Liholiho Yacht Club

"It’s hard to put the cuisine at Liholiho Yacht Club in a box. The menu has many different South and East Asian influences, which means you’ll see dishes like a zippy shaved pig’s head salad, crispy swordfish katsu, and nutty rendang curry. Order as much as will fit on your table and soak in the airy dining room that’s constantly buzzing with groups blowing out sparklers in a baked Hawaii. This is one of the neighborhood’s best spots for a special occasion, or any time you’re having dinner with visiting family who want to stay within 1,000 steps of their downtown hotels." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, lani conway

"SPAM IS BACK people. If you consumed Spam frequently as a child (we did), know that it tastes a lot better in the fried rice at Liholiho Yacht Club than when your dad makes it on his night to cook dinner. Besides the fried rice, everything from the cocktails to the beef tongue buns to the Instagram-melting Baked Hawaii dessert is close to perfection. We wish more fun and unique restaurants like Liholiho would pop up - it’s one of our favorite places in the city." - max child taylor abrams

"The longstanding Hawaiian spot in Lower Nob Hill eases post-weekend blues with duck liver mousse on banana bread and huge bowls of fried rice with housemade spam. For dessert, order both the baked hawaii with a tart POG sorbet, and the mom’s butter mochi that will have you bartering your most prized possessions for the family recipe. The restaurant saves plenty of seats for walk-ins, but we suggest showing up at 5pm when doors open to ensure you won’t have a wait." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong

"Looking at the menu for Liholiho Yacht Club’s New Year’s Eve dinner ($175 per person) might make you full—the celebratory family-style meal includes a whopping 12 (completely new) dishes. There’s shrimp siu mai with calamansi kosho, pig head imperial rolls, braised short rib, Dungeness crab fried rice, and more. If you prefer to finish 2023 with brunch (you’re the stay-home and pass-out-by-10pm type), head to their sister restaurant, Good Good Culture Club, for a $70 feast. " - julia chen 1

"It’s hard to explain the food at Liholiho Yacht Club in one sentence, so we’ll use this one instead: Get here, now. Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean influences color the punchy, in-your-face dishes at this Lower Nob Hill spot—silky shaved pig’s head slices are served with a zippy frisee and asian pear salad, and ribeye is charred and topped with a nose-clearing mustard and black sesame sauce. Digging into a spread while surrounded by a buzzing open kitchen, a massive mural of the chef’s mom, and desserts with birthday sparklers is always a good time. If you can’t get a reservation here, we also love their more casual sister restaurant, Good Good Culture Club, which has equally exciting dishes and a colorful rooftop patio." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez