MW Restaurant

Where do I begin? After trying so many fine dining and high-end restaurants throughout Hawaii, I finally found a place that truly deserves a review. From the perfectly prepared short rib to the incredibly fresh and flavorful fish dishes, every bite was phenomenal. The food was exceptional, the presentation was beautiful, and the service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. This restaurant delivered one of the most memorable dining experiences I've had in Hawaii. It's rare to find a place where every dish exceeds expectations and the service makes you feel truly valued as a guest. Without a doubt, this has earned its place among the very best restaurants in Hawaii, and it's a dining experience I will be thinking about for a long time.

You might think this is in a very odd location. My goodness. The food was delicious!!!!! It was the best meal we had in Oahu. Not only was it delicious but the service was really superb. Thank you for a wonderful last meal on our trip.

Food is very good, and seafood fried rice, surprisingly, is my favorite out of all. 😂 This restaurant is right next to Volvo showroom inside of the car dealership. Make sure you go into the dealership and go up to 2nd floor. …

While my family had visited MW at their previous location, this was our first time dining at their current space in the Symphony Honolulu building. The restaurant has a unique, modern layout; visible from the ground floor of the car dealership, you are greeted by the bar and a sleek reception area before entering the spacious, white-toned dining room. The seating, a mix of individual chairs and benches, was very comfortable. ​ Our server was pleasantly patient as we paced our meal, ordering drinks first, followed by appetizers, entrées, and finally dessert. The staff was friendly throughout the evening. However, there was one minor disappointment: my family had mentioned it was my birthday dinner when making the reservation. We noticed several other tables receiving birthday desserts, but ours seemed to be overlooked. It was a small detail, but it did dampen the celebratory mood slightly for my family. ​ We started with the Yuzu Paper Plane (dangerously good and sweet) and the Double Take, which had a smooth whiskey finish with a hint of orange. For appetizers, the Crab Cakes were the standout—savory and packed with a hearty amounts of crab meat. The Short Rib & Foie Gras Wontons were a close second, with a perfectly crispy exterior and a subtle, well-balanced filling. The only miss was the Kanpachi Ceviche; the lime juice was so heavy it overpowered the delicate fish, making it difficult to finish. ​ The main courses were the highlight of the night. The Hokkaido Scallops were seared to perfection—I truly wished I had ordered more. The Truffle Braised Short Ribs were incredibly tender with a rich, savory sauce, and the Mountain View Farms Pork Chop in tomato sauce tasted like a high-end, comforting stew when mixed together. Forgot to mention it came was pasta separately. Heads up the pasta is intended to be plain so you can mix with the tomato sauce. ​ The MW Candy Bar was excellent—not too sweet and a perfect match for the Guatemalan Decaf Coffee. We also tried the Strawberry Shave Ice, which was a refreshing combination of yuzu sherbet, haupia tapioca, and panna cotta. To finish, the server brought out a bunch of complimentary chocolate peanut cookies, which were crunchy and delicious. We took some home. ​ The evening we visited, we were unfortunate to be seated next to a group of loud people that it drown out our conversations at times. Regardless, MW remains a popular choice to celebrate a special occasion. The food is memorable and the atmosphere is upscale, white sleek and clean. Just keep in mind that it is a "splurge" type of restaurant, but for a celebration, the quality of the cuisine makes it well worth it.

One of the hidden gems of Oahu, tucked into an exotic car dealership. The menu is amazing, where everything on it is honestly fantastic, and currently they are also offing a French inspired alternative menu in celebration of one of the Chef's mentors (I highly recommend the Duck L'Orange). Service is quick usually, and the staff are very knowledgeable. My only negatives are that it can be rather loud when it's busy, and some tables are a bit chilly sometimes. Valet parking is available, and be sure to check out the dealership's display of Michael Schumacher's Ferrari F1 car in the lobby!

We had a good experience at MW restaurant. Not the easiest place to find as it's strangely located inside the second floor of a building comprised of luxury European car dealerships. The service staff were very accommodating, especially with making last minute changes to our reservation and being considerate with our toddler. The menu was mostly general crowd pleasers, but nothing super creative or ambitious, which, given the price point, may make it seem a bit underwhelming for some. I left feeling like we had a good meal but I would not go out of my way to go back.

My wife and I had a fantastic experience at MW Restaurant. We loved the warm service, the inviting ambiance, and the outstanding food—we tried several dishes, all delicious—and enjoyed a great bottle of wine with our meal. We even took one of their amazing desserts home because we couldn’t resist. Chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka bring incredible talent and heart to everything they serve, from bold, comforting plates to standout sweets. MW is the perfect mix of local tradition and modern flair. We left completely satisfied and can’t wait to return. Highly recommend!

When picked up the menu, you glanced thru everything and you think you know what to expect and you would be surprised. I did. I thought it's just fried fish and I was surprised. I thought I ordered shaved ice and I was surprised. I thought I ordered crab cakes and expected like what crab cakes like out there and once again, I was surprised. Crab cakes - I ordered the crab cakes, and it was excellent. It's not like those usual crab cakes where it filled with battered and have more starch than crab meat. This one is all crab meat inside. My wife ended up ate 2/3 of them. Mochi salad with crispy chicken skin - I don't like salad but I thought I tried. The end result was I finished 70% of the salad because it was delectable. The dressing was spicy, but the persimmon sliced and the tomatoes with the greens were just perfect. I never thought I could like a salad that much. Short ribs - The meat fell off the bone... Well, there was no bone but it's definitely tender. Potatoes were nicely crisp and the foie gras was nicely seared. Mochi crusted kampachi - Surprisingly crunchy fish. Very fresh. This is one fine dine dish. Impressive. Strawberry shaved ice - It's not really shaved ice, it's more like shaved strawberries and the coconut tapioca was very good. So coconut-y. This is one satisfied fine dine experience. Very impressed that you find something with this quality in Hawai'i.

Located inside a car dealership, this was my first time dining among millions of dollars worth of brand new sports cars. And it was a lovely experience of elevated local flavors in a fine dining establishment. I did the chef's tasting menu, and every course was delicious. My favorite was the opening appetizer, which contained caviar and egg. Their main specialty was the mochi kanpachi, and I really enjoyed it too! For cocktails, I had the Georgia O'Keefe and asked why it was named after a haole woman. Nomenclature wise, their other cocktail Lychee Hoo was actually a play on local culture, which made more sense. The staff asked around for me, but no one knew why. "Just use your imagination", the bartender said. "Like Georgia O'Keefe did." I had so much fun at MW.

The best meal I’ve ever had! We did the chefs tasting menu and loved every course! They really know how to balance textures and flavors. Highly recommend the wine pairing as well. Blown away by both the food and the service! Highly recommend! If you are driving or getting a ride, follow directions given by the restaurant when you make the reservation, follow the signs to the 2nd floor parking garage. Alternatively, if you are on foot/dropped off on the block, you can get to the restaurant by going into Artizen and going up the glass walled staircase.