La Cucina Italiano - Honolulu

I love this place, I wished I lived closer and I’d eat here more often

ITALIAN food prepared fresh daily--Best restaurant Italian outside of Italy

This food is superb. being fashioned by a Vietnamese chef who does Italian proud. It ranks with the best in major cities like NYC and San Francisco, but without the inflated price. There are so many savory choices but the Risotto Zafferano (fish, prawns, mussels, Manila clams, calamari, garlic, and capers in a white wine saffron sauce) is heavenly. For the meat lovers, the Trenette Bolognese (ground veal, pork, and beef in tomato sauce topped with Pecorino Romano served over Trenette pasta) is a solid choice. The signature Osso Buco can't be topped but has to be ordered a couple days ahead. In fact, the caveat of dining here is to order all your dishes ahead of time because it is freshly made and takes a long time to prepare.

We had heard good things about this restaurant, but I will not return. They charged $15 for corkage, even through they did not have a liquor license. The service was slow, and 2 people in our party found their food to be too salty to eat. The restaurant is small and cozy, but noisy. We brought our own wine, skipped dessert and coffee, and still spent $200 for a party of 4.

Food was delicious! Food takes some time to be prepared but you know that it is being prepared fresh! If you are looking for a quick rushed dinner I would not go here. This place is meant for you to sit and enjoy your food in a nice ambiance. Highly recommend!