Artizen By Mw Restaurant

If you like MW restaurant, you will probably like Artizen.
It was not horrible but it wasn’t fantastic either. Came here for lunch yesterday and I tried the spicy ahi poke bowl ($ 10). It was sort of deconstructed, in that the poke/​chopped onion mixture was served separate from the rice. The sauce the tiny poke pieces were in was flavorful but lacked spiciness and I wished there was more of it. There were some deliciously spicy grilled veggies, including mushrooms, on the top of the rice. And for $ 1 more, I added pickled onions, which were a generous portion and had a little spicy kick to it. Would I buy this again? Probably not. Just not my cup of tea.
I also brought home one of the take n’ go items. The Cobb salad ($ 8) was typical in its ingredients — lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon, red onion, (a very generous amount of) crumbled blue cheese, and chicken, but the dressing was anything but traditional. It was a pretty spicy and tasted like tomato-​y hoisin. While I love hoisin, I’m not sure if it goes with a cobb salad so well. The bacon was kinda strange — jerky-​ish actually. And the chicken pieces were small and dry — I had to put them aside.
The restaurant is located in the Hawaii State Art Museum (HiSAM). I believe the cheapest place to park downtown is in Alii Place which is right across the street from HiSAM, or you could try to find street parking on Richards St. At 11:20a.m., there were lots of tables available. You order your food, pay, and then wait for your number to be called — listen closely because it gets pretty noisy as the room fills up.
So like many MW offerings, Artizen creates adaptations on the traditional. For some things, I don’t want to mess with the traditional. I didn’t try any desserts but they look absolutely scrumptious! I will probably come back to try a sandwich, another type of salad, and/​or dessert.

They have made a few changes from my first visit two weeks ago. Not sure if it was just for today or if they’re permanent changes:
1) They don’t deliver your food to your table. They call out your number from the counter where the cashier is. The restaurant is noisy when it’s crowded, so you have to listen closely for your number, or stand on the side.
2) Grab n go is no longer on the right as you walk in. Grab n go items are now in the display case next to the cashier, so you have to stand in line for made to order items or grab n go.
3) All desserts are now displayed in the new display case next to the cashier. That makes it nearly impossible to walk away without ordering one. $ 5 each.
I can’t wait to come back again.

You need to plan your trip to Artizen by MW Restaurant cuz the food is good and people know it. Located in the HiSAM. You can ogle their pastries and desserts while you line up to order. Their menu changes, but some of the regular favorites are the Mochi Crusted Opah, which has the perfect crust; the Miso Braised Short Ribs, which is fatty and rich, in a melt in your mouth way; and the Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl, which elevates the poke we know and love.
This is beautiful food – fresh and imaginative, yet served in a non-​fussy, familiar way. It’s worth the walk and the wait, but if you are in a rush, call in a takeout or order a pre-​made salad, sandwich – try the Ahi and Basil Pesto – or dessert. Definitely check them out!

I am updating this review because in my last I said that I would likely not be back and today I did go back and even brought two co-​workers. Had the fish sandwich with was very well prepared. the sauce had black olives in it which made for an interesting flavor. I know that the sauce is authentic because I even got a small olive pit. The sandwich was served with toast and the bread was crispy and easy to handle.
I am maintaining my tepid rating because there is still the idea of queuing up to order, then finding a table and waiting for them to call your number. Also since there are lots of hard surfaces the dining space gets very loud when it is crowded.

