GREAT EATS HAWAII: HOKU'S AT THE KAHALA HOTEL

HOKU'S

KAHALA HOTEL

After another day at the Sony Open Golf Tournament, we walked over to Hoku's to have some dinner. The hostess at the front desk said tables were available but we could not dine in the restaurant because we were wearing shorts. C'mon this is Hawaii and 90% of the population are wearing shorts plus all the fans from the Sony I thought. The hostess quickly advised us that we could sit outside on the veranda of the hotel. This was nice because we really liked sitting out on the veranda. The service was great, it was not crowded and it was very relaxing. We opted to just order several dishes and eat family style. Started with some kind of salad that was as tasteless as it could be. Next we tried the Hoku's Ahi Musubi. Ahi Poke and Sushi Rice served crisp fried. I hated this dish. The Scallops were cooked to perfection but at $19 for two scallops I will pass next time. The Seared Foie Gras at $22 was good but nothing to rave about. We also tried the Short Rib Tempura. Braised Short Ribs in Tempura batter with a Kal-Bi Jus. This dish was excellent but expensive at $16. All in all we were very disappointed with the food here. The service and piano player on the Veranda and a few glasses of vino saved the evening. My recommendation for Hoku's is to "wear shorts" and sit on the veranda!