Lobby Bar

Best for: Drinks, Late-night
Location: Modern Honolulu

Pinot noir and a geisha ($11)

Margarita and rosé

I absolutely love this bar. That is all.

 

Charcuterie

Yard House

Best for: Happy Hour, Beer, American food
Location: Waikiki

making chicken lettuce wraps

I didn't think I would ever step foot in Yard House. I don't remember exactly who instilled such an unflattering picture of Yard House into my mind so early on, but the image of a trashy, crew cut military-infested bar deterred me from ever coming, and instead convinced me to remain on the opposite side of Lewers Street and go to two of my favorites, Nobu and Lewers Lounge.

When Anthony suggested we head over to Yard House last week, I did my best to mask the initial repulsion I felt and agreed to go since his friend works there, and I always have a good time with Anthony regardless of location.

pepperoni and mushroom pizza

Most people come for the huge selection of beers on tap. The only beer I'm really passionate about is lambic (if you're one of my Reedie friends, you probably remember just how passionate I am about my pêche lambic), so places like Yard House are somewhat of a waste on me. However, I tried a pint of white ale and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

Alright, Yard House, anything else you'd like to teach me about myself? 

a half-consumed serving of buffalo wings

 Anthony and I shared three dishes:

1. Chicken lettuce wraps: stir-fried chicken, smoked tofu, pine nuts and green onions served with three dipping sauces and lettuce for wrapping. This was one of the more interesting [and fun to eat] dishes on the menu. I'm still trying to get over the fact that the Vietnamese are not the only people who wrap things in lettuce. However, you know what I'm going to say next: the Vietnamese obviously do it best.
2. Buffalo wings. These wings were just spicy enough. There's not much you can hate about buffalo wings. And it's pretty much the only thing that I will gladly eat with ranch dressing.
3. Pepperoni and crimini mushroom pizza. According to Anthony, even bad pizza is good. I'd agree but I've definitely had inedible pizza. In St. Louis, if I recall correctly. Fortunately, the pizza at Yard House is much better, with a nice thin crust that's perfect for folding the slice like a proper New York wannabe.

We came during happy hour, so everything was half off; otherwise, each dish would be about $12. For that price, I still would rather go to one of the many Japanese restaurants located on basically every block in Waikiki, but that's just my unabashedly Asian-centric taste talking. However, Yard House definitely confirmed a fact about myself that, deep down, I always knew: sometimes I am too judgmental for my own good. Maybe I should stop judging all the tourists from the Mainland who dine here and accept the fact that Yard House offers standard but satisfying American food, generous portions (we had food coma after sharing only three appetizers), and lots and lots of good beer. What's so wrong about that?

Salt Kitchen & Tasting Bar

Best for: Early or late-night tapas
Location: Kaimuki
Foodgasmic dish: Almond brittle flan with bourbon

Most dishes are about $5-10

Tapas are my favorite form of dinner because I prefer an assortment of small plates to one large dish. Plus, tapas pretty much require a glass of wine. Perfecto!




Salt reminds me of Portland, maybe because it's tiny, maybe because post-modern black-and-white photography cover the walls, maybe because the menus don't have decimals or dollar signs. Or maybe because some of the food seems to be obscure for the sake of being obscure. Whatever the reason, I do like Salt, and it has become one of my favorite places to go either for early night tapas or late night tapas - it's way too crowded during prime dinner time.

discussing the charcuterie

I've been here four times so far. On the first time, Mizuki, Matt and I arrived at 9 pm and sat at the bar. The crowd definitely made me feel like I was back in Portland, which, in this case, is a good thing. We had had dinner elsewhere, so I ordered one of the three desserts: chevre cheesecake with caramel popcorn. I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake (unless it's Japanese cheesecake) or popcorn, but this dish is one of Salt's specialty, and I thought the flavors were delicious together. However, halfway through the cheesecake I was sick of it.

chevre cheesecake and caramel popcorn ($7)

A few weeks later Carolyn and I came around 5:30 and were glad to see that it was almost completely empty. We sat at an upstairs table on the left, which has become my favorite place to sit. We each ordered a glass of white wine (try the savennières!) and shared about 4 dishes:

1. Fried egg
2. Pork-stuffed calamari
3. Grilled tako bruschetta
4. Empanadas

fried egg, calabrian chilean aioli, frisee, and grilled egg ($5)

grilled pork-stuffed calamari with frisee and smoked tomato creme fraiche ($8)

The first two were my favorites and the most interesting of the bunch. The grilled bread was perfect for sopping up the yolk from the fried egg. The tako bruschetta and empanadas were underwhelming, which is the case for about half of the menu at Salt.

grilled tako bruschetta, charred peppers, soft poached egg aioli, and fine herbs ($9)

empanadas

The last time I came to Salt, I was relieved to see that they updated and expanded their dessert selection. I can only eat so much popcorn cheesecake. I tried the almond brittle flan with bourbon, and it was the best flan I've ever had. Must be the bourbon.

