Just got back from an amazing week at Aulani and thought I'd mention two very new dining options we enjoyed.
Monkeypod in Ko Olina: Just opened right across the street from Aulani. It's a new restaurant by Merriman and has very good food at reasonable (for Hawaii) prices. Here's a link to their website:
http://www.monkeypodkitchen.com/ko-olina/ DH and I shared the Kiawe grilled ahi steak with jalapeno mashed potatoes (yum!) and the margherita pizza. DS(12) had the peppercorn filet steak and was able to sub in the chipotle bacon mashed potatoes (super yum!) that were part of the special of the day. All of our meals were outstanding. DS(10) had the keiki saimin. It was very good, although a tad bit salty. He ended up eating half of our pizza (I got to eat his crust which was still very good). They have a great bar (lots of beers on tap). We really liked the Maui Brewing Co "Mana" wheat beer. Very lively micro brewery like atmosphere. We were told the upstairs dining area was going to be opening soon. It was very popular when we went but had no trouble with seating since we made a reservation.
Daiichi Ramen in Kapolei: We found this place on a random Yelp search after a day of surf lessons with Hawaiian Fire Surf school. What a find!! They just opened up a few weeks ago, and if you like ramen (hot Japanese noodle soup), this is the place for you. We loved it so much we ate here twice. We tried the miso ramen, mabo tofu ramen, tan-tan men (spicy sesame), and beef curry ramen. They were all awesome. I'm Japanese and I've eaten a lot of ramen, and this is some of the best I've had. Only four reviews on Yelp so far, but all give it five stars, and we would agree. The food and service are superior. And cheap!! Our first meal cost us $50 with tip and included four bowls of ramen, drinks, and an order of potstickers (that we never ate because we were so full from the ramen). Our second meal cost us $40 with tip for four bowls of ramen and water (that the waitresses fill up as soon as you take a sip). It's in a really new area of Kapolei and hard to find--don't use your GPS it will take you someplace really strange. It is in the same shopping center as Foodland and in the same area as Costco and Koa Pancake house. Best to look it up on Yelp and use their map (but not GPS directions) to find it. It's small, and already very popular with the locals, so I would advise getting there early or expect a wait. Also, we had fun looking through Foodland (market) next door. They have a large selection of island style foods (they have an amazing poke deli).
Enjoy!!