Orchids – 2199 Kalia Rd (Halekulani Hotel) Honolulu, (808) 923-2311
Located in an open space within the Halekulani Hotel, towards the back (with ocean views). The tables are set apart allowing private conversation in a very tropical yet upscale environment. Everything is crisp white with views of Diamond Head. We were immediately greeted by last name and sat as if they had nothing to do that evening but serve us. We received a pumpkin cream cheese spread with bread flats and rolls as soon as we ordered. Orchids offers a 4 course chef selection; salad, soup of the day, a choice of filet mignon or onaga and a dessert. The cost of the chef selection is $53.00. This is a great value considering the quality and service. The salad included avocado, tomatoes and a tarragon vinaigrette – simple and fresh. The soup of the day was spinach and crab consume. Both very delicious. For dinner I chose the Onaga which is a local fish that is line-caught. It is Orchid’s signature dish and has been so for the last 20 years. It was served over a mix of Asian greens with a ginger sauce and white rice. SO delicious. Choice of dessert for the chef selection included; coconut cake, Tahitian crème brûlée, frozen nugget, goat cheese cake and sorbets.
The meal also included coffee or tea–it’s like they are giving the gourmet food away. The coconut cake is truly like nothing I have ever tasted before. Fluffy yet filling, sweet but not over-kill, just absolutely positively delicious.. and of course their specialty dessert. We actually debated going back for dinner a second night because the dam cake was so good. The regular menu offered such appetizer options as; oysters, crab cakes and kahlua pork with foie gras. Some entrée options were; veal, chicken, surf and turf, lobster of the day and scallops. My husband chose the kahlua pork (of course) and the rack of lamb. They call the lamb a "chop" but it was a rack. For $36 the entrée was served with red bliss potatoes, asparagus and butternut squash all in a merlot reduction sauce. He was quite happy.
The Kahlua pork was served almost like a dumpling with pieces of foie gras on the sides of the plate. Really good. They had an extensive wine, coffee and tea list. The service was top notch and we were spoken to all evening with "Mr./Mrs…" . Our total bill was $121 and that included two appetizers, one soup, two entrees, one dessert, one bottle of Fiji water, and one glass of wine. All well worth the price as this was a memorable meal. Overall the menu is focused on fresh seafood – but you are in Hawaii so did you expect differently? Reservations required dressy-casual attire. Accepts all major credit cards. Open daily for breakfast and lunch; Sunday brunch is supposedly quite a treat here. Very Highly Recommended
Alan Wong’s Restaurant - 1857 S. King St., third floor, Oahu.
(808)949-2526 or www.alanwongs.com
Serving regional Hawaiian cuisine, this is a place you’d never find unless you were looking for it. Located on the 3rd floor of an office building with virtually no outdoor signs. This restaurant is popular with the locals and tourists (deservedly so) and it’s not uncommon for lines to form for the elevator. With a loud crowd and an open kitchen, this place does not disappoint. For appetizers we had two salads. The arugula salad was served with goat cheese, tomatoes, marinated beets and a balsamic vinegar paste dressing. The Caesar was Maui romaine lettuce displayed in a Parmesan cheese shell and it had shredded pork as decoration on the sides of the plate. Both were pretty basic but very good. Other options that night was; sushi, duck nachos and foie gras. Prices for appetizers ranged from $11 to $20.
For dinner we had the veggie layer cake and the NY strip steak. The layer cake was layers of grilled vegetables; zucchini, eggplant, Maui onions and tomato with a goat cheese and lemongrass dressing. Hard to imagine, even harder to explain but the presentation alone was exquisite and it was a perfect choice for a vegetarian (which I am ironically not). The NY strip was a special that night and was served with Parmesan-mashed potatoes. The cut was huge and the steak was cooked exactly how we asked. Other entrees were; onaga (which is a Hawaiian fish that is "line caught"), seafood paella, short ribs and mahi-mahi. Entrees were priced between $25 and $40. They offer 17 coffees; all 100% single estate and all served french press.
Each coffee is listed with a vintage and are from the Hawaiian Islands only. The dessert menu was almost as extensive with 10 choices. Items like kona coffee cheesecake, the banana split and the five spoon crème brûlée sampler only give you an idea of the decadence. We chose the "Wong Way Banana Split Ice Cream Cone" which was not your mama’s banana split I can tell you that for sure. It was a fancy (homemade cone) filled with 3 scoops of (homemade) ice cream, fresh fruit, hot chocolate, macadamia nuts and fresh whip cream. It was as delicious as it was beautiful. I had to take a picture just to prove my point–see below. Desserts ranged from $7 to 10.50 each and coffee ran from $5 to $7. There is a five and seven course Chef’s tasting menu which is available every evening. They price was $65 and $85 respectively and the menu changes every day. The service was excellent and our waiter even had his own business card. That was a first for me. Valet is $3 and it was a 5-minute drive from Waikiki beach. Dressy casual attire, reservations required. All major credit cards accepted. The menu changes often so it’s better if you are not a picky eater. Highly Recommended. Please Mr. Wong open a restaurant in NYC!