KAI MARKET - SHERATON WAIKIKI

KAI MARKET

SHERATON WAIKIKI 

We ventured down into Waikiki to watch the sunset and have dinner.  It has been awhile since we dined in Waikiki.  Place was jumping with tourists and very busy.  We decided to try the Kai Market in the Sheraton because they have a Seafood Buffet on Friday and Saturday nights.  Price is $58 per person.  Locals get 25% off which saved us $29 total for two.  Our lovely daughter was free.  Very surprised to see the big local discount and that kids eat free here.  Probably explains why the place was packed on this visit.  We had a great table on the outside lanai overlooking the ocean and pool bar.  There was a live Hawaiian band, hula dancer and a fire dancer to keep us entertained.  While this is a serve yourself buffet, the service was excellent.  Our waiter kept coming by to pick up plates and make sure our drinks were filled.  There are some good things on the menu here, but the lines are long and several of the dishes were empty or cold.  There is a very small salad bar that also contained Ahi Poke, Sashimi, Tako Poke, Shrimp and a few other dishes.  We all loved the Sashimi and Poke.  The Seafood Chowder was excellent.  Probably one of the best on the Island.  I enjoyed a few crab legs and really liked the Braised Short Ribs.  Did not try the Prime Rib but my daughter said it was good.  The Oysters were really warm and tasteless.  The Clams were large and plump, but way over covered in a black bean sauce.  The Chicken dish was kind of bland.  I think this is a very good buffet.  They pride themselves on using local, sustainable fresh products.

KAI MARKET

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR DINING 

WALL OF FRESH HERBS GROWING

FIRE DANCER SHOW AT SUNSET

REALLY GOOD SEAFOOD CHOWDER

SLOWING DOWN AT THIS POINT

PRIME RIB

CHOCOLATE DESSERT WAS JUST O.K.

SAND SCULPTURE IN LOBBY OF HOTEL

KAHAI STREET KITCHEN - BEEF WELLINGTON

BEEF WELLINGTON

KAHAI STREET KITCHEN

Everyone knows I love the food and people and Kahai Street Kitchen in Kalihi.  This tiny dive with just a few tables is basically a take out joint.  Everyday the menu changes.  It is sent out around 8:30 am via email.  Sometimes I open the email and say "wow" because so many of the items sound so great.  We pass the menu around the office, place an order over the phone and pick it up by noon.  On this day I enjoyed one of my favorite dishes in the world.  Beef Wellington.  This dish is usually only served in upscale steak houses for around $40.  The Kahai Street version is $12. Seared Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Duxell and Pate, Baked to Perfection in Puff Pastry with a Port Wine Demi Sauce.  The crunch of the puff pastry and perfectly cooked filet were amazing.  Below is a sample menu that was faxed to our office on Friday.  

KAHAI STREET KITCHEN BEEF WELLINGTON

KAHAI STREET KITCHEN MENU - JULY 17, 2011

Special of the Week: Thai Jasmine Rice Crusted Fresh Marlin………………....….……..$8.75

Nairagi coated with ground Jasmine Rice, Deep Fried and Garnished with Shredded Green Papaya Salad

Served with Thai Sweet Chili Mint Vinaigrette on a bed of Tropical Fried Rice with Pineapple, Cashews,

Chinese Parsley and Raisins, Choice of Potato Mac or Tossed Salad

Beef Wellington…………...……..…….……….….……….…….……………….…………….$11.95

Seared Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Duxell and Pate, Baked to Perfection in Puff Pastry

Served with Port Wine Demi Sauce, Choice of White or Brown Rice & Potato Mac or Tossed Salad

Crab Crusted Nairagi…………………………………………………………………………...$8.95

Served with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce, Choice of White or Brown Rice & Potato Mac or Tossed Salad

Charbroiled USDA Choice Rib Eye Steak,…………....………………………………..…...$12.50

Sautéed Mushrooms, Onions and Au Jus, Choice of White or Brown Rice & Potato Mac or Tossed Salad

Kahai Street Combo……………………………..………….…….……………….….………..$8.95

Braised Boneless Shortribs Osso Bucco Style and Mild Spicy Shrimp Scampi

Choice of White or Brown Rice & Potato Mac or Tossed Salad

Chicken in Love…………..…………………………………………………………............….$8.50

Chicken Thighs Braised in Brandy, White Wine and Thyme, Served with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

Choice of White or Brown Rice & Potato Mac or Tossed Salad

Bi Bim Bap with a Twist…….…………….…….….…...............................................................$8.75

