A Place To Eat

Best fast-​healty food to eat! Loved the mahi mahi. The guy who works there is very cute, although it was 10 min to closing time, he fixed us a ranch sauce when we did ask him for a different sauce. Highly reccomended.

I visit the island once or twice a year and I have to stop here at least 4 or 5 times. I would eat here everyday if I could. I have tried almost everything on the menu and It is all gourmet dishes but such affordable and worth it prices. Such big portions too. I usually get the quesadilla with sweet potato fries. The Chef is such an amazing person! He literally will cook 15 orders and hold a normal conversation with you and serve those orders in less time than you can finish your food. Great music choice here too. Perfect for going for a date, late night snack, hanging out with friends, or even if you just want to get away from everyone and be by yourself. But you better eat quick cause we want to give others an opportunity to sit down and experience this place too and its always packed and moving here.

Parked my car in the lot behind restaurant. Only one guy there but he can do it all.
No other customers were there around 12:50pm but after we ordered a few more trickled in.
Good service, very courteous, and food came quickly. He validates parking. Self serve water.
Adobo Sea Scallops ($ 12) were good but a bit too salty for me. It was more like a rich creamy pasta sauce. Eating it with rice is good.
Sweet Bun Sliders ($ 10) were good. It comes with cheese as the pictures suggest but it should be mentioned in the description. Meat was good and the sweet potato fries were perfectly seasoned and very crispy. You get a lot of fries which are $ 7 for a side order.
Other items looked good so we will come back again. Don’t forget to tip!
Only drawback I see is if he has to close for some reason but there are a lot of other options around the area if it is. He’s a beast for doing everything till midnight.

How have I not been here before?!
This is a great place for local food with an asian flair. It is cooked to order and the staff was super nice. Justin and I stopped by to get food to bring to Beer Lab HI– across the street– and we were so glad we did! We ordered at the counter and were given our to go food in styrofoam containers. Normally, this would mean loss of one star for me, given the environmental havoc that styrofoam wreaks… BUT they had a sign (I only noticed after!) that you could opt for a more environmentally friendly container for $.50 more or bring your own container.
I was doubtful as to whether or not they would have options for the fish/​veggie eater but they had a few dishes for me to choose from!
Justin ordered the Mac Nut Mahi Mahi, which was EXCELLENT: lightly fried with coconut and mac nuts with a generous scoop of rice and a delicious sauce to dip the fish in! I would definitely think about ordering this next time.
I ordered the coconut milk curry with bok choy, firm tofu and bamboo shoots. I am a huge curry fan but wasn’t sure what to expect from it. It was plentiful and delicious!
Prices were also excellent: the curry was $ 10 (and I had enough for lunch the next day!) and Mac nut Mahi Mahi was $ 11.
We will be back for sure, bringing our own containers for this delicious food!

This place is great… food is delicious and the prices are fair for the quality & portions. The chef is a pretty cool guy too.

I have been here a couple times since its pretty close to my place and UHM. And dammmm I love their food. I have tried a couple of their dishes but I love the sweet bun sliders and I really love their sweet potato fries! Omg so delicious, the best I have had. It’s so crispy!
The white tofu curry is very delicious! Also the blue new yorker is a great deal for a good steak plate!
My most recent visit, I took my cousin out for his bday. I got sliders and very yummy crispy fries! He got the tangy sweet and sour ribs. The ribs were easy fall off the bone and melt in your mouth!
This place is such a great deal for a very filling plate lunch! I was so full and it didn’t break my wallet!
Its sometimes not filled but I have noticed they do a lot of take out orders. I mean I wasn’t too surprised, the parking is very limited. But this place is still worth going to. Check it out!

