In the COVID-19 era of broken food supply chains and scarcity, restaurants from high- to low-end and consumers alike have been forced to deal with the rising costs of dining out.
Many are opting to stay home and stay safe, leaving new restaurants scrambling to find novel ways to lure those with a propensity to patronize restaurants. One of these is Pesca Waikiki Beach, which opened in the former Sarento’s site on the glass-walled 30th floor of Ilikai Hotel & Luxury Suites.
Whereas in the past, some restaurants tried to ensure their survival by doubling down with an added post-dinner nightclub concept, such an arrangement is currently taboo. Pesca has gone in another direction to appeal to the bridal set with a small chapel overlooking the ocean, in anticipation of the catering opportunities they are likely to bring. They needed some guarantee because the market for $100-plus fish is untested.
The downside of reserving the best views for bridal parties is that regular restaurant patrons are left with lesser views of high rises.
The restaurant — surprisingly one of very few full-service establishments on Oahu dedicated to seafood — is patterned after Costas Spiliadis’s Greek family of restaurants, Estiatorios Milos. Pesca duplicates a formula that starts with a prominent market-style ice bar showcasing a global array of whole fish and crustaceans sold by the pound.
It can be scary to glance at a menu with several dollar amounts replaced by “MP.” But any questions about the day’s market prices can be settled with a trip to the ice bar, where each seafood item is identified by name and cost per pound. Once purchased, they are prepared in classic and simple Mediterranean styles to accentuate their attributes. Much of it is flown in from the Mediterranean or Japan.
On a recent visit, loup de mer (European bass) was priced at $58 per pound and dorade royale (Mediterranean gilt-head bream) was $53 per pound.
These fish generally weigh 2-3 pounds so a shared whole fish entrée will cost you roughly $120-$180, a shock to the system for most of us accustomed to fillet pricing and more affordable local whole fish. On the one hand, the whole fish will fill you up with little more than a separate order of salad and small steakhouse-style sides, but it feels limiting for someone who enjoys more variety on the plate.
Those here to indulge might start with a custom seafood tower drawing from market price oysters, abalone, king crab, lobsters and uni, among other items.
As easy as it can be to drop a pretty penny here, it is possible to have a wonderful experience and emerge relatively unscathed financially. That means diverting your attention away from the mains and focusing on appetizers, salads and pastas, many offered in proportions suitable as entrées.
While you can get ahi sashimi ($28) or a jumbo shrimp cocktail ($36) anywhere, a couple of appetizer items not to be missed are the grilled octopus ($29) and scallop tartare with langoustine and bottarga ($33). The slow-cooked tako was as tender as could be, with a light char from finishing on a grill, and layered over sweet grilled red onions, thin-sliced fried potatoes, accompanied by a small mesclun salad and a relish of grape tomatoes, capers and basil.
The scallop tartare is accented with minced celery, chives and other veggies that impart flavor and texture, and sits on a bed of avocado. I couldn’t taste the bottarga used sparingly on the dish, but did get the strong essence of the verdant house olive oil used throughout the menu. A pair of langoustines are a decorative touch atop the tartare, and in cooked form might be compared to a drier cross between shrimp and lobster.
Creamy burrata ($26) was also served over a simple salad of halved grape tomatoes, yellow bell peppers and arugula.
Preparations are a little more elaborate than what you might find at the waterfront in Lisbon, where seafood is often grilled in the open air with little more than a touch of olive oil, pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon. I love the simplicity of the Mediterranean style that allows ingredients to shine, but understand it could be underwhelming for those with the local palate for heavy saucing, creams and other fatty, salty add-ons.
Salads here are a delicious way to start. I loved the quinoa salad ($18) with avocado and the crunch of minced bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, celery and housemade ricotta. A roasted beet salad with arugula ($18) had the velvety touch of Sweet Land Farm goat cheese with the textural component of candied macadamia nuts.
Get your seafood fix via garlic sauced spaghetti pescatore ($38) full of clams, shrimp, scallops, squid and crab meat with a dash of chili flakes. I was looking forward to uni pasta ($48), but found it more garlicky than briny when compared to other versions around town, and the pasta when I visited was undercooked, more raw than al dente.
A quartet of meat dishes round out the menu. These are grilled Colorado lamb chops ($52), USDA Prime rib-eye ($52 for 1 pound), USDA Prime filet mignon ($58 for 14 ounces), and wagyu filet mignon ($120 for 7 ounces). After all that came before, the steakhouse-style presentation was underwhelming, the unadorned slabs of meat looking sad on the plate because in steakhouse fashion, you’re supposed to order a few sides, such as sautéed Brussels sprouts ($14), grilled or sautéed mushrooms ($18), broccolini ($14) or wedge fries ($14).
The steakhouse style is in the restaurant’s DNA because one of the owners behind the project is Peter Zwiener, president of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, which his father, Wolfgang Zwiener, opened in 2004. In its opening days, the elder Zwiener has been a constant presence at the restaurant, true to his roots in hospitality as the longtime head waiter at Peter Luger Steak House before setting off on his own. Desserts range from cheesecake to baklava.
Pesca Waikiki Beach
Ilikai Hotel & Luxury Suites,
1777 Ala Moana Blvd. 30th floor, Honolulu
Food: ***½
Service: ***
Ambiance: ***½
Value: ***
Call: 808-777-3100
Hours: 5-10:30 p.m.; Happy Hour 4-6 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays
Prices: About $200 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).
