There aren’t enough meals in a day, or days in a week, to dine at all the places participating in this year’s Restaurant Week Hawaii celebration, Nov. 14-20.
Whether your tastes run from Mickey D’s and conveyor-belt sushi to cloth napkins and candlelight, this is your chance to visit fine restaurants without busting your budget, explore the newbies or enjoy great deals at old favorites. The 80-plus participating restaurants will feature special items, multicourse menus and discounts. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the planned Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head.
With so many restaurants to choose from, we asked our resident food writers and critics to point readers toward some of the most enticing Restaurant Week deals.
Betty Shimabukuro
"By Request" recipe columnist
ALAN WONG’S
At $60, the price is high compared with other Restaurant Week offerings, but for four dishes at Alan Wong’s, this deal is really a steal. The president of the United States prefers this place to all others; here’s your chance to find out why. Along with a starter, appetizer and dessert, you can choose from these entrees: seafood paella, seared ahi with Asian slaw, Maui beef tenderloin with Kona lobster, and ginger-crusted onaga. 1857 S. King St., third floor, 949-2526, www.alanwongs.com
HIROSHI EURASION TAPAS
The starter choices reveal a lot about the creativity of chef Hiroshi Fukui, whose dishes are grounded in Japanese tradition but reflect global inspirations. Their names alone are an adventure: Sizzlin’ Kona Kampachi Sushi, Kona Cold Lobster Sous Vide (with squid-ink pasta), Bubuarare-Crusted Kauai Shrimp and Homemade Egg Tofu. The four-course menu is $42. Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana Blvd.; 533-4476
MOCHA JAVA CAFE
This Ward Centre eatery offers Restaurant Week deals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, making it extra convenient. Breakfast is a sampler with eggs Benedict, lox, bagel and whole-wheat pancakes. Lunch is soup and a crepe or salad. Dinner is a three-course meal with entree choices that include fish curry and a Mocha Java Loco Moco. Dinner is $15; breakfast and lunch, $9.95. Ward Centre, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd., 591-9023
Joleen Oshiro
Food editor
THE PEARL AT LEEWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The Pearl is operated by students of LCC’s culinary program, yet you’d never imagine its chefs are anything less than professional. At events in which their cuisine is featured alongside the likes of Alan Wong’s, town’s and other top venues,’ LCC student chefs consistently shine. In fact, their fabulous factor earned them an Ilima Critic’s Pick award this year. For Restaurant Week, diners will receive a free dessert with the purchase of an entree Nov. 30 and Dec. 1-2 only. Leeward Community College Campus Center, 455-0475, www.leeward.hawaii.edu/thepearl
SHIROKIYA (SECOND FLOOR)
If you’re a curry lover, a beer drinker, or eat with someone who is, head to Shirokiya’s new Yataimura of 21 vendors, where there’s something for everyone. At Yataimura Curry, enjoy mild or spicy curry alongside rice and chicken katsu for $9.50 — local perfection! Yataimura Beer Garden offers a host of pupu and bento choices to accompany $1 Budweiser draft, $2 Kirin draft or $3 Asahi draft beers. Ala Moana Center, 973-9111, www.shirokiya.com
Elizabeth Kieszkowski
TGIF editor
TOWN
Increasingly well-known for chef/owner Ed Kenney’s commitment to local, sustainable ingredients, town will give you an overview of all that is good with its special three-course meal at lunch or dinner: your choice of any salad (made with island greens, of course), a pasta course and dessert for $20.11. 3435 Waialae Ave., 735-5900, www.townkaimuki.com
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE
Ruth’s Chris is offering its classic American steakhouse options at a discount: Caesar Salad or Steak House Salad, Petite Filet, Stuffed Chicken Breast, Fresh Island Fish or Barbecued Shrimp sauteed New Orleans style in a white wine-butter-garlic sauce; a choice of sides, including that irresistible Creamed Spinach; and ice cream, sorbet or bread pudding, all for $35. Locations include Waterfront Plaza (599-3860), Waikiki Beach Walk (440-7910), Maui and Hawaii island, www.ruthschrishawaii.com.
