Finding local favorites all in one place
Friday - January 09, 2009
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Kochi’s Comfort Food.
If you’re like most discriminating diners, you’ll travel far and islandwide to find favorite local foods. It might be saimin at one restaurant, sushi at another, butterfish here and pork chops there. But what if you wanted to find them all in one place?
You might want to try Kochi Restaurant, where brothers Cory Makishi and Lee Takara were inspired by local favorites when deciding on their menu.
“We wanted a place where the local food was good and where it was the kind of place that had all of our favorite things,“says Makishi.
The result is an eclectic and mouth-watering menu.You’ll find everything from agedashi tofu with a light shoyu broth ($5.95), to ahi poke ($15.95), fried rice ($6.95), sushi (from $5.95), Japanese-style hamburger steak ($12.95), blackened ahi ($18.95), misoyaki butterfish ($18.50) and deep-fried pork chops ($13.95). The menu goes on and on and on ...
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You can order portions family size if you want to share. A portion of misoyaki chicken, for example, is $7.95; upsize to family portions for $11.95.
What makes the menu work is its accessibility and a fairly expert execution of each dish. Barbecue ribs ($12.95) are stickily addictive; tofu is firm and deep-fried to a golden brown then topped with a light shoyu broth; and the kurobuta kakuni ($16.95) is one of the softest, meltingly comforting pieces of pork in town.
The brothers put their own twist on several well-known dishes, including their version of a loco moco.
“This was inspired by my brother,” says Takara of the hamburger patty, corned beef hash, rice and egg combination.
The House Moco is fast becoming one of the restaurant’s best sellers.
“People are bringing their friends here or visitors to the island for their first taste of loco moco,” says Lee’s wife and restaurant manager, Denise Takara. “Everybody seems to love it!’
You be the judge.
Kochi is open seven days a week for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. and for late-night pupu from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Kochi Restaurant and Lounge 1936 S. King St.
941-2835
Value-priced Specials at d.k’s Steak House.
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Those looking for the best value when dining out might want to check out some of the value-priced specials at d.k’s Steak House. The only restaurant in Hawaii with a dry-aging room, d.k’s offers some of the most succulent steaks in the city. A current special offers 50 percent off entrees with each regular-priced purchase of an entre.
If you’re unfamiliar with dry-aged steaks, the meats at d.k’s are aged for approximately 28 days before being pronounced perfect and ready for guests. The aging creates a tender, intensely flavored steak with added layers of deep, rich, nutty components.
“People seem to love the bolder flavors of the steaks,” says d.k’s managing partner Ivy Nagayama, “and our customers all comment on how tender the meats are.”
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In addition to steaks, seafood and fresh island fish, the d.k Steak House menu includes local favorites like excellent homemade meat loaf, home-style pork chops ($19.95), and a prime burger and fries ($17.95). d.k Steak House Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa
2552 Kalakaua Ave.
third floor
931-6280
http://www.dkrestaurants.com
Chef’s Table Jan. 15 at 3660 On the Rise.
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Popular Chef’s Table continues at fine dining restaurant 3660 On the Rise this month as Chef Russell Siu and Chef de Cuisine Lydell Leong present a five-course dinner that includes pan-seared, arare-crusted ahi with lemon-ginger aioli; butter-braised Maine lobster medallions with a creamy fennel puree; baked truffle mousse-stuffed quail with a morel mushroom and foie gras emulsion; and cold, smoked pork tenderloin with an apple-cinnamon chutney. Dessert is a Grand Marnier crme brulee.
“The chef’s dinners offer an alternative to our regular menu,” says Siu of the casual evening held in the banquet rooms at the restaurant. Guests can bring their own wine, with no corkage fee, or enjoy special pricing on the restaurant’s extensive wine list.
Chef’s Dinner
3660 On the Rise
3660 Waialae Ave.
Jan. 15, dinner begins at 6:30 p..m.
Cost is $80 per person, and reservations are recommended
737-1177
Best of Thai - at Best Prices.
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Keo’s Thai Restaurant in Waikiki has a long-held reputation as one of our best Thai eateries. Now owner Keo Sananikone is offering some of the best pricing, too.
“We realize that people are going through some tough times,” says Keo,“and we want our restaurant staff to be able to keep busy, so we’ve made our pricing more attractive than ever.”
Discounted pricing includes a 25-percent discount from the restaurant’s takeout menu, 15 percent off food orders placed before 6:30 p.m, and 20 percent off late-night dining (between 9 and 10 p.m.)
With a menu from which choosing one or two dishes is almost impossible, the early-bird discount makes ordering an extra dish or two affordable. Try the Fresh Hot Basil with Chicken ($14.95), Thai Style Pork Chops ($16.95), Bangkok Duck ($14.95), or the Spicy Panang Stir Fried Soft Shell Crab with Peas and Cashew Nuts ($19.95) to get an idea of the variety of Keo’s cuisine.
Keo’s offers valet parking, or self-parking just a short walk from the restaurant (on the corner of Kuhio and Kalakaua avenues). You’ll find the staff a friendly, well-informed and professional group.
Keo’s Thai Cuisine
2028 Kuhio Ave.
951-9355
http://www.keosthaicuisine.com
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