With all the color and food offerings at Waikiki Market, it’s easy to overlook the quiet restaurant tucked away in the back.

Olili is a hidden gem, though with Waikiki pricing that can be off-putting in spite of delivering the goods.

There will always be some diners willing to take on the cost, and they will be rewarded.

The setting is austere, and a window view shows the bustle of Kuhio Avenue for those who enjoy people watching.

To start, there are dozens of fruity signature cocktails, such as the Waimea Sipper with Kupu spirits, amaro, hibiscus tea and mango nectar, or the Hawaiian Cup with Pimm’s, local ginger beer, cucumber, lilikoi, mint and pineapple.

Then you get to the food menu, where just about every listing is a temptation. Offerings break down into a list of pupu and mains, starting humbly with a local-style offering of guava-smoked fish dip ($16) with marinated ikura on a Diamond Bakery soda cracker.

You can go light with kanpachi crudo ($23) accompanied by cherry tomato relish, crispy Thai basil and Waianae citrus, or opt for the meatier beef tartare ($21), comprising American wagyu, pickled mustard seeds, shoyu-cured egg yolk, ssamjang and tendon puffs.

Small Kine Farm cream of mushroom soup ($16) is a joy, filled with a variety of mushrooms, and accompanied by a cheese-topped slice of toasted baguette.

And, I can never resist an order of bone marrow ($19) topped with braised oxtail ragu, fermented chile crunch and Vietnamese herbs, and accompanied by a slice of grilled sourdough.

Vegans are remembered with local roots ($19), a medley of root vegetables and burrata with macadamia nut pesto.

That’s just the starters. Eventually you get to equally tempting mains such as a citrus-marinated pulehu half chicken ($34) accompanied by baby gem lettuce, Vietnamese herbs and chicken fat rice.

I especially enjoyed a dish of crispy Kona kampachi ($42) served in a pool of Portuguese bean soup with a side of charred cabbage, as well as chile crab noodles ($32), rich with pieces of Pacific Dungeness crab in a saffron emulsion, topped with brown butter bread crumbs.

For meat eaters, there is an Olili burger ($22) comprising a wagyu and local beef blend topped with bacon jam and miso aioli, accompanied by barbecue-spiced fries.

A 10-ounce Prime NY angus strip steak ($55) is also served with barbecue-spiced fries.

Desserts are the last temptation with options such as a molten mango pie ($15) filled with lilikoi caramel and lilikoi boba, or colorful rainbow cake ($15) made of lilikoi, guava, cream and pineapple coulis, drizzled with coconut shavings.

But I love apple bananas, so it was hard to resist the Choco-Nana ice cream puffs ($15) filled with cinnamon gelato and drizzled in chocolate sauce.

Olili

In Waikiki Market, Lilia Waikiki
2380 Kuhio Ave. second floor, Honolulu
Food: ****
Service: ****
Ambiance: ***
Value: *** ½
Call: 808-923-2095
Hours: 4-10 p.m. daily
Prices: About $120 for two without alcohol

Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).