Aina Steak & Seafood just opened on Lewers Street. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner (8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.-midnight).
Of course, the steaks are the stars of the dinner menu. Choose from options like prime toma hawk, prime porterhouse, pork tomahawk and more. These steaks are unique in that they are not seasoned while cooking. Rather, guests are able to use a variety of salts — ranging from yuzu salt to red wine rosemary salt — to flavor the meat once it’s brought tableside.
Popular seafood dishes include uni (imported from Santa Barbara) and the oyster platter. Highlights from the breakfast and lunch menus include filet Benedict, mochi waffles and a lobster sandwich.
Call 808-922-4872 or visit ainasteakseafood.com.
Authentic Mexican fare
You can now find authentic Mexican food in Waikiki. Buho Cocina y Cantina recently revamped its menu and changed it from Tex Mex to authentic Mexican cuisine. The menu now has more appetizers at lower prices.
Be sure to try the fresh guacamole (it’s hand-mixed tableside and served with house-made chips), chorizo queso fundido, fish tacos with fried beer-battered mahi, chicken enchiladas, dry burrito, half a pound carnitas plate and shrimp ceviche tostadas.
Buho is currently offering presale tickets for its 2024 New Year’s Eve party. Tickets include access to a pupu buffet (from 9:30 p.m. to midnight) and a glass of Chandon sparkling wine.
Visit buhocantina.com.
Sweet victory
Hawaii was chosen as the location for Binggrae Melona’s — a prominent Korean ice cream brand — first-ever Melona dessert competition. Melona first introduced its popular ice cream bars to the islands in 1995, making it the perfect place to hold its prestigious event, dubbed the Aloha Melona Dessert Competition.
The contest celebrates culinary creativity and skillfulness and had more than 100 submissions entered. It all came down to three finalists — Donovan Riopta, Angeline Stone and Rick Komori — who showcased their talent in concocting unique dishes using Honeydew Melona ice cream bars.
The final competition took place Dec. 9 at Kapiolani Community College, where each finalist presented their creation to guests and a judge panel, which included John John Richards and chef Grant Sato from KCC, and Kevin Yim from Zippy’s.
In the end, Riopta won the event with his decadent dish, Honeydew Melona panna cotta, which earned him a $10,000 prize.
Follow @enjoymelona on Instagram.
O-‘fish’-ally open
The Blue Fish, a Texas-based company known for its high-quality Japanese cuisine, recently opened at Waikiki Beach Walk. It currently offers daily dinner service and happy hour featuring special deals on rolls, appetizers and drinks. A lunch service will be added in the coming months.
The 5,400-square-foot location boasts comfortable dining spaces for small and large groups to enjoy with more than 200 seats with both its indoor and patio seating.
It also features a bar and lounge area and sushi counter.
“Our customers love the wide variety of rolls we offer, as well as our delicious Japanese and Korean dishes,” states senior vice president Julie Osborn. “We also have a full bar with a wide selection of craft cocktails, sake and an extensive wine list. Our vision is to provide an unparalleled culinary experience to the people of Hawaii, combining tradition and innovation.”
The Blue Fish is open 4-10 p.m. daily. Visit thebluefishsushi.com.
