Address: 725 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96813
After having lived in Milan for a year, I don’t eat as much Italian food in the US as I used to. Between my pasta cooking and restaurants in Italy, I think I have eaten enough Italian food to last for a while.
However, if I am ever craving Italian food in Hawaii, my favorite restaurant is La Cucina. La Cucina is a really difficult restaurant to get into in normal times, as it is in a really tiny space (in a random building in downtown Hawaii. Even with its relatively hidden location though, it is super popular and you often have to make reservations days in advance to get in.
Since the lockdown started in Hawaii, I have done takeout from La Cucina once. I ordered a bunch of things such as Osso Bucco, lobster pasta, crab pasta, bolognese, etc., and they all managed to hold well (even if they weren’t as good as they would’ve been if they were fresh). Still, La Cucina has such a wide ranging menu with pastas, risottos, and gnocchi that I think there is something for everyone.
La Cucina is also a family owned restaurant, and the owners are friends of a friend of mine. There are only two people working in the restaurant (a husband and wife, who are the cook and waitress respectively), so it really is a local restaurant to support. For Italian food, it is hard to find a better restaurant in Hawaii than La Cucina!
La Cucina Recommendation Rating: 3.5
1: Something worth checking out if you have time
2: Something that is a hit for some people, but not a must for everyone
3: Something worth prioritizing if interested
4: Something worth making time to check out
5: An absolute home run, worth going out of your way for
Ro's Recz 
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