Great experience! I had the sweet bun sliders and they were really good. The sweet potato fries were the best I’ve ever had. The guy behind the counter was nice and attentive, so the service was great even though it’s a very casual place.
Would highly recommend! And I love that it’s BYOB! :)

I have been going to A Place To Eat for a couple years now and I love it. Since I’ve been going there for so long, I’ve tried everything on the menu! I couldn’t imagine anyone giving this place less than 5 Stars!
The restaurant is small and casual. Some people don’t see it from the street because it’s set further back than the other establishments. It’s on the left right when entering into Puck’s Ally. The restaurant validates the parking which is great. Some people park in the parking lot on the other side, which is a huge NO-​NO. I’ve been there when people have gotten towed.
You walk into the restaurant and see the menu on the wall. You order and pay at the front with either Chef Will or one of the employees. There is ice cold water in a cute mason jar type dispenser. You can sit down anywhere that’s open, it’s just so casual. The food is quick! Almost once you sit down you get your food. And this is so surprising since Chef Will is the only one working in the kitchen!
The Tangy Sweet Sour Ribs are my FAVORITE! The Mahi Mahi sauce is the best! Oh! There’s also a catering menu, the Li Hing Mui Kalbi is so different from any other Kalbi I’ve ever had!
You really can’t go wrong with this place. Especially because it’s BYOB! I like a small drink with my dinner every once in awhile and you can bring whatever you want to this place. It’s casual restaurant with gourmet plate lunch!

This is like a plate lunch take-​out place that has really nice café-​style indoor chairs & tables seating especially for a take-​out place. They serve gourmet-​quality dishes in styrofoam take-​out containers and their water is self-​serve. They don’t do sit down ordering and there is no table service.
Instead, you walk into the establishment up to the front desk, place your order, pay for it, find a seat, and they’ll bring your food to you. They’ll give you a water cup which you use to dispense your own water at the clear water cooler dispenser on the counter right of the cash register. When you’re done eating, throw your take out container in the huge trash bin left of the cashier.
Order from a bunch of items listed on a limited menu posted at the front counter just behind the cash register. Prices are reasonable ($ 10 – 12 range) and they have a catering menu too.
Each plate comes with just the item (listed on the menu) plus white rice and nothing else like the usual plate lunch mac salad, garden salad, or pickled veggies.
I ate here three times and although the owner says the portions are standardized, my photos in comparison with each other and to others who have eaten here differ from slightly (which is fine) to dramatically (which is not fine, in my opinion).
Meals are served piping hot steaming. If you don’t want your meal placed in their styrofoam plates, for 50¢ more you can have it put in a plastic recyclable container or you can bring in your own container.
The owner really cares about his business and the quality of his food. If you don’t like the taste or something is wrong with the food, the owner (Chef Willu) will eventually find out (like from the cashier), and depending on the reason, may reimburse you for your meal.
My fun cravings fact! After the first time I ate here, I longed all day long the next day to eat here again. BF Fran C. and I went to the Punahou Carnival in the afternoon, Chinatown in the early evening, and mid-​evening UH men’s volleyball game. No matter what we did all day, all I could think of was to ask Fran C. whether we could eat at this place to eat! Haha! I told him all about my craving after the game and he obliged! Thank you, Fran C.!! :D
What I tried; what I thought:
Tofu curry (⁵⁄₅) $ 10
— My first visit: Full to the brim of the styrofoam take-​out plate. Impression: WOW! ONO! Tastes like subtle Thai curry. Large firm tofu chunks, lots of fresh baby bok choy chunks, super flavorful full-​bodied sauce, entire dish melds together and is sooo delicious. Only thing I did not care for is that I could taste styrofoam in my tofu curry.
— My third visit: Why did I not order this again during my second visit!!! But when I received my order, I noted that they gave a lot less this time (refer to my pics). When Chef Willu asked me how my food was, I admitted to him that the portion was really different from last time. He explained that he does everything himself and has exacting standards. Ok; maybe I just imagined what I got the first time. After all, I did day dream about it all day lol. Well, it is a good deal at $ 10 whether completely full or just half full. Or is it?
Mac nut mahi (4.5÷5) $ 12
— Tried this on my second visit
— The mahimahi was a little dry; sorta crunchy outside; nice flavor, flavorful, tastes Thai, coconut milk taste makes it mildly sweet
— The accompanying sauce sure brought out the flavor of the mahi. Perfect flavor combination!
— Next time I’ll ask for the fish to be cooked moist ;)
Adobo Sea Scallops ⁴⁄₅ $ 12
— The sauce that the scallops are served in are a nice, light, adobo-​y flavor.
— The menu description says they’re giant scallops and previous photos posted by other yeeps show huge scallops but the ones in Fran C.‘s styrofoam container were medium-​sized and much smaller and not very filling. I think Fran C. was still hungry. Perhaps he should not have shared any (one) with me, yeah?
— Also, the scallops were chewy (cooked a little too long). I personally like them tender.
All in all, I really liked the taste of the three dishes I tried. The standardization of the quantity in the plates and sizes of the scallops kinda makes me wonder non-​positive thoughts. But what probably bothers me most is the taste of styrofoam mixed in with the food. I’m a science person and that very (health) fact has put me on the fence about how I feel about this place. Guess I could just bring my own plate!
idk. I will probably be back if friends want to come here. After all, it is a great deal.

