GREAT EATS HAWAII: BAR PODMORE

BAR PODMORE

202 MERCHANT STREET

HONOLULU, HI 96813

808-521-7367

HOURS: Daily 4PM - 10PM / Closed Monday and Tuesday

https://www.barpodmore.com

https://www.yelp.com/biz/podmore-honolulu-10

https://www.instagram.com/barpodmore/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/barpodmore/

I have been following the building of Bar Podmore on Instagram for what feels like two years. The Owners, Anthony Rush and his Wife Katherine Nomura have put their heart, souls, creativity, passion and lots of money into this historic building and believe me they did not scrimp on anything. To pull off all the design, permits, construction, procurement of materials and requirements for preserving a Hawaii historic building during COVID must have been an ordeal and I salute Anthony and Katherine for getting the job done. From the floors to the walls, fixtures and furnishings this place is beautiful. The purple and green seating surprisingly works well and transforms you to a bar reminiscent of London or New York. There is nothing like this in Hawaii and I love it. The service level here is above any bar in Hawaii and more like a Five Star restaurant. This is not the type of place you pop into to slam a few draft beers and a shot. It is rather, a place where you dress up a bit, relax and spend an hour or two enjoying the imaginative drinks, beautiful decor an elevated bar food. My Wife does not drink but decided to try the Chung Chow because she liked the look of all of the flavored ice that fills the glass with color. Surveying around the bar, it looked like most woman were enjoying this drink. At $30 it is not cheap but this is not something you can get anywhere else. I asked our waitress if they have wine and to my surprise she said no. They did however serve champagne by the glass which I happily enjoyed. I get that they want people to try and enjoy the specialty cocktails, but I don't drink hard alcohol and would be very happy to sit awhile and consume a nice bottle of wine. My Wife liked the Chung Chow and especially the fruit flavored ice balls. The Foie Gras Parfait was one of our favorite dishes here. Served with mini Yorkshire Pudding which we loved. The Devils on Horseback is a huge blast of Blue Cheese. Chef told us to eat in one bite so we did. If you love Blue Cheese you will love this little appetizer. My favorite dish was the Hamachi Roll. The Hamachi Spread and Smoked Trout Roe comes through lightly plus the buttered bread is heaven. The Scotch Quail Eggs also hit the spot but I thought there was just a little too much breading covering the delicate eggs and sausage. I am not a big fan of Pork Belly so the Roasted Pork Buns were not my favorite. If you do like Fried Pork Belly than you will love these little pillows. The Apple Sauce was a good accompaniment to the Pork. I was full when the Steamed Ricotta Dumplings arrived at the table. It is a play on a Dumpling with no pasta. We actually were craving a pasta Dumpling. Tried one and thought it was just ok. Probably would not order again. Both me and my Wife thought it would be nice if there were more food options and hope they rotate the menu often or seasonally. We are really looking forward to enjoying Brunch here and will return again for another cocktail. Owner/Chef Anthony Rush was very gracious and took the time to walk us out and talk a bit about the restaurant and building process. Truly a gentleman and great Chef.