TAORMINA SICILIAN CUISINE
With its classy modernist setting and unique menu, Taormina is a fine destination, but its Waikiki location might have caused some potential admirers to keep their distance. Restaurant Week is an ideal inducement to brave the crowded streets and sample this charming menu, which filters Sicilian preparation through a Japanese sensibility — for example, pairing Seared Ahi Tuna with herbed oil over greens with pickled vegetables. The special menu of Anti Pasto Misti (seafood), Zuppa (soup), first course of Spaghettini alla Taormina, second course of seared ahi or grilled beef tenderloin, and tiramisu is $55. 227 Lewers St., 926-5050, www.taorminarestaurant.com
DIAMOND HEAD MARKET
This eatery is an easy, affordable option for aspirational meals (that taste above their price point) any day of the week, but you won’t go wrong with the cheery storefront’s special offering, at an extra discount: Grilled Wasabi Ahi and Garlic Shrimp, a crunchy salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette and white or brown rice for just $13.50 at lunch or dinner. 3158 Monsarrat Ave., 732-0077, www.diamondheadmarket.com
Nadine Kam
Style editor and Weekly Eater dining critic
BLT STEAK
Dining at BLT Steak is always a treat, and during Restaurant Week you can enjoy a three-course meal that won’t break the bank. The $40 meal starts with your choice of local kabocha soup or tomato, arugula and bleu cheese salad, followed by a choice of one of three entrees that cover all bases, whether you’re hungry for seared fish, roasted chicken or grilled hanger steak. For dessert, pick from a warm brownie sundae served with apple bananas and peanut butter ice cream, or crepe souffle with passion fruit sauce. I am so there. 223 Saratoga Road, 683-7440, www.bltsteak.com
HOKU’S
Do you sense a trend here? Even with the prix-fixe format of most of the Restaurant Week menus, I still like choices, and Hoku’s offers plenty, with the beautiful Kahala Hotel & Resort as a backdrop to enjoy before and after dinner. For your starter, choose grilled scallop with miso eggplant or braised shortrib with avocado tempura, followed by an entree choice of double New Zealand lamb chop with cardamom coconut cream, edamame puree and soy caramel, or Chilean sea bass with black bean vinaigrette. For the finale, there’s dessert of a Kahala sundae with vanilla gelato, hot fudge, whipped cream and macadamia nuts. The cost is $50 per person. Kahala Hotel & Resort, 5000 Kahala Ave., 739-8780, www.kahalaresort.com
NEIMAN MARCUS
The retailer offers several meal options, whether at its first-floor Espresso Cafe, second-floor Mermaid Bar or top-tier Mariposa restaurant. If you normally gravitate toward the casual restaurants, splurge for once at Mariposa, where a prix -fixe Restaurant Week lunch is $30 and dinner is $45. Both menus are tempting, so you may have to make more than one trip.
The lunch starter is Curried Cauliflower Bisque, followed by an entree choice of a Grass-fed Wagyu Burger or Shrimp a la Vodka on rigatoni. For dinner, the starter is kabocha bisque with Hamakua mushroom bread pudding and truffle whipped cream, followed by a choice of Big Island Kampachi and Asian Clam Chowder or Braised Lamb Shank with shiitake and snow pea risotto. Both end with the pastry chef’s dessert of the day. Ala Moana Center, 951-3420, www.neimanmarcushawaii.com
SALT KITCHEN & TASTING BAR
If you need an excuse to graze at one of Honolulu’s newest must-try restaurants, the Restaurant Week menu focuses on its specialty small plates and tapas, starting with a mini charcuterie platter, choice of Root Beer Braised Shortribs or Seared Kurobuta Pork Belly and Hamachi with shishito jam and Meyer lemon curd, and a dessert of bourbon flan, for $30. 3605 Waialae Ave, Kaimuki, 744-7567
Jason Genegabus
Entertainment Editor/Online
J.J. DOLAN’S
Chinatown pizzeria J.J. Dolan’s is best known for its tasty pies, and Restaurant Week provides an opportunity to try — or get reacquainted with — its signature dish, family-style. For $50, four people can enjoy a pizza of their choice, plus a Caprese or house salad, a bottle of wine and two slices of New York Cheesecake. Now that’s amore! 1147 Bethel St., 537-4992, jjdolans.com
SANSEI SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR
Head into Waikiki for an ambitious, five-course farm-to-table meal developed by Sansei executive chef Roderick Dizor. Start with Lomi Salmon Tartare (made with Ho Farms cherry tomatoes and Maui onions), followed by fresh Aku Katsuo Tataki and King Crab Ramen. Diners have a choice of two entrees: "Sansei Style" Braised Short Ribs or Garlic Roasted Fresh Catch of the Day. The special menu finishes on a sweet note with a Maui Gold Pineapple Sundae served with Lappert’s vanilla ice cream and Nalo Farms Thai basil syrup. Cost is $40 per person, $54 with wine pairings selected by Chuck Furuya. 2552 Kalakaua Ave., 931-6286, www.dkrestaurants.com
TIKI’S GRILL & BAR
Chef Ronnie Nasuti provides plenty of bang for the buck, serving up a three-course menu for $30 in a setting with one of the best sunset views in Waikiki. Start your meal with a choice of Prime Rib Poke served atop a bed of Nalo Farms baby greens and house-made pipikaula aioli, Homemade Pancetta and Warm Kula Onion Salad or a Soft Shell Crab Po’ Boy Sandwich. Entree choices include Cajun Seared Ahi, Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts or Local Style Japanese Curry Spiced Beef Short Ribs. And be sure to save room for dessert — you’ll want to try Tiki’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Taro Bread Pudding Monte Cristo, sorbet with fresh Kula strawberries or Okinawan Sweet Potato Macadamia Nut Tart. Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel, 2570 Kalakaua Ave., 923-8454, www.tikisgrill.com.
