Plumeria Beach House

Best for: Beachside Brunch Buffet, Happy Hour, View
Location: The Kahala Hotel

Only $32 for a brunch buffet literally steps away from the beach

If I could only go to one restaurant before I die, I would choose the Plumeria Beach House - not necessarily because it's the best restaurant I've been to (although, it's pretty damn good), but because I have so many memories here. I practically grew up at the Kahala Hotel, as I am within walking distance and have celebrated many special occasions throughout my life at this restaurant, e.g. my high school graduation party, various Mother's and Father's Days, ballet and piano recital celebrations.

Whenever I have guests in town, I always take them here for brunch. This is the place that initiated my love for the three B's: Beachside Brunch Buffets. Of all the beachside restaurants I've been to in Hawaii, Plumeria offers the best view - unobstructed views of Portlock on the left (and sometimes other islands on clear days) and Kahala on the right.

live Hawaiian music

grilled Kahuku corn

The brunch buffet is my favorite meal here, and I usually have this about once a month. There is an omelette station at which you order customized egg dishes, bruschetta bar, miso soup station, fruit station, cereal station... so many stations! One of my favorite brunch dishes here is the thinly-rolled pancakes soaked in melted maple butter that oozes out with every bite.

Their famous pancakes - thin, rolled up, and soaked in maple butter.

gorgeous views, any time of the day

The brunch buffet is slightly over $30, which is an amazing deal for what you get. Service could use some work, but I guess I shouldn't expect much for a buffet. Service is much better later in the day, when it's less crowded.

This is obviously not my plate

they now have a bruschetta bar!

I just recently tried Plumeria's new happy hour, and it was lovely. Live Hawaiian music can be annoyingly touristy, but since it's in Kahala not Waikiki, the singing trio somehow seemed less cheesy. Cocktails are $8 and pupus are about $6-8. What a bargain! And these aren't the cheap cocktails usually available during happy hour. I ordered a Plumeria sparkling sangria, which is Chandon sparkling, grand marnier, dekuyper amaretto, orange and pineapple juice. Jae ordered a Boston sour, made of Makers Mark bourbon, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, and angostura bitters. We shared two dishes, calamari and hummus. Nothing really interesting, but both tasted great. I will try the more interesting dishes next time I go.

$8 happy hour Plumeria sparkling sangria

$6-8 happy hour calamari and hummus

A couple of weeks ago, Mizuki and I had dinner at Plumeria. Secluded and beachfront, this is the perfect place for a romantic evening. Unlike the hustle-and-bustle at brunch, dinner time is more relaxed, and service is much better. We came on a Wednesday night, so I'm pretty sure the other three occupied tables were all guests at the Kahala Hotel.

 Not sure why the sky looks so purple...

Mizuki felt like celebrating (she can always find an excuse for celebration), so we started with a bottle of prosecco. I ordered the rosemary and Hawaiian salt roasted half chicken. You can't go too wrong with roast chicken and mashed potatoes, but this one was exceptionally tender and full of wonderful rosemary flavor. Mizuki had the Crab and Clam Boil ($34), of course, which came with butter poached Hawaiian white crab, king crab, clams, black mussels, sweet prawns, fesh catch fish, corn, and potatoes.

Tomato cheese soup ($10)

Rosemary and Hawaiian salt roasted half chicken with mashed potatoes ($28)

We both ended our meals with a latte, which, much to my delight, came with Kahala's signature sugar stick, which releases the perfect amount of sugar into the coffee drink.

Latte ($6.50)

I've been here for dessert a few times as well. They have about ten desserts, all delicious but none are very interesting. If you want more innovative desserts, go to Morimoto instead. Plumeria's dessert cocktails are great and about $12 each. My favorites are the Perfect Night (coffee, frangelico, Baileys and amaretto) and Keoki (coffee, Kahlua, brandy, and dark crème de cacao). What a perfect way to end the night.

Waialua chocolate mousse cake: light, creamy mousse made from cacao grown on Oahu's north shore, $10

JJ Dolan's

Best for: Pizza
Location: Chinatown
Foodgasmic dish: Scampi pie

Scampi pie and the Deli Meat Special

I desperately need to go back to JJ Dolan's -- not just because it easily has the best pizza in Hawaii, but because my photos of my meal there are tragic. Fortunately, Anthony constantly craves pizza, so I don't think a return trip will be too much of a request.

We shared the Scampi Pie ($18.50), which was loaded with bay shrimp, mushrooms and scampi sauce, for $18.50. Now that is what a crust should taste like!

Meatballs, pepperoncini, Portuguese sausage, and garlic ($19)

Maile's Thai Bistro

Best for: Thai
Location: Hawaii Kai

I don't know why he looks so confused either...

The first time I came to Maile's was with my parents and family friend Pathana, who was treating us to dinner because her sister owns the restaurant. While my parents were initially a bit disappointed because they thought the food was a watered-down version of what they knew Pathana could cook, they couldn't help but agree that it was good Thai food that would please the typical Hawaii diner. Not everyone wants to leave in a pool of sweat after eating a meal.

