Northern Cafe & Grill: Serious Hole-In-The-Wall Diner Eats

I’ve been known to frequent hole-in-the-wall joints. In fact, some of my favourite places to visit are down-to-earth eateries where the owners love what they do and are unpretentious about it. Well, I’m happy to say that I’ve found a new place that meets these standards. I suppose “found” really isn’t the right word as Northern Cafe has been around since 1949. But I can hardly be blamed for not visiting until now… tucked away on the second floor of a building supply store – you seriously are not going to come across this place unless you were intentionally trying to find this place (or if you happen to work in the trades).

Ono Seafood (Hawaii 2018): Ahi Poke

No trip to Honolulu would be complete without a healthy dose of poke. One of the best places to find fresh quality poke is Ono Seafood. Ever since our first visit to this hole-in-the-wall poke shop, we make a point to coming back whenever we’re in Waikiki.

Wang’s Shanghai Cuisine: Steamed Soupy Pork Buns

If you’re looking for a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant that serves up unexpectedly good food, you only have to visit Wang’s Shanghai Cuisine. This tiny eatery is tucked away in a mini mall on Kingsway, next to London Drugs, and fairly hidden from passing street traffic.

Ono Seafood (Hawaii 2016) – Poke Poke Poke

Poke is one of the things that I crave when I think back to our trip to Hawaii. Sure, Vancouver has lots of great seafood restaurants and really fresh fish but very few Vancouver restaurants serve up a poke that can compare with the ones in Hawaii.

Henry’s Place (Hawaii 2016)

I mentioned on my post yesterday for Steak Shack that there’s no shortage of hole-in-the-wall eateries in Waikiki. Henry’s Place is another such establishment.

LA Chicken – Best Fried Chicken, Evah!

LA Chicken has to be the worst-kept-secret, hole-in-the-wall, fried-chicken place in the Lower Mainland.

Ono Seafood (Honolulu 2015) – Hole-in-the-Wall Poke

It’s true, you can find poke just about anywhere in Hawaii. But, if you’re looking for something special, you’ve got to try this little hole-in-the-wall place called Ono Seafood.

Ono Hawaiian Foods (Waikiki 2015) – Traditional Eats

If you’re in Oahu and you’ve had enough of the beach, you can head over to Ono Hawaiian Foods to get some classic Hawaiian eats. This is a tiny little restaurant that’s become quite popular over the years.