Best Fine dining: Michel’s at the Colony Surf

Having recently been purchased by the Japanese- owned Watabe Wedding Corp., the longtime restaurant is in line for a facelift. But have no fear, the beloved menu, an assemblage of true classics, will not change.

And that means the restaurant’s Old World charm, displayed in tableside service with preparations of steak Diane, and Caesar and spinach salads, for instance, will continue as well.

“There are so many new restaurants in this town — but to find great service, people paying attention to the customer, is rare sometimes,” said General Manager Phillip Shaw, who’s been with the restaurant for some 20 years. “We have the best view, and we have the food and service to match it. This restaurant has been doing that for 55 years and will continue to do that.”

The kitchen, helmed by chef Eberhard “Hardy” Kintscher, maintains an impeccable standard for its Continental and European cuisine, with some Hawaii Regional Cuisine mixed in. Alongside chateaubriand, duck a l’orange and steak tartare, the menu offers fresh fish and other local seafood. And to keep pace with other steakhouses, Michel’s now includes a large steak — a 22-ounce Angus porterhouse — in its lineup of top offerings.

———

2895 Kalakaua Ave; 923-6552. Dinner. $$$$

Best new: Yauatcha

Dim sum in Honolulu has been mostly of the cheap, fast and filling variety. This London-born transplant brings the most Chinese of traditions to a trendier bar crowd by offering the kind of small bites with cocktail pairings no one else is offering.

Yauatcha has done away with dim sum carts in favor of the Western course format, though clientele have the option to gather for traditional yum cha (a tea-and-dim sum brunch), casual or serious Western-style dinners, late-night cocktails with appetizers, or French patisserie desserts.

If you’re new to dim sum, you might consider the array of bite-size meat, vegetable, seafood or combination dumplings, and related dishes, as appetizers to precede entrees. Or go the a la carte route in selecting several types of dim sum created by Michelin-starred international head chef Ho Chee Boon.

Only fresh, quality ingredients go into dishes here, so flavors are clean and recognizable. You’re not likely to find gristle or a jumble of mystery ingredients in dishes such as an eye-catching Phoenix-tail shrimp shumai; transparent morel-and-vegetable crystal dumpling; or prawn and crispy bean-curd cheung fun, a look fun roll with a layer of crunch from the crispy bean-curd-wrapped prawn within.

Lastly, Honolulu lags in great desserts, but you’ll find them here. Pastry chef Graham Hornigold’s creations aren’t just beautiful for show. You’ll hesitate digging into a plush-red floral-designed Raspberry Delice or Tropical Dome of lilikoi white chocolate mousse, pineapple and mango, but it must be done. Order up some macarons to-go to complete the experience.

———

International Market Place, Waikiki; 739-9318. Lunch, dinner. Late-night Fridays and Saturdays. $$$

Best Casual: Kono’s

For 15 years, this Haleiwa establishment has taken the same approach to its food as do its patrons who make surfing a priority in life. They charge unapologetically toward pork-inspired perfection the way a surfer takes on a big wave. From “bombers” (think breakfast burritos) and sandwiches to lunch plates, the flavorful, 12-hour slow-roasted kalua pork is the star of the menu.

Popular items include the Chuns Bomber, a flour tortilla loaded with pulled pork, bacon, eggs, potatoes and cheese; the Old School sandwich (pulled pork, homemade guava barbecue sauce and slaw); and the Triple Crown, which includes everything on the previous sandwich, adding ham, bacon and cheese to the meaty mix.

For those who don’t dig on swine, there are turkey and vegetarian offerings. A variety of thick, handcrafted milkshakes can help wash it all down or serve as a portable dessert.

Hardcore devotees, who have permanently inked the eatery’s surfing pig logo onto their skin, receive a lifetime 25 percent discount and double the portion size.

Kono’s expanded to Kapahulu in 2016, and to Kailua early this year. Those two locations offer a happy hour (3 to 6 p.m.) where diners can nab a free fresh-squeezed limeade or lemonade with their Pork Plate Lunch.

