When a Saturday night rolls around, the easy and rightful answer is Chef Peter Merriman’s Moku Kitchen. Anchoring Kaka‘ako’s trendy retail center, SALT, this upcountry-inspired concept brings the customs of O‘ahu farmers and ranchers to urban Honolulu. It’s no secret that Chef Merriman has a knack for romanticizing the power of local ingredients and this restaurant is no exception—at Moku, the idea is to recreate the same pride and value of simpler times when food was harvested steps away from the open fire upon which it was cooked—organic kale salads as green as they are satisfying. Day boat fish and hand cut chips. Local apple banana cream pie with Laie vanilla pastry cream and whipped cream. Between the craft cocktails, the playful yet finessed food, and the good times heard over the noise of Ala Moana Boulevard, Moku lives up to its “throw a party every night” mentality—handcrafted, local-dependent and a staple of the Honolulu dining scene.