I can never decide what comes first: thirst or hunger? At Bar 35, the sleek yet comfortable bar and lounge in Chinatown, I may never find the answer. This bar has mastered serving life's greatest pleasures: beer, pizza and french fries (and to my delight in a clean and stylish venue). Bar 35 is the place in Chinatown where you can meet Honolulu business people after work, college students looking to relax, and hipster kids stopping by between their club crawling. On First Fridays, look for the long line on Hotel Street to mark this local favorite hangout. Here are some highlights:
New Euro fries, $6, are crispy, salty and delicious (think McDonald's 2.0) and come with a selection of dipping sauces like miso mayo, kimchee mayo and BBQ. Usually shared among a group of two or more friends.
Bar 35's incredibly tasty and addictive thin-crusted pizza. This one is Deep Forest (one of my faves) which comes topped with mushrooms and prosciutto. Another one to try is Sweet Bangkok, which pairs Chinese sausage with sweet chili sauce and cilantro. (Interestingly, no pizza at Bar 35 is topped with any size, shape or form of pepperoni.) In this pic's background is my go-to drink of Diet Coke and Raspberry Stoli.
Most importantly, Bar 35 serves DRINKS: more than 100 types of beer, and after July 22, will be the only bar in Hawaii to serve Chimay on draft.
Check out Mondays for all night happy hour, Wednesdays for themed beer tasting (9 brews, $20), and Saturdays for live music.
Bar 35
35 N. Hotel St. (between Smith and Nuuanu)
Honolulu, HI 96817
808-537-3535
--RAP