposed to places that make you put a deposit down to hold a reservation, but after seeing the limited tables in here, I do get it. Its fairly small. To access the restaurant on the 2nd floor you need to go into the actual dealership to get to the elevator. We walked through Artizen to get there. Signage is poor. We had to ask. Our server was a young girl, 20s, but she was excellent. She didn't have the years of experience many higher-end servers have, and it showed. But her style was good and she offered specific recommendations, which I liked. Before she took our order, we kind of already knew what we wanted, and she went on to independently recommend all our main dishes without us saying anything. This reinforced our decision. We started with a special, the Ebi Fry (fried Kauai shrimp and chips). Beautiful presentation. A bit steep at $18 for 3 pieces of shrimp, but it was good. We shared two entrees, the first being Kona Lobster Pasta ($48). This was pretty good but not terrific. Pasta was ok, but not phenomenal. Not sure if it was handmade. I don't think so. Sauce was a winner with a succulent lobster taste/aroma. The lobster itself was pretty good, but just slightly overcooked/rubbery which was disappointing. The second item was the Mochi Crusted Hawaiian Kanpachi, one of their signature dishes also at $48. This dish is phenomenal. Fish was tender, mochi crust was crispy, and the somen noodles were the perfect accompaniment. I would HIGHLY recommend getting this dish. It's unique. I haven't seen anything like it anywhere else. We realized we didn't get much veggies, and ordered the Vegetable Stir Fry side at $12. It was good, tasty, and worth $12. The desert, unfortunately, was a disappointment. The "Candy Bar" at $16 is small and just not very good. I'm sorry. I really really wanted to like it. Just a few months ago we had something similar at a Michael Mina Restaurant in Sonoma called Wit & Wisdom. They had something on the menu for only $14 called "The Wit & Wisdom Chocolate Bar". Similar concept, but executed much better. Much larger in size, better texture, better flavor, and highly addicting. I actually felt ripped off eating the MW Candy Bar. Definitely opt for a different dessert. What I do like about this restaurant is its basically a high-end mom & pop establishment. The owners were there working hard. Their family was there working hard. Their young son was also there. This is rare. This couple are pretty much local celebrity chefs. The table next to us also ordered duck, which is not even on the menu. The willingness to serve customers like this is extraordinary. Therefore although the experience was not perfect, I definitely would go back.

Located in the Symphony building above the Velocity Auto dealership. Valet parking was convenient located at the entrance of building. Friendly hostess sat us at a nice table by the window overlooking the arena. Server greeted us and explained the specials and took our cocktail order. Upon returning, he answered any questions we had and took both our appetizers and entree orders. Our appetizers arrived and were delightful. Crabcakes were nicely breaded and sprinkled with wasabi kofi sauce, corn and hearts of palm. Fried chicken were square pieces, topped with ginger sauce and served with romaine lettuce. Miso butter fish was cooked perfectly, flaky and tasty. Pork belly was tender, savory, glazed with a sweet, salty and sour sauce. Guest enjoyed the Kampachi. Dessert was yummy. Strawberry meringue was lightly sweetened and the shave ice was refreshing. The only thing needed improvement were the restrooms. Certainly did not reflect the quality of the restaurant nor the exclusivity of a high end dealership!

MW Restaurant can be a pricey place to eat, BUT you will be getting your money's worth. The dishes are made with good quality ingredients, prepared in a unique way, and cooked to perfection. Everything on their menu is GREAT! Tender braised shortrib, moist fish, flavorful salads, and delicious desserts. Reservation is a must. They can be booked up for a month. Parking: -valet or street parking. Valet parking is on the second floor. Street parking along Kapiolani Blvd is free at 5 pm. Payment: Cash or credit card Indoor seating with a city view. Interior design has a nice clean feel, well organized, and everything is well kept. Restrooms are located near the front door to your right when you are coming out of the restaurant.

Love this place! Went back twice in 3 days and will be back again!! You can't go wrong with anything.

The food tonight was less than mediocre. I had the Ciopppino, which cost $67.00. The seafood in the dish consisted of two shrimp, two scallops, one clam and a half of a very small lobster. The sauce was very underwhelming and was closer to a bouillabaisse than a cioppino. Dessert was a cheesecake which was beautifully presented, but again lacking in flavor. Overall, the prices were extremely high for less than average food. This seems to be a common theme in Honolulu.

Been at least a year since our last MW visit, and thoroughly enjoyed this dinner experience. From beginning to end, service was great and the food was tops. Appetizers including ahi nachos, seafood gumbo and teishoku entrees and desserts like banana cream pie and pavlova were all excellent! What topped off the food was the service from the team, especially from Emilee, a true professional! Keep up the good work, MW and Emilee, too! Hope to be back soon.

I love this restaurant! My family went for the first time about a week ago and it is now one of my top five favorites! I really don't even know if my words can actually do this place justice. The restaurant is not too hard to find. You walk in through Artizen and then take the elevator to the 2nd floor. Once you find it, you will be glad you came. The vibe of the restaurant is very inviting. The staff is great. The servers are well versed on the menu. The food, from the bright red ahi nachos to the juicy pork hash dumplings to all crab meat crab cakes to the tender ribeye (tip: add the foie gras), is so amazingly delicious! My mouth is watering just thinking about the dinner I had here. After dinner, we got dessert. It's a must! Do not skip on dessert here. We got the candy bar, crème brulee, and the Mont Blanc. I loved the crème brulee! It is sweet, tart, chewy, creamy all at the same time. If you haven't been yet, what are you waiting for? This is your sign!