BluWater Grill

Best for: Seafood, View
Location: Koko Marina


After kayaking with Anthony around Koko Marina for my birthday last week, of course I had a craving for seafood. We had seen a few promising restaurants right on the marina while kayaking, and one open-air restaurant in particular looked perfect. It had to have seafood. We couldn't see the name of the restaurant from where we were, but a huge flag with golden arches indicated that a McDonalds was located at the same shopping center. We returned the kayak to Anthony's uncle, and then followed the bright red flag with those distinctive golden arches into a parking lot.

I'm not sure what time it was when we arrived, but it must have been that awkward time between lunch and dinner. Eating during this period always makes me miss my 4 pm "lunners" with Erin at the Kahala or Buca's (come back home, Erin!!). There were only about four other tables occupied, all of which were in the outside section of the restaurant. The host told us to lead him to wherever we wanted to sit, so I ventured to the table second farthest from everyone else.



The view is stunning. Dining alongside the ocean is nothing new to me (and most Hawaii residents), whether it be in Waikiki, Ala Moana, or Kahala, but being able to see Koko Head and all the homes lining the opposite side of the marina can be just as beautiful.



We started with a couple of cocktails, both of which I've forgotten the names, but Anthony's was pink and full of coconut shavings, while mine was lemony and very refreshing. Those mischievous Hawaiian tradewinds caused a bit of a chill, so we decided to share a roasted salmon chowder, which was loaded with potatoes, vegetables, and chunks of oven-roasted salmon. Anthony's from the Bay Area, so the sourdough bread bowl didn't quite meet his standards, but everything in the bowl was delicious.

roasted salmon chowder, $7.95

Whoever wrote the menu descriptions did a fantastic job; everything sounded tantalizing, and we had a difficult time choosing. Only after a "workout" do I crave the type of seafood you'd find at Outback instead of sushi. I finally decided on the kiawe-grilled mahi mahi, which came with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. My mahi mahi was moist, and the garlic mashed potatoes went perfectly with the red bell peppers. Anthony ordered the mango-guava glazed pork spareribs with Caribbean slaw. His meat fell right off the ribs, and even I liked the cole slaw and brown rice - good job, BluWater!

mango-guava glazed pork spareribs, ~$20

kiawe-grilled mahi mahi

BluWater is perfect for a romantic evening (or late afternoon if you're like us), and I'm glad to know there's actually a decent restaurant in Hawaii Kai besides Roy's and Maile's.