GREAT EATS HAWAII

Sunday, April 14, 2013

SHOR AMERICAN SEAFOOD GRILL - HYATT REGENCY WAIKIKI

SHOR

HYATT REGENCY WAIKIKI

2424 KALAKAUA AVENUE

HONOLULU, HAWAII 96815

808-237-6145

HOURS: Breakfast 6:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Dinner 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

www.shorgrill.com

After a great meal at Japengo in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, I decided to take a gamble and try the Seafood restaurant located in the same hotel. Believe it or not, there are not many really good seafood restaurants in Waikiki so I was a bit skeptical on how a major hotel chain would pull this one off. We arrived promptly at 6:00 PM to find the entire patio seating area closed due to gloomy weather and a chance of showers. We checked in at the hostess station where we were greeted by a hostess. After taking our name, she said that another person would be coming to seat us. Since the large outdoor patio was closed the host explained that we would be seated inside. The inside seating is quite bland and the tables are close to each other. Not really any atmosphere if you sit inside. This restaurant was built around outdoor dining overlooking Waikiki Beach. Take this away and you could be eating at any Hyatt around the world. We were greeted by our waiter named Tony. He welcomed us by name which was nice and then proceeded to present me with an IPad that was loaded with the wine list. How cool is this I thought. I clicked on Wines by the glass and a variety of wines with descriptions and price. Click on the wine you like and a complete description of the wine comes up. I loved it but could not stop thinking about our family policy of no Smart Phones or IPad's at the dinner table. Here we are trying not to use technology while dining and the restaurant gives us an IPad. Tony our waiter stopped by again to take our drink order and explain the menu and daily fresh fish specials. Fresh Opah and Swordfish were available on this day. We decided on a few appetizers and fired away our order to Tony. Before our appetizers arrived, we were presented with a freshly cooked warm and crunchy loaf of Sour Dough Bread served with salted butter. The bread was amazing. Crunchy on the outside and warm and fluffy inside. This was the perfect bread. So delicious. Could have eaten five loaves of this. Next came the Trio of Poke ($11). Three types of Ahi Poke. The first was Hawaiian style with seaweed. Then there was what was supposed to be a Spicy Ahi. This was nothing but a bunch of mayonnaise loaded on fresh Ahi. Yuck....tasted like mayonnaise. The last of the trio was Ahi with onions which I liked the best. Both my wife and myself said that we would not order the Poke here again. Next up was the Abalone from Kona ($16). Each piece sets you back $4. Served hot or cold. We chose to have ours served warm and they were delicious. Loaded with garlic butter. If I did not have more food coming I would have ordered more of these farmed raised little treats. When I saw a Watermelon and Tomato Salad on the menu I thought that would be nice to try so I ordered it. The salad is $12 but there is more than enough on the plate for two. I loved it. The watermelon was perfectly salted and the sweetness paired with the tomato was perfect. A light balsamic dressing was drizzled on top along with some pistachios. The nuts really did not do anything for the dish. The melon and tomato are the stars here. Would order this again and again. Next we tried the Mesculin Salad ($14) with Avocado, Crab and Mango. Served with a Maui Onion Sesame Vinaigrette. Great salad that really is meal size and big enough to share. My wife said the Mango paired with the dressing was perfect and delicious. I was full at this point and could have thrown in the towel and not eaten another bite. I had already ordered an entree which was the Fresh Local Catch ($30).

I went with the fresh Opah and was not disappointed. The fish was cooked perfectly and you could taste the grill marks. There were two really nice pieces of fish on the plate so I took one home. You can pick a sauce for your fish but for some reason our waiter did not ask me or offer the sauce options. The fish was good on its own and really did not need any thing to cover the flavor. Really liked the fact that you get to choose a side dish with your entree. This makes the price quite reasonable in my mind. I went with the Truffle Mac n' Cheese as my side dish. Took one bite and loved it. I was so full though that I could only eat a few bites. I wanted to finish the hot pot of pasta and cheese but had to stop. My daughter ordered of the Kids Menu and went with Pasta ($8.95). She was able to build her own dish and added Turkey Meat Balls, Tomato Sauce and Carrots. The Kids Meal was served with a small salad and bowl of Edamame. My daughter loved the meat balls but said the pasta sauce was too sweet. I tasted it and agreed. At this point the Chef appears from the kitchen and approaches our table to see if everything was tasting good. I told him that the food was great except my daughter thought the pasta sauce was too sweet. He took interest and said that he appreciated the comments because that was something they were working on for the kids. He offered to get her another dish and I quickly said "Twin Lobster Tails would be nice". The chef thanked us for dining at Shor and returned to the kitchen. A few minutes later two desserts arrived at our table compliments of the chef. We were all full but after one bite of the Chocolate Hazelnut Haupia Cake we devoured it all. Thick mousse like texture bursting with chocolate flavor. Loved it. The Shor Cheesecake was dense and delicious. Even before the chef offered up the desserts we had all decided that we really enjoyed the food and service and Shor. The service, food and quality are all good here. This was a great dinner and experience at the Hyatt. With Japengo and Shor both winning over our stomachs I can say that the Hyatt Regency Waikiki is now two for two for great food. Both Japengo and Shor are winners in my book. Thanks to Tony our waiter, the Chef and everyone at Shor for making this a great evening before heading off to a James Taylor concert.

