Panya Bistro

Best for: Happy Hour, Japanese pastries
Location: Ala Moana

Japanese cheesecake and a mango-tini

I can't stand eating in shopping mall food courts (unless I'm in Singapore), so Panya Bistro is my default place when I get hungry for a snack. The atmosphere is chic, their Japanese pastry selection is large, and the food is a good deal.

On Sundays and Mondays they have all-day happy hours, which is kind of ridiculous. $5 cocktails and $5 appetizers. The cocktails are okay; the happy hour cocktails at Plumeria and Hiroshi are much better. Stay away from the martinis - they're basically sugary slush. The mojitos aren't too bad, but pretty weak.

strawberry lemondrop martini

$5 lychee mojito

As for appetizers, I usually order the gyoza, which, again, is only okay. The best food at Panya has to be the desserts. Their Japanese cheesecake reminds me that Asians do, in fact, make everything better. They also have a huge selection of bread pastries at the front. 
 

Japanese cheesecake with cream