Broiled Boneless Hibachi Shortribs with Korean Style Taegu, Kimchee, and Namul Vegetables

Topped with a Deep Fried Poached Egg and Korean Style Koo Cho Jang Sauce

Choice of White or Brown Rice & Potato Mac or Tossed Salad

Guava BBQ Pork Ribs………..……….…...…….………………….…...….……………..…...$8.75

Smothered with our Special Guava BBQ Sauce, Choice of White or Brown Rice & Potato Mac or Tossed Salad

Surf and Turf Bacon Cheeseburger.........................................................................................$8.75

½ lb Fresh Ground USDA Choice Chuck Beef Charbroiled Medium Rare to Medium, and Macadamia Nut Crusted Nairagi

with Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and Asian Pineapple Slaw, Served with Sweet Potato Fries

Seafood Jambalaya…...……..…….…….…...…….…….…...….…...……….…......................$8.95

Sautéed Shrimp, Scallops, Fish and Mussels with Portuguese Sausage 

Served on a bed of Linguine with Garlic Bread

Shichimi Seared Fresh Nairagi Salad …..….……. ……..…….…………………………….$8.00

Served over a bed of Mixed Greens with Japanese Cucumbers and Tomatoes

Garnished with Carrot Curls and Topped with Wasabi Aioli, Served with House Dressing

PERFECTLY COOKED FILET OF BEEF INSIDE THE PUFF PASTRY

SHRIMP SCAMPI - DINNER AT HOME

SHRIMP SCAMPI

DINNER AT HOME

Just enjoyed a delicious Shrimp Scampi dish.  Sauteed garlic, shallots, pancetta, parsley, butter, lemon juice and white wine.  Served on linguine pasta.  AWESOME!

LA TOUR CAFE

LA TOUR CAFE

HONOLULU, HAWAII 

We have been driving by La Tour Cafe for months.  It looks like a very large restaurant from Nimitz Highway.  After a visit to Costco next door, we found a parking spot and went on in.  Wow...not what I was expecting.  La Tour Cafe is a small restaurant with a take-out counter.  There are around 12 tables, a small take-out deli section and a flat screen t.v.  No frills here.  We approached the counter to find a limited menu which is good.  They serve a few soups, salads, Tartines, Panini's, Sandwiches and Flat Bread Pizzas.  I tried The Italian Sandwich ($7.50).  Thin slices of salami, sopressata, mortadella and proschiutto with Harvarti on French Egg Bread.  Served with a house salad and home made pickles.  The bread was the star of this sandwich.  So fresh and light and crunchy.  Liked the meats, italian sauce and pickles.  This was good.  The Meatball Banh Mi Sandwich ($7.50) was a Vietnamese style sandwich with chicken meatballs, pickled carrots and fresh cilantro served on a crunch French Baquette.  Again, the bread was the star.  So fresh and perfect texture and crunch.  I thought the meatballs were tasteless, but my better half loved the sandwich and wants to go back again for another.  The Mac and Cheese ($4) was a huge hit with Keli.  Yummy, great, cheesy and awesome were some of her comments.  I have heard that the burgers are good here.  The La Tour Burger ($8.50) comes with Wagyu Beef, caramelized onions, salsa verde with Havarti.  Can't wait to try this one after my diet.  While at the counter the cashier recommended the Macaroons for which the restaurant is known for.  We tried a chocolate and a coffee.  Not bad, but don't think I would order one again.
Click link below for updated post on La Tour Cafe;
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2015/04/la-tour-cafe.html

LA TOUR CAFE

LARGE LOOKING SPACE FROM THE HIGHWAY

SMALL TAKE OUT COUNTER ON THE INSIDE

HOUSE SPECIAL MACAROONS

CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE MACAROONS

FLATBREAD PIZZA OVEN

THE ITALIAN SANDWICH

THE ITALIAN UP CLOSE 

MEATBALL BANH MI SANDWICH

CHICKEN MEATBALL BANH MI

MAC AND CHEESE WAS A HIT!