SHOR AMERICAN SEAFOOD GRILL

WATERFALL INSIDE LOBBY AT THE HYATT REGENCY WAIKIKI

SHOR AMERICAN SEAFOOD GRILL IS LOCATED ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE HYATT IN WAIKIKI

ENTRANCE TO SHORE AMERICAN SEAFOOD GRILL

SMALL BAR AND EATING AREA ADJACENT TO ENTRANCE OF SHOR

BAR AREA HAS LARGE COMMUNAL TABLE

OUTDOOR DINING NOT AVAILABLE WHEN IT IS RAINING

GREAT VIEW OF WAIKIKI BEACH FROM SHOR

RAW BAR INSIDE THE BAR AREA AT SHOR

WEST COAST OYSTERS

LOBSTER AND MORE OYSTERS

MUSSELS ON THE RAW BAR

KING CRAB

IPAD FOR RESEARCHING DRINKS

I CLICKED ON WINES BY THE GLASS

LABEL, DESCRIPTION AND PRICES BY VARIETY

COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE WINE YOU ORDER ON THE IPAD

FRESH SEAFOOD AND STEAKS

CHOOSE YOUR SEASONING AND SAUCE

APPETIZERS, SALADS AND SIDES

SHOR SWEETS

SEAFOOD TOWER AND CHEF'S TASTING MENUS

BEST SOUR DOUGH BREAD IN WAIKIKI

TRIO OF POKE

KONA ABALONE

WATERMELON AND TOMATO SALAD

THE COMBINATION OF WATERMELON AND TOMATO REALLY WORKS AND IS REFRESHING

MESCULIN SALAD WITH AVOCADO, CRAB AND MANGO - PLUS A FEW TARO CHIPS

FRESH OPAH

TRUFFLE MAC N' CHEESE SIDE DISH INCLUDED WITH YOUR ENTREE

KIDS PASTA MEAL

KIDS MEAL COMES WITH SALAD AND SOY BEANS

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT HAUPIA CAKE - YUMMY!

SHOR CHEESECAKE

Saturday, April 13, 2013

PUEO'S RESTAURANT - CORAL CREEK GOLF CLUB

PUEO'S RESTAURANT

CORAL CREEK GOLF COURSE

EWA BEACH, HAWAII

PUEO'S RESTAURANT

CORAL CREEK GOLF COURSE

91-1111 GEIGER ROAD

EWA BEACH, HAWAII 96706

808-440-1137

HOURS: Monday thru Sunday 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM

www.coralcreekgolfhawaii.com

After playing a pretty good round at Coral Creek Golf Course we headed into Pueo's Restaurant for a cold beer and some Pupu's. I dropped six pounds recently and wanted to keep it light so I ordered the Spicy Ahi Poke ($12.75). The poke had just a hint of spice and I liked the onions and cabbage. We ordered the Pupu Specialty Platter "B" ($29.75) for a table of four. The platter included Spicy Chicken Wings, Calamari, Chicken Katsu, Kalbi and Gyoza. Served with four sauces for dipping. Ranch Dressing, Chili Sauce, Gyoza Sauce and Katsu Sauce. I tried a little of each but seemed to like the carrots and celery on the platter best. The Kalbi had a really good marinade and taste. We also tried the Sizzling Spicy Pork Plate ($13.25). Loved this dish with the pork, cabbage and onions. My friends enjoyed Pueo's Cheeseburger ($8.75). Served with French Fries or Macaroni Salad. They seemed to like them because their plates were empty and so were there beers. Service was good on this day. Food came out quickly and our waitress was smiling. This is a great place to grab a quick breakfast, lunch or pupu's after a round of golf. Link below to another blog post on Pueo's Restaurant.

http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/06/coral-creek-golf-club-pueos-restaurant.html

PUEO'S

PUEO'S AT CORAL CREEK GOLF COURSE

PUEO'S RESTAURANT MENU

PUEO'S BREAKFAST MENU

PUPU SPECIALITIES, SANDWICH, BURGERS AND SALAD

WE TRIED PUPU PLATTER "B"

