Savoring the exotic flavors of India
Friday - December 05, 2008
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A bite-sized look at food events in Honolulu.
Cafe TajMahal Fine Indian Food.
Cafe TajMahal may have recently opened, but its owners, Kabir Chowdhury and his wife, Hosneara Nitu Mahal, have had lots of practice creating dishes that appeal to local palates.
Until April, you could find the couple at Maharani, the popular Indian restaurant on South King Street.
Now branching out alone, and with goodwill from Hosneara’s brothers at Maharani, the couple brings a mixture of northern, central and southern Indian dishes to the table.
Tandoori fans will love the tenderness of chicken and lamb dishes, vegetarians will find lots on the menu to please them - and expect to see some of the largest, fluffiest nan breads and plumpest samosas in town.
Lamb - in a variety of presentations - is a specialty, and one that Kabir recommends to anyone trying the restaurant for the first time.
Chicken Korma has tender chunks of chicken marinated and then simmered in a subtle fragrant sauce that’s well spiced but not hot.
“We make the sauces mild to medium hot,” says Kabir,“and we will make them hotter if people like, but generally our dishes are medium spiced. People think that Indian food is very hot and spicy, and it’s not.”
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The cozy, casual restaurant on Waialae Avenue, tucked behind The Fat Greek and next door to Sabrina’s Italian Ristorante, is a welcome addition to a neighborhood that is home to a seriously good dining scene. Seating about 38 people, Cafe TajMahal is small, intimate and family-run. Kabir hosts front of house, while Hosneara is in the kitchen. BYOB and there’s just a $1 per glass charge.
If you’re going, do give them a call and make a reservation. “When you have a small restaurant, people always tend to come all at once,” says Kabir with a smile.
Look for the signature giant samosas - and be prepared to share. They’re a specialty of the house and are easily twice the size of any I’ve seen. Dishes of note include excellent Lamb Biriyani ($16.99) and Chicken Korma ($11.25).
Cafe TajMahal
3036 Waialae Ave.
(Next to Sabrina’s, behind The Fat Greek).
732-6496
Happy Holiday Hours at E&O Trading.
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E&O Trading Company lends itself so perfectly to the holiday vibe. Walk into the gorgeous restaurant and submerge yourself in sumptuous silks, twinkling lights, creative food and some of the best cocktails in town.
Along with a unrivalled ambience, the restaurant also has a great happy hour every day from 4 to 7p.m. where top-shelf martinis, draft beers and cocktails are on special and pupu start at $1.
In the kitchen, executive chef Nicholas Salvi prides himself on creating “out of the box” flavors resulting in dishes like Vietnamese garlic rice, claypot mussels in a kaffir lime and lemongrass broth and twice-cooked beef short ribs in an oolong tea braise.
The bar scene is busy, and on Thursday, Friday and Sunday evenings, you can catch live music on the lanai.
E&O Trading Company Ward Centre 591-9555 http://www.eotrading.com
Hifumi: December Butterfish and Shrimp.
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There’s no need to tell the faithful customers of Hifumi that the Japanese restaurant offers some of the largest, tastiest, golden and crisp tempura in town. So for those who’ve not yet taken the trip inside the Chinese Cultural Plaza to find this Japanese casual dining gem, December offers tempting specials.
Well-known for clean, near-perfect tempura batter (the oil is changed daily), Hifumi offers giant shrimp (the largest are a foot long in batter) and combo meals that include opakapaka and butterfish. There’s nothing fancy about the décor or the service, but if you’re looking for excellent miso butterfish with shrimp or opakapaka with shrimp tempura, it’s hard to find anywhere else offering Hifumi’s $10.95 value.
Lunch specials start at $9.95 and include a choice of two entrees (tonkatsu, chicken katsu, chicken, beef or pork teriyaki, chicken karaage or salmon), which come with rice, miso soup, tossed salad and tea. Dinner specials start at $10.95.
Hifumi owners say their modest location enables them to keep prices low and customers happy.
Hifumi
100 N. Beretania St. #113
(Parking inside Chinese Cultural Plaza)
536-3035
The Gift of Tony Roma’s.
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The new look in Tony Roma’s is more casual steak house than down-home rib joint. Flat-screen TVs at the bar, comfortable booths and a contemporary atmosphere enhanced by light wood, designer lighting and lots of natural daylight make the Pearlridge Tony Roma’s seem a world away from the original Honolulu location in Waikiki.
“As soon as you step into our Pearlridge restaurant, the whole scene is lighter, brighter - the energy is different, ” says Jerry Pastones, district manager for Hawaii.
The face lift is all part of a corporate new look along with new menu items - and those same award-winning ribs.
“Whatever we change, people come for the ribs,” says Pastones. “They’re the best-selling thing on the menu, and people still come for them more than anything else, but now there’s a steady crowd who come for the other things that we do well.”
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At lunch, you’ll find sandwich, salad and burger options, including a Sirloin Cheddar Grille - thinly sliced sirloin steak on Texas toast with Cheddar cheese, tomatoes and served with crispy onions and barbecue sauce - and a dozen or so themes on a burger ($8.99-$10.99).
And if you’re looking for a gift that won’t be returned Dec. 26, then Tony Roma’s gift certificates come with a $5 coupon back with every $50 purchase.
Tony Roma’s
Aiea Westridge
98-150 Kaonohi St.
487-9911
Waikiki
1972 Kalakaua Ave.
942-2121
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