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The unimaginatively named Lobby Bar at the Edition is one of two bars at The New York Edition. There are eight seats at the bar and the rest of the seating consists of various couches and chairs that are spaced out around the west and south sides of the first floor of the hotel. It matches the sleek and modern vibe that you would expect from The Edition. The set up is a bit strange though as you could easily confuse some of the seats as part of the lobby. The bar is open from 9AM to 12AM (1AM on the weekends) and attracts a much quieter crowd as compared to the Clocktower Bar on the second floor. Most people seemed to be there to meet up with people or to have one or two drinks before heading somewhere else. The liquor selection is not particularly extensive, but they have everything you need to make most drinks. The wines-by-the-glass list is pretty short too, but well curated. The bartenders and staff are very friendly and professional though. We came here because of the $35 food and beverage credit that comes with the Edition’s destination fee. Even on the weekend, it was pretty subdued and quiet, so it wasn’t a bad place to unwind before going to sleep. On Saturday night, they had two DJ’s playing music which was nice, but again, it’s more of a transitory bar than a destination bar. Prices are on the high-end as would be expected from a bar at The Edition.

Honolulu Coffee has locations in hotels and malls all over the island, but I am just reviewing the Prince Waikiki location. If you are staying at the Prince, you get free Keurig pods, and they serve ok coffee at 100 Sails during breakfast. But personally, I would much rather go to HC and pay a few extra dollars for great Kona coffee. I usually come down early, sit outside with a delicious cup of coffee, listen to the birds, enjoy the weather, and then pray that I will survive another day with my extended family. It's like therapy.

The baked goods are ok, but they are expensive - the guava bread is something you don’t often see on the mainland and might be worth trying. Just be aware that they don’t show prices, so you find out what things cost at the register. I would recommend going on their website first to find out the prices because some items are pretty expensive (e.g. breakfast burrito is $14.50). It’s located right in the lobby, so there’s plenty of seating including a pleasant outdoor section. One word of advice - it can get super crowded during peak hours (7am - 9am), so if you are in a hurry (or are super impatient), I would recommend placing an order through their website just before leaving your room. It’s basically like skipping the line, but without the guilt. The people working there have always been friendly with me, so it’s always been a pleasure to go to Honolulu Coffee. They also sell assorted HC swag which are nice, but again, pretty pricey and no prices until the register.

Omusubi Gonbei is a takeout-only place that specializes in making Japanese rice balls (omusubi) filled with various ingredients from fish (e.g. salmon (cooked), spicy tuna, grilled eel) to seafood (e.g. fried oyster, shrimp tempura) to vegetables (e.g. mustard greens, kelp) to the miscellaneous (e.g. nattō, Spam). The rice balls are made daily and use high quality rice (currently from Hokkaidō), so you can really tell the difference in quality from the omusubi at other places. When I got there, they had just started stocking up the display case, so my omusubis were warm, super fresh, and delicious.

The omusubi at OG are also significantly bigger and heavier than others, so one or two make a very filling snack/meal. They offer both white rice (hakumai) and brown rice (genmai) versions which is nice. Prices range from $2.30 to $4.60, so it’s pretty affordable. They also sell Japanese fried chicken nuggets (karaage) which aren’t bad, but it’s not the main attraction.

Omusubi Gonbei is located inside Katagiri Japanese Grocery, and payment for the omusubi is made with the grocery store cashiers. The grocery has a wide range of Japanese drinks and snacks, so you can easily supplement your rice balls with additional items (e.g. drinks, dessert) and then pay for everything at once. If you are looking to eat very good omusubi for a reasonable price in the Grand Central area, Omusubi Gonbei might be a good option.