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Sunday, July 20, 2025

OLAY'S THAI LAO CUISINE

OLAY'S THAI LAO CUISINE
66 N. HOTEL ST
HONOLULU, HI
808-536-5300

Nice to find another hidden gem in Hawaii.  Olay's Thai Lao impressed me with the outdoor dining, friendly service and really good food.  The patio is beautiful and something I wish we had more of in Hawaii.  Beautiful outdoor dining with a pond with huge Koi fish and live turtles.  The area is covered well with tents and trees so it was pretty comfortable even on a hot summer afternoon.  We started with Spring Rolls which are served with fresh Lettuce, Cucumber and Mint and made for wrapping.  I asked for hot sauce and they brought four different sauces that brought the heat.  We ordered all of our dishes with medium heat and it was perfect.  Made my nose run and had me wanting more.  Spring Rolls were great.  Next up was the Waterfall Salad which is served with Cabbage for wrapping.  This was good but not great. Didn't like the grill taste on the meat.  The Lao Pad Thai was really good with the Noodles being the star of the dish.  Delicious.  The Massaman Curry was really good but the carrots and potatoes are cut into huge chunks that you need to cut up to eat.  Good flavor.
Really liked this place and will definitely be back.

OLAY'S THAI LAO CUISINE



OUTDOOR SEATING IS BEAUTIFUL SPACE




OLAY'S THAI LAO CUISINE MENU







SPRING ROLLS

BRING ON SOME MORE HEAT

WATERFALL SALAD

LAO PAD THAI

MASSAMAN CURRY

BEAUTIFUL DAY - BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANT AND MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE AT
OLAY'S THAI LAO CUISINE

FLAIR EUROPEAN STEAKHOUSE

FLAIR EUROPEAN STEAKHOUSE
502 KEAWE STREET
HONOLULU, HI
808-462-3312

Loved the restaurant space and service at Flair but the food did not live up to expectations.
As I always say, "I am not a Food Critic - I call them as I eat them".  The simple way I judge a restaurant is the question, "Would I come back?".  Answer here unfortunately is no.  We started with the Tartare De Thon which the menu said was "fresh" Ahi Tuna, Mango and Avocado.  Now I do this dish at home and it is hard to mess up if you use fresh ingredients.  Normally we would devour a dish like this in minutes have be fighting for the last bite.  Not the case here as the Tuna tasted fishy and was definitely not fresh untreated Tuna.  The Mango was hard and crunchy and the dressing didn't bring the elements together.  We finished the dish  but were disappointed.  The Signature Pear Ala Flair was interesting but very sweet.  My Wife said it was too sweet to enjoy as an appetizer.  My thoughts were that I would not order this again.  The Balken Beet Salad surprised us because there were no greens.  Everything was cubed.  Beets were fresh and this dish was my favorite of the evening.  The Tagliatelle Alla Carbonara fell flat on flavor.  Very bland and dry.  Maybe more Egg Yolks?  There were large pieces of Sun Dried Tomato in the sauce which I thought should have never been in a Carbonara.  With the food not really hitting home this night, we thought that the Signature Cotoletta Alla Burrata would save the evening and give us hope to come back.  The dish arrived and it was battered and fried which was not described on the menu.  One bite and all I could taste is greasy oil.  I tried another and again only the taste of oil came through and not the Veal.  My Wife took two bites and said the same.  I told here we need to eat more before we throw in the towel.  Another bite and more oil and a dry texture.  I asked our waitress for a side of Marinara Sauce because I thought it would enhance the flavor of the dish.  Didn't help and we ended up taking almost the entire dish home.  I tried the Veal the next day and same thing.  Terrible.  Ended up throwing away this $77 dish.  Disappointed but glad we visited.
Staff was great and I really hope the food improves.  One note is that I thought the prices here were very reasonable for Honolulu dining.

FLAIR EUROPEAN STEAKHOUSE

LOCATED AT THE OLD YA YA STEAKHOUSE LOCATION IN KAKAAKO

BEAUTIFUL SPACE


FLAIR EUROPEAN STEAKHOUSE MENUT


TARTARE DE THON

SIGNATURE PEAR ALA FLAIR

BALKAN BEET SALAD

TAGKUATEKKE AKKA CARBONARA

SIGNATURE COTOLETTA ALLA BURRRATA

DATE NIGHT AT FLAIR EUROPEAN STEAKHOUSE

HALIBUT WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE

DINNER AT HOME

Nice to be cooking again after a lot of restaurant dining during the past few weeks.  
This Halibut was tasty with the Lemon and Caper Cream Sauce.

HALIBUT WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE

 

AHI SASHIMI AND AVOCADO

APPETIZER AT HOME

When I shop at Foodland Farms in Aina Haina, I always check the Seafood Department for fresh Ahi.  Saw this very nice block for around $20 and grabbed it.  This was "wow" fresh and so silky and melt in your mouth delicious.

AHI SASHIMI AND AVOCADO

 

Saturday, July 19, 2025

MARGOTTO HAWAII

MARGOTTO HAWAII
514 PIIKOI STREET
HONOLULU, HI
808-592-8500

We were not even done with our second course at Margotto Hawaii and I was already thinking about coming back.  This is hands down our favorite restaurant in Hawaii for the past three years.  We are at a point where we don't even have to look at the menu and just order our favorites.  Love bringing friends here because they always love it.  This dinner was to discuss my upcoming golf tournament which raises money for cancer research and the University of Hawaii Cancer Center with our planning team.  We started with some bubbly which I highly recommend.  Perfect with the Caviar Egg which is one of my favorites dishes.  The Prosciutto which is hand sliced in the dining room is also a great starter and delicious.  Next up is an absolute must at Margotto.  The Creamy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes.  I top the potatoes with Foie Gras and then a good shaving of Truffles.  This is worthy of a death bed meal and one of the best bites of my life.  The Risotto with Foie Gras and yes, more Truffles is amazing.  One of the best Risottos if not THE BEST in Hawaii.  Perfectly cooked every time.  The Pastas here are amazing and THE BEST in Hawaii.  We ordered four Pastas and enjoyed them Family Style so everyone could have a taste of each one.  On this night the Cacio Pepe with Truffles was the table favorite.  The Bolognese is THE BEST in Hawaii and my personal fave.  The Tomato Uni Pasta is THE BEST Uni Pasta in Hawaii.  Amazing!  Last up is the Lemon Tomato which is also great.  Love the staff and service at Margotto and Chef Shiori is a joy!
Click links below to view previous posts on Margotto Hawaii;
MARGOTTO HAWAII


MARGOTTO MUSTACHES 

TASMANIAN BLACK TRUFFLES

CHAMPAGNE AND CAVIAR

CAVIAR EGG

SLICED PROSCUITTO

CREAMY CHEESY POTATOES WITH FOIE GRAS

FOIE GRAS PUTS THIS DISH OVER THE TOP

TRUFFLES PUT THIS DISH OVER THE MOON!

RISOTTO WITH FOIE GRAS AND TRUFFLES

A LITTLE PASTA FOR THE TABLE

CACIO PEPE WITH TRUFFLES

TOMATO UNI PASTA

LEMON TOMATO PASTA

PASTA BOLOGNESE

TRIO OF DESSERTS

LOVING MARGOTTO HAWAII AND CHEF SHIORI