This is the 3^rd restaurant I have experienced in the HiSAM in downtown, Honolulu and I hope this one stays! I have also been to the MW restaurant and the style of food and taste is similar, at a slightly lower cost.
Try to come early, (like 11am) because it does get extremely crowded with long lines and wait time for food. The first time I came about a week after they opened. I ordered the Spicy Korean Pork Bowl with a local egg, over easy ($ 10). It was delicious, and not too spicy. The portions are on the smaller size, but the food here is about quality, not quantity.
The second time, I ordered the Ahi and Basil Pesto Sandwich ($ 12). Now THIS was GOOD! The ahi was a generous portion and the flavor of the sandwich was delicious. I also got a dessert this time and it was very much «MW» style– as beautiful as it was delicious. I had the Lemon Meringue ($ 5). I have yet to try the takeout ready items like the bento and sandwiches, which is a convenient choice if you can’t make it there for an early lunch.
I think the price is fair for what you get, but for me, it doesn’t match the style and taste of the restaurant. The sandwich came wrapped in paper and that’s all you get. I dined in, and felt that if they could just put it in a little basket lined with paper and a few greens or even a handful of chips, or something, it would match the style and the taste a bit more. Everything is served in takeout wrappers/​containers, regardless of whether you dine in or not. They also don’t make any kind of drinks (any kind of iced tea/​coffee/​lemonade would have been nice!) There is a case where you can buy canned/​bottled drinks and tea, but nothing special to match the food.
I know it’s more of a take out/​express kind of lunch place and they don’t have any kind of a wait service, but I would gladly pay a couple of dollars more to have a more «dining in» kind of experience with some fresh beverage choices.
I still give this place 5 stars because the food is delicious and a nice treat from your everyday downtown choices!

I had an Artizen preview at one of MW Restaurant’s afternoon tea so I was very excited to lunch at the restaurant and nosh on some house made bread. But being located in downtown in the Hawaii State Art Museum didn’t make getting there sound so easy. Lucky for me, it totally was. I just parked at Alii Place and walked right across the street.
Artizen opens at 10:30am so I recommend getting there by 11am or at least before the lunch crowd at 11:30am. It was almost completely empty at 11am. But even with it being so empty, it still took some time to get our food. They do have some grab and go items if you are short on time. I ordered the mixed plate sandwich and it was so yummy! I don’t think you can go wrong with that sandwich. It comes with a kim chee potato salad that was also very good.
My favorite dessert that day was the chocolate peanut butter éclair. It was nice and rich and really stood out from the rest of the desserts.
Eating here will cost you about $ 15-​$ 20, but you are getting the same quality food as you would expect at MW Restaurant so totally worth it.

If they start serving hot coffee/​tea and/​or dessert bento sample packs, I’m going to be in trouble. (UPDATE: they now serve coffee!)
Upscale local-​style comfort food with fresh local ingredients, and amazing high-​end pastries! This is going to be a great place to take visitors who want to try local favorites beyond a Rainbow’s plate lunch, and I’m already planning to meet friends here for dessert and BYOT (Bring Your Own Tea).
The portions look small but the quality is superb, and I found the bento box to be really satisfying. The kalbi was super tender, and the house made S-​P-​A-​M (Smoked Pork Arabiki Meatloaf) is a great example of how they do upscale homestyle. Some items, like the kimchee Portuguese bean soup, are a little to rich and heavy for me to eat a whole bowl, but I might be in the minority on that. Some of it is salty the way locals like it, so you might want to bring your hydroflask and fill it at the water fountain.
Clean bathrooms are right next door so you can wash up before heading back to work!

Great place for a grab and go lunch. I tried their $ 11 artizen burger and found out that they cook it whatever way you want! You can go as low as «Blue Rare» which pretty means the cow is still moo’ing. Their skinny cut fries were one of the best I had in a while and their $ 5 lobster bisque went great with the burger. I heard their desserts are also what to get so I’ll definitely be back for that.

The food was good, but the price point is a little high considering the setting, what the food is served in, and the portions.
Likes: Went with 3 of my coworkers and we each got different things. I tried the burger, the short rib and the steak plate. They were all pretty good (one maybe needed a touch of salt). Their desserts are reasonably priced and are pretty good too.
Dislikes: While the food was good, the portions were either really small, or the price was more than I’d want to pay to eat there regularly. Sandwiches don’t come with fries, and fries are an extra $ 4. My burger, fries and soda meal was about $ 17, not including my dessert.
Favorites: The chocolate cake was probably the best thing out of everything we ordered. It makes me want to try their other desserts.
This place isn’t a bad place to add to a downtown lunch rotation, especially if you’re looking for a change. However, at this price, there are other places downtown that actually plate your food, and have similar quality. Given that, food is 3 stars and dessert is 4 stars.