Hiroshi

Best for: Eurasian tapas, Drinks

Location: Downtown
Foodgasmic dish: Hamachi carpaccio, Chilean sea bass

My first time at Hiroshi was an accident. Mizuki had wanted to take me to next door neighbor Vino, but a party had reserved the entire restaurant, so we ended up at Hiroshi. Apparently, Vino and Hiroshi share kitchens because, on some nights, you can sit in either one and order from both menus. Works for us!

We sat at the bar and faced the impressive wall of liquor. I was pretty amazed by the crowd there, late on a Wednesday night. Don't these people have families to go home to?? Alright, no judgment. Let's talk about the meal.

Since most of our dishes were ordered off Vino's menu, I'll save the bulk of dinner for that post. However, the $3.50 cocktails and $8 desserts were ordered off Hiroshi's. Yes, I typed that correctly. The cocktails were $3.50 (if seated at the bar). And these are damn good cocktails, unlike the simplistic $5 ones at Panya. In fact, our bartender didn't even charge Mizuki for her second round of margaritas. I had the Sex in the City (vodka, cranberry & triple sec) and Sexy Lychee Martini (Parrot Bay mango with a hint of pineapple juice). Don't ask me why I ordered so much sex. Both were great; I love it when bars are generous with their lychees in lychee cocktails.

 

For dessert I had the haupia lemongrass crème brulee with raspberry sorbet, while Mizuki had the Hawaiian vanilla bean panna cotta with mango sorbet. The presentations of our dishes looked almost exactly the same. I guess if you like a design, stick to it? It's not the best crème brulee I've had, but it was pretty good, and the haupia lemongrass was an interesting twist. 

Hamachi Carpaccio, $11.50

 I recently returned with a small group of friends and had such a good experience that Hiroshi is now on my Top 10. In fact, this is my new favorite place for tapas. We shared about five dishes and a bottle of pinot blanc. It was a lot less crowded this time - in fact, by the end of the meal we were the only ones left besides a couple of guys at the bar. I'm not sure if this explains the impeccable service, or if service is always this good.

Chilean Sea Bass

We were first offered some crispy rice cakes and nori wasabi aioli, which is interesting because I definitely remember getting only bread and balsamic vinegar the last time I came.

  Baby Abalone "Casino," $14.95

We ordered:

1. LaBelle Farms Foie Gras, served with crispy Hamakua organic mushrooms, kabayaki sauce, white truffle oil and raspberry reduction & mint. Can you ever go wrong with foie gras, mushrooms, and truffle oil?
2. Hamachi Carpaccio, served with julienned ginger, tomato concasse, tofu and truffled ponzu. I absolutely love carpaccio, and this dish did not disappoint. The hamachi was silky, refreshing, and soaked in a ginger sauce. Amazing.
3. Chilean Sea Bass, which was buttery, moist and tender
4. Baby Abalone "Casino," served with tosaka salad w/ roasted garlic aioli, shiso, tobiko, parmesan, and white truffle oil. I was actually getting too full to eat this, but my friends really liked it.
5. Portuguese Sausage Potstickers, with choi sum, sweet corn, kim chee foam and truffled ponzu sauce. The Portuguese sausage is wrapped like gyoza and bathed in a tangy ponzu sauce. The kim chee foam was creamier and heavier than I was expecting, but went well with the potstickers.

LaBelle Farms Foie Gras, 14.95

I look forward to returning and definitely need to try their happy hour, when the menu is half off (too good to be true!).

Apartm3nt

Best for: Happy Hour, Drinks
Location: Century Center
Foodgasmic dish: Bombay Passion (cocktail)

$5 pizza

Lounges that actually serve good food blow my mind. Apartm3nt is a bit awkward - it's located in the same building as my old piano teacher, and for a while Erin and I weren't sure how to order - but once we got past all that, we had a great time here.

$5 happy hour

It's a pretty dressy place, at least by Hawaii standards. During happy hour, food is half off, which means $5 pizzas. I've heard complaints about their other dishes, but I am a big fan of their pizza. Cocktails are also $5, and my bombay passion (Bombay Sapphire, raspberries, passion fruit, and vanilla) was so good that I didn't even bother to try a different cocktail and instead ordered it again.

There are supposed to be different rooms for dancing and playing pool, but we were having such a good time eating that we forgot to explore. However, the bathroom is another story. While the rest of the lounge is beautiful, the bathroom, while designed to be just as classy, is not maintained at all. It was as disgusting as a nightclub on Kuhio. Work on that, Apartm3nt, because I'd like to come back.

Edge of Waikiki

Best for: Happy Hour, View
Location: Sheraton Waikiki

$5 cocktails

The Edge of Waikiki is the poor man's Mai Tai Bar. The drinks are not quite as fancy, the view is not quite as breathtaking, even the hotel is not quite as nice (Sheraton vs. Royal Hawaiian). However, at five bucks during happy hour, who cares if the cocktails are served in disposable plastic cups when you can still stare out into the Pacific Ocean?

