GREAT EATS HAWAII

Saturday, August 18, 2012

WAOLANI WINDOWS - OAHU COUNTRY CLUB

WAOLANI WINDOWS

OAHU COUNTRY CLUB

WAOLANI WINDOWS

OAHU COUNTRY CLUB

150 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD

HONOLULU, HAWAII 96817

808-595-6331

EMAIL: reception@oahucountryclub.com

www.oahucountryclub.com

The Waolani Windows at Oahu Country Club rivals any top hotel or fine dining restaurant in Honolulu. The views are amazing, service is great and the food is top notch quality and bursting with flavor. Waolani means "Heavenly Wilderness" in Hawaiian. Let me tell you, an evening at sunset at Oahu Country Club is "Heavenly". The views of the manicured golf course and greens against the magnificent hills and mountains along the Pali make this a real Heavenly Wilderness that is only minutes from the hustle and bustle of downtown Honolulu. Every time we visit here the words "beautiful" and "amazing" flow through my mind. Waolani is the Fine Dining restaurant at Oahu Country Club. It is located on the second story of the main Club House. The entrance is filled with rich Koa wood furniture and original paintings that share the beauty and history of Hawaii. The feel here is Old School sophistication with a respect for your surroundings, Club history and fellow members. You must be a member or guest of a member to dine here. It is not open to the public. We enjoyed an incredible dinner that started with fresh Ahi and Hamachi Sashimi. The sashimi was fresh and served with avocado and shaved fresh radish. Perfect combination of flavors. Next up was Langoustines. Small shrimp like pieces that have the consistency and flavor of a small lobster tail. Served with fresh pea puree, peas, eatable flowers, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and asparagus. Absolutely delicious. Even the flowers were eaten. The mushrooms tasted like a piece of steak and were as good as the main star Langoustines. This plate went back looking like it just came out of the dishwasher. Clean and empty. The Beet Salad was another winner. Fresh beets with Taro Chips, tomatoes, eatable flowers and a cream cheese like base that was drizzled with a delicious Balsamic Vinaigrette. Entrees included Rack of Lamb, Steamed Onaga and Petite Filet with Lobster. The Rack of Lamb was cooked to a perfect medium and my daughter devoured all but one rack. She loved it. The Onaga was steamed to perfection. This is a light Hawaiian fish with a delicate flavor. My wife said it was delicious and was running off names of our friends that would love this dish too. I went for the Surf and Turf. A small filet of beef served with a small spiny lobster tail. Perfect portion. The steak was cooked perfectly. The lobster was delicious but just a bit overcooked and tough. We all loved this very special meal.
Click links below for more posts on Waolani Windows:
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2014/06/waolani-windows.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2014/08/waolani-windows-at-oahu-country-club.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2015/02/waolani-windows.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/08/waolani-restaurant-oahu-country-club.html

WAOLANI WINDOWS

OAUH COUNTRY CLUB OFF PALI HIGHWAY IS PARADISE

GOLF COURSE AND MOUNTAIN VIEWS ARE SPECTACULAR

ENTRANCE TO WAOLANI

SEATING ALONG WINDOW WITH VIEWS OF GOLF COURSE,
OCEAN AND DOWNTOWN HONOLULU

VIEW FROM OUR TABLE JUST BEFORE SUNSET

MY GIRLS LOVE THIS BREAD

CROSTINI WITH BRIE CHEESE AND PESTO IS DELICIOUS

BEET SALAD IS FANTASTIC

LANGOUSTINES WITH FRESH PEAS AND ASPARAGUS

AHI AND HAMACHI SASHIMI

RACK OF LAMB

STEAMED ONAGA

PETITE FILET OF BEEF WITH LOBSTER TAIL

SECOND VISIT - FOIE GRAS WITH SCALLOPS

SECOND VISIT - KONA ABALONE IN GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE

