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According to my spies out in Mililani, save for Mililani Restaurant, there’s a dearth of local food in the neighborhood that is mostly home to mainland chain restaurants. The Clubhouse Mililani, which opened in fall, offers residents another reason to stay close to home rather than take to the road.
A golf course is not the first place most of us would look for food but when La Birria partners Justin Mizufuka and Arturo Silva took over the space that was formerly home to Alonzo’s, they aimed to make it a destination, starting with food they grew up with and love, with a particular focus on golfers who might want to end a hot day on the links after 2 p.m. with sashimi, chilled raw platters and sushi. They enlisted chef Lance Morishima to complete their vision.
Each has his strengths, from Morishima’s experience with Japanese cuisine, to Mizufuka’s ability to tap into the local zeitgeist and desire to recapture the joy of foods he grew up with on Maui, and Silva’s finesse with Mexican cuisine that breathes life into the restaurant’s weekly Taco Tuesday events. Taco Tuesday takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. on the driving range, combining $3 street-style chicken tinga or al pastor tacos with drink specials.
Back at the restaurant, the setting is casual, with cafeteria-style seating indoors and lanai-style tables outdoors with a view of the greens. It can get breezy out there, but I find outdoor dining more pleasant.
A look at the menu via QR code brings refreshing libations to the forefront, from draft beers, pitchers and wines to signature cocktails such as a Clubhouse Mule ($13) and The Par Five ($14) blend of Kuleana Hui Hui white rum, Kuleana Nanea aged rum, mezcal, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, agave syrup, guava purée, and fresh lemon and lime juice.
In the morning, a handful of breakfast classics await, from smashed avocado toast ($14) to buttermilk pancakes ($9) with the option of adding matcha cream sauce for $6 more, to a three-egg meat lover’s omelet ($12) filled with Spam and Portuguese sausage, cheese and onions. There’s also a natto-cheese omelet ($13) for those so inclined.
Lunch and dinner are full of local favorites and the menus are essentially the same, though if it’s raw bar specialties you’re craving, the fresh seafood and sushi offerings are only available after 2 p.m. That’s when you can start piecing together your own picturesque platter from such ingredients as ahi ($17) and hamachi ($16) carpaccio, ahi poke ($18), oysters ($25 for six pieces) and cocktail shrimp ($18 for six pieces). Or build a sashimi platter from nine types of seafood, including maguro ($17), amaebi ($17), or market price uni, chutoro or otoro.
If you arrive too early for this seafood fest you will still find a seafood salad ($18) on the menu, which allows you to get your daily greens tossed with plenty of cubed maguro, salmon and hamachi in a soy-based dressing and layered with thin sliced avocado.
Among popular starters are the tater tot nachos ($18) drizzled with cheese and sour cream ranch sauces, with bacon, green onions, cilantro and jalapeños, topped off with a scoop of lime-infused guacamole.
You can opt for saimin ($10) or dry mein ($18) served like Maui’s Sam Sato’s style, with broth served on the side so you can enjoy it wet and/or dry. Sliced teriyaki beef on top captures the meat stick tradition while eliminating the skewer, making it one step closer to being in your mouth.
Korean fried chicken ($18) is made with a Japanese twist, sweetened with such ingredients as mirin and sake, and spiced with shichimi. I also enjoyed the restaurant’s 10-ounce grilled rib-eye steak ($37) topped with a delicious relish of mild kizami wasabi and spicy yuzukosho.
Lechon kawali was a favorite of the golf club’s former Alonzo’s restaurant and the restaurant keeps its spirit alive with crispy pork belly ($32) served with a Chamorro finadene sauce.
With its variety and casual, local comfort cuisine, the restaurant makes a great addition to the Mililani community.
The Clubhouse Mililani
Mililani Golf Club,
95-176 Kuahelani Ave., Mililani
Food: ***½
Service:****
Ambiance: **½
Value:***½
Hours: Breakfast 8-10:30 a.m., lunch 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., and dinner 2-8 p.m. daily
Prices: Lunch about $40-$60 for two; dinner about $60-$80 for two, without alcohol
Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).
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