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Showing posts with label signature prime steak ala moana hotel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label signature prime steak ala moana hotel. Show all posts

Thursday, June 13, 2013

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD - A SECOND VISIT

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD
HONOLULU, HAWAII

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD
410 ATKINSON DRIVE, 36TH FLOOR
HONOLULU, HAWAII  96814
808-260-9966
HOURS:  Monday thru Saturday 4:30 PM - 10:30 PM
                 Sunday 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

My second visit to Signature Prime Steak was as good as the first I am happy to say.  Arrived around 5:30 on a weekday to be greeted again by the smiling hostess who did a great job setting the tone for great service.  We headed to the bar to get a drink while waiting for a friend.  Was surprised to find that the entire bar was full for Happy Hour.  A waiter saw us standing and within a second escorted us to seating in the lounge area where he offered us menus and asked if we would like water.  We ordered a glass of Cabernet at Happy Hour price of $7.  Our friend arrived and the hostess graciously asked us if we would like to be seated.  She escorted us to the far end of the restaurant facing Ala Moana Beach and seated us at a table next to the window.  The view was spectacular but the sun was beating through the window and into our faces.  A waiter politely approached the window and brought down the louvers to shade our table.  As the sun set, the waiter raised the louvers without us even noticing.  We started with the Seafood Tower ($49.95).  This is a huge bowl of ice that is so tall you cannot see the seafood when it is sitting on the table.  You can only see what is on the sides.  To view the entire bowl you would have to stand up and look down.  Since you eat with your eyes first, this dish misses the mark for presentation.  As stated in my earlier post on this restaurant, the lobster in the tower is served cold and is pretty tasteless.  We ordered drawn butter on the side and the waiter brought some out within a minute or two.  The butter really added flavor.  The shrimp in the tower were exceptionally fresh, sweet and delicious.  I am not a big fan of the sliced scallop in the Tower.  They just lack flavor.  Oysters are good but there were only two.  I mentioned the above to Jacque the General Manager and she really seemed to care about our critique.  Lets see if they make some changes to the Tower in the future.  Next up were the Seared New England Scallops ($15.95).  Probably some of the best scallops I have ever eaten in Hawaii.  Perfectly seared on the outside and sweet and buttery on the inside.  Pure Scallop perfection here.  I ordered the Iceberg Wedge Salad ($8.95) and asked the waiter if we could split it between two of us.  Without a question, he said yes and they brought the salad to the table on two plates.  Still a nice portion if you half this salad.  I love the Wedge Salad here.  The lettuce is served cold and crisp.  The bacon is thick and smoky and the dressing is delicious.  I would not change a thing about this salad and it is now one of my favorites.  We were here on this evening for the special Wagyu Beef that was selling for $75 per piece.  Yes that is not a typo.  The steak was $75 and they only had about a dozen.  Jacque the General Manger explained to us that they were the only restaurant in town with this high quality cut of beef.  The steak was served on a large white plate with nothing else but air. Probably would have tried to add something to the plate but you are paying for the meat and it should stand alone I thought.  Was it worth $75?  Well let me tell you it was delicious.  Just enough fat to add flavor and it cut like butter and melted in your mouth.  They did not add much seasoning to this steak probably because the meat stands on its own.  It was good.  Really good but not really worth $75.  In a "WTF" moment my rich friend who insisted on picking up the tab ordered a $300 bottle of Opus 1 to accompany the expensive steak.  He followed up the Opus with a glass of expensive Scotch that sells for around $80 per glass.  This guy rolls big.  He also ordered the Lobster Mac n' Cheese ($19.95), Creamed Corn ($7.95) and Truffle Mashed Potatoes ($7.95) for the table.  All of the sides were excellent.  The Lobster Mac n' Cheese had large pieces of lobster that you could really taste.  The lobster really stood out and up to the cheese.  Really good stuff.  I love the Creamed Corn and Truffle Mashed Potatoes they serve.  Had them during my last visit and they were just as good this time.  Service again was spot on and probably as good as it gets in Hawaii.  Don't know if this was because it was a slow weeknight, but if they can maintain this high level of service people will return again and again.  I know I will.  Really cant wait for another meal here.  Click below to view my first post on this restaurant.

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD

BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF ALA MOANA BEACH PARK
SEAFOOD TOWER
PERFECTLY COOKED AND DELICIOUS SEARED SCALLOPS
SCALLOPS WERE COOKED PERFECTLY AND SOME OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER TASTED
HALF PORTION OF THE ICEBERG WEDGE SALAD - THIS SALAD IS DELICIOUS!
THE $75 WAGYU STEAK
CREAM CORN, LOBSTER MAC N' CHEESE AND TRUFFLE MASHED POTATO SIDES