I am a very open and flexible reviewer so please take this review with a grain of salt. I have gone to Artizen twice so far. My first time there I ordered the ahi pesto sandwich. It was $ 10. I asked the cashier if it came with anything like fries or a salad. She said no. Well, I fully expected it to because of the price. It is fresh ahi and it was delicious. However, some fries or chips even would’ve made it better.
The second time I went I got the Mochiko crusted Opah with somen noodles. It sounded really good so I ordered it. When I picked it up I was in complete shock. It was a very small portion. It was one fillet with what looked liked just a half a cup of noodles. It was delicious. I was shocked because it cost $ 15. I was left hungry just an hour or so after consuming it. I felt very much disappointed.
The food is good with high quality ingredients. I will give them that. But the portions are tiny for their price. They are located in the State’s museum and many customers work in the downtown area. Eventually, my prediction is that customers will realize they should not go back. I hope that Artizen will consider giving more and make customers feel that they are getting their money’s worth. Until then, I will not be going back.

It’s too expensive in here. The food is good. However, the prices are too high for the amount of food received. I paid $ 15 for a fried opah and somen salad meal. Everything was served inside a small plastic container that could fit through the slit of a mailbox. After eating the entire meal, I was still hungry. MW also serves the same fish and somen dish, but at least I get complimentary bread.
Besides the price, the service was slow. I had to wait at least 15 minutes for my food to come out. The waiting time felt long that I was starting to think my fish was just caught at the Pacific ocean.

My girlfriend has raved about the food at MW restaurant for a while now, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to go with her yet… *sad face* so when she told me they opened up a little restaurant at the Hawaii State Art Museum we decided to to check it out before heading to the 6^th Annual Unilocal Cookie Swap.
She had already decided on the Mochi Crusted Opah as her meal, I on the other hand can never decide until I’m forced to order. Checking pictures from other Unilocalers I narrowed it down to the Artizen Burger or the Ahi Pesto sandwich. The Ahi sandwich won out quickly when I read «ahi katsu» in the description.
The food was delicious! My sandwich was toasty and buttery, the ahi cooked perfectly with a soft center and the pesto and tomato tapenade worked really well with the greens. Would recommended it to anyone who loves ahi as much as I do.
Girlfriends Opah was cooked wonderfully as well, seasoned well with a slightly crunchy outer coat.
It wasn’t busy at all when we went this Saturday Afternoon for lunch. Will come back another time to try the amazing sounding desserts!

Long anticipated opening — because of the long vacant HiSAM space and because it’s from the owners of MW! It was so good that I had to go two days in a row!
MOCHI CRUSTED OPAH — just like at MW and just as good. Now it’s within walking distance and I can have it anytime I have a craving at work. Sitting on a bed of somen with a side of homemade kim chee and sesame dressing. So good — all.the.time.
AHI & BASIL PESTO SANDWICH — perfectly seared ahi with a salsa like sauce and yummy basil. Put it on freshly baked, lightly toasted olive bread. So, so good.
The sandwiches are switched up daily based on availability of ingredients, which means reasons to go all the time. :) They also change the desserts, which if you’ve even been to MW, you know are DELICIOUS.
My coworkers have tried the MIXED PLATE SANDWICH (which is as jam packed as you would think), SPICY PORK BOWL (with easy over egg), BENTO BOX (with homemade spam). I’ll be back (often) to try it all, over and over.

Always seeking a downtown Honolulu lunch venue to meet friends or colleagues, I decided to check out this brand new place. Located on the ground floor of the Hawaii State Art Museum, it is a nice dining area with a table by the window affording you some decent views of the courtyard.
At Artizen, don’t expect:
Large portions
Cheap prices
Silverware
Table service
Someone to serve you water
My honest opinion is that a meal at Artizen is an average value for your money. I appreciate the creative menu where every day you can try something new. Today, I had the Roast Duck & Pork Hash MuShu which was tender roast duck and pieces of pork hash, ginger scallion oil, cilantro and a barbeque sauce drizzle nestled in a crispy wrap. It was not possible to roll the wrap around the filling like a more traditional mushu, without cracking the wrapper. So out came my plastic knife and plastic fork. What I didn’t notice was the lup cheong that the menu described the dish as including. Evidently, they explained, the lup cheong was mixed in the pork hash. I didn’t notice it, but the pork and the duck were tasty. It was served with a small scoop of white rice and a small side of pickled vegetables. This dish was $ 13.
I also ordered a lobster bisque, $ 5. The bisque, served in as small bowl not even half-​filled, had a nice seafood taste but the consistency was on the thin side.
When I think what else $ 18 could buy me in the downtown area, almost anywhere else I would have enjoyed table service, real dishes, and bigger portions, but not the creativity and evolving menu. You’ll have to decide what’s important to you.
Prices include tax. Open for lunch only 10:30 — 2:30.
Crowds are hit or miss. There seemed to be a rush right around 12:15 with a perceptible exodus just after 1:15.
Excuse me, I have to fill my own cup now with water from the water fountain.

