GREAT EATS HAWAII: SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD

HONOLULU, HAWAII

SIGNATURE PRIME STEAK AND SEAFOOD

410 ATKINSON DRIVE, 36TH FLOOR

HONOLULU, HAWAII 96814

808-260-9966

HOURS: Monday thru Saturday 4:30 PM - 10:30 PM

Sunday 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

www.signatureprimesteak.com

Traveling up the elevator to the 36th Floor of the Ala Moana Hotel brought back memories of past restaurants that once occupied the space where Signature Prime Steak and Seafood now resides. I have had countless dinners and cocktails high atop the Ala Moana Hotel and now was back after the space had been dormant for so many years. Peter Kim, a local restaurant legend who owns Liliha Bakery, Yummy's Korean BBQ and Lahaina Chicken Company has graduated from fast food and invested in Hawaii's newest steakhouse located in one of Hawaii's most iconic spaces. Together with General Manager, Jacque Viloria who honed her culinary hosting skills at Del Frisco's in Las Vegas, Mr. Kim has created a very relaxing yet classy environment that takes full advantage of the magnificent views while serving up a bit of Aloha. Service here was spot on with employees making eye contact and engaging our group. Both Jacque and Mr. Kim made the rounds and visited our table. Jacque was the real deal. At my request, she recounted how she left Hawaii for the bright lights of Las Vegas to work at Del Frisco's and then at the request of Mr. Kim returned to Hawaii to open this new restaurant. Her passion for food, beer, wine and the perfect steakhouse shined through as she smiled and laughed along with our entire table. While Jacque entertained, the food began to arrive. We started with the Signature Seafood Tower ($49.95). Main Lobster, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Oysters and New England Sea Scallops. Really a giant bowl of ice. My take on this is that you pay big bucks for a small cold lobster tail that has to seasoning or taste. The Tower is served with a Ponzu dipping sauce and really bland cocktail sauce that tastes like ketchup. The lobster tail screamed for butter. The Oysters and Shrimp in the Tower screamed for horseradish and better cocktail sauce. Next up was a half dozen Oysters on the Half Shell ($15.95). Oysters were fresh, sweet and delicious but again served with Ponzu Sauce and a cocktail sauce that tastes like ketchup. Oysters need a little vinegar with horseradish our table concluded. The Ahi Poke ($14.95) to me was the bomb. Fresh Ahi Tuna with onions and avocado and a spicy sauce that had some kick. This was the perfect appetizer prior to eating a large steak dinner. Loved it. I ordered the Iceberg Wedge Salad ($8.95). This was hands down one of the best Wedge Salads of my life. Crisp cool lettuce served with a perfect dressing and topped with crumbled bleu cheese, bacon and tomatoes. Perfection! I could not stop eating this salad and finished the whole thing with a smile. For my entree, I went for the Prime Bone In Ribeye ($55.95). Menu says 22 oz but I think mine was twice that size. At least it looked like it. Wow.....the steak looked amazing on the plate. Cooked with a light char on the outside that really did seal in the juices. One bite and I said that the steak was seasoned to perfection. Great flavor, texture and color. Seasoned and cooked to absolute steak perfection. This was a great steak. Up there with the best of them in my book. Only wish I could have eaten more. Only finished less than half as the appetizers, salad and wine were filling me up quite nicely. Jacque, the General Manager took a look at my plate and politely requested I take off my skirt and man up and finish the thing. Oh how I wish I could have. It was delicious. The entrees were served with Mashed Potatoes and we ordered Creamed Corn ($7.95) and Sauteed Mushrooms ($9.50) for the table. Our waiter took the time to individually serve each one of us a small portion of each side. I loved the Creamed Corn. Large kernels of sweet corn that were incredible when mixed into the mashed potatoes. This was a really good meal. Up there with the best steakhouses in Hawaii. Service from the time you walk in and are greeted by a bevy of young local beauties all dressed in white until the nightcap at the bar was perfecto! I wish Mr. Kim and Jacque the best of luck here and will return again with family and friends to invest in their continued success.

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