MORE PUPU SPECIALTIES

PUEO'S RESTAURANT ALL TIME FAVORITES

THE MUST HAVE MENU

SPICY AHI POKE

PUPU PLATTER "B"
CHICKEN KATSU, KALBI, CALAMARI, GYOZA, CHICKEN WINGS

PUPU PLATTER SERVED WITH FOUR SAUCES

SIZZLING HOT SPICY PORK PLATE

PUEO'S CHEESEBURGER SERVED WITH FRENCH FRIES OR MAC SALAD

Sunday, April 7, 2013

JAPENGO

JAPENGO

HYATT REGENCY WAIKIKI

HONOLULU, HAWAII

JAPENGO

HYATT REGENCY WAIKIKI

2424 KALAKAUA AVENUE

HONOLULU, HAWAII 96815

808-923-1234

HOURS: Monday thru Sunday 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM

www.hyattregencywaikiki.com/japengo

I took the time to read quite a few reviews on Japengo before making a reservation for the Japanese/Pacific Rim restaurant. While there were a lot of positive reviews, some people really knocked the food, prices, portions and service. I kept an open mind going in and just sat back and took it all in while enjoying a few glasses of bubbly. We started with valet parking at the Hyatt Regency. The valet welcomed us to the hotel and asked how he could help. I told him we were dining at Japengo and he lit up with a smile and said "great choice, I love the place" and then offered a few menu suggestions. Valet parking is free here with validation. This is a big plus in Waikiki where parking has gotten expensive and sometimes difficult. Once you valet, you can stroll through the long indoor lobby that connects the two towers at the Hyatt. The walk takes you past a beautiful waterfall and puts you in the Waikiki vacation mode kind of mindset. Japengo is located on the third floor of the Ewa Tower. We grabbed the elevator and then were at the entrance to Japengo where not one but two young ladies were waiting with big smiles. The two hostesses welcomed us to Japengo and asked if we were local and if we had been to the restaurant before. We said this was our first time and they smiled and thanked us for coming and added that we wold love the food. One girl took us to our seat with a smile. Great start I thought. As we sat into a comfortable booth, the Manager approached and welcomed us. This was the second day of their new menu so he took the time to show us some of his favorite dishes. Our waiter (Tomo) arrived and greeted us like special guests. He offered us menus and said to relax and take our time while he gets our drinks. Tomo was professional and attentive during the entire meal. Could have not asked for a better waiter or service. On this night, the entire staff at Japengo was excellent and made us feel like valuable guests that they really want to return. The interior of Japengo is a bit cut up with small and large rooms for groups or larger parties. I guess we were in the main dining area where there are just a bunch of tables and chairs with a large window that overlooks the Westin Moana Surfrider Hotel. Our booth was set in the front and a bit more private which we liked. Lets get onto the food. Japengo bills itself as serving Pacific Rim Cuisine. What it is basically is a fusion of Japanese, Chinese and Asian food with the emphasis being Japanese and Sushi. I started my meal with a glass of Cava Brut Champagne from Spain. For $7 this was not a bad glass of juice. Liked it and enjoyed a few more. My wife asked for a Plantation Ice Tea which is not on the menu, but our waiter quickly told her "sure, we can do that for you". The tea was $4. The menu at Japengo to me should be shared by the table. This is the kind of place where you can order a variety of dishes and have everyone share. Even the larger entree dishes are perfect for sharing. While my daughter ordered a complete meal from the Keiki (Kids) Menu, she still managed to consume a little bit of everything on the table. She ordered the Keiki Kushiyaki Set ($15) which included Teriyaki Beef Sticks, Miso Soup, Edamame and rice. She loved it but I thought $15 was a bit high for this particular kids meal. I had read rave reviews about the Scallop ButterYaki ($16) served with Black Tobiko and Shiso Leaf. My wife was not in the mood for scallops she said but when the dish arrived she said "wow" looks good. All three of us took a scallop and placed them on our small plates. There was silence and then accolades of enjoyment. The scallops were perfectly cooked and filled with flavor. Perhaps one of the best Scallop dishes ever. This dish was the "bomb". Next up was the Hamachi To-Jo ($18). Thinly sliced raw fish served in a Ponzu Sauce and topped with Maui Onions, Jalapeño and Crispy Garlic. My daughter grabbed a slice and smiled with joy. In five seconds she had eaten three slices and my wife told her to stop so the rest of us could have some. I picked up a slice with my chopsticks and topped it with the onion and jalapeño. Took one bite and wanted to order three more plates of this. I could have made a meal out of eating multiple servings of the Hamachi. It was just that good. Perfection on a plate! Next up was the Tootsie Roll ($20). Soft Shell Crab, Snow Crab, Avocado, Shitake Mushroom and Lobster Teriyaki. This sushi roll was one of the best and freshest ever. Absolutely loved it. The Dynamite Roll ($18) with Unagi (Eel), Scallop, Chili and Ponzu is a ramped up California Roll that was a bit of a mess on the plate but still delicious. Since everything was tasting great we looked over the menu again and picked another dish. The Sea Treasure Cake Noodle ($38) did not disappoint, but did not knock us out like some of the other dishes. The Cake Noodles are topped with fresh seafood. Scallops, Shrimp, Calamari and Lobster. I found some nice pieces of lobster and really liked the flavor. The Peas and Carrots added color but also flavor that this dish lacks. For $38 I would expect a little more flavor. Other than that is was good. We finished the evening with Chocolate Molten Cake with Ice Cream and Berries ($11). Pretty basic chocolate cake with chocolate sauce in the middle. This was a fantastic night out in Waikiki. Loved the food and service at Japengo and will recommend to friends and visit again when in Waikiki.