Family Restaurant Review: The Brilliant Ox

Ala Moana Center's gastropub serves up great comfort food and warm vibes.

Photo: By Wendy Awai-Dakroub

Editor’s Note: We’ve launched a new series, “Family Restaurant Review,” featuring local eateries that welcome kids. We hope these will enhance your family’s experiences around the food table. Food you don’t have to cook, of course.

We will begin every review with our “Family-Friendly Checklist,” six items parents want to know before deciding if the restaurant is a good fit for their little ones. Then, you’ll read reviews from HONOLULU Family and HONOLULU Magazine’s dining teams.

OUR DINING CHECKLIST

• Ambiance: A gastropub with two bars amid industrial décor, located in the former Pearl Ultra Lounge space at Hoʻokipa Terrace. It is quite lively in the evening as people watch sports on TV screens strategically placed throughout the restaurant.
• Parking: Plenty of mall parking on the third floor of Ala Moana Center.
• Bathrooms: The dark bathrooms are clean and well-stocked, however, there are no baby diaper-changing stations.
• High Chairs/Stroller-Friendly: High chairs are available. There is plenty of open space and a ramp that leads to the second level, making it easy for parents to maneuver strollers. The restaurant is spacious and ideal for large families and groups.
• Keiki Menu/Takeout Option: The lunch and dinner menus are similar and limited in selection. There is no keiki menu, and the only item in a “kid’s portion” is the Ox Burger, served with two patties instead of one. Take-out is an option, although we recommend dining in to get the full experience of the gastropub atmosphere.
• What to Know: There is a large selection of craft beers and cocktails, so we suggest visiting during happy hour from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., where appetizers and select drinks are half-price. Brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There also are two private rooms with seating for up to a dozen people each. The rooms can be booked for parties and events via the website. Friday and Saturday bookings require a $500 combined food and drink minimum.

Our little foodies:

• Leah, 10, loves all things from the sea. The adventurous foodie’s favorites include grape leaves, kibbeh (Lebanese raw meat with spices) and sushi.
• Jaffer, 8, loves fruit and vegetables. His favorite place to eat is Down to Earth; he has a weakness for sweets, and his favorite foods are Spam musubi, chocolate chip pancakes, pears and mussels.

An afternoon of swim practice, music lessons and some frantic last-minute shopping for a graduation gift sent us, tired and famished, to Ala Moana Center. We heard there was a new “pub” in the mall so we decided to go check it out.

Located in the former digs of Pearl Ultra Lounge, the Brilliant Ox is an American gastropub serving up pub-style fare mixed with local fusion by chef Brian Gremillion (formerly of Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop in New York City.) As we ventured in on a busy Thursday evening, the kids’ attention instantly was drawn to the life-size replica of an ox, the restaurant’s namesake, at the front door. 

Photo: By Wendy Awai-Dakroub

A hundred selfies later, we finally enter the restaurant where we were greeted by the friendly hostesses. The dining area is warm, very spacious, well-lit and inviting. There are two levels both with bars, and we were seated on the second level close to the private dining rooms. Obviously, it was “happy hour” as we saw co-workers chatting and enjoying the restaurant’s pau hana menu. The atmosphere definitely was alive, but not too loud for conversation with youngins.

The dinner menu at The Brilliant Ox offers a handful of interesting fusion pub grub. For example, there is the: Okinawan sweet potato croquettes with lup cheong jam and sambal mayo ($10); scotch egg “katsu” with ground-chicken sausage covered in Bulldog tonkatsu sauce and shredded cabbage ($12); and crispy pork belly with chili-garlic sauce, grilled cabbage and scallions ($21), just to name a few.

We decided to share a green goddess salad, which, at dinner, is served as a starter with oil-poached ahi, buttermilk-herb dressing, avocado and roasted seeds in a buttermilk dressing ($13). You can order the same salad served as an entrée at lunch with roast chicken instead of the ahi ($15).

Photo: By Wendy Awai-Dakroub

My daughter Leah, 10, ordered The Brilliant Ox fries with oxtail gravy, aged cheddar fondue and black pepper ($11). Jaffer, my 8-year-old son and the carnivore in the family, devoured the child’s version of the Ox Burger ($14.50 or $10 for the child portion), a deliciously juicy grilled beef patty with signature ox sauce, lettuce, tomato and melted American cheese. It must have been good because he refused to share a bit with anyone at the table.

I particularly liked my beer-battered fish and chips, made with opah and served with French fries, malt vinegar ketchup and charred jalapeño tartar sauce ($20).

Photo: By Wendy Awai-Dakroub

Service was quick. Just 15 minutes after being seated, our meals were served all at once. Everything was delicious, and there were no leftovers. Unfortunately, there was no dessert menu, but our server recommended the one dessert item: a coconut tapioca pudding with lilikoʻi custard and cookie crumble topped with lychee whipped cream ($7). We were told the dessert was made by the chefs at La Tour Café, and it was divine.

Photo: By Wendy Awai-Dakroub

With our bellies full, we were walking out when the hostess noted that the kids did not take their “selfies” in the “red booth” (Oh my gosh. More selfies!). The red London-style phone booth near the entrance is hard to miss, and, according to the kids, is the restaurant’s coolest feature. They had a lot of fun taking numerous photos–which you can upload directly to social media.

All in all, our meal was wonderful with prompt, friendly service. Our bill for one adult and two kids was a hefty $86 without drinks, but totally worth every bite. On our next visit, we adults will try the selection of craft beers.

After all, The Brilliant Ox is a gastropub.

The Brilliant Ox at Ala Moana Center is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday; 10 a.m. to midnight, Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday. Hoʻokipa Terrace, 3rd Level. 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. #3230. (808) 377-4803. thebrilliantox.com

Wendy Awai-Dakroub is a Hawai‘i-based writer, founder of pintsizegourmets.com, photographer, traveler, and mom to kid-foodies Leah and Jaffer.