A few weeks ago, Anthony and I had just finished hiking Mariner's Ridge. Well, I call it a hike; Anthony considers it more of a stroll. However, we both agreed that we were hungry and spent the long walk back into town discussing desserts and brainstorming where we could eat for lunch. I immediately brought up Maile's, as I hadn't eaten there since my first dinner with my family, and Thai food is always a good choice after a work out (or maybe I just made that up...).

We walked in, feeling a little under-dressed, which I never am. Luckily, it was lunch time, so I don't think we offended too many people. I ordered the pad thai and iced coffee; Anthony ordered the loco moco. Pad thai and loco moco... since when did our tastes become so uncultured?? Try not to judge us -- sometimes we just crave the cliché.

pad thai ($12.90)

The pad thai was delicious and came with the ground peanuts on the side, while the bean sprouts and shredded carrots were nicely laid on top. This place was made for picky eaters! Anthony's loco moco was barely a loco moco, which is a good thing. Instead of a hamburger beef patty, it was served with minced pork stir-fried in a sizzling wok with sweet basil, bell peppers, and onions. In other words, the only reason it could be considered a loco moco at all is due to the rice and over easy egg.

loco moco, or "Pad Kapau" ($13.90)

Maile's may not be as traumatizingly delicious as the food Pathana serves at home, but we were completely satisfied with our lunch. Besides, why would we want to sweat from our meal after we'd just come from a hike?

Il Lupino

Best for: Italian, Happy hour

Location: Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center

I tend to stay away from Italian restaurants for three reasons: 1) pasta dishes are easy enough to make; 2) my standards for pizza seem to be getting lower and lower (I've obviously been away from New York for too long...), so now I can easily fulfill my pizza cravings at any American restaurant or frozen aisle section at the grocery store; and 3) I refuse to believe that we have enough Italians in Hawaii to have authentic Italian food.




However,  I was thrilled when Il Lupino was the selected venue for our double date with Jon and Sarah because I'd read good reviews and always pass it after work before heading home. We went for happy hour, which is available from 3:00-6:30 every day. Il Lupino is located on the ground floor of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, with an outside patio that faces the gardens between the shopping center and the hotel. When we noticed that all the happy hour items were $5, we eagerly decided to order one of everything.

The bread was the perfect texture, just chewy enough. I had a bellini and a glass of house red later. Both were delicious. Bellinis really are the perfect drink for sitting outside during the day. We shared about 5 dishes:

1. Salumeria plate: proscuitto de parma (dry-cured ham from Parma), speck (dry-cured and smoked proscuitto from Alto Adige), Molinari spicy salami, and three different cheeses.
2. Polpettone al Pomodoro: veal, pork and beef meatball served over a bed of pomodoro sauce and parmesan
3. Melanzane e Zucchini Soufflé: eggplant and zucchini soufflé with parmesan and mascarpone
4. Trio di Bruschette: three selections of bruschetta, served with spinach
5. Margherita: pizza made with vine-ripened pomodoro sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil. The crust was good, but the pizza itself was just margherita; luckily Anthony knew to add toppings from our bruschetta to add some flavor to the pizza.

The red wine (just the house, I believe) was so good that three of us ordered it, some of us more multiple glasses. For dessert we shared the panna cotta. Not as good as town's, which is smoother and not too rich, but panna cotta is panna cotta.



The salumeria plate ended up being $25 instead of $5 (our fault for not reading the menu carefully) but was still worth it, as this dish was easily the best one and worth the twenty extra bucks. The other dishes were less memorable but all tasty. Il Lupino has been added to my list of happy hours, due to its gorgeous location in the courtyard facing one of my favorite hotels, [mostly] $5 menu of perfectly-sized Italian food items, and happy memories (in the end, isn't that really what determines a good restaurant?)

sangria, bellini, and a ginger martini

Nobu

Best for: Modern Japanese, Drinks, Dessert
Location: Waikiki Parc Hotel
Foodgasmic dish: Dolce mascarpone, Black cod saikyo miso, Wagyu beef & foie gras gyoza, Salmon skin salad

Cocktails are about $14, assorted sushi rolls about $7 each

The first time I came to Nobu was in January. Mizuki and I sat at the bar, ordered like crazy, and had a wonderful time. Two cocktails each, a few appetizers to share, and lots and lots of sushi. If Morimoto Waikiki can be described as "heaven," Nobu can be described as "hell" ... not [necessarily] because Nobu is a place for sinners, but because the decor is dark and red, unlike Morimoto's bright white walls and large windows.

