GREAT EATS HAWAII: GYU-KAKU - JAPANESE BBQ DINING

GYU-KAKU

HONOLULU, HAWAII

GYU-KAKU

1221 KAPIOLANI BLVD, #105

HONOLULU, HI 96814

808-589-2989

HOURS: 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM LUNCH

3:30 PM - 11:30 PM DINNER

11:30 AM - 6:30 PM HAPPY HOUR

8:30 PM - 11:30 PM HAPPY HOUR

PARKING: Free parking on first and second floor of building. Enter on Hopaka Strett.

www.gyu-kaku.com/hi/kapiolani.htm

Finally made it to Gyu-Kaku on Kapiolani after many of my friends suggested we dine there. We entered to find a smiling young staff eager to greet and seat us. While most of the seating here is comfortable private booths, we were seated at a table for four next to a table for six. The tables come complete with your own BBQ where you cook an assortment of beef, seafood and vegetables. You can also order cooked and prepared dishes that do not require you to cook them. I started with an ice cold Asahi Japanese Beer ($3.95) that really went well with the BBQ items. We ordered Edamame ($1.95) that was pretty basic. The Ahi Poke ($5.95) was served with tons of onions. Super fresh Ahi Tuna that was delicious. The Crispy Seaweed ($1.95) was gone in two minutes. My daughter devoured the Seaweed before anyone else could sample it. I had to try the Steamed Chili Dumplings ($4.95) because I wanted some heat. Unfortunately, they were not hot at all. The Chili's were mild. Loved the dish even without the heat. The dumplings melted in my mouth. The Gyu-Kaku Salad ($6.95) was enough for two people. The salad was topped with fresh Daikon and a Ginger/Mayo type dressing. The hard boiled egg was a nice touch that added another dimension to the otherwise standard salad. The Assorted Vegetables ($6.95) were good once grilled on the BBQ. The corn steamed in a small container that was loaded with butter and delicious when eaten with a little rice. The Harami Skirt Steak ($9.45) and the Nakauchi Ribeye ($4.95) tasted the same after cooking them on the BBQ. Great marinade and flavor. The Garlic Shrimp ($5.95) had a light garlic flavor but really did not impress.

The Sukiyaki Bibimbap ($7.95) was served in very hot pot and mixed by the waitress at the table. Filled with rice, teriyaki beef and a lot of onions. Not a bad dish. For dessert we tried the Taiyaki with Ice Cream ($4.50). This is a fish shaped waffle filled with Japanese Sweet Beans. Simply heat it on the grill and eat with vanilla ice cream topped with honey. Loved the waffle, ice cream and honey. The beans were not my favorite. The Smores ($3.95) consist of marshmallow, chocolate and a grahm cracker. The crackers did not taste fresh but the chocolate and marshmallow were enough to satisfy me. Overall this was a really good meal plus it was fun to cook on the BBQ. We all liked the food and experience at Gyu-Kaku. The Happy Hour prices are great too. The menu has two prices for every item. The prices in red are Happy Hour prices. Most are really good deals for Honolulu eating and I would not hesitate this Happy Hour to anyone who loves grilled meats. Service was excellent with our waitress named Mel. The Manager came by to check on us and greeted and thanked us as we left.