Mariah's first mai tai!

Amuse Wine Bar

Best for: Wine tasting
Location: Honolulu Design Center

Amuse seems like it would be a great date place. It's a wine bar at which you purchase a prepaid card that allows you to taste different wines at the push of a button. There are over 80 wine dispensers that pour one ounce samplings - feel free to hold the button longer if you want more than one ounce. Enough cabernet, chardonnay, pinot noir, and riesling to keep you happy. I had (too much) fun with the moscato.

They also serve food (dinner and happy hour), but I come for the wine. Next door is Stage Restaurant, which I need to try some time.

Top of Waikiki

Best for: Happy hour, Late-nite, View
Location: Waikiki

gorgeous views of Waikiki, whether you come before the sun sets or after

The Top of Waikiki is Hawaii's only revolving restaurant. Located at the top of the Waikiki Business Plaza, this three-tiered restaurant offers a 360-degree view of Waikiki and much of Honolulu. The hour-long revolution is slow enough so that you barely feel the rotation, but sure enough, especially after a few cocktails, eventually you'll wonder why you are suddenly facing the mountains instead of the ocean.

I've been here four times, at three different times of the day. The first time was the only time I came for an actual meal (dessert), so I was seated at a table on the edge of the top tier, close to the bar. Dessert is okay. I had the Candy Bar, which is exactly what it is: a glorified deconstructed candy bar... Twix, perhaps. Not the most memorable dish, but who cares what you're eating when you have a view like this?

The next two times I went were for the 5-7 pm happy hour, which offers $4 martinis and $7 appetizers. You are only allowed to sit at the bar for happy hour, which is at the very center of the top tier. None of the appetizers are very memorable, even though the chef is obviously trying to be innovative. However, for the price, it is certainly a good deal. The 5-7 happy hour is packed, mostly with tourists in their 40s and above. Not exactly my kind of crowd, which is why my fourth time coming to the Top of Waikiki was the best.

A couple of months ago, I returned with Mariah for the 9-11 pm happy hour. Just like the 5-7 pm one, martinis and appetizers are cheap. The main difference is that, instead of swarming with old people, the bar is now almost empty. As someone who values privacy and good service, I will now only be coming at this time. The bartenders are much more attentive and friendly this late in the night, which usually means you can order cocktails that aren't even on the happy hour menu for the same $4 price. Love it!

Lewers Lounge

Best for: Dessert
Location: Halekulani

I can no longer leave Waikiki without ending the night with dessert at Lewers Lounge. This place is magical. I always take out-of-town guests here because it epitomizes Hawaii (oddly enough, without a view of the beach) - well, at least a certain part of Hawaii. I usually sit outside, at a setting that makes this space so special.

Halekulani is one of only two 4-star hotels on Oahu. That's pretty pathetic, considering how many hotels we have here, but that's besides the point. Since this restaurant is part of Halekulani, you know everything will be impeccable. The hotel is a white, elegant, low-rising complex with open halls that allow the soft island breezes to brush by. Sitting at one of the six tables at night, in the heart of Waikiki yet miles away from the hustle and bustle, staring into the clear sky... no wonder this is my favorite place in Waikiki.

When you arrive, you are greeted with cashews and pecans. Service here is top-notch, and by now the waitresses recognize me, as I am always finding excuses to dine here. I always order the Chocolate All the Way, which is a trio of chocolate cheesecake, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate brownie. It's not the most innovative, but it always tastes delicious, and you can't ask for a better setting. Each dessert is about $9. Their dessert cocktails are pretty good too, but I think I prefer the ones at Kahala.

Mai Tai Bar

Best for: Cocktails, View of Waikiki
Location: Waikiki

I love the Mai Tai Bar. I don't mean the trashy one on the top floor of Ala Moana. I'm talking about the one literally steps away from Waikiki Beach, located at the Royal Hawaiian. Apparently the Mai Tai Bar is where the first mai tai cocktail originated. If you're ever going to have a mai tai, this is definitely where to get it - the cocktail comes with every accessory (paper umbrella, fresh fruit, etc). I usually get The Last Cocktail, which is composed of gin, asian pear puree, lemon juice, rosemary infusion, sparkling wine, and clove.

view from our table

This is where I take all my guests for delicious cocktails and stunning views of Diamond Head and the tourist-infested beach. While the bar is always crowded, I always somehow find a table closest to the water. Come for the drinks (and view), not the food. Service is good, not great, especially considering it's part of one of Oahu's nicest hotels. Cocktails are about $11-14, typical for beachfront Waikiki.

The Last Cocktail ($14): The Last Cocktail, which is composed of gin, asian pear puree, lemon juice, rosemary infusion, sparkling wine, and clove