Some time ago, I had the opportunity to ask a group of Hawaii food writers and influencers which recently opened restaurants they would recommend. Eighty percent of them mentioned “Arden Waikiki,” which I will introduce here.
It is located in a hotel in an area called the “Gold Coast,” which is secretly visited by celebrities. It is located at the foot of Diamond Head, as close to the ocean as possible (current regulations do not allow buildings to be built here), and even though Waikiki is nearby, this is a world of its own.
When you enter the Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head, a cozy hotel, go upstairs.
Opened last year by Canadian-born Chef Ono Makoto, the dining room offers simple contemporary Hawaiian cuisine. The menu features a genius attention to detail, from the selection of ingredients from each of the Hawaiian islands, to the degree of roasting that brings out the best of their natural flavors, to the balance of textures and flavors, to their presentation.
It’s quite spacious with an open, airy open kitchen, but it’s cozy with a good balance of gravitas and casualness. Nevertheless, it must be priced accordingly, right? You would think so. It is indeed quite expensive, but this year they started “Happiest Hour” instead of “Happy Hour”.
How happy-go-lucky “Happiest” is 50% off house cocktails, wines by the glass, and beers. This brings the normally unaffordable cocktails to under $10.
The chef’s homemade pupus (snacks) start at $6. The selection is small, but don’t be fooled into thinking that the French fries with spicy mayo sauce ($6) are just french fries. The thickly cut potatoes are exquisitely deep-fried. Chef Makoto’s grilled shishito ($10), with Greek yogurt aioli sauce and sesame seeds, is a garlicky dish with a hint of garlic.
Poke, a typical Hawaiian local dish, was on the menu as smoked ahi ($15). It is mixed with ogo (Hawaiian seaweed), topped with a bit of avocado puree, sprinkled with green onions, and served with sweet potato chips. The slightly sweet chips and poke went well together, so I couldn’t stop eating.
The three dishes and cocktails so far will keep you satisfied, but if you visit this restaurant, you must try the tomato and burrata salad, which, at $29, can be shared among several people. The sweet tomatoes are tossed with fresh burrata and accented with sliced onions and mint. The key ingredient is lihinmui, which is unique to Hawaii. This is a sweet and salty powder made from dried plums, and Hawaiians, both children and adults, love this seasoning. It goes so well with tomatoes that many people have become addicted to this menu item.
Finally, a must order is a dessert created by Amanda, the chef’s partner and pastry chef. She created “Baked Hawaii” inspired by “Baked Alaska,” a dessert in which ice cream is wrapped in cake batter and covered with meringue. Mango and coconut sorbet were trapped inside the baked meringue. I stared at it for a while before putting the knife in because I was too lazy to eat it, but then I finished it in no time.
A friend of mine who went for Thanksgiving dinner last year said three times, “The moist turkey was unforgettable,” and the foodies in Hawaii have been captivated by the chef’s ability to create memorable flavors (and his overly gentle personality).
For a casual taste of a unique flavor in a slightly different location, go to Happiest Hour, Wednesday through Sunday from 5pm to 6pm. This time the menu was a $41 savings over dinner time (and the portions are served a little smaller).
© Source travel watch
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