Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
On prime-time TV they call it a crossover episode, where characters from one show wander over into another for a storyline that merges the two.
We’re pulling our own crossover with coverage of the new Nico’s Upstairs. Nadine Kam’s “The Weekly Eater” review of the lunch and dinner menu was in Wednesday’s food section, Crave. Here in Play we sample the pau hana experience.
The success of Nico Chaize’s casual seafood restaurants, Nico’s at Pier 38 and Nico’s Kailua, and the ambition of the more upscale Upstairs, prompted our double-barreled approach.
The experience
You could think of the many Nico’s restaurants as crossovers in themselves, with seafood starring in one set and French bistro classics in the newest location.
Upstairs is literally steps above Nico’s at Pier 38, in the space formerly occupied by Harbor Restaurant. It maintains its predecessor’s floor-to-ceiling windows on the water — it’s not a Waikiki postcard view, but a striking view of a harbor at work.
The room itself is big, open and friendly. Pau hana is served from 3 to 5 p.m. daily at the bar and on high-tops surrounding it.
The food
The happy-hour menu comprises a dozen sophisticated selections, from classic escargot ($13) to a very nicely done version of that pupu standard, crab and artichoke dip ($14).
A few offerings are deconstructed versions of lunch or dinner items.
A cheeseburger, for example, comes at lunch with fries or a salad for $18; at happy hour it’s $14 for the burger alone.
Steak frites, $36 to $38 at dinner depending on cut of beef, accompanied by fries, appears at pau hana in a sliced pupu presentation sans fries for $16.
But you may as well order French fries for sharing. They come in a a big cone-shaped basket ($8), dusted with garlic and rosemary, with a delicious truffle aioli on the side. I gave up the top bun on my burger with the idea of replacing those carbs with fries, which I realize is not a sound nutritional approach, but allow me my rationalizations. Those fries are a crisp, truffle-y basket of addiction.
There’s a lot to choose from here, and most of it departs from the usual starchy, fried bar-food choices (ignore what I just said about those fries). The umbrella description would be French, although poke makes an appearance (it is Nico’s) and Tahitian poisson cru.
Our favorites were that cheeseburger, thick, juicy and crisscrossed with mustard-rubbed bacon; a skillet of lemony Greek-style sauteed mushrooms; and steak, both as a classic tartare ($17), lightly flavored with capers and shallots, and the New York steak pupu platter with its vibrant herbal dipping sauce.
The drink
Chaize wanted an elevated cocktail experience Upstairs, offering craft libations with intriguing flavor profiles and quality liquors. Prime architect of the menu is bar manager Jerah Mikami, who trained at Honolulu’s storied cocktail house, Pint + Jigger.
Cocktails are regular price at happy hour, $10 to $12, and there’s a combo to suit just about any predilection, from sweet and creamy (a vodka-based Chotto Matcha) to the slightly bitter (the Iron Lady, vodka, bitters and a clamansi tang).
My favorites were on two ends of the spectrum: the fairly straightforward Monsieur Palmier and the creamy Midnight Mana.
The Monsieur Palmier is just my kinda bourbon drink, solidly boozy but mellowed with tea and limoncello.
Midnight Mana? I ordered it purely out of curiosity, intrigued by the ingredient list of rye, macadamia-nut liqueur, espresso, almond milk, a pour of stout and a whole raw egg. Curiosity paid off. I found the Mana to be a good match for the cheeseburger — imagine a really good burger and a really good milkshake, and there you are.
The Chili Lili Rita is another solid choice, a balanced lilikoi margarita with a chili-pepper edge that’s not at all shy.
The list of beers on tap pay tribute to local brews, with an interisland selection represented. They’re $2 off at happy hour (regular prices $7 to $9). Well drinks are $5.
The verdict
Time it right and you can hold onto your happy-hour seat as you watch the sun soften and the harbor view fade to a twinkly dusk. It’s great.
Order right and you’ll have the makings of a satisfying meal accompanied by a classy drink. Pretty great, too.
Nico’s Upstairs
Pier 38, 1129 N. Nimitz Highway; 550-3740; nicospier38.com/upstairs
Happy hour
3-5 p.m. daily for food; 3-6 p.m. for drinks
>> Cheeseburger, $14
>> New York steak, $16
>> Draft beer, $5-$7
>> Well drinks, $5
83
