GREAT EATS HAWAII

Sunday, July 22, 2012

LA CUCINA RISTORANTE ITALIANA

LA CUCINA RISTORANTE ITALIANA

HONOLULU, HAWAII

LA CUCINA RISTORANTE ITALIANA

IMPERIAL PLAZA BUILDING

725 KAPIOLANI BLVD, SUITE C112

HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813

808-593-2626

HOURS: Monday thru Thursday 5:30 AM - 9:30 PM

Tuesday thru Friday 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Friday and Saturday 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Living your dream. At a time when Americans are being told that they cannot build a business and that our personal success is not a result of hard work and dedication but rather the help of government, it is refreshing to see yet another example of young entrepreneurs taking a risk to start a new business and succeed. Perhaps the American Dream is still alive in Honolulu. Chef Don Truong and his girlfriend, both former employees of Italian Restaurant Mediteraneo in Honolulu took a leap of faith three months ago and ventured into their first restaurant business together. Don runs the kitchen and his girlfriend (wish I got her name) efficiently handles everything else with a huge smile and total coolness. One woman is the hostess, bus person, waitress, wine steward, barista and cashier. Amazing how she pulls it off with such class and modesty. We called a week in advance to reserve a Saturday night reservation and told that they cannot take reservations for parties of less than four people. Since we had only three people my wife pleaded for the table. A rare exception was made and we were told to arrive at 6:00 pm sharp the following Saturday. The gal on the phone (the girlfriend again) politely asked if we had to make a plane flight, movie or any other event after dinner. She said that everything is made fresh and there often can be a wait and did not want to rush us. This was nice. Lay it out front that the dining times can be long. I liked this. We arrived on time on Saturday and were very surprised to find the restaurant in the commercial section of a high rise condominium off Kapiolani Boulevard. The restaurant is small and has a bar that seats maybe four people. The girlfriend greets you, brings you the water and bread and takes your order. All the time, she is greeting new customers and running food to other tables. As new patrons arrive without a reservation, they are told with that big smile that they cannot accommodate them on this evening. The girlfriend ( I hate calling her this) knows how many customers they can handle and effectively limits the number of guests to keep things moving at a pace that Chef Don can handle efficiently. When our order was taken we were told that the appetizers would come out quickly but be prepared to wait a bit for the entrees. Again with that big smile and calm attitude. Fresh baked bread and a dish filled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar was placed on the table. The olive oil and balsamic was kicked up a notch with fresh herbs and crushed red pepper. This added another dimension of flavor that we all liked. The Antipasto Platter ($16) was fresh and delicious. Loved the marinated mini asparagus, cheese and meats. The Mozzarella balls disappeared into an eleven year olds stomach in the blink of an eye. Ordered a Seafood Salad for the table and it was big enough to share with everyone. Filled with Calamari, Mussels, Fish, Clams and Shrimp. The salad got really good when you got to the bottom and found small pieces of seafood mixed in with the dressing and fresh herbs. Light and delicious. The Crostini with Tomatoes appetizer was so fresh that the tomato popped in your mouth. The Tagliolini Aragosta ($19) was a huge plate of fresh made pasta topped with chunks of lobster in a olive oil, caper, white wine and light tomato sauce. Loved the fresh pasta. The lobster was a bit chewy and lacked a lot of flavor. I liked the sauce but wanted more of it on the pasta. The Trenette Bolognese ($17) was delicious. Ground Veal, Pork and Beef slowly cooked and served in a light tomato sauce. Again unreal fresh pasta with great flavor. Just wanted more of the sauce on the plate. The Fruti De Mari ($19) with mussels, clams, fish, calamari and shrimp was again very light on the sauce. These are all really good pasta dishes. Very large portions. Not one of us finished the plate. We all enjoyed our dinner experience at La Cucina. This is a gem of a restaurant that is already starting to see a cult following. I have a friend that comes once a week and arrives exactly at 5:15 so he can get a table for two. Any waitress or potential waitress or restaurant owner should pay a visit to see "the girlfriend" in action. She puts on a clinic on how to run a restaurant right while her other half works tirelessly in the kitchen to keep things fresh, homemade and sent out to his high standards. No corners are cut here to get you in and out quickly. The owners seem to just want to do things right and serve the best food possible. A recipe for success that I hope continues for a long time.

