Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Benihana's is gone - replaced by another Teppanyaki place on the same property.
La Mer and House Without a Key are both at the Halekalani - both have great food - and both will do significant damage to your credit card. I don't know what place you went to across the street from the Halekalani - Denny's has been there a long time - Roy's is also across the street which replaced a dive bar called the Longboard Bar
Teppanyaki might be a fun birthday dinner. At that age, glam and glitter (or some Hawaiiana tiki ambiance) may be more fun than actual steak quality? A teppenyaki chef and chop chop steak, by that time it's no longer about the quality of the steak.
The left overs from the Halekulani restaurant was in the building past the Denny's in Waikiki. Kinda further down Kalia road although it mostly seemed like an alleyway to the back of a hotel. Denny's wasn't there then, I don't think. This would have been the early to mid eighties or so. We'd go there about once a week, it was a tiny bit of a splurge, but it was really good food.
Hmm, John Dominis is gone, too, isn't it? That was another nice dinner place. Guess we should go over to Oahu more often and eat at fancier places.
Teppanyaki might be a fun birthday dinner. At that age, glam and glitter (or some Hawaiiana tiki ambiance) may be more fun than actual steak quality? A teppenyaki chef and chop chop steak, by that time it's no longer about the quality of the steak.
Well, for me - any place where the food isn't good kills the experience. Countless places close because of poor quality food despite location/ambiance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hotzcatz
The left overs from the Halekulani restaurant was in the building past the Denny's in Waikiki. Kinda further down Kalia road although it mostly seemed like an alleyway to the back of a hotel. Denny's wasn't there then, I don't think. This would have been the early to mid eighties or so. We'd go there about once a week, it was a tiny bit of a splurge, but it was really good food.
The entire Lewers Street/Kalia Street corridor was completely gutted 10-15 years ago. Anything low end did not survive. Nobody who was in that area before it was cleaned up would recognize it today.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hotzcatz
Hmm, John Dominis is gone, too, isn't it? That was another nice dinner place. Guess we should go over to Oahu more often and eat at fancier places.
John Dominis closed about 10 years ago. The building was demolished and replaced by 53 by the Sea. While it is a beautiful building inside and out - with great views - and worth checking out once, I'm not a huge fan of the limited menu and the sky high prices don't match what you get in terms of quality and quantity.
If one just wanted the best restaurant on Oahu and wasn't looking for a specific dinner item such as in this case, the steaks, which restaurant do you think would be the best one? And why? Quality of food? Service? Ambience? Costs?
At least the Ala Mo is easy to find and get to. If we're visiting our Honolulu friends for a special occasion, we will drag them over there. We usually default to Pauoa Chop Suey, this will be a bit more upscale for them.
It looks like the Sinature might be a good spot for the OP.
OP, you didn't indicate where you are staying on Oahu. If it is the western side of Oahu, I might suggest the La Hiki Steakhouse at at the Four Seasons in Ko Olina. It is a relatively new addition to the Four Season's La Hiki Kitchen, but I think their quality, prep and service is the best on the island. Their lechon kawali appetizer is drool inspiring.
IMO, for outright food quality and prep, Wolfgang's in Waikiki is the best. When I have gone to Wolfgang's, it has always been crowded. Signature has a drop-dead view of of Waikiki and Diamond Head, but make sure to get there early to enjoy the view. It starts getting dark around here by about 6:30 PM.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.