GREAT EATS HAWAII: BILLS SYDNEY

BILLS SYDNEY WAIKIKI

HONOLULU, HAWAII

BILLS SYDNEY WAIKIKI

280 BEACHWALK AVENUE

HONOLULU, HI 96815

808-922-1500

HOURS: Monday thru Thursday/Sunday 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Friday and Saturday 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM

www.billshawaii.com

I am lucky to have a little condo on Beachwalk in Waikiki. It is a half block from the beach and surrounded by restaurants and shopping. A few years ago the Hard Rock Cafe opened on Beachwalk but the retail space next to it remained empty for a long time. We were hoping that the unrented spaces would be filled with some hip new restaurants and shops to increase the value of our condo. Well a woman's retail store called Brandy Melville moved in and my daughter absolutely loves shopping there. A visit to Waikiki must always include a trip to Brandy Melville so during our last visit, we noticed a new tenant in the building with a lot of activity going on. Turns out that Bills from Sydney, Australia has built a very large two story restaurant on our beloved Beachwalk. We were greeted by a smiling employee before we even entered Bills. The young gal greeted us and asked if we had a reservation. We did not so another girl at the counter checked the computer. While she was looking for a table I walked through the beautiful waiting area and found a small bar and dining area on the right side. Another employee came up to me as I gazed into the space and said that this was the smaller cafe and a place to enjoy a coffee or beverage and that the "restaurant" with larger portions and menu is upstairs. He then asked if I had ever been to Bills. I said no and he said make sure to try the Pork and Watermelon Salad and Chicken Schnitzel. "Out of this world" he said.

We were taken upstairs by the hostess not knowing what to expect. As the three of us turned to enter the dining room we all said "wow" at the same time. I took a second to stop and look around at the top of the stairs and again thought to myself "wow". What a beautiful dining space. Bills is open, airy, light and earthy. The huge wood walls tower over a stunning bar with only six stools. To the right of the bar there is a small outdoor terrace with tables that overlook Beachwalk. We were seated at one of the row type tables where you have other diners sitting quite close to you. The kind of table where you can hear everything the people next to you are saying. I am uncomfortable dining like this except for the time we had Don Rickles and Joe Montana sitting on either side of us at Babbo's in New York. The tables have comfortable pillow seating along the inside and wood chairs on the outside. We were given menus and then waited a bit before anyone came to the table. Kind of a long time actually. This gave us time to examine the menu in detail and watch food come out of the kitchen. Food presentation looked good from the table but I wanted to eat. The waiter finally arrived. He was very bland, uninterested and said nothing about the menu or restaurant. He asked if we wanted water and then left to get it. When he returned we rattled off a list of items and he said nothing. First up was the Crisp Pork and Watermelon Salad ($15). Served with fresh herbs and cashews. This salad was light and delicious. There were four pieces of fatty pork and a lot of watermelon covered with mint, basil and cilantro. The herbs were delicious and really popped. The dressing was a very light non greasy sesame type. Liked the small red peppers in the salad that added a bit of heat. Next up was the Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad ($14). This pizza actually tasted great. We all liked the sauce and thin crust. Problem is the pizza comes uncut and with large balls of unmelted Mozzarella Cheese. We looked at it and tried to figure out how to eat it. I pulled out the butter knife and began cutting. This just made a mess as the knife could not go through the crust or tomatoes to well. I stopped and hailed our waiter down. "Jay" I yelled and waved him over. "How do you eat this" I asked. The waiter said "oh...steak knife" and ran off. He brought back a steak knife and said "they don't cut it here". My gosh I thought this is kinda bullshit. You gotta attack your pizza with a steak knife to eat it. We attacked and the pizza and it became a mess with tomatoes sliding off the crust. Problem is the pizza is good. Not cutting it into slices is a big mistake. We also went for the Parmesan Crumbed Chicken Schnitzel ($16). This dish is covered in Fennel and served with some really good Creamed Corn. The corn was the best thing on the plate in my opinion. My wife said the Chicken had flavor. I found it to be bland but pretty juicy. I remember the Fennel being a bit overpowering and probably would not order this dish again. The Veal and Pork Ragu Pasta ($18). Pappardelle Pasta, Tarragon, Parmesan and Lemon with a ton of herbs that make it almost a salad. There was not much Veal or Pork that I could find. I did not care for the sauce but my daughter said it was great and finished the plate. We are all pretty mixed on this place. Good but not great. Love the restaurant and location but would not make a special trip into Waikiki to come back.

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http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2015/09/bills-sydney-waikiki-revisted.html