Chef Darryl Fujita started out washing dishes at the Halekulani and quickly rose under the tutelage of Chef George Mavrothalassitis at La Mer. Fujita is now the chef of Orchid's and gaining considerable acclaim on his own right. Gourmet Magazine, in a recent issue, named Orchid's as one of three "must eat" restaurants in Honolulu. Fujita, a total local boy, tells us where he chows down when not on duty. He does like pork, btw. A lot.

Pho Nam -- "I love Spring rolls. My favorite spring rolls come for this place, which is close to my house. The spring rolls are moist on the inside. A lot of places spring rolls are dry on the inside and greasy on the outside. Here the spring rolls are nice and moist inside. They put a little crab meat inside, too -- it's a nice touch. I also like their light noodle salads. They use very thin noodles, almost like Somen. They put lettuce inside but it doesn't get mush. I like the pork chop on top of that."
Map/Reviews 808-593-2009

Ducky's Korean BBQ: "I go out with my wife a lot. We like simple comfort food and we really like to go to Yakiniku places. One of my favorites is Ducky's in Manoa. It's like country style eating. You are sitting outside on a lanai. It's a simple burner for preparation but the quality of the food is really good. The pork belly is amazing. It comes plain, then you dip it in miso or flavored oils and eat it different kinds of leaves. Its very simple, its not adulterated, and its relaxing. You can enjoy a nice simple meal and bring your own beer or wine. Map / (808)988-9809

Taiyo -- "I'm more into ramen places than other types of noodle shops. What I love about this place is the stock. It's clean and very rich. It's not full of fat and cloudy. You can tell what's in it when you eat it. It has this rich beef flavor. They put a lot of vegetables with it so it has a lot of nutrients in it. My favorite is katsu pork ramen. It's fried but its not greasy and has a nice rich flavor." Map / 808- 943-2123

Image via Anytimegrinds.com

—Alex, 10/26/06