A relaxed, friendly place for lunch in Waikiki
Friday - April 13, 2007
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Kalakaua Crab Cakes are sauteed and then served
with roasted red pepper sauce and tropical mango
salsa
If you happen to find yourself in the heart of Waikiki looking for a fairly relaxed place to lunch, friendly waitstaff and some reasonably priced dishes, you might want to stop at Atlantis Steak and Seafood at the site of the former Waikiki 3 Cinema.
At night the place is buzzing with happy tourists, who seem to love the fresh fish, tropical drinks and view of busy Waikiki below.
For locals, I’d suggest lunch. You’ll get some sense of the design of the restaurant, including the stunning bathrooms (which might just be the nicest in Honolulu), and there are some well-priced options that won’t break the bank. Atlantis at lunchtime offers the type of entrée you’d expect from an American-styled steak and seafood restaurant, (sandwiches, soups, salads) as well as a couple of dishes regulars of Royal Steak and Seafood may recognize.
“The menu here is not too different from Royal Steak and Seafood,” says general Manager Ida Li. “Our chef, Mario Belong, was there before (both restaurants have the same owner) and he’s brought some of the best dishes.”
The menu is fairly uncomplicated. For lunch you can have a simple pasta dish, or step it up with a Seafood Linguine ($11.95) or a Smoked Salmon Linguine ($11.95). There’s a Pacific Rim Thai Curry (basically a green curry with veggies) for $7.95, and there are several salads that include locally grown greens and chicken or fish. Nalo Greens start at $4.50, and there are Caesars ( plain, chicken or fish) at around $9.95.
“We’ve just introduced a $6.95 burger for lunch, ” says Ida, “and it’s already very popular.”
If you do go for dinner, I’d try the Atlantis Style Seafood Lau Lau ($21.95), a combination of sautéed shrimp, scallops and freshly caught island fish steamed with lau lau and spinach and served in an open-faced ti leaf.
“This is one of the dishes that everyone loves,” says Ida,“and it’s a good example of the use of fresh fish and local ingredients.”
There’s a Hawaiian Fish Loco Moco that is a really nice take on a local staple: Fresh mahimahi and opakapaka are sautéed then served on a bed of rice, drizzled with lobster sauce and topped with an egg.
Atlantis is an example of how a determined owner and an experienced staff can work small miracles in the restaurant business. Director of operations Albert Cloutier says they put the restaurant together in just four months - and that includes hoisting a giant lobster tank into the middle of Kalakaua Avenue.
“The tank arrived from China, and we had a day’s notice to get it up here,” he says of the 1,500-pound glass-and-steel tank. “We had to pick it up with a crane, stop traffic on Kalakaua Avenue, and then lift it in through the window,” he says. It might have been worth it. The tank is nothing like the tiny glass boxes seen in other restaurants - and lobster tails are a favorite on the menu.
Atlantis is open daily from 11 a.m., serving lunch and dinner.
Atlantis Seafood and Steak
2284 Kalakaua Ave.
922-6868
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