Merriman’s is coming soon to Ward Village in Kakaako

A dream come true for Peter Merriman also could be a dream come true for many a long-deprived Oahu diner.

The chef and restaurateur will finally bring Merriman’s, his eponymous fine-dining restaurant, to Ward Village in Hono­lulu.

"I have wanted to bring Merriman’s to Oahu for decades but never found a location I was comfortable with," Merriman told TheBuzz.

It will open on the ground floor of the Anaha condominium upon completion of the mixed-use residential tower in June 2017. Anaha is at 1108 Auahi St., near Kama­kee Street, and the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner.

The more than 6,000-square-foot restaurant will seat around 200 diners and will be a showcase for Merriman’s, purveyors of island-farmed beef, lamb, sustainably caught seafood, freshly picked produce and more.

"I think Ward Village is really an exciting thing … and that Howard Hughes Corp. is a first-class developer. To me, from what I can see, they’ve really paid attention to the culture and the place," he said.

With the exception of Wai­mea on Hawaii island, home to his flagship restaurant, Merriman’s restaurants are primarily in resort areas, so "it’s really exciting for me personally to do an urban restaurant," he said.

Serving Merriman’s customers in a city environment will be "just fantastic," he said. "I think the quality of dining in Hono­lulu keeps getting better every year, and to be part of that whole scene" has the already energetic chef even more stoked.

He sees Honolulu’s dining scene as "getting closer to San Francisco and New York all the time."

Officials at landowner Howard Hughes Corp. are "delighted to welcome Merriman’s to Ward Village," said Katie Ka‘a­napu, director of community and retail marketing, in a statement. "Merriman’s will introduce new and exciting dining offerings to Ward Village … for our shoppers, visitors and residents."

The flagship Merriman’s in Wai­mea has a long history of winning awards and accolades from travel and food publications. Merriman is a founding member of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement known for promoting restaurant use of locally grown ingredients to reflect Hawaii’s ethnic diversity on the plate. He has since opened Merriman’s Kapa­lua, at the Kapa­lua Resort; Merriman’s Fish House in Poipu, Kauai; and Merriman’s Gourmet Pizza & Burgers, also in Poipu.

Merriman’s Anaha "will have our fare, which is very similar to Merriman’s Kapa­lua and Merriman’s Wai­mea," the chef told TheBuzz.

"We expect it’ll have a neighborhood place feel to it," given all the nearby residential development, the chef said modestly.

It can’t only be your columnist who perceives Merriman’s as a destination restaurant for special occasions, more than a neighborhood joint, right?

"I think it can be both," he said.

Obviously, customers seated at the tables will have the full menu from which to choose, but "if you want to grab a bite to eat and get out," Merriman’s will offer a bistro menu at the bar, he said.

Merriman’s restaurant concepts also include less formal experiences including Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman. It maintains the chef’s farm-to-fork philosophy at its locations in Wai­lea, Maui, and Oahu’s Ko Olina Resort. The Monkeypod concept is operated by Merriman’s partnership with Bill Terry, called Handcrafted Restaurants LLC, which also operates Jimmy Buffett’s at the Beachcomber, in Wai­kiki. That agreement will come to an end in March, Merriman said. After that, Maui Brewing Co. will open a new concept in the space with Terry participating as an investor.

Merriman and Terry next will open Moku Handcrafted Hawaiian Cuisine in Kaka­ako, possibly in March, if the timetable proceeds as planned, he said.

Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.