RICHO RESTAURANT

RICHO RESTAURANT
HONOLULU, HAWAII 

UPDATE:  RESTAURANT CLOSED.
Richo is one of those restaurants that we drive by daily but never seem to try.  When I got a Groupon or Living Local Deal of the Day for half off, we decided to buy the coupon and give it a taste test.  Almost did not make our reservation because we went into the parking lot on the left of the building.  This is primarily a parking lot for apartments and there were no stalls available for Richo.  We exited the lot ready to go somewhere else.  My wife called the restaurant and asked if they had any additional parking.  Yes, the hostess said on the left side of the building in another lot you can park in any stall.  Great to know.  We did the U turn and went back and found plenty of parking. We entered Richo not knowing what to expect.  The people on the phone spoke broken Japanese and not Korean.  When we walked in we were greeted in Japanese very enthusiastically by the young Japanese workers.  We were quickly brought to a small room and asked to remove our shoes.  This was cool.  We got our own little private Japanese style Tatami room that was very comfortable and super private.  Wow... I like this set up.  While you sit on the floor, the bottom is dug deep so your legs can hang down to the floor.  The Japanese waitress quickly brought our drinks and the waiter dropped off a bowl of soy beans. When the bowl was empty, they kept filling it up until our first appetizers arrived.  This was unexpected and a nice way to start the meal.  The menu is pretty simple at Richo.  It is a cross between Korean and Japanese.  We just went for it and tried a little assortment of things that looked good.  Prices are very fair here.  Not much over $20.  We started with the Kimchee ($3).  This was super fresh, crisp and delicious.  Not too much spice and heat.  Nice balance of flavor.  Next up was the Ahi Poke ($8).  Nice cubes of fresh Ahi Tuna with onion marinated in soy and sesame oil.  The Charcoal Ox Tail ($5) was delicious.  Pieces of Ox Tail that were bbq on the grill and served with salt and pepper.  Next was a half order of the House Special Chi.  The waitress called it a Korean pizza.  It was (7).  It looked like pizza and was stuffed with a variety of vegetables and seafood.  Shrimp, scallop, mussels and calamari.  It was good but had a somewhat gummy consistency that I could not enjoy.  The star of the show was the Richo Volcano Nabe ($18).  This is a huge serving of vegetables, pork, seafood and intestines served on a cooktop at your table.  You heat up the bowl for around four minutes.  When it begins to boil, the food should be cooked through.  You then mix it all up and serve it in bowls.  This was really good but lacked the big Volcano flavor I was looking for.  Needed a kick with some hot sauce or something.  We all enjoyed it.  We wanted some more protein after the Volcano so we ordered Beef and Chicken BBQ Skewers ($11.95).  We received one beef skewer, four chicken and one skewer that was 100% fat.  I think they do this on purpose because the fat skewer was really good.  The chicken was good but a bit dry. Again needed some good hot sauce.  We finished dinner with a chocolate sundae ($6).  This thing was fantastic because the placed Frosted Flakes around the bottom and side of the sundae.  The Frosted Flakes added a new dimension to the ice cream and was awesome.  The staff brought out a bucket of new toys and let Keli pick one out to take home.  She took a Rubik's Cube and is still playing with it as I write this.  As we got up to leave Richo's the entire staff stopped to say thank you and presented a bunny with a basket filled with candy.  This was a great dinner experience.  Loved our private booth, loved the service and liked the food.  I will return to Richo's very soon.   Only complaint is that we did not get our rice served until were were almost done with our meal.

COMPLIMENTARY SOY BEANS JUST KEPT COMING

FRESH HOME MADE KIM CHEE

AHI POKE

MARINATED MUSHROOMS

HALF SEAFOOD CHI

PIZZA LIKE AND FILLED WITH SEAFOOD AND VEGETABLES

CHARCOAL OX TAIL

VOLCANO NABE

THE VOLCANO COOKS AT YOUR TABLE

ONCE BOILING - MIX IT ALL UP AND SERVE IN A BOWL

BEEF AND CHICKEN MIXED BBQ SKEWERS

HOT FUDGE SUNDAE WITH FROSTED FLAKES

BOX OF TOYS - CHOOSE ONE TO TAKE HOME

THE BUNNY GREETS YOU WITH CANDY AS YOU LEAVE

ONE VERY FULL AND HAPPY CUSTOMER

OUTRIGGER CANOE CLUB

OUTRIGGER CANOE CLUB
WAIKIKI BEACH, HAWAII 


Attended a business function at the private Outrigger Canoe Club on Waikiki Beach.  Wow, what a beautiful club.  This place is large and sits right on the beach near Diamond Head.  Our event featured a chef cooking outside overlooking the ocean.  Absolutely beautiful.  The food and service were good.  When the meeting and dinner was over, they had a Las Vegas night complete with all the games and play money.  We caught Keli playing blackjack.

VERY UNIQUE KITCHEN WITH A VIEW

THESE ARE REAL GAMBLERS