Sunday, July 3, 2011

HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY - HALEKULANI HOTEL

HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY
HALEKULANI HOTEL

HULA UNDER THE KIAWE TREE AT SUNSET
The Halekulani Hotel is probably the nicest and only 5 Star Hotel in Waikiki.  The hotel features three signature restaurants with the first two being very high end.  The House without a Key is a casual indoor/outdoor restaurant/bar located poolside and oceanside.  The large Kiawe Tree on the lawn is the perfect background for what has become one of Hawaii's premier sunset hula shows.  This is not a flashy or loud show.  Simply Hawaiian music and an elegant dancer.  We always enjoy time spent on the patio here.  It allows us to enjoy a sunset and cocktail in a very calm and relaxed setting unlike most of the watering holes in Waikiki.  You can choose cocktail seating up front near the Hula Dancer or Dinner seating under covered umbrellas or under roof.  We always choose outside under the umbrellas.  We were seated rather quickly during prime time.  After a minute or two the waiter arrived to take our drink order.  Was surprised that no water was brought to the table.  When I asked for a water, our waiter brought me one but none for the rest of the table.  Complimentary bread here is delicious.  Very fresh.  We ordered from the Small Plate Menu as we did not want a big meal.  The best deal on the menu was the Childs Beef Skewers ($8.50).  Nice chunks of marinated beef served with fresh vegetables.  Our daughter loved the dish.  I tried the Beef Skewer and it was delicious.  The Caesar Salad ($12) had no anchovies and no taste.  The bacon bits were hard like rocks.  The Lobster Roll ($14) was also tasteless.  You can get a roll like this at any vietnamese restaurant (less the lobster) for a few bucks.  Since you cannot taste the small piece of lobster in each piece, this dish is not worth it.  The Poke Sliders ($18) seemed like a real good idea and the presentation was beautiful.  Problem is fresh Poke (Ahi Tuna) should not be served on a bun.  This was really fresh and delicious Poke.  When you put this stuff on a bun and eat it like a burger, the Poke squirts and gets mushy in your mouth.  I ate my second slider without the bun.  Just picked out all the Poke pieces.  Delicious.  I think the Childs Beef Skewer dish came with a desert.  We enjoyed a scoop of chocolate ice cream covered in whipped creme and surrounded by MM's.  I really like House without a Key, but really think they need to work on the menu.
Click link below for another post on House without a Key;

COMPLIMENTARY BREAD BASKET
CAESAR SALAD
LOBSTER ROLL 
CHILD BEEF SKEWERS
POKE SLIDERS
POKE SLIDER WITHOUT THE BREAD ON TOP
CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM WITH WHIPPED CREME AND M N M'S

4 comments:

  1. My brother recommended I might like this website. He was entirely right.
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    ReplyDelete
  2. It is clear you are one of those annoying faux food critics who take photos of their food to post and critique when I doubt you could fry an egg.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That last comment came from the chef who put ahi poke on a hamburger bun. I challenge any chef in America to try that dish and tell me that it is not shit.

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  4. "You can get a roll like this at any vietnamese restaurant (less the lobster) for a few bucks."

    Do those vietnamese restaurants have a hula show with the sunset and kiawe tree as a backdrop? I'm sorry to be snarky, but you need to Get Real.

    Aloha.

    ReplyDelete

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