Mud Hen Water serves a modern Hawaiian menu for dinner, though brunch is where it really shines. That’s thanks to the airy, light-filled dining room, paved in reclaimed wood, and its patio decorated with colorful murals. Get some sourdough banana pancakes, pork sisig made with pig’s head, and fresh fish and luau, which consists of taro leaf cooked down in coconut milk until it’s almost the consistency of pudding.

Kaimuki’s cred as a dining destination has been on the rise for the past couple of years, and now it’s undeniably become Honolulu’s top eating neighborhood. For breakfast, check out Lee Ann Wong’s Koko Head Cafe, which pairs Asian flavors with breakfast items and local ingredients. If sandwiches are your thing, Earl Sandwich, Sprouts, and Kaimuki Superette have you covered.

While the mainland is in the midst of a Hawaiian food craze, back in Honolulu, celebrity chef and restaurateur Ed Kenney is serving up some of the most authentic examples of modern Hawaiian cuisine at Mud Hen Water, which opened last year. Located in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Kaimuki, Mud Hen Water combines the low-key atmosphere of a modern dining room and the outdoor pleasures of an open lanai for breezy al fresco dining. The menu includes new takes on traditional Hawaiian food, such as pa’i’ai (taro paste) and grilled he’e (octopus) served with taro leaves, along with contemporary local favorites, such as a pig face and kimchee omelet and pig’s feet noodle soup.

That’s what you’ll find at Mud Hen Water — one of the best restaurants in Oahu that serves Hawaiian small plates, cocktails, wine, beer, and dessert in Honolulu. While Mud Hen Water serves brunch on the weekends and a small lunch menu, featuring bowls, sandwiches, and vegetables, dinner is really the main attraction. You can choose from a list of small plates, like Peanut Tofu, Beet Poke, and Meatballs and Polenta, with Hawaiian influence, or order from the “family-style menu” for a group of four for $50 per guest.

You won’t have to search beyond Mud Hen Water for places to eat in Oahu that have a welcoming vibe to gather with friends and family over a delicious meal. Aptly named, “Mud Hen Water” is the literal translation of the street it’s located on, Waialae Avenue ( wai meaning “water” and alae meaning “mud hen” in Hawaiian). According to legend, there was a fresh water spring nearby where mud hens (now endangered) and locals would frequent.

Mud Hen Water is a farm-to-table organic experience that has been drawing rave reviews from locals and tourists. Whether you’re looking for something on the lighter side, or you want to tuck into a more hearty dish, this Asian-fusion eatery has something for everyone. Fun Fact: Mud Hen Water is named after the literal translation of the road the restaurant sits on, Waialae Avenue.

Steaks are one of my ideal date night meals, and it’s not often that I go out on my own for one. But occasionally, when I have a craving, I come to Mud Hen Water, where I can start with an Italian aperitivo and move on to a local grass-fed steak (the robustness and ropiness of this kind of beef matches my mood on these nights) with a glass of red wine. The best date night for one.

Open for lunch, brunch, and dinner, Mud Hen Water serves inventive Hawaiian plates and cocktails. At dinner, you may find menu items like beet poke with pickled limu and smoked macadamia nuts or mapo rice cakes with pork and tofu, while lunch may include hapa fried rice with namul and poached egg. The restaurant has plenty of vegetable dishes available for non-meat eaters.

My friend John knew that I wanted to explore local ingredients so he reserved us a table at Mud Hen Water. The restaurant prepares casual-nice, modern dishes using ingredients such as kahala (Hawaian yellowtail), pohole (fiddlehead fern) and ulu (breadfruit). Pasta and polenta were respectively served with local venison ragu and meatballs featuring local veal and pork.

Mud Hen Water, located in Kaimuki, is a restaurant that focuses on using locally sourced ingredients to create innovative dishes. The name reflects its commitment to local food, as it is the English translation of ‘Waialae,’ the neighborhood in which it’s located. Mud Hen Water’s menu changes daily, offering a unique dining experience each time you visit.

Fitting right in with the best Honolulu Restaurants is all about the experience…sampling many new flavors and creations. It’s a great eatery to bring friends as many of the dishes can be shared. There is a good mix of vegetarian dishes that are highlights on the menu including a Beet Poke that will have you questioning whether or not its ahi tuna.

Mud Hen Water: Hawaiʻi-born chef Ed Kenney’s modern interpretation of traditional Hawaiian food, and it’s fabulous. The biscuit + mapo gravy is a delicious brunch item they feature, and their version of a charcuterie plate called a “Seaboard”, featuring an assortment of locally caught fish. And don’t miss the Miso Butterscotch Rice Pudding!

If you really want a unique farm-to-table Hawaiian-inspired dining experience, you must come to Mud Hen Water!. It’s away from the Waikiki madness in the quiet neighborhood of Kaimuki, and serves up some really inventive dishes. We met up with my my fellow blogger and friend, Lisa from Cultural Foodies, to indulge in all this goodness.

Local chefs are increasingly merging market-fresh sensibilities with Hawaii’s Asian heritage for a mouth-watering dining experience. This is exemplified by Mud Hen Water from local mover and shaker Ed Kenney, who also helms the super-fancy Town restaurant. Mud Hen Water is casual, though, and you don’t feel like you’re in Oahu at all.

And even farther west, at Honolulu's Mud Hen Water, the at-once familiar and befuddling dishes bubble on a multi-tiered scaffold in the blaze that brings to mind the last day at Burning Man—from chunks of meaty breadfruit tossed with fermented black beans to opah wrapped in banana leaves and put to steamy sleep in the coals.

The name “Mud Hen” is actually a loose translation of “Wai’alae”, the street in Honolulu where the restaurant is located. For dinner, order the beet poké, the chicken long rice croquettes, and the sausage & clams. The miso-butterscotch rice pudding is to die for if you have room for dessert.

Mud Hen Water Mud Hen Water, located in Kaimuki, embraces a farm-to-table ethos, offering innovative Hawaiian dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients. The restaurant’s commitment to sustainability and bold flavors make it a standout in the culinary scene.

Mud Hen Waterserves up Hawaiian comfort food but reinvented. Everything is seasonal, local, organic, and served family style. Their Sunday brunch menu not only features 4 different kinds of Bloody Marys, but also Warm ‘Uala Doughnuts with a coconut-rum icing.

Whereas Town is Italian in its flavors, Mud Hen Water draws inspiration from all of the cultures influencing Hawaii. What that translates into: mapo tofu gravy and biscuits for brunch and ia lawalu, fish wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled over…

Chef Ed Kenney's restaurant offers a farm-to-table experience with a focus on local, sustainable ingredients. Enjoy dishes inspired by traditional Hawaiian recipes with a modern twist. Mud Hen Water is a must-try while you're on the island.

To enjoy Mud Hen Water, you need to understand chef Ed Kenney’s references. The wood oven is fired by kiawe, Hawaiian mesquite. The tables are dotted with bottles of Hawaiian chile pepper water, the islands’ vinegary hot sauce of choice.

3452 Waialae Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816Phone: 808-737-6000 Visit Website. A post shared by Mud Hen Water (@mudhenwater). You’ll find Mud Hen Water less than a five-minute walk from Kaimuki Community Park.

A great place for lunch with friends, Mud Hen Water in Kaimuki offers tapas, rice cakes, and other Hawaiian dishes, along with a happy hour for cocktails. 3452 Waialae Ave., Honolulu, mudhenwater.com

Here you can find dishes like 'ulu with butter mixed with fermented black beans or preserved akule with lemon butter and soda crackers.