Great location, clean, friendly staff. I came here with high expectations because I am a big fan of MW, but the food at Artizen is a-​ok with an overpriced lunch/​sandwich pricetag. Mixed Plate Sandwich @ $ 13 was a big disappointment, had to spit out couple of bones and overly salty. Absolutely not worth $ 13. Salad was just ok, but the quinoa curry salad was very good. Burger here is excellent for $ 11, probably the best thing to get here. The croquette was a-ok/won’t get again.
Today was a meh experience, was really looking forward to this place, but at this current offering, I don’t think it’s worth it. There’s just way better food around the area for the $ 13 price point. I don’t want to say this place won’t make it, but I have little faith here.
Artizen reminds me of the plate lunch place chai’s market in waikiki, food you can normally get really cheap but chai charged a higher pricetag, making it an expensive plate lunch… for what? it’s not worth it. I feel like a sucker for eating at Artizen.
To be fair, it’s new, and I will give it another try in a week or two.

Once I saw the Unilocal pictures and reviews of Artizen opening, I immediately scheduled lunch with my co-​worker and Unilocal buddy to try it. Due to the PBN news release and overwhelming support of Unilocalers, this place was packed quickly. It offers a menu of make to order items, as well as quick to go items. My Unilocaler friend had suggested the Mochi crusted Opah. O.M.G… It was too die for… it was the best mochi crust that I ever had… it was soft and flaky… mmm… mmm…good! It came with a side of somen and a special home-​made sauce that is just perfect.

I was excited to try this place after friend & fellow Unilocaler Cindy L. told me about this place, as I’ve enjoyed dining at their MW restaurant. We arrived a little after noon, checked out the menu & my eyes lit up when I saw the mochi encrusted opah.
We ordered & sat, waiting comfortably for our numbers to be called. After receiving our food, we returned to our table & were excited to dig in. The opah was perfectly cooked with a lovely crunch from the fried mochi coating. The somen noodles & sauce were a perfect match. For dessert, I had the éclair with strawberries. It was light & subtly sweet.
Free water pitcher & large plastic cups are available next to the utensils on the counter where you order, if you don’t feel like ordering a drink. No table service available, for now.
I am a fan & will return very soon to try more menu items. I’m happy that there’s a new, high quality restaurant in downtown Honolulu!

I love working downtown because I get spoiled by delicious lunches on the daily!
Artizen just opened up on Tuesday (¹²⁄₀₁) and is located on Hotel Street in the Hawaii State Art Museum.
There are two different ways to try their yummy food items. (1) They have their bentos on the right, ready to be picked up and paid for. (2) Or you can order off the menu on the left side. I recommend coming here a couple times so you can do both: D Or come with a big group and just grab and order the entire menu, haha.
The Grub.
[[ Ahi & Basil Pesto Sandwich $ 12 ]]
Fresh Ahi katsu, basil pesto, and tomato tapenade in Hawaiian cacao bread. YOU HAVE TO GET THIS! The ahi is cooked perfectly, juicy and tender and the flavors taste great with the basil pesto!
[[ Mixed Plate Sandwich $ 13 ]]
This sandwich is loaded with kalbi, fried chicken, spicy korean pork, taegu watercress salad, potato roll. It really is like a korean mix plate in your hands! SO GOOD.
[[ The S-​P-​A-​M ]]
This is made in house with Mochi Crusted Smoked-​Pork-​Arabiki-​Meatloaf! Oh my god, the best spam I have ever had! If you never had it before, this is a must order!
[[ Mochi Crusted Opah $ 15 ]]
This dish comes with a huge piece of Opah over a bed of somen noodles. This was so good and so filling!
Overall: THIS PLACE IS DA BOMB. I will be here very often for lunch! :D