Tried the Macnut Mahi Mahi tonight and my boyfriend tried the Kahlua Pig Quesadilla. There were only 3 other people when we ordered our food and it took about 10 minutes to come out. The Mahi Mahi is supposedly their most popular dish. It was nicely breaded and the rice was fresh. I’ve definitely tried better breaded Mahi Mahi but I can’t complain about this dish. The quesadilla was great! The BBQ sauce complimented the pork well. We also got the Oreo sandwich with ice cream. Everyone says it’s the best ice cream sandwich around but it really wasn’t all that. The cookie tastes like it was bought from Costco, wasn’t fresh, and the ice cream was just regular vanilla ice cream. It wasn’t anything spectacular. Interior decorating wise, it’s nothing fancy. Wear shorts and a tank top and you’ll fit right in. All in all its a good hole in the wall place to eat but nothing fancy at all.

Yuuummm…
Tried 3 of the items on the menu here so far. Each one is delicious!!!
Adobo sea scallops
Macnut mahi mahi
Sweet bun sliders
Also, Will, the owner/​cook here is super nice and friendly! Awesome service!
Will definitely be coming back to try the other menu items!
Also for dessert, Oreo brownie-​wich!!! I need to try thisssss!!!

Pros:
Good updates on traditional local dishes. The Blue New York is my favorite thing to get. mThe butter sauce on the rice is so good.
The fried noodles were very good too.
Able to accommodate our group which was on the larger side (8 people).
Cons:
One of my friends cars got towed from the lot next (on the left, not behind) to the restaurant, even though he had paid for parking. Ended up going on a late night mission to rescue his car from the tow lot.

THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS!!! You can taste every bit of flavor in your mouth.
My husband and I have been going here for a year now and the expectation never cease to fail. Whatever I order, I know it will be the same as the last time. I’ve tried everything on the menu and I always leave smiling.
Not only is the food great, the staff is incredible. I have never seen them rude, tempered, or sarcastic to their guest. They are always smiling, informs their guest when their food will be coming or when it will be late. They check up on their tables and are always willing to assist when need.
Chef Willu is Terrific! He engages himself with his guest by telling jokes, stories, or a simple «How are you». I have never seen him frowning or disliking his job.
This goes to show that the ambiance is really laid back. It is a perfect place for hanging out with friends and eating great food.

Their bentos are only $ 5 – 6, and taste fantastic!!! I should of have known this place earlier :)
Their survive is great too. I ordered tofu curry to go, and they wrapped the box so that the curry won’t spill out. It’s pretty rare to have this kind of survive hear in Hawaii :)

My friends, having come here in the past and enjoyed the food, suggested we go here the other night. All I can say is that the food left something to be desired. Tried the Blue New Yorker and the Island Style Karaage. My friend was very disappointed in the steak he was served. It was visibly overcooked and too tough to cut through easily. He found it hard to believe that it was the same dish he ordered the last time he visited. On to the karaage. I suppose «Island Style» in this case, means the chicken has bones. I’ve never had karaage anywhere before this served with bones in it. To top it off, it was under-​seasoned and the oil had not been drained off of the chicken, so there were large oil-​singed holes in the styrofoam container. The menu description also said the karaage was supposed to be served with pickled vegetables; all I got was a few pieces of salad mix.

