Italian intensity is La Cucina's focus

By Nadine Kam

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Aug 08, 2012

~~<p>Honolulu has had a long history of Asian chefs opening Italian restaurants. It started in the 1980s in the kitchen of Castagnola's, where George "Cass" Castagnola trained his staff so well that many became successful restaurateurs themselves — most notably, Thomas Ky of the Assaggio Ristorante Italiano empire.</p>
<p>At about the same time, we welcomed one of our first Italian restaurants hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun, Angelo Pietro.</p>
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<h4>LA CUCINA RISTORANTE ITALIANO</h4>
<a span="" style="color: #0000FF;" href="http://bit.ly/OZkPq1" target="_blank">725 Kapiolani Blvd., C112</a><br />
» <a span="" style="color: #0000FF;" href="tel:808-593-2626">593-2626</a><br />
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<td>Food</td>
<td><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluehalfstar.gif" alt="<img src=" media.staradvertiser.com="" images="" /></td>
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<td>Service</td>
<td><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /></td>
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<td>Ambience</td>
<td><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /></td>
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<td>Value</td>
<td><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluehalfstar.gif" alt="<img src=" media.staradvertiser.com="" images="" /></td>
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Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, and 5:30 to 10 p.m. p.m. Fridays and Saturdays<br />
Cost: $45 to $60 for two without alcohol; BYOB corkage fee is $10 per 750-ml bottle<br />
Ratings compare similar restaurants:<br />
<img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /> - excellent<br />
<img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /> - very good; exceeds expectations<br />
<img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /><img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /> - average<br />
<img alt="*" src="http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/bullet_bluestar.gif" /> - below average.</div>
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Honolulu has had a long history of Asian chefs opening Italian restaurants. It started in the 1980s in the kitchen of Castagnola's, where George "Cass" Castagnola trained his staff so well that many became successful restaurateurs themselves — most notably, Thomas Ky of the Assaggio Ristorante Italiano empire.

At about the same time, we welcomed one of our first Italian restaurants hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun, Angelo Pietro. LA CUCINA RISTORANTE ITALIANO 725 Kapiolani Blvd., C112 » 593-2626 Food Service Ambience Value Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, and 5:30 to 10 p.m. p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Cost: $45 to $60 for two without alcohol; BYOB corkage fee is $10 per 750-ml bottle Ratings compare similar restaurants: - excellent - very good; exceeds expectations - average - below average. Login for more...