Alan Wong’s Opens in The Kāhala Today

Photo: Melissa Chang

One of the most anticipated restaurant openings of the year is actually a reopening. Diners mourned the end of an era when the original Alan Wong’s on King Street closed in 2020 after 25 years. Now, more than five years later, the new Alan Wong’s opens tonight, April 8, in the Kāhala Hotel & Resort.

Even if you are new to our dining scene, you probably already know Wong’s reputation as one of the 12 founders of Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine, a farm-to-table movement that in the early 1990s began to showcase local ingredients and our diverse ethnic influences in upscale dishes with refined techniques. This movement set the tone for many aspiring chefs around the state, even to this day.

Wong, right, with chef de cuisine Spencer Yamanaka. Photo: Melissa Chang

The menu at the new Alan Wong’s celebrates classics from King Street. The restaurant is already booked for the next two months, partly with Kāhala Resort guests and partly with regulars who have been awaiting Wong’s return.

SEE ALSO: Alan Wong’s Closes After 25 Years, Town After 16 Years

We went through most of the opening menu at a hosted preview dinner last week to, um, make sure it was just as we remembered. That’s always a good idea, right?

I remember going to Alan Wong’s for special occasions and dinners with out-of-town guests. I also attended a couple of “farmer’s dinners” where Wong created tasting menus around products from a farm he was highlighting, like Big Island Bees and Naked Cow Dairy.

Whole tomato salad. Photo: Melissa Chang

Of all the appetizers, the one I missed the most was the whole tomato salad ($14). Served atop sliced cucumbers and Wong’s famous li hing mui ume dressing—bright, salty and sour, yet mysteriously balanced—this is probably one of the most unique ways to get local people to eat their veggies. Sometimes, I think people order this just to drink the dressing.

Soup and Sandwich. Photo: Melissa Chang

Don’t miss the Soup and Sandwich ($18), a luxuriously fresh, zesty chilled tomato soup tempered by rich bites of a kalua pig and foie gras sandwich. A giant parmesan toast crisp lends salt and crunch, and you can’t help but knock back the glass to get every last bit.

Da Bag: before. Photo: Melissa Chang

Da Bag ($22) is another signature item that delivers a dramatic presentation, perfect in this age of social media. An inflated foil pouch comes to the table, and your server ceremoniously cuts it open, letting the steam escape and revealing clams and kalua pig steamed to perfection.

Da Bag: after. Photo: Melissa Chang

There were no surprises, but we were nonetheless delighted with the Dungeness crab and shrimp cake ($16); Sumida Farm leko kalua pig Caesar salad ($20); and the uni, ‘ahi, shrimp and ikura atop soy milk panna cotta ($24).

Ginger-crusted onaga. Photo: Melissa Chang

In previous visits, like many other customers, I gravitated to my favorite ginger-crusted onaga ($44) or steamed opakapaka atop shrimp pork hash ($46). The fish dishes were always light with unexpected flavors and textures that lingered in my memory for days. This time was no different.

Lamb chops. Photo: Melissa Chang

It wasn’t until I met the late chef and Frolic blogger Ed Morita that I finally broke out of my predictability and tried a bite of Wong’s macadamia nut-coconut-marrunga-crusted lamb chops ($70). This became my new favorite. The chops are tender and juicy and well-seasoned, with savory jus, but it’s the sweet crunch of the nutty crust that makes your eyes pop out of your head. And upscale or not, no shame: You can pick up the bone and gnaw on it. At least that’s what I tell myself.

If you want something a little more civilized, go for the twice-cooked kalbi-style short ribs with gochujang sauce ($40). The meat is so moist, it jiggles on the plate like poached eggs while keeping its cubed shape. The slightly spicy sauce is beautiful against the rich beef.

We had one dish that I had never tried before, only because I am stuck on my favorites: the Kaua‘i shrimp and Manila clams ($32) with sriracha, lemongrass black bean sauce and orecchiette pasta. I wondered why no one in my circle had ever tried it before since it was delicious and easy to eat—and it begged for a glass of white wine.

We had roasted garlic parmesan mashed potatoes ($8), of course, but there is one new side: Ho‘okua‘āina poi ($8). It’s sweet and thick, with a consistency between poi and pa‘i‘ai. I liked it just by itself, but it is a good match with just about all the entrées.

Photo: Melissa Chang

For dessert, all the classics are back: pineapple shave ice ($20), Waialua chocolate crunch bar ($18), five spoons of brûlée ($18), and The Coconut ($20), which is haupia sorbet in a chocolate coconut shell with fruits and liliko‘i sauce. As expected, everyone in our group demolished The Coconut. That wasn’t the best-selling dessert for nothing! I used to always order the five spoons of brûlée because I liked the flavors, but in my old age, I’ll probably finish with the lighter shave ice.

There is one new item on the dessert menu. Executive pastry chef Miya Nakashima created a banana caramel kinako custard “cream pie” ($16) with a soda cracker crust and Lā‘ie Vanilla crème anglaise. It’s a riff on her son’s favorite dessert, and we loved the salty-sweet balance and especially the soda cracker crust.

Along with Nakashima, others Wong brought with him from his old management team are Mark Shishido, Leigh Ito and chef de cuisine Spencer Yamanaka.

More dishes will eventually appear—for example, the flight of local butter is missing, but we’re told it’s coming. And The Kāhala’s famous Sunday buffet—formerly at Hoku’s, now at Alan Wong’s—will be prepared by Kāhala kitchen staff, but will eventually feature some Alan Wong touches.

Tuesday to Saturday 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday brunch by The Kāhala 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 5000 Kāhala Ave., Kāhala, kahalaresort.com, @alanwongskahala

Melissa Chang is a longtime contributor to Frolic Hawai‘i. @melissa808