Have you tried Roy Yamaguchi’s misoyaki butterfish entrée recently, at one of his Roy’s Restaurants?
I’ve always favored his butterfish rendering, with the misoyaki seasoning atop the butterfish filet, customarily served on a bed of black rice. A smooth sweet-ginger wasabi butter dressing is part of the plating.
I frequently opt for white rice, and a few weeks ago, the gohan came as a musubi.
Roy’s misoyaki butterfish is served in wedges; musubi at left.
But the new touch was the cut of the butterfish; instead of a generous filet, the fish arrived in several chunks, six pieces assembled side-by-side.
The chunks of the fish made portioning easier and appealing, and the flakes were orderly and convenient, to consume as many as you want. I had three pieces for dinner and there were three more wedges to take home for lunch the next day. Since I only ate half of the musubi, had a bit of rice for lunch, too…
Scatch, Liko’s in Hawaii Kai closed
Scratch Kitchen, the gourmet restaurant in the former Outback Steakhouse site at the Hawaii Kai Towne Center, shut down for good on March 24, unable to muster up diners.
The dining room closed first, several months ago, with the kitchen supposedly trying to rev up catering business. That, too, could not draw patrons. Could’ve been the hours, a tad too late to build up a breakfast following, and perhaps an unpopular menu, which did not quite appeal to patrons, despite the prime location across the way from Roy’s. Thus, a lovely space is available again…
Liko’s Tap and Table, the waterfront restaurant at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center, apparently shut down operations, without notice, on March 24.
The eatery was known for its fish tacos and prime rib, appealing to sports bar fans who go for beer and televised games, as well as luncheon salads and nighttime dinners.
The closure is somewhat surprising, since Liko’s was one of the more popular and successful fronting the Hawaii Kai Marina at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center. Owners are working out financial issues, and hope to reopen, timetable unknown….
Closing soon…
Anticipate more upcoming shutdowns elsewhere…
— Haili’s Hawaiian Food, the Kapahulu go-to restaurant for Hawaiian kaukau, is shutting down June 30. The restaurant, in biz for 70 years, is timing the closing when its lease expires.
— Buca di Beppo, the Italian restaurant at Ward Village, is known for its generous portions (more food than those hungry mouths can handle). A party in the Pope’s Room is as good as it gets, so if you’ve never been in this circular room, gather the troops and try it before the shutdown. A closing date has not been announced.
Gone, but not forgotten…
Following the closure a year ago of the Outback Steakhouse in Hawaii Kai, three other island branches of Outbacks were shut in February: Kapolei, Kona and Waipio. Miss the onion rings…
Pah-ke’s, the Chinese restaurant in Kaneohe, closed last October, but it appears that another Chinese eatery is due later this year, ownership unknown. Renovations are underway.
The little hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurant on Kalakaua Avenue, named Do-ne (two syllables, like in “dough-nay,” not “done”), quietly closed without fanfare earlier this year. This was a place where you had to know/read Japanese, to properly place orders…
Sad, too, was the closure of Wailuku’s Home Maid Bakery. We all had the ritual of heading to the bakery before the return flight to Honolulu, toting purchases of crispy mochi, chichidango, or cookies for omiyage. I recall getting a bit of a scolding from the owner years ago, who asked when my departure flight time was, as I stopped by two hours earlier because of another errand before boarding the plane. Closer to departure time meant fresher snacks, he insisted…
