Hale ‘Aina Happenings: Here’s What’s New with Hawai‘i Restaurants in July 2019
Pau hana with a new cocktail omakase, try a trio of mangoes and add two more stops to your next trip to Japan.
Cocktail Omakase at Alan Wong’s
Why choose just one? Alan Wong’s new pau hana cocktail omakase lineup will change frequently.
Photo: Ryan kawamoto, Courtesy of Alan Wong’s
Alan Wong’s new pau hana program lets you leave your drink choices up to the experts. Limited to just five guests each day, the cocktail omakase will feature five new mini cocktails conceptualized by the restaurant’s wine director Mark Shishido and assistant wine director Kerry Ichimasa. The lineup will always be changing, but a sample menu sent to us ran the gamut from a deep and smoky whiskey blend to a twist on Ernest Hemingway’s favorite daiquiri and a shochu-based sweet potato lemonade. Be ready to chat with the mixologists as you sip (the email notice notes it is "engaging and interactive") and it’s a good reason to leave work early. The pouring begins at 5 p.m. Reservations are required and make sure to mention you are coming specifically for the cocktail omakase.
Available Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. $35 plus tax and gratuity. (808) 949-2526, alanwongs.com
ON SALE TICKETS: Tickets for the 2019 Hale ʻAina Awards presented by First Hawaiian Bank at the ʻAlohilani Resort. Read more about the new VIP experience.
Mango Dishes at Beachhouse at the Moana
veranda at the beachhouse's mango pancakes will be available for breakfast and lunch, so you don’t have to get out of bed early.
photo: Courtesy of the moana surfrider, a westin resort and spa
If you were missing the Mangoes at the Moana event this year (it's on hiatus for now,) you can get your fix of the sweet summer fruit with the mango tasting menu at the Beachhouse. Chef Colin Sato’s three-course menu is available with and without wine pairings and includes grilled Kauaʻi prawns with a green mango salad, roasted cashews and ginger carrot puree; porchetta with cauliflower puree, roasted brassicas (a type of mustard greens), mango chutney and chicharron with pork jus; and pastry chef Carmen Montejo’s mango-vanilla verrine with an aerated sponge cake, almond crumble and mango compote. Breakfast lovers can also find mango pancakes and a mango-flavored malassada among the special dishes that will be offered at the Veranda through lunch.
Three-course menu is available through July. $65, $80 with wine pairings. Dinner is 5:30-9:30 p.m. daily. Hours at the other restaurants vary. Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort & Spa, 2365 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 921-4600, beachhousewaikiki.com
SEE ALSO: 2019 Hale ‘Aina Award Winners: The Best Restaurants in Hawai‘i
Tim Ho Wan Waikīkī Catering Menu
BBQ Pork buns (right) are on the catering menu, but the har gau (left) is not.
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
Sometimes you want your dim sum in bulk. We won't judge. The new Hale ʻAina winner’s menu offers 18 items including nine BBQ Pork Bun for $17.50, a dozen pieces of siu mai for $17, fried noodles ($19 for three portions), turnip cake, and three desserts including the fried milk sticks and matcha sesame ball. The restaurant is asking for orders at least 24 hours in advance, but later requests may be possible, depending on availability of the items you want.
Royal Hawaiian Center, 2233 Kalākaua Ave., Suite B-3, (808) 888-6088, timhowanusa.com
SEE ALSO: What Does Michelin-Starred Dim Sum Taste Like?
Shafer Vineyards Winemaker’s Dinner at Hoku’s
Napa winemaker Doug Shafer will help host a five-course dinner featuring Shafer Vineyards wines at The Kāhala Hotel and Resort. The July 24 menu includes Big Island abalone, lavender-brined quail, Mountain View Farms porchetta, Kunoa Ranch beef terrine and a flight of chocolate morsels, paired with Shafer’s Red Shoulder Ranch chardonnay, Relentless syrah, One Point Five cabernet sauvignons and its signature Hillside Select cabernet sauvignon.
$175 plus tax and gratuity. Wednesday, July 24, 6:30 p.m. The Kāhala Hotel & Resort, 500 Kāhala Ave., (808) 739-8760, kahalaresort.com
Opening Soon: Halekūlani in Okinawa
The pool at the new Halekūlani Resort in Okinawa.
Photo: courtesy of Halekūlani
After 102 years on the shores of Waikīkī, the historic Halekūlani is opening a second location in Okinawa on July 26. The 360-room resort will feature five new restaurants, including Shiroux, which has been conceptualized with the help of consulting chef Hiroyasu Kawate, chef and owner of the Michelin-starred Floriege in Tokyo. To celebrate the big opening, the July 18 WineView event at Cattleya Wine Bar here will focus on awamori, Okinawa’s rice spirit. Randy Kuba of Lotus Spirits will walk participants through the history and flavors of the drink.
WineView Event: $59 per person for drinks and light bites. Arrive anytime between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. on July 18. Halekūlani, 2199 Kalia Road, (808) 923-2311, halekulani.com
Opening Soon: Pig and the Lady in Japan
The pig & the Lady team in 2015 when the restaurant won the Hale ʻAina gold award for Best new Restaurant.
photo: Olivier Koning
Yes, you may soon be able to get a pho French dip banh mi in Tokyo. Consistent Hale ʻAina winner The Pig & the Lady's first restaurant outside of Hawaiʻi is slated to open this fall. Chef owner Andrew Le and his team are working with Transit General Office, a Tokyo-based company behind almost 70 eateries in Japan including Ice Monster and bills. Read more about the move on our sister website, Frolic Hawaiʻi.
Other Hale ʻAina news and events
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July 23: Sake Dinner at Pai Honolulu
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Aug. 27: Pai Summer BBQ Dinner