Wagyu Beef and Foie Gras Gyoza ($10): one of my favorites

Crispy Duck Harumaki ($9)

Nobu's salmon skin salad ($17) is amazing, and very rarely do I remember salad. After stuffing ourselves silly, Mizuki and I ordered dessert, and this is when I had the best dessert ever. I am a dessert freak, so when I say "best," you should really be impressed. As many of you know, I don't eat fruit - unless it is in alcoholic form. Mizuki, who very considerately decided to ignore my fruit-phobia, ordered a dessert for me: Dolce Mascarpone (creme de mascarpone, fresh passion fruit puree, almond and olive oil crumble with honey caviar) paired with Dolce Wine. Foodgasm!! Thanks to her, I learned something: if there's any place that will get me to eat fruit, it will be a fancy Japanese restaurant. Figures. Everything was perfect, and the dolce wine just made it even better. Almost a year later, I still fantasize about this dish.

Black cod butter lettuce cups ($8). This was one of my favorite dishes, but maybe that's just because I love all things black cod.

BEST DESSERT EVER ($22): Dolce Mascarpone (creme de mascarpone, fresh passion fruit puree, almond and olive oil crumble with honey caviar) paired with Dolce Wine

The next time I came to Nobu, I brought a group of people for happy hour. Bad idea. This is not like other happy hour places, at which one can share two or three dishes and a cocktail for bargain prices and feel satisfied. Three happy hour dishes at Nobu won't cut it. The four of us left hungry and feeling ripped-off.

Seafood puffs ($9)... nothing special

Spicy tuna with crispy rice ($10). An interesting but okay dish. The tuna wasn't very spicy, and the crispy rice just tasted like tater tots. It was a fun dish to eat though.

The third time I came to Nobu, Jae and I shared four dishes, two glasses of wine, and a dessert. Although this experience was more enjoyable than the last time, I almost cried when I found out that they no longer serve my Dolce Mascarpone dessert. I had come specifically for that! I rancorously ordered the chocolate cremoso and made sure to order the happy hour size to save a few bucks. Another bad decision, because the happy hour size was insanely tiny and lacked some of the ingredients found in the regular portion.

Assorted rolls for $14

Chocolate "cremoso" ($8)

The lesson to be learned is: don't come to Nobu on a budget. If you do, you'll be miserable. In other words, if your budget is less than $60 for yourself, don't bother coming here.

...Unless, of course, you're coming just for dessert. Anthony and I were in the middle of dinner at CPK yesterday (twice in one week! That's what happens when town is closed for eight days) when I demanded dessert. Ideally, not at CPK. I hadn't been to Nobu in over two months, so I figured it was about time to return. It happened to be the week of APEC, so I called Nobu first to make sure the Waikiki Parc Hotel was even open to the public. Fortunately, it was. And even better - valet was still available as well (this is the real reason why I only dine at fancy restaurants in Waikiki).

We sat in the lounge and ordered the Bento Box, a Dolce wine for me, and a gin & tonic for Anthony. The Bento Box consists of a flourless chocolate cake, goma tuile, and a scoop of green tea ice cream. The chocolate cake was amazing - the epitome of a molten cake. Even Anthony, who is not a huge fan of chocolate, couldn't help but appreciate the quality of chocolate used. I will no longer be able to enjoy molten cakes anywhere else. Thanks, Nobu. We learned that goma tuile is a thin, crispy sesame wafer whose texture provided a perfect contrast to the softness of the molten cake. The ice cream was light and refreshing, with just the right amount of green tea flavor. I'll take green tea over vanilla and whipped cream any day!

Bento Box, $13

I ordered the Dolce wine because I remembered that it had been paired with my Favorite Dessert Ever (the dolce mascarpone) back in January. The wine still tasted like honey goodness, but it definitely paired better with the mascarpone. Oh well. Some things in life will just have to remain perfect memories.

Dolce wine, $18

 

A few days ago, Michael and I tried Nobu's new lunch menu, which is available until mid-January. This was my first time sitting in the actual restaurant; for some reason, I had always opted to dine in the lounge before this day. As I had been warned, the restaurant is somewhat underwhelming, especially after being accustomed to the hanging white coral and sleek glass tables at Morimoto.

I ordered the lunch bento box, which came with assorted sashimi (salmon, tuna, and hamachi), black cod saikyo miso, rock shrimp tempura, and miso soup and rice. Oh my goodness, no wonder black cod miso is Nobu's signature dish. I've had some pretty good black cod, but none have been as tasty or melt-in-your-mouth as this one. Eating Nobu's black cod is an experience almost as life-altering as eating his Dolce mascarpone. Almost. I still haven't fully recovered from the loss of that dessert.

lunch bento box ($30)

Michael ordered the squid pasta, which led our waiter to immediately warn him was that it was not a real pasta. Fine with Michael; we're at a Japanese restaurant, not Italian. I'm guessing the dish is called "squid pasta" because the squid looks like little pasta maruzelle, scooped over some rice. Michael was satisfied.

squid pasta ($24)

So, the real question: has Nobu's lunch menu defeated Morimoto's? My lunch bento box did taste better than the lunch box I usually order at Morimoto's (although, presentation was somewhat lacking), and the service was better. However, the decor at Morimoto's can't be beat, and I should [and will gladly] return to Nobu for lunch at least once more and try something else besides the black cod before I make such an inevitably contentious claim.