LA CUCINA RISTORANTE ITALIANA

SMALL DOOR OPENS TO BIG FLAVORS

THIS IS A SMALL RESTAURANT THAT SEATS ABOUT 25 PEOPLE

SIMPLE DECOR MAKES THE SPACE WARM
AND VERY COMFORTABLE

LA CUCINA MENU WILL BE VERY POPULAR IN HONOLULU

MENU FEATURES LOTS OF HOME MADE PASTA DISHES
(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

RAVIOLI, GNOCCHI AND SPECIALTIES

RISOTTO DISHES LOOK AMAZING

WATER SERVED COLD AND IN NICE JUGS

FRESH BAKED BREAD WITH OIL AND BALSAMIC

OIL AND BALSAMIC WITH FRESH HERBS AND CRUSHED RED PEPPER

BREAD AND WINE TO START THE EVENING

ANTIPASTO PLATTER

MY DAUGHTER WRAPPED THE SALAMI WITH SMOKED
GOUDA AND MARINATED ASPARAGUS

SEAFOOD SALAD

CROSTINI WITH TOMATOES

TAGLIOLINI ARAGOSTA
PASTA WITH LOBSTER WITH OLIVE OIL, GARLIC, WHITE
WINE AND LIGHT TOMATO SAUCE

TRENETTE BOLOGNESE
GROUND VEAL, PORK AND BEEF SLOWLY COOKED
IN A VERY LIGHT TOMATO SAUCE

FRESH MADE PASTA SETS LA CUCINA APART

THE BOSS TAKES IT ALL IN - YUMMY!

FRUTI DE MARE
FRESH PASTA WITH CLAMS, FISH, MUSSELS AND CALAMARI

LIGHT MANGO SORBET ENDED THE EVENING

WAIKELE COUNTRY CLUB

WAIKELE COUNTRY CLUB

WAIPAHU, HAWAII

WAIKELE COUNTRY CLUB

94-200 PAIOA PLACE

WAIPAHU, HAWAII 96797

808-676-9000

808-677-9839 FAX

EMAIL: info@golfwaikele.com

www.golfwaikele.com

When you think of Waipahu, you don't associate the location with Country Clubs or

lush tropical settings that are amongst some of the best on the Island. The Waikele Country Club is a jewell nestled in the middle of an area of outlet malls and hard working class neighborhoods that are as far from the Country Club life that you can be. I loved the entrance into the club. Filled with beautiful Pine Trees and landscaping. As soon as you turn into the driveway you are transformed out of Waiphau and into an old plantation style world that is oh so comfortable. I checked out the restaurant but did not eat on this trip. Here to play golf and focus on improving my play and maybe winning against fellow employees. While that did not happen, I enjoyed the course and facilities.

Waikele is a gem in a State that has some really beautiful golf courses. Looking forward to returning and maybe breaking 100.

WAIKELE COUNTRY CLUB

BEAUTIFUL PLANTATION STYLE CLUBHOUSE

CLUBHOUSE HAS LARGE RESTAURANT AND NICE PRO SHOP

CLUBHOUSE HAS GREAT OLD HAWAII FEEL

WAIKELE GOLF COURSE IS BEAUTIFUL

GOLF CARTS INCLUDE GPS, COOLER WITH ICE, RAIN HOOD
AND NICE STORAGE FEATURES

STACY THE BEER CART GIRL KEPT OUR GROUP
LOADED WITH COLD BEVERAGES ON A RAINY DAY

WAIKELE ON A CLOUDY AND RAINY DAY WAS STILL FUN

COURSE FEATURES SEVERAL NICE WATER FEATURES

UPDATE 4/20/13 - RETURN TO WAIKELE FOR GOLF AND LUNCH

Played another round at Waikele and loved the course. I really think this is one of the nicest courses on Oahu. From the time I drove up to drop my golf bag to the time I got in my car to leave the staff was excellent. Greeted nicely in the Club House and by the Starters. Little Stacy from above has graduated from the beer cart and now works in the sit down restaurant in the Club House. The restaurant features a large indoor dining room and outdoor seating under cover and also open to the sun. Great place to relax after a round or if you just want a nice place to hang for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The restaurant features a large menu of Japanese dishes as well as Sushi plus fish, chicken and beef dishes. They serve soups, salads and lots of different appetizers too. I enjoyed a Ahi Poke Salad ($14.25). Liked the Ahi but did not enjoy the greens they use. Lots of bitterness. Everyone in Hawaii is using the same greens for salads and I hate them. Give me leaf, romaine or regular lettuce and I am happy. I don't need the fancy looking stuff. The Ahi Poke is served with a light soy dressing that is pretty bland.