———

Multiple locations. Breakfast, lunch, dinner (Kapahulu and Kailua only). $

Best Lunch: Roy’s Beach House

So it turns out that Roy Yamaguchi, perhaps Hawaii’s most successful restaurateur, has always longed for a restaurant on the beach. Last year, 30-plus restaurants into his career, Yamaguchi got his toes into the sand, at the Turtle Bay Resort.

Beach House is a sunny, airy spot just steps from the waves, serving burgers to beachgoers from a takeout window and Yamaguchi’s elevated Pacific Rim cuisine to his sit-down clientele.

Favorites: red wine-braised short ribs and the grilled filet mignon, but because you are on the beach you should dip into the seafood as well, perhaps the grilled king salmon. And for dessert: Roy’s classic chocolate souffle.

The Beach House carries on the Roy’s tradition of courteous, well-informed service and sophisticated cuisine. It’s just that in this case, you get sand and surf as well.

———

Turtle Bay Resort, Kahuku; 293-7697. Lunch, dinner. $$$-$$$$

Best Breakfast: Sweet E’s Cafe

When Ethel Kim opened her cafe’s doors in October 2011, she had no background in cooking or restaurants. But she loved to cook.

Part of her vision was to create a homelike atmosphere. To do this, she hung photos of family and friends on the walls, poured her soul into the food and made sure the service was welcoming. It worked.

Now six years later and in a bigger location since January 2016, Sweet E’s still delivers consistent breakfast (and lunch) items to diners every day.

Substantial plates are filled with a variety of omelets and eggs Benedicts. Pancakes and waffles topped with fresh fruit fulfill sweet carb cravings. Up the ante with the eatery’s popular French toast stuffed with bananas or blueberries and cream cheese. Sides of herb-roasted potatoes, corned beef hash and a selection of meats round out the breakfast experience.

Among the “energizing beverages” on the menu, the coffee and regular iced tea are bottomless — just like home.

———

1006 Kapahulu Ave.; 737-7771. Breakfast, lunch. $$

Best Dessert: MW Restaurant

A meal at MW Restaurant never seems quite complete without finishing (or starting) with dessert.

The refreshing Kula Strawberry “Shave Ice” with its satisfying harmony of flavors and textures, due in part to the strawberry kanten and mochi ice cream, is a no-brainer on a hot, humid day. But the Tropical Fruit Creamsicle “Brulee,” made with silky tapioca pearls and a delicate medley of fruits in sorbet, custard and chiffon forms, is an all-weather treat.

Although the restaurant is barely 4 years old, pastry chef, and the “M” in “MW,” Michelle Karr-Ueoka shows she has a deft touch. Her desserts are as pleasing visually as they are on the palate. It’s no surprise that she’s a three-time James Beard Award semifinalist for outstanding pastry chef.

Hot tip: Swing by a half hour before the end of happy hour (2 to 5 p.m. weekdays and 4 to 5 p.m. weekends) and you can enjoy the full dessert menu after your leisurely meal. The best of both worlds!

———

1538 Kapiolani Blvd.; 955-6505. $$

Best Neighbor Island: Mama’s Fish House

Mama’s Fish House has long been a treasured dining spot for residents and visitors alike. The restaurant earns this loyalty by cutting out the middle man to get fish directly from local fishermen, mentioned by name in daily menu updates. Recent hook-to-table entrees included ahi caught by Gary Boteilho while trolling through a school of aku, seared in a Hana ginger-panko crust and served with kalua pig fried rice; and ehu brought up from deep-sea reefs 5 miles off Olowalu by David Bagda and prepared with caramelized Maui onions, Hawaiian chili pepper and quinoa.

Freshness is ensured by processing and serving this ocean bounty within 24 hours. (Meatier appetites will appreciate the wild venison and boar sourced from local hunters.)

With dinner reservations hard to come by, consider lunch or happy hour at Mama’s, when you can enjoy the open-air eatery’s oceanfront view from Maui’s northern coast. Appetizers included Maui onion soup; Mama’s Ceviche with kampachi, mango, chili pepper and yuzu; wild fish collar (kama); and grilled hee (octopus) from Gary Perreira diving the outer reefs of Kanaha.

———

799 Poho Place, Paia, Maui, 579-8488. Lunch, dinner. $$$$