Really? Another fabulous lunch place… in downtown which is not even close to my workplace??? Well luckily I had a day off from work today to go to the opening day!
They’re located in the Hawaii State Museum (the old Downtown and Grand Central Bakery location).
Artizen was supposed to be the name for the owners first restaurant MW Restaurant (opened October 2013) but MW for Michelle and Wade (the owners) was chosen instead.
There’s no table service here but takeout and grab and go. They have some grab and go items: sandwiches, salads, cookies and of course the MW bento with short ribs and homemade spam.
So…they have about 6 sandwiches on the menu $ 9-​$ 13, salads $ 7-​$ 10, Portuguese bean soup and a soup of the day $ 6 or so and a few plate lunch type items $ 10-​$ 15.
The ahi and basil pesto sandwich is a must try. I’m not a huge fan of cooked ahi but they did a great job on this. The ahi wasn’t dry or tough and went well with the pesto. The mixed plate sandwich is another good choice. It’s like the MW bento but in a sandwich. You need to hands for these sandwiches. Be warned, it may get messy. Actually, it does get messy. Make sure you have plenty of napkins.
The mochi crusted opah with somen noodles is definitely a good choice and one of their signature dishes. The opah was nice and soft which went well with the crispy outside shell, the somen was refreshing so the dish didn’t feel too heavy.
They also have some sides you can get as well such as French fries or kim chee potato salad.
And the best part, Michelle’s desserts. Michelle has a variety of pastries to end your lunch on a sweet note. She has her infamous chocolate cake by the slice and other delectable desserts which are bigger than the petit fours at afternoon tea but not overwhelming so you can still go back to work without napping. The desserts are $ 4-​$ 5 which is an amazing deal for these deliciously beautiful pastries.
The menu may change a bit and have daily specials but for the most part, it will stay the same.
This is definitely going to be the go to place for downtown workers. There’s a beautiful courtyard view and it’s just a short walk from the heart of downtown. It looks like a great place for private events too!
This is another reason I wish I worked downtown… hmmm not really. Too much traffic but luckily for me, they’re open 10:30am-2:30pm for lunch Monday — Saturday!

I’m going to be a regular. I know it.
MW Restaurant just took over Hawaii State Art Museum (HiSAM)‘s cafeteria space to start selling their awesome food for lunch! When you walk up to the HiSAM property, you wonder if you’re in the right place, but there’s a nice little sign on the fence telling you Artizen is now open (from 10:30 — 2:30, Mon-​Sat). Enjoy a nice little walk through a beautiful green lawn, watch your step at the door, and head towards the back!
There’s a range of grab & go items to the right, and a hot/​made-​to-​order menu and delectable desserts to the left! The menu is going to be a nice rotating menu of offerings (both savory & sweet) and what they’re starting with is great! It’s also nice that they have two registers: one for the grab & go area, and one for the order fresh food!
On the grab & go side, they had three different kinds of bentos, pre-​made & wrapped sandwiches, and salads available when we arrived. These bentos are quite similar to the great $ 10 bentos that they sell on the take-​out menu at MW, but since this is downtown, they had a wider variety, including a housemade spam and kimchee fried rice bento! Yum!
On the made-​to-​order menu, there was a good mix of sandwiches, salads, sides and plates available. Dishes like mochi crusted fish and sides like Chef Wade’s quinoa and kim chee potato salad that you might find at MW also made it to their downtown menu board. Familiar dishes aside, they also created a nice variety of foods from their Artizen burger to duck mushu to beef tacos to the Mixed Plate Sandwich; there’s a little something for everyone. FYI, our table of 8 went back and forth between the Ahi Pesto Sandwich and the Mixed Plate Sandwich as our favorite dish. Give it a try!
Dessert gets its own paragraph. Because desserts. Pastry Chef Michelle brought her amazing desserts from MW to downtown! Rather than having to go to MW to have her eclairs or lemon meringue or strawberry shortcake or chocolate cake, you can now find a rotating array of her creations at HiSAM! She’s also offering packed ready-​to-​go baked goods like cookies, brownies, and bagel chips if you don’t have the time or refrigerator for her regular desserts.