What’s new on Oahu: Food
Oahu is known for its diverse culture, which is exhibited by the island’s assortment of foods. With wonderful choices and an array of cuisine options, there is a restaurant that will please nearly every palette. Give these new and updated spots a try:
Two new restaurants, Ka Restaurant & Lounge and Paparazzi, opened at Ward Centre in December 2009. Ka serves modern fusion cuisine in a trendy atmosphere and offers lunch and dinner from Monday through Friday, dinner on Saturday, and late night entertainment on Friday and Saturday until 2 a.m. Paparazzi is where the old Brew Moon used to be on the second floor. It features contemporary décor with an art gallery featuring pieces by Joshua Chinsky. The restaurant offers happy hour in the evening and an extensive appetizer and tapas menu by Chef John Kilborn until 1 a.m. Beginning at 10 p.m., Paparazzi transforms into a lounge and nightclub and also features live entertainment.
Pablo McGinty’s, a Mexican and Irish-themed pub/cantina, opened in Ward Centre earlier this year. The menu includes traditional Mexican and Irish dishes, as well as contemporary blends of both cuisines, all hand made in-house using only fresh ingredients. There are daily pau hana offerings and a late night happy hour menu with half-off appetizers and drink specials. The bar features a full line of Irish beers and whiskeys, Mexican beers and tequila, and made-to-order margaritas. Live bands perform on weekends and select weekdays.
Ward Centre is located at 1200 Kamake’e Street in Honolulu [MAP]:
Kona Brewing Company in Koko Marina introduced a trendy yet comfortable “Liquid Aloha Lounge,” where guests can lounge at the water’s edge and enjoy the restaurant’s original “beer-tinis” that fuse the brewery’s award-winning beers with various liqueurs. The crowd-pleasing drinks include the Strawberry Longboard, Blue-Wave Martini, Porter Passion, and Wailua Peach.
Kona Brewing Company
7192 Kalaniana’ole Highway [MAP]
Inside Hawaii Kai, waterside
Honolulu, Hawaii 96825
808-394-5662
Fax: 808-394-5660
Ocean House at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach is now open for daily breakfast service. Ten “Sunrise Specialties” – from fluffy Belgium waffles, to a Hawaiian frittata, to a wild berry parfait, to the Ocean House Standard breakfast – make up the normal breakfast menu, with its Sunday Brunch menu offering many of the “Sunrise Specialties” complimented by a number of “Afternoon Delights,” such as Blue Crab Cake Sandwich, Hibachi Chicken and Roasted Opah Wrap.
Ocean House Restaurant
Beachfront in the Outrigger Reef Hotel
2169 Kalia Road [MAP]
Honolulu, Hawaii
(808) 923-2277
Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa presents Wine Wednesdays at Beachhouse at the Moana every Wednesday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Moana Surfrider’s resident certified sommelier James Maher guides guests through several unique wines that are featured on Beachhouse’s wine list. The discussions detail the winery, the wines and their unique characteristics – and allow guests to taste wines not regularly offered by the glass.
Bambu 2.0, a sleek café and martini bar, recently opened in Chinatown. The 4,000-square foot space is modeled after the Bambu Bar at Restaurant Row and is quickly gaining popularity. During the day, Bambu 2.0 caters to the café crowd with free WiFi, and transforms into a cocktail lounge in the evenings – with $3.50 martinis served all day.
Hale Modern Macrobiotic Cuisine, Honolulu’s first upscale macrobiotic restaurant, completely eliminates the use of refined sugar, bringing in organic and local products to the menu as much as possible. While the menu is predominantly vegetarian, there are salmon and fresh fish offerings as well.
The only Hello Kitty Café in the United States is scheduled to open at Pearlridge Center in March 2010. The café plans to offer Hello Kitty-imprinted breads and pastries along with smoothies for take-out – with a full service café expected by 2011.
Photo courtesy of Love<3Janine (Flickr)
