New concepts at ‘Alohilani Resort cover basics for locals, guests

Outside the ‘Alohilani Resort at Waikiki Beach it looks like a construction zone, but inside visitors and kamaaina are getting a taste of things to come as, one by one, dining concepts spring to life, ahead of the resort’s grand opening celebration slated for March.

Under new ownership, the former Pacific Beach Hotel has undergone a name change and $115 million facelift. With the changes come growing pains. Refurbishing the old hotel makes perfect sense, but it will take a while for kamaaina to adjust to the name change as the Pacific Beach Hotel was such a familiar landmark. Add to that the loss of the hotel’s Oceanarium restaurant, such a nostalgic destination.

Still in the works are restaurants conceived and helmed by celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto. Morimoto Asia Waikiki, opening Feb. 15, will be the hotel’s signature restaurant, featuring the “Iron Chef’s” Asian fusion specialties. Momosan Waikiki will follow later with more casual fare, such as yakitori, ramen and a variety of small plates for lunch and dinner, along with a beer garden and sake cocktails.

For now, here’s a peek at what you’ll find elsewhere in the hotel:

O BAR

The Oceanarium restaurant is gone, but the floor-to-ceiling saltwater aquarium, long a lure for children and kids at heart, remains home to more than 1,000 protected marine animals. It’s now the centerpiece for ocean-appreciation programming for guests and a laid-back bar offering a range of American craft beers, wine and wine flights, spirits and ocean-themed signature cocktails such as the Kai Ho‘i (Hawaiian for “Ebbing Seas”), with Absolute Elyx vodka, D’Aristi Kalani coconut liqueur, lilikoi puree, muddled strawberries, fresh lime sour, coconut water and toasted coconut salt.

A short but satisfying menu of restaurant-worthy bar specialties includes tasty TFC (taegu fried chicken, $13, served with a taegu sauce), spicy pipikaula croquettes with more potato than beef ($12), and daily tataki (ahi, $16 when I visited), with the flavor of the ocean emanating from its tomato, onion and ogo relish.

The healthful among us will swoon over roasted beet hummus ($12) served with garlic pita, and Hamakua mushroom flatbread with pesto and white truffle vinaigrette ($15).

Kauai’s Makaweli Ranch grass-fed beef is at the heart of heavier entrees such as steak frites with chimichurri sauce ($18), and a half-pound Makaweli burger with cheddar and garlic truffle butter on a brioche bun ($15). A juicy bulgogi burger ($17) achieves a perfect balance and considering all that’s on it, hits all the right notes with a kochujang patty topped with kim chee, fried egg, kalbi pork belly and Mari’s Garden greens. It comes with taegu-sauced fries.

The O Bar is open from 6 to 10:30 a.m. for grab-and-go breakfast and specialty coffee, and from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. for drinks and appetizers. Happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. and 9 to 10 p.m. includes drink specials and a selection of $8 appetizers. There is live music from 7 to 10 p.m. nightly.

LYCHEE

This restaurant serves as a daily breakfast buffet, and weekend buffet and brunch spot.

The buffet looks small because it’s compactly arranged in one corner of the room, instead of being spread out as at other locations. Look closer and you’ll find plenty to eat, starting with fresh fruit, an omelet bar, pastries and such all-American hot-table fare as scrambled eggs, bacon, eggs Benedicts, waffles and breakfast meat from sugar-glazed bacon to chicken-apple sausages.

There’s also a carving station and an ochazuke station for those who prefer a Japanese-style breakfast of okayu (rice porridge), miso soup, natto and more.

Some of the unique offerings include a pastele sausage, egg and cheddar burrito, s’mores French toast and crabcake Benedict with basil hollandaise.

The weekend brunch offers more extravagant options, such as alaea-rubbed prime rib, misoyaki salmon, prosciutto-wrapped opah and steamed snow crab legs. Waiters stroll the room bearing “daily makana,” or “gifts” that might be braised short-rib or kalbi mini loco mocos with fried rice, small bowls of oxtail paitan-style ramen, Kona coffee- rubbed beef tenderloin or harissa-grilled lamb chops.

The breakfast buffet runs from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays, and 6 to 9 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, with weekend brunch following from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The breakfast buffet is $35, $17.50 for ages 5 to 10. Weekend brunch is $55, $27.50 for children. Both are free for keiki 4 and younger. Call 921-6193.

SWELL BAR

A saltwater infinity pool is the backdrop for this pool deck bar offering an ambitious menu.

That said, like every rooftop and open deck restaurant in Waikiki, it is hot, hot, hot out there. Which may be fine for every visitor who has yet to realize how painful pink skin can be, but the locals I know — versed in the power of UV rays to turn lithesome bodies into prunes — want cover, and there isn’t enough here.

What’s more, the “beach boys” who were supposed to help with table umbrellas misplaced the tool to open and close them, and left us standing in the sun for half an hour while they tried to figure things out. Sadly, they lack hospitality training, and though not employed by the hotel, leave a bad first impression. This needs to be sorted out before the grand opening.

Meanwhile, plenty of shade was available under shady cabanas not managed by the hotel. It’s sad when hospitality comes at a rate of $125 for a half-day cabana rental ($250 full day). To avoid getting angry, it’s best to show up just before sundown, when you can sit anywhere without the sun beating down on you.

Here you’ll find beer, wine and signature cocktails different from the O Bar’s, smoothies and frozen libations ($13 each), which are granita versions of Lava Flows, Pina Coladas, Blue Hawaiis and more. For your Instagram feed, you can order these served in a whole pineapple ($30).

The TFC also shows up here, but otherwise the menus don’t overlap much, prepared in separate kitchens.

Sandwich options include club or ahi poke wraps ($14 and $15, respectively), BTA grilled cheese with slab bacon and avocado ($14) and truffled egg salad on Hokkaido milk bread ($13). I enjoyed a Maine lobster roll ($19) with lemon and Kewpie mayo, and duck pastrami pizza with white truffle vinaigrette and chimichurri ($18). There are also pizzas — a Margherita ($17) and meat-lovers coppa salumi ($18) topped with prosciutto, salami and bresaola.

Salads make good use of island produce, such as the Mana ($14) with quinoa, roasted breadfruit, Chinese taro, Okinawa sweet potato, kale and Sumida Farms watercress with acai-blueberry vinaigrette on the side.

A Hawaiian Cobb ($17) was interesting, with lomi ginger tomatoes adding a dash of luau flavor to kalbi bacon, hibachi chicken, soy-marinated boiled egg, namasu and Naked Cow Pika Moon pepper jack cheese layered over Mari’s Garden greens. I liked some of those ingredients more than others, but I didn’t care for the poi dressing, even though I usually like poi with my Hawaiian food. I appreciate the attempt to introduce Hawaiian flavors to visitors, but there wasn’t enough flavor in the salad itself to make the dressing work.

Open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Sunset specials from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.