Sweet Home Aunty

If you are familiar with Oahu's "hot pot" scene, you have probably heard of "Sweet Home Cafe", a uber popular Taiwanese-style hot pot restaurant that is most notable for their complimentary bowl of shave ice with all the fixins that is served at the conclusion of your meal.

 The owner sold the business in 2015 and recently opened up another restaurant five minutes away in a large space formerly occupied by On On Restaurant on McCully Street (between Young and South Beretania Streets).  Her new restaurant is called "Sweet Home Aunty" and while it's not technically hot pot style dining anymore, you still get to experience many of the same great flavors and ingredients.  

At Sweet Home Aunty, you are charged for your ingredients, which you pick by hand, by the pound (currently $7.50 per 1/2 pound). Included with your meal is your choice of broth/soup and noodles.  You also have the option of doing it stir-fry style if you're not in the mood for soup.  Unlike Sweet Home Cafe, at Sweet Home Aunty you do not do the cooking - your meal is prepared by the restaurant in the back, and delivered to your table.  

While you're soup/stir fry is being prepared in the kitchen, you can quench your hunger with their appetizers such as the fried chicken wings or rib eye/cheese won tons:

Fried Chicken Wings

Rib Eye and Cheese Won Tons

Homemade Beef Broth with Egg Noodles (requested on the side)

Egg Noodles

They give you a generous amount of soup, so feel free to take the leftover soup home - you can heat it up later and get another whole meal out of it!

Save room for dessert - while the shave ice is no longer free, it's still quite reasonable in price.  The cost depends on the weight of your toppings (which you hand pick).

Shave ice with assorted kanten, jellies, and almond custard

If you like to avoid crowds and lines like I do, plan your visit during lunch or in the afternoon.

Sweet Home Aunty

1110 McCully Street

(808) 946-8686

Hours: 11 AM - 10 PM (Closed on Tuesdays)

Parking: private lot in front of the restaurant

BYOB (2 hour time limit for patrons who BYOB)