KONA KAMPACHI FISH IN LEMON BUTTER CAPER SAUCE

MUSHROOM RISOTTO

VEAL CHOP

CHOCOLATE, PISTACHIO AND VANILLA WITH OREO CRUST

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

SUSHI SASABUNE - HONOLULU, HAWAII

SUSHI SASABUNE

HONOLULU, HAWAII

SUSHI SASABUNE

1417 SOUTH KING STREET

HONOLULU, HAWAII 96814

808-947-3800

HOURS: Tuesday thru Friday 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Tuesday thru Saturday 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Finally made it to Sushi Sasabune. This is the #1 Zagat Rated restaurant in Honolulu and also #1 rated on Trip Advisor. The Yelp reviews are almost all five star and it is heralded as the Best Sushi in Honolulu. My verdict: BEST SUSHI OF MY LIFE...PERIOD! Especially if you are not paying the bill. Lunch here for two without drinks was $250 with tip. Add another $100 per person or more for dinner with Sake, Beer or other beverages. My host had dinner for three at Sasabune and the bill was $1100. Sasabune serves sushi Omakase style. This is a Japanese phrase that means "I'll leave it to you". You are entrusting your meal to the hands of the Sushi Chef who will make all your selections for you. Trust Me is the motto here. Trust is key because there is no food menu or prices. You literally walk in blind not knowing what you will be served or how much it will cost. I have no idea of the formula they use for pricing or how they keep track of who is eating what. It was interesting to see that the Japanese people sitting directly next to me were being served a completely different set of dishes. The Master Chef prepares each and every dish with his own hands. The Younger Gentlemen preps the dishes and serves them to you with an explanation of what you are eating and where it came from. Each plate of sushi is described in detail and you are instructed to add Soy Sauce or not add it depending on the preparation. The meal begins with lighter dishes and moves forward to the heavier and richest dishes. The sushi continues to flow two pieces at a time until you tap out. While the Chef works intently with a very serious look, he did stop to say thank you and gave us a huge smile when we said it was delicious. I was pretty blown away with the freshness of the sushi. Melted like butter on my tongue. This is the kind of sushi you savor in your mouth like a piece of candy. Each piece takes you on a journey around the world as the sushi is flown in from all corners of the universe. The sushi rice is served slightly heated which adds a warmth to the colder sushi. Perfection. This was a dining adventure that I truly enjoyed. I had no idea what was coming next and price was not an issue because you have no idea what each dish costs. Was it worth $125 each for lunch. You bet if you are not paying. Would I go back again and pay? In a heartbeat.

SUSHI SASABUNE

THE MASTER SEIJI KUMIGAWA ON RIGHT AND HIS CHOSEN STUDENT

SUSHI SASABUNE - TRUST ME

SASABUNE ON KING STREET IN HONOLULU

JAPANESE WARRIOR WELCOMES YOU

SMALL AND INTIMATE DINING AREA

THE "TRUST ME" SUSHI BAR

HOSTESS DESK

ENTRANCE TO DINING AREA

THE SOUND OF CASCADING WATER FILLS THE ROOM

VOTED BEST RESTAURANT IN HONOLULU

CALMING MURALS TAKE YOU TO ANOTHER WORLD

FRESH GINGER AND WASABI

SQUID STUFFED WITH BLUE CRAB

SALMON AND SCALLOP

MY FAVES

OYSTERS PREPARED THREE WAYS

TUNA TARTAR

NEW ZEALAND LOBSTER

LOBSTER IS PRE-CUT IN BITE SIZES PIECES

Saturday, August 11, 2012

KAPOLEI GOLF CLUB

KAPOLEI GOLF COURSE

KAPOLEI, HAWAII

KAPOLEI GOLF CLUB

97-701 FARRINGTON HIGHWAY

KAPOLEI, HAWAII 96707

808-674-2227

EMAIL : sgoben@pacificlinks.com

www.pacificlinks.com

So lucky to live in Hawaii and enjoy the great weather and multitude of great golf courses on Oahu. Kapolei Golf Course surprised me. Never would have thought this course would be so beautiful and enjoyable to play. The Clubhouse, Restaurant and Pro Shop are all modern and beautiful. I stopped by the restaurant for a quick lunch before my tee time. The restaurant offers a variety of local dishes, fresh fish, sandwiches, steaks, salads, pasta, seafood and a complete Japanese Menu. I ordered the Clubhouse Sandwich ($12). Served with French Fries or a Salad. I went with the salad and was not disappointed. Both the sandwich and salad were delicious. This was actually one of the best Clubhouse Sandwiches I have ever had on Oahu. All of the ingredients tasted fresh.

more about Kapolei Golf Course on my blog post link below:
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2013/03/kapolei-golf-club.html