As I mentioned above, been to all of the islands (other than the big island) multiple times. Daughter and son-in-law live on Oahu, and we’ll be back in about 3 weeks.
Restaurant suggestions in Honolulu:
Merriman’s — as said in post above, Peter Merriman is a successful chef and one of the forerunners of Hawaiian regional food. It’s not “traditional Hawaiian” but heavily Hawaiian-influenced. Nice space, and we’ve been to 4 of his restaurants and never had a bad meal. Good wine list, and they start you with a free glass of Prosecco.
Fete — eclectic menu in a really neat older building. Check out the menu online. We had a great time there last year. Also has a good wine list
Vintage Cave Club. If you want a very high-end meal, go here. Underneath the Ala Moana shopping center. It started as a private club, but is now open to the public. $300 per person for a 10+ course meal featuring high-end Wagyu, or a 20+ course sushi meal. Extensive wine list. Went last year with someone who is a member (they get some extra perks, but anyone can book).
In Waikiki — the Hideout at the Laylow Autograph hotel is a neat outdoor patio restaurant, with upscale Hawaiian cuisine.
Outside Honolulu —. fun place called Haleiwa Joe’s Haiku Gardens in Kaneohe. Beautiful jungle setting with the mountains in the background. Good enough food. Go for the great setting
Venturing out: the North Shore is pretty cool. Haleiwa is a neat town, and the surfing pipeline is nearby. If the surf is up, a great place to watch surfers ride the big waves.
Lanikai beach (east side) is a nice beach, though parking is an issue.
Getting out of Honolulu for a day, making the drive on the highway through the mountains to the east side, and then heading along the coast and up to the north shore will give you a completely different experience than Waikiki, and I highly recommend it