Piko Kitchen + Bar — Restaurant in Honolulu

I don't normally consider myself a person that takes time to write reviews, but after my amazing experience at Piko I felt compelled to write something.

In January 2023 a new restaurant named Piko in Honolulu opened. I'm not sure if everyone knows about them yet, but they should. Let me explain why.

First of all, from the moment my family and I approached Piko, the team there was the cream of the crop. Kia was friendly, charming, and helpful. I hope I didn't get the name wrong, he deserves props.

The server Clif was phenomenal. My wife and I are casual foodies and love to eat out -- especially when we travel. We have experience with servers from all over the world. I'd like to think I have a good handle on what is good service vs bad service. It should be declared: Clif is truly a gem. His personality, demeanor, charm, and attention to detail were exemplary. He is absolutely a human that can be successful at anything he does and fortunately for us he is in the hospitality/restaurant profession. I could go on and on about Clif, but perhaps we should shift gears to the food. I'm sure Clif already knows how great he is anyway.

We got the fried chicken confit, pork ribs, garlic noodles w/ pork belly, and chopped brussel sprout side. I don't know if there are words in the English language that can describe the level of expertise, love, skill, and deliciousness packed into the food. No words seem good enough.

Fantastic. Scrumptious. Awesome. Delightful. Heavenly. Delectable.

The balance of salts, fats, sweets, acids: perfect.

I also got an old fashioned. Something I like to do is get one everywhere I go to compare the different regional styles. I can happily claim the old fashioned was top notch. Packs a nice punch with a smooth and semi sweet finish. Exactly what I need after a busy day on vacation.

The costs are something I should also mention. I feel fortunate to have this enjoyable meal for the 3 of us (food AND alcohol) for under $100 bucks. Whoa!

Piko should absolutely BLOW up in the next year or so and become a hot spot in the Waikiki area if they continue this trend. Michelin star status? Guess we will see!

From the front door to the kitchen they are an organized team that supports the same goal of an excellent service, experience, and food.

Overall: Piko has a bright future. Definitely give it a try if you are in Honolulu/Waikiki. Do it now before prices start to reflect their...

The world food tour duo stopped in at Piko Kitchen & Bar, a block East of International Marketplace on Kuhio; where the Food Pantry was located years ago. It’s an outside / inside venue … Live music and the bar is outside, the kitchen and tables are inside. We opted for inside (for the AC) and were seated at a table for 4 adjacent to one of the bathrooms.

Our server Jasmine started us off with a amuse cocktail …Calpico Spritz with a mint leaf. Very refreshing but it would have been better chilled. We perused the drink menu and decided against ordering wine; there were only two reds and neither appealed to me. We started with the Shiso Smash and the Mixed Plate Margarita. Both were fine but I switched to an old standby, Hendricks gin & tonic later in the evening.

We ordered the AweSsam Tempura Cauliflower, Fried Confit Chicken, Brussels Sprout Kim Chee and Izakaya Wasabi Potato Salad to start. The cauliflower came with a Saikyo miso, ssamjang sauce, spicy perfection to offset the florets of cauliflower. The Brussels Sprouts Kimchi was okay; IMO, the sprouts didn’t ferment long enough. The menu said the potato salad used Best Foods mayo, a personal favorite … imagine a wasabi-tinged potato salad you would get at a Japanese restaurant. For $3, I liked it. The star of the quartet was the fried chicken … crisp on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. It was served with Sichuan salt and a Kaffir lime. Nuoc cham sauce. Use it or not, the chicken was great!

We moved to Pork Belly Bao Buns and Pipikaula; the latter on the recommendation of Jasmine. The bao were huge with large slabs of Hoisin-flavored pork belly and pickled mustard cabbage inside the buns. I would have preferred slightly smaller pieces of pork because I ended up cutting mine in half in order to eat it. Make them more petite and charge less and you’ll have a winner! The sole disappointment of the evening was the pipikaula. It was overcooked and lacked the chewiness I long for in pipikaula.

Service was satisfactory though I wish the food came out at a pace where we could enjoy one before moving onto the next course. What did we think? The food is interesting and there are gems to be found on the somewhat eclectic menu. I wish for a few more options in wines by the bottle. However, the prices are surprisingly low for Waikiki … this is the value play in Waikiki; even with a 22% tip, the tab...

I've been to Piko three times now and every visit has been fantastic! This might just be my new favorite in Waikiki.

Love the overall indoor/outdoor vibe...even though it's right on Kuhio Ave, when you sit down, you forget that and can really relax and enjoy yourself.

My last visit I ate inside to enjoy AC in the afternoon and I had the Mixed Plate Margarita, the Oxtail Peanuts (OMG, this is not an ordinary pup, it's hearty and soooooo good!), Bao Buns, a salad and the garlic noodles. Portions are generous so this was more than enough for two of us.

I've also tried a few of the other cocktails (5-spice Mai Tai beats the classic recipe for sure! and the Frose is lovely and balanced and not too sweet), the Oxtail Saimin, ahi patties, the pipikaula, cauliflower tempura and the Confit Chicken Wings. The wings, garlic noodles, Oxtail Saimin and/or Peanuts and all the bao buns are definitely must-try dishes.

If you're a visitor, this a great way to experience authentic local food and local favorites for a great value in the heart of Waikiki, with friendly service too! Thank you Clif :)...