GREAT EATS HAWAII: ALAN WONG'S

Sunday, February 7, 2016

ALAN WONG'S

1857 S. KING STREET

HONOLULU, HI 96826

808-949-2526

HOURS: Daily 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

www.alanwongs.com

Alan Wong's remains one of my all time favorite Honolulu restaurants. Always fresh, consistent and delicious with top notch service. When you arrive at Alan Wong's there is a very small driveway that leads to a parking garage. Always use the valet ($5) to save time and headaches looking for parking. Take the elevator to the third floor of an office building located outside Waikiki in a primarily business and residential neighborhood. When the elevator doors open its like entering another world with a hostess station fronting the entrance and large open kitchen. The hostess was smiling and called my name. Wow did not know that a friend and co-star of one of my Fujitsu commercials was working here. After a big hug she seated us at a table just off the lanai. The menus arrived with employees right and left wishing someone at the table Happy Birthday. The menus were customized with the Birthday Boy's name and hand signed by the entire cooking staff. While I don't like this treatment for me, this is a super personal service that helps set Alan Wong's apart from many competitors. The staff is well trained, knowledgeable on the menu, focused on customer service and very attentive. Given this you should probably figure on 2-3 hours for dinner service. Our dinner lasted just under three hours but it did not feel slow or long in any way. First comes the bread. So fresh, warm and delicious when paired with the Chili Pepper Aioli that is provided in place of butter. The Aioli is addicting and the bread disappeared off the table in minutes. The Chopped Ahi Sashimi and Avocado Stack ($22.50) was a massive mound of fresh Ahi, Avocado and Crispy Won Ton Chips. This is a great dish to share with the table and it is delicious. My Daughter is on a Foie Gras kick and wants to eat it with every meal. She has no idea of how expensive it costs and eats it like candy. The Hudson Valley Foie Gras ($24) is good here but I would prefer having a piece of toast to accompany the Foie Gras rather than eating it plain. Don't get me wrong, the dish is excellent and cooked to perfection. The Roasted Beet, Avocado and Tomato Salad ($15) was super fresh. Loved the beets but there was something missing to pull all of these great flavors together. The Caesar Salad ($14) was a thing of beauty on the table but missed the mark on taste because again the flavors did not come together. They also put Kalua Pork in the salad which is unique but not necessary in a Caesar Salad I thought. You really need to chop up this salad and get the dressing which is on the bottom of the plate mixed thoroughly on the lettuce. Otherwise it is very dry and bland. Good if you can get the dressing on the lettuce. The Keahole Lobster Lasagna ($42) was a bit expensive but unique. A small local Lobster Tail alongside a round of Lasagna with a Tomato based Sauce. The sauce was delicious. Not a bad dish but expensive. The Pan Seared Opakapaka ($42) was also expensive for a piece of fish but the flavor was amazing. The fish was moist and the flavor of the sauce was awesome. This was one of my favorite fish dishes ever and I would highly recommend it.

The Tomato Soup and Sandwich ($10) is not on the menu but it is a favorite among customers. We asked for it and the waiter checked with the kitchen and returned to tell us they would be happy to make the dish. I looked over at the table next to me with five diners and they ALL had the Soup and Sandwich in front of them. My Wife loves this combo and she happily finished every bite. There are not many restaurants where you just have to save room for dessert but Alan Wong's is one of them. My "go to" favorites are The Coconut ($13.50 and the Crunch Bars ($13). The Coconut is so light and refreshing that it is difficult to stop eating. The Crunch Bars are decadent and satisfy my love for chocolate. Alan Wong's is deserving of the dozens of awards and Restaurant of the Year Awards.

Great place to eat when someone else is paying or you just want to treat yourself or someone you love. Click link below to view another post on Alan Wongs;

http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2015/04/alan-wongs-restaurant.html