Saturday, June 8, 2013

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD
HONOLULU, HAWAII

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD
410 ATKINSON DRIVE, 36TH FLOOR
HONOLULU, HAWAII  96814
808-260-9966
HOURS:  Monday thru Saturday 4:30 PM - 10:30 PM
                 Sunday 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Traveling up the elevator to the 36th Floor of the Ala Moana Hotel brought back memories of past restaurants that once occupied the space where Signature Prime Steak and Seafood now resides.  I have had countless dinners and cocktails high atop the Ala Moana Hotel and now was back after the space had been dormant for so many years.  Peter Kim, a local restaurant legend who owns Liliha Bakery, Yummy's Korean BBQ and Lahaina Chicken Company has graduated from fast food and invested in Hawaii's newest steakhouse located in one of Hawaii's most iconic spaces.  Together with General Manager, Jacque Viloria who honed her culinary hosting skills at Del Frisco's in Las Vegas, Mr. Kim has created a very relaxing yet classy environment that takes full advantage of the magnificent views while serving up a bit of Aloha.  Service here was spot on with employees making eye contact and engaging our group.  Both Jacque and Mr. Kim made the rounds and visited our table.  Jacque was the real deal.  At my request, she recounted how she left Hawaii for the bright lights of Las Vegas to work at Del Frisco's and then at the request of Mr. Kim returned to Hawaii to open this new restaurant.  Her passion for food, beer, wine and the perfect steakhouse shined through as she smiled and laughed along with our entire table.  While Jacque entertained, the food began to arrive.  We started with the Signature Seafood Tower ($49.95).  Main Lobster, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Oysters and New England Sea Scallops.  Really a giant bowl of ice.  My take on this is that you pay big bucks for a small cold lobster tail that has to seasoning or taste.  The Tower is served with a Ponzu dipping sauce and really bland cocktail sauce that tastes like ketchup.  The lobster tail screamed for butter.  The Oysters and Shrimp in the Tower screamed for horseradish and better cocktail sauce.  Next up was a half dozen Oysters on the Half Shell ($15.95).  Oysters were fresh, sweet and delicious but again served with Ponzu Sauce and a cocktail sauce that tastes like ketchup.  Oysters need a little vinegar with horseradish our table concluded.  The Ahi Poke ($14.95) to me was the bomb.  Fresh Ahi Tuna with onions and avocado and a spicy sauce that had some kick.  This was the perfect appetizer prior to eating a large steak dinner.  Loved it.  I ordered the Iceberg Wedge Salad ($8.95).  This was hands down one of the best Wedge Salads of my life.  Crisp cool lettuce served with a perfect dressing and topped with crumbled bleu cheese, bacon and tomatoes.  Perfection!  I could not stop eating this salad and finished the whole thing with a smile.  For my entree, I went for the Prime Bone In Ribeye ($55.95).  Menu says 22 oz but I think mine was twice that size.  At least it looked like it.  Wow.....the steak looked amazing on the plate.  Cooked with a light char on the outside that really did seal in the juices.  One bite and I said that the steak was seasoned to perfection.  Great flavor, texture and color.  Seasoned and cooked to absolute steak perfection.  This was a great steak.  Up there with the best of them in my book.  Only wish I could have eaten more.  Only finished less than half as the appetizers, salad and wine were filling me up quite nicely.  Jacque, the General Manager took a look at my plate and politely requested I take off my skirt and man up and finish the thing.  Oh how I wish I could have.  It was delicious.  The entrees were served with Mashed Potatoes and we ordered Creamed Corn ($7.95) and Sauteed Mushrooms ($9.50) for the table.  Our waiter took the time to individually serve each one of us a small portion of each side.  I loved the Creamed Corn.  Large kernels of sweet corn that were incredible when mixed into the mashed potatoes.  This was a really good meal.  Up there with the best steakhouses in Hawaii.  Service from the time you walk in and are greeted by a bevy of young local beauties all dressed in white until the nightcap at the bar was perfecto!  I wish Mr. Kim and Jacque the best of luck here and will return again with family and friends to invest in their continued success.
Click link below to view another post on Signature Prime Steak and Seafood Restaurant:

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD ON THE 36TH FLOOR OF THE ALA MOANA HOTEL
GREAT VIEWS FROM THE 36TH FLOOR
LOOKING INTO WAIKIKI AND EAST TO DIAMOND HEAD
THE BAR AND LOUNGE IS GREAT PLACE TO RELAX AND ENJOY A COCKTAIL
PIANO PLAYER ON LARGE WHITE GRAND PIANO IS THE CENTERPIECE
AS YOU ENTER THE RESTAURANT
EVERY TABLE HAS A VIEW
TASTEFUL DECOR WITH WARM COLORS AND A TOUCH OF CLASS
SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD MENU
SIGNATURE SEAFOOD TOWER
AHI POKE
OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL
LOBSTER BISQUE
FRENCH ONION SOUP
ICEBERG WEDGE SALAD
CREAMED CORN, SAUTEED MUSHROOMS AND MASHED POTATOES
BONE IN RIBEYE
RIBEYE WAS COOKED TO PERFECTION AND SEASONED PERFECTLY