TBD HAWAII BY VIKRAM GARG
LOTUS HOTEL
2885 KALAKAUA AVENUE
HONOLULU, HI 96815
808-791-5164
Venturing out on the town with my gals since Keli was not working. It seems so rare nowadays that all three of us get do go out for a nice dinner. Most nights spent at home and with Keli working two jobs, she usually is catching late night fast food. We drove to Waikiki and found a site that we had not seen a months if not a year. People were out at the beach and on the streets of Waikiki in masses. Parking along Kapiolani Park was full. It was like pre-COVID. I had a few restaurants on my radar but both were booked on a Saturday night. Kept looking and found TBD Hawaii which I had never heard of. Checked it out and learned that the Chef came from the Halekulani Hotel which has great food. Located in the Lotus Hotel at the steps of Diamond Head, TBD is a beautiful restaurant on the second floor. Old Timers like me will remember this as the location of Bobby McGee's which in its day was "THE" nightclub to be at on weekends. We arrived and were greeted. Temperatures taken and contact tracing complete we were seated against the back wall where they have couch like seating. My gals immediately grabbed the couch and left me on the outside. Most couples here huddle up on these couches and the couple next to us did a little making out. Menus are obtained by scanning the code on a card. The menu ca4me up quickly on our phones and was easy to navigate. I cannot see restaurants going back to paper or plastic menus in the future if scanning is this easy. We all chose the Tasting Menu ($59) which includes four courses; Appetizer, Soup or Salad, Entree and Dessert. The Foie Gras Gyoza was amazing. Soft dumplings filled with Foie Gras. I could have eaten a dozen of these but only took a small bite to taste to keep my low carb diet somewhat intact. The Ahi Tartar served with a Shrimp Chip was also delicious as were the Shrimp Escargot. Loved the buttery garlicky Shrimp. We all went with the Caesar Salad which was nicely chilled and topped with Bacon and big Parmesan Crisps. I enjoyed the Lamb Shank which was served in a Tomato Sauce. The Lamb was a bit tough but overall the dish was good. The Rice Pilaf was dominated by a cinnamon flavor. I did not eat the rice. My Daughter had the Pork Chop which I tried a liked. She said it was good. My Wife had the Ribeye which she thought was small and just ok. I loved the Popsicle dessert and took a bite of the Banana Caramel and loved it too. Overall I liked TBD Hawaii. The food, atmosphere and service were all very good to me. I like the feel of the place too and would not mind just hanging out in the bar area and sipping a glass of bubbly.
Word is that this restaurant will close in June. Turns out they opened the restaurant with a closing date of two years announced upon the opening date. Hope they remain open.
 |
| TBD HAWAII BY VIKRAM GARG |
 |
| AHI TARTAR |
 |
| FOIE GRAS GYOZA |
 |
| SHRIMP ESCARGOT |
 |
| CAESAR SALAD |
 |
| LAMB SHANK |
 |
| RIBEYE |
 |
| PORK CHOP |
 |
| THE POPSICLE |
 |
| THESE WAS SO DELICIOUS |
 |
| BANANA BALLS WITH CARAMEL SAUCE |
 |
| OUT WITH MY GALS! |
