Minasa Hawaii — Restaurant in Oʻahu

First, I want to give them their flowers. The space was very cool and felt very "on-trend.' I liked the vibe and the style of the place. Feels modern and I really liked it.

However, the food, in my opinion was not good. The Calamansi fried chicken was under-fried, with the batter barely crispy and had poor texture--it was also oily, like the oil was not hot enough when fried. The Lechon Fries were alright. I think the fries were well done, but the lechon was cold and did not have any tomatoes on it, at all. The Ube Churros were what got me though. When I bit into it, the sweetness was good and the outside had good flavor, but the inside of the churro was raw dough. As someone who makes a lot of bread at home, I can tell you I have undercooked a lot of dough, and that dough was raw.

My wife and I were really excited about this place and I love the idea and what they are going for. But for their higher prices and the poor execution, I have to give them a low rating. We left thinking we prob won't even go back there and would not suggest this to anyone either. For me, I hope they turn it around and maybe we will give it another try in 4 to 6 months and see if anything...

We mainly came here for the Ube Churros, but are SO glad we tried the main entrees they had to offer.

The Adobo Glazed Chicken Wings, Tamarind Shrimp, Calamansi Fried Chicken, and Lumpia were all phenomenal. The fried food was so crispy, not oily at all, yet the meat inside was juicy, and the all the flavor is so good without being overpowering.

We were fortunate to speak with the Chef and learned the Tamarind Shrimp is a family recipe he is always working to perfect. The mixture of the Tamarind flavor along with the shrimp and lovely cherry tomatoes was soo good. This restaurant is clearly his fantastic interpretation of Phillipino food with a Hawaiian twist - he absolutely nailed it!

This is the type of business I love to support. On the outside it's small and unassuming, but once you step inside, from the simple clean decor, to the friendly service, and flavorful food that speaks to you, it's perfect. Please support them, I look forward to coming back next time I...

In a busy strip mall location with a decent amount of parking available, this place serves excellent quality Filipino dishes with fusion influences found in many of them. There is somewhat limited dine in seating but no less than many similar strip mall restaurants in the area. This is a order at the counter then seat yourself type place. Service is friendly at the counter and the employees are genuine and kind. The food here is excellent. Many things on the menu can be found at many eateries on the island but it's the execution and care of preparation that sets this place apart. We ordered lechon bowl which was served with garlic fried rice and pickled vegetables. The lechon was perfectly prepared and seasoned. The skin was crisp and the portion was generous. The lumpia Shanghai was also excellent, juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside exactly the way it should be. We will definitely return for the excellent food and...