A husband and wife team recently moved from New York opened this new-American eatery with an island vibe that focuses on comfort food with a refined sensibility and identifies itself on its website as “one part Hawaii and one part Brooklyn.”

Website: fetehawaii.com

Address: 2 North Hotel St.

Phone number: 808-369-1390

Number of seats: 42 in dining room, 5 at chef’s counter, 11 at the bar

Entrée price range: $19-$55

Popular dishes: House-made cavatelli with veal Bolognese, basil and ricotta; linguettine carbonara with slab bacon, Portuguese sausage, Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino Romano; kalbi-marinated bavette with fernbrake and mung bean sprout fried rice, sunny island egg, cucumber namul and Tutu’s gochujang.

What others say: “It didn’t take long for Chuck Bussler and Robynne Maii to shake up the food scene in Honolulu.” — Wine & Spirits

The bar

Grilled octopus

At this worldly favorite, chef Ed Kenney, of the beloved local Town, expands the purview of traditional Hawaiian influences from Asia to include strains from Spain, Egypt, and, basically, anywhere.

Website: mudhenwater.com

Address: 3452 Waialae Ave., Kaimuki, Hawaii

Phone number: 808-737-6000

Number of seats: 63 in the dining room, 18 at the bar, 40 on patio

Entrée price range: $21-$29

Popular dishes: Yaki o Pa’i ‘ai: hand-pounded taro, shoyu-sugar and nori; He’e Lu’au: grilled octopus and inamona dukkah; Beet Poke: pickled gorilla ogo, smoked macadamia nuts and avocado.

What others say: “This is the new Hawai’i, on a single menu. … The new Hawai’i is no longer insular and inward-looking, but embraces influences from the world over.” — Martha Cheng, Honolulu magazine

Yaki o Pa’i a’i

He’e Lu’au

The team behind MW Restaurant opened this breakfast- and lunch-minded spot with a specialty in bento boxes and sandwiches inside the Hawaii State Art Museum.

Website: artizenbymw.com

Address: 250 South Hotel St.

Phone number: 808-524-0499

Number of seats: 100

Entrée price range: $6-$15

Popular dishes: Mochi crusted monchong with shredded mochi and furikake on a bed of somen noodles with soy-yuzu kosho vinaigrette; “mixed plate” sandwich with kalbi, fried chicken, spicy Korean pork, taegu watercress salad, potato roll and kimchi potato salad; Artizen Burger with local ground beef, bacon, gouda cheese, lettuce, tomato and secret sauce with a side of fries or green salad.

What others say: “The savory offerings change daily, and regulars have their favorites — think cheffed-up bentos and plate lunches.” — Eater

The display case

Tart

A cafe by day and wine bar by night, this haven for artful simplicity features creative dishes by chef Arnaldo "Masa" Gushiken, who was born in Argentina and professes particular fondness for the cuisines of Mexico and Spain.

Website: alohabreadbutter.com

Address: 1585 Kapiolani Blvd.

Phone number: 808-949-3430

Number of seats: 50

Entrée price range: $11-$30

Popular dishes: Double-braised oxtail with smoked mashed potatoes, parsley, fried onion, carrot and mustard seed; truffle chicken: whole game hen, truffle and soy rice; mushroom risotto with shimeji, oyster and button mushrooms, onion and truffle oil.

What others say: “Chef Masa —  who grew up in Argentina and worked in Japan before coming to Hawaii —  brings his background to signature dishes like personal paella, squid ink pasta, beef tongue curry and breakfast dashimaki tamago.” — Tasty Island

Pizza

Lobster roll

This offshoot of the The Pig & The Lady, a local favorite to which this acts as a sort of brother restaurant, doles out more lively and playful — the name, after all, is an allusion to famed rapper Biggie Smalls — variations of chef Andrew Le’s distinctive Vietnamese fusion.

Website: thepigandthelady.com/piggysmalls

Address: 1200 Ala Moana Blvd.

Phone number: 808-777-3588

Number of seats: 50

Entrée price range: $7-$19

Popular dishes: LFC — twice cooked chicken wings, money sauce, kaffir lime leaf, rau ram and mint; Moroccan papaya salad with carrot purée, toasted almonds, mint and orange and cumin vinaigrette; pho-strami: smoked pho spiced beef pastrami, Sriracha onions, pickled mustard seeds and awesome sauce.

What others say: “I get my meat fix with the pho-strami ($16), an overindulgent bánh mì that I’d already seen all over social media: smoked pho-spiced beef pastrami, Sriracha onions, pickled mustard seeds and what is labeled as ‘awesome sauce.’ And this is awesome. With carnivorous enthusiasm, my husband and I dipped our halves of the sandwich into the accompanying pho broth and ate it, dripping juices and all.” — Maria Kanai, Hawai’i Magazine

The dining area

Pho-strami