JAZZ MINDS
Jazz Minds, a longtime jazz venue near the Hawai‘i Convention Center, has undergone a renovation, and with it has come a renewed appeal.
Formerly a divey little spot known as Jazz Minds Art & Cafe, the venue was purchased last summer by a group of local and Japanese jazz lovers who hope to combine their love of jazz and sushi into an authentic nightclub experience. Rechristened as Jazz Minds Honolulu, the venue has been slowly building its brand with some intriguing performances. It offers happy-hour specials 6 to 8 p.m. daily.
Chef Ray Howard’s sushi is excellent. Howard was trained in Japan, and the attention to detail that one might expect from such experience showed in our Maguro Hamachi Zuke Sushi donburi orders ($18, $20 outside of happy hour). Aside from the obvious freshness of the fish, Howard cut the fish into flower-shaped delicacies. Happy-hour offerings include several $18 donburi options.
On the happy-hour pupu menu, the revelation was a plate of ahi nachos ($9, normally $15), made with crunchy won ton skins. It had just the right balance of salt, sweet, spice and ahi flavor, along with a variety of textures.
Happy-hour drinks include house wines for $6 and Budweiser on tap for $3. Jazz Minds also offers Japanese liqueurs and sake, each brand rated for sweetness and dryness. It’s a nice touch and very helpful when considering what will go with the sushi. — Steven Mark, April 13
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1661 Kapiolani Blvd.; 945-0800; jazzhonolulu.com
REAL A GASTROPUB
Over the past few years, Honolulu has become a city of good beer, with many options for sampling brews from around the world. As you ponder where to get your next pour, don’t forget Real a Gastropub: This casual joint is a good place to grab a bite, and it’s committed to presenting an international variety of brews.
Pau hana is 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with rotating specials, discounts of $1 or $2 on certain craft beers and beer cocktails at $6. There’s also a late-night happy hour, 11 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Inside, it’s functional, with a long bar and a darkened room full of small tables. The decor is distinguished by a wall-size chalkboard listing beers offered that day.
The food should appeal to most, with fresh salads, fried pub fare and specialty dishes available. I tried the Buffalo Fried Deviled Eggs ($7), stuffed with blue cheese, spicy sauce and celery. These were fun to pop in my mouth, with the spicy and creamy flavors in good balance. Great with beer.
Food isn’t discounted at happy hour, but plenty of items on the menu can be shared. I went for the Porter BBQ Smoked Braised Pork Sliders ($8), embellished with slaw and pickle. This, too, was good bar food, easy to eat with your hands, with a good balance of crunch.
Servers are friendly and knowledgeable, and can describe the beers if you have questions or want to put a sampler together. And speaking of samplers, that’s a good way to try out different beers, especially the heady styles with a high alcohol percentage, without getting too soused. — Elizabeth Kieszkowski, April 1
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Marukai Marketplace, 1020 Auahi St.; 596-2526; realgastropub.com
RESTAURANT EPIC
Epic, with its orange-lettered sign and unassuming dinerlike exterior, occupies the corner of Nuuanu Avenue and Pauahi Street in the belly of Chinatown. It’s welcoming and low-key, with a warm-hued, Italianate interior, complete with gleaming gold pillars.
On our visit, the happy-hour menu offered a blend of Mediterranean, contemporary American, Hawaiian, Japanese and Korean tastes. The fare looks and tastes bright and fresh. Nine dishes priced at $7 and under were accompanied by daily pupu specials at $7 to $10.
We were impressed by the short-rib sliders and the fish tacos, each $6 for two good-size pieces that we divided among the four of us with a sharp knife. The fish tacos had been updated with Cajun-style, dry-rubbed pieces of grilled ahi. Other fried dishes could be somewhat oily, though each had its defender.
Cocktail specials are available, with a happy hour (revised since our visit) offering drinks and special menu items, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Wines available included a clean-tasting Coastal Ridge Chardonnay. Beers include Alley Cat ale, Peroni lager and Deschutes porter.
We relaxed and got comfortable in a spacious nook, reminded that the purpose of pau hana is to enjoy the view of each other. — Mindy Pennybacker, Sept. 19
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1131 Nuuanu Ave.; 587-7877; opentable.com
WANG CHUNG’S
Enter the ground-floor lobby of Stay Hotel and look for the glass etching of the happy Otafuku face in the window. You’ll escape to a colorful, happy place and an expanded Wang Chung’s, with paper lanterns lit by neon lights over the bar, and friendly bartenders who can belt out karaoke songs (free during happy hour with a purchase).
The menu created by chef Randy Sanchez (aka Mexican Randy) is a fusion of Asian- and Mexican-inspired pupu. It’s pretty much all fried, some of it spicy. The Taiwanese-style popcorn chicken ($6, regularly $9) is dusted with Chinese five-spice and white pepper, served with fried basil and lemon — simple and filling, great with beer.
The F.O.B. ($6, regularly $8) is to die for — Chinese spareribs with cilantro, sesame and scallions in bao buns. Chili won tons ($6, regularly $8) are among the few unfried items — a bowl of Sichuan pork won tons in red chili oil. Comfort food at its finest.
And whether you’re single, married, separated, taken or untaken, you need a Boifrien’: a refreshing combination of oolong tea vodka, elderflower liquor, lime sour and lemon-lime soda ($6 happy hour, $8 regular). Wang Chung’s has unique, artisan “drinkie drinkies” and its own lychee vodka.
Happy hour is 5 to 8 p.m. daily, with $5 well drinks and $6 pupu on weekdays. — Nina Wu, Oct. 9, 2015
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Stay Hotel, 2424 Koa Ave.; 921-9176; wangchungs.com
YAKINIKU YOSHI
Yakiniku Yoshi hits the spot in so many ways: It’s an attractively designed restaurant with a mellow vibe, good service and excellent food.
From the time you pull into the parking lot, you feel the draw. The wall by the parking spaces has been painted with a colorful geometric pattern. It’s an immediate pick-me-up and telegraphs the enlivening experience you’re about to have.
Inside, the restaurant is spotless and quiet, but not uptight. The decor is functional and stylish, with wooden chairs and accents of brick and steel. The grill, a smokeless infrared design, produces little heat at the table. Overall, the interior is comfortable and up-to-date.
The happy-hour set menu, $32 and served 5 to 6 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m. daily, includes a well-dressed, tangy salad, rice, two 2-ounce servings of pork loin and pork belly, and three 2-ounce cuts of prime beef, including well-marbled, U.S. Kobe-style beef cut as kalbi. With an additional side order, one set can easily satisfy two, as the meat is rich and tasty.
If affordable dining is your pau hana goal, this certainly qualifies, and allows for a taste of the fine dining offered here. — Elizabeth Kieszkowski, Feb. 19
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1316 Young St.; 784-0067
These locations were originally rounded up in the 2016-2017 Star-Advertiser ‘Ilima Awards Guide to Oahu’s Top Restaurants. Details may change; call restaurants for updates.