I need to update my review due to a rude customer service. This place usually has decent food and has great hours of operation. But on two occasions, I’ve ordered mahi mahi that ended up undercooked. The first time they were nice, apologized, and remade it for me. This time, it happened again and I think the owner was embarrassed I complained about this in front of everyone and tried to cover himself by saying «it’s cooked that way.» No apologies. He then said «if you’d like it cooked some more, I guess I could do it.»
All I needed was an apology.
So if you like your mahi mahi raw and your customer service unapologetic, come here.

First time eating here at A Place to Eat on Univerisity Ave. From what I was told it was a small place which offered high class restaurant food at a reasonable price.
First impression of the layout of the restaurant was simple. A few tables spread out over the dining section… nothing fancy… some of the chairs were old and had torn seats and the one I sat on was not even… but I was not there for the cosmetics of the interior design. Air conditioning felt a little bit on the warmer side… too
The menu selection was small around 16 different items ranging from $ 7−12… From the pictures on previous help reviews the pricing was okay for the type of food served. Like I mentioned earlier… prices are very reasonable for the type of food served.
Staffing was interesting as I thought there were least 2 people working… a cook and a front worker… but I later found out that this place was run by only 1 person… He greated me and every guest and helped me with any questions about the food on the menu. Pretty good for a one man operation.
The food that’s ordered was the blue New Yorker steak plate and the sweet potato fries… The steak was delicious and for $ 12 you could not beat it. I loved the butter and cheese topping which to me complimented the caramelized onions. The sweet potato fries were the bomb! At seven dollars the portion was generous that we could not finish it all. It was very good as it was a combination of sweet and salty from the sea salt that was sprinkled over it. It was so good I actually ate the rest of it otw home and at home.
So overall A Place To Eat is a great place to dine in or take out high class style foods at reasonable prices. I want to go back and try other things on the menu and even eat dinner there as I was informed that the dinner menu is a little different. I just wish the update their furniture to make it a better place to dine in. However it is the food that counts ultimately. I would highly recommend trying A Place to Eat if your are in the University area!

Soooo we came here tonight because we couldn’t decide what to eat by our house and this was the only place open passed 8:30
we get there. No one is inside. The workers were sitting down. But they were cool. Said hi and stuff.
We ordered the «to die for» (as I’ve seen on previous reviews and tips) scallops and ribs. The ribs looked good on the pics here. But when we got it. It was a whole other story
The ribs looked dry. The scallops were drowned in that rich sauce. But we dug in anyway since we were starving. The «to die for» scallops Made me feel like I was gunna foreal die. It was overcooked to the extreme. More rubbery than the rubber shreds in my old elementary school rubber box playground. And the sauce was ridiculously rich and wayyyy too much of it. The only good thing was mushrooms in it. But you can’t really eff up mushrooms.
The ribs. Omg. I gagged. The taste reminded me of the smell from the horse stable I used to clean. Plus it was dry. And we even used our bbq sauce at home and it never helped.
But anyway. I wish we came in on a better day when things were to die for. Because I was wanting to try this place for a while.
2 stars because the workers seemed cool. But that’s about it. :/​sorry. I really wanted to like this place. MAYBE I’ll give it another chance.

Macadamia nut fish: 4 stars
Breading was great with macadema nuts mixed in.
Sauce was great but needed little but more to go with this tasty fish.
Scallop: 3 stars
Sauce was a little salty & needed some more coconut /​seasoning. This went well with the mushrooms & rice though.
Service: A
Attentive, friendly & warm
Tip: Bento box specials are a good deal

I had dinner here with my bff. That makes it twice in a week. The last time I was here, I told Will, the owner, that I would be back to try the blue new yorker. Staying true to my word, I returned to get that item. It’s a NY steak with blue cheese herb butter, and caramelized onions on white rice. It didn’t disappoint. I had ordered it medium well and it was cooked to the perfect temperature. There was just a faint redness when I cut into it. The steak was so tender and juicy. The blue cheese herb butter, along with the caramelized onions really made the dish. I can’t decide if this or the adobo scallops is my favorite. I guess I will have to alternate between the two.
This place may look rinky dinky. They serve their food in styrofoam containers with plastic utensils, but make no mistake about it, the food is GOURMET. For $ 11 or $ 12 a plate, you can’t go wrong. The food here tastes better than some of the foods I’ve had at fine dining.