MARIPOSA
NEIMAN MARCUS
ALA MOANA CENTER
LEVEL THREE
1450 ALA MOANA BLVD
HONOLULU, HI 96814
808-951-3420
HOURS: Daily 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
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MARIPOSA
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Thought it was time to get back and try Mariposa at Neiman Marcus since we were doing some
shopping at Ala Moana Center. Was quite surprised to walk in on a Saturday night at 7:00 PM
and find the place empty. The hostess asked if we would like to be seated inside or outside. One
look at the sun setting over Ala Moana Beach and we said outside. This was a perfect evening with
warm weather, a calm breeze and beautiful ocean view. For location and ambiance on this night, I
give Mariposa an "A". Service throughout the night would be a "B" even though the waiter spilled
a glass of water all over the table and my pants. The food was a "C". My assessment of Mariposa
and why they are not busy is simply the food. It just is not that good for the price and at dinner you
do not get those big delicious Popovers that are served at lunch. The smaller Popovers or Bread
served with a jam sweetened butter were good though. Started with the Kahuku Corn Chowder ($11).
My Wife said she would be splitting the soup and the waiter happily said that he would have the
kitchen split the bowl into two servings. This was nice. Everyone loved the Corn Chowder and thought
this may have been the best dish of the night. The BBQ Tiger Prawns ($18) tasted great but why there
was a large clump of Guacamole on the plate amazed me. You cannot dip the Prawns in the Guacamole
and there was nothing to scoop it up with. Its like just taking bites of Guacamole. The Citrus Beet
Gazpacho did not work on the plate and added nothing to the flavor of the dish. The Fennel Seared Ahi
Salad ($17) was just o.k. according to my Wife. She said the Ahi was tasteless and the greens and
dressing were dull. I ordered the Lobster Linguine ($30) and it was a mess to look at and not very good.
The sauce was prettytasteless and watery. It did not go with the Squid Ink black pasta at all. The meat
was from the lobsterclaws and was not that tasty. Throwing a bunch of spinach and sliced garlic into the
linguine really did not seem right. Then the two giant capers on top made no sense and could not add
anything to the flavor. This dish was a total mess and I cannot believe a Chef would create and serve
it like this. Really a big $30 disappointment. My Daughter went for the New York Strip Steak ($39).
It was cooked to perfection but lacked seasoning. The French Fries however were fantastic. The
Asparagus was also cooked perfectly and tasted good. Overall we all were pretty disappointed on the
flavors of the food for the price. The night however was absolutely beautiful and spending time with
the family watching the sunset was priceless.
Click link below for previous post on Mariposa;
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| LOVE THE BUTTERFLIES AS YOU GO UP THE ESCALATOR AT NEIMAN MARCUS |
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| MARIPOSA IS LOCATED JUST PAST THE CANDY AND WINE DEPARTMENT AT NEIMAN MARCUS |
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| NICE OPEN AIR RESTAURANT |
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| INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SEATING |
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| VIEWS OF WAIKIKI |
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| ALA MOANA BEACH PARK |
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| DINING ON THE OUTDOOR LANAI MADE THIS A GREAT NIGHT |
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| STARTERS |
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| SALADS |
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| MAIN SELECTIONS |
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| MORE MAIN SELECTIONS AND PRIX FIXE DINNER |
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| CHEF'S SELECTIONS |
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| MARIPOSA PRIX FIXE DINNER MENU |
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| SMALLER ROLLS SERVED DURING DINNER |
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| KAHUKU CORN CHOWDER WITH POP CORN ON TOP |
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| BARBECUED TIGER PRAWNS |
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| FENNEL SEARED AHI SALAD |
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| LOBSTER LINGUINE |
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| NEW YORK STRIP STEAK |
