Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kalihi/Sand Island
LaMariana
AMERICAN Just try to find a spot more evocative or nostalgic than this South Seas
oasis at lagoon's edge in the bowels of industrial Honolulu. It's got carved tikis, glass balls sus-
pended in fishing nets, shell chandeliers, and old tables made from koa trees, and in the back
section, the entire ceiling is made of tree limbs. The unique, nearly 50-year-old restaurant is
popular for lunch, sunset appetizers, and impromptu Friday- and Saturday-night singalongs
at the piano bar, where a colorful crowd (including some Don Ho look-alikes) gathers to sing
Hawaiian classics like a 1950s high school glee club. It is delightful. The seared Cajun-style ahi
is your best bet as an appetizer or entree; La Mariana is more about spirit and ambience than
food.
50 Sand Island Rd.
&
808/848-2800.
Reservations recommended, especially Sat-Sun. Main courses $7-$15 lunch,
$12-$35 dinner. AE, MC, V. Daily 11am-9pm. Turn
makai
(toward the ocean) on Sand Island Rd. from Nimitz Hwy.; im-
mediately after the first light on Sand Island, take a right and drive toward the ocean; it's not far from the airport.
Nico'satPier38
★★
SEAFOOD This tiny takeout place produces gourmet French cuisine
island-style on Styrofoam takeout containers at local plate-lunch prices. Order inside, then sit
on plastic lanai chairs and tables under a deep green awning at the edge of the pier to munch
on the delicious entrees. Of course, you'll have to wait: French-born chef Nicolas “Nico” Chize
has cooked at such upscale eateries as Michel's and the Bistro at Century Center, but his small,
oddly located eatery is so popular you'll have to stand in line during the crowded lunch hour,
along with commercial fishermen, business executives, and a smattering of tourists. (They do
take orders over the phone if you want to shorten your wait.) Our favorite dish is the furikake
pan-seared ahi with an addictive ginger garlic cilantro dip, served with greens or macar-
oni salad for $9.50. They also have catch-of-the-day specials (grilled swordfish with a fennel-
cream sauce was on the menu when we were there), a loco moco (hamburger steak and 2 eggs
smothered in onion mushroom gravy) to die for, and a mean beef stew. Hearty breakfasts are
served till 9:30am weekdays and 10am Saturdays.
Pier 38, 1133 N. Nimitz Hwy., Iwilei.
&
808/540-1377.
www.nicospier38.com
.
Reservations not accepted, but takeout
orders accepted by phone. Main courses $8-$10. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 6:30am-5pm; Sat 6:30am-2:30pm.
Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch, Crab & Big Aloha Brewery
SEAFOOD This is a happy, carefree
eatery—elegance and cholesterol be damned. Chef/restaurateur Sam Choy's crab house fea-
tures great fun and gigantic meals (a Choy trademark). Imagine dining in an all-wood sam-
pan—a type of boat that is the centerpiece of this 11,000-square-foot restaurant—and washing
your hands in an oversize wok that was installed in the center of the room just for kicks. A
2,000-gallon tank containing a live assortment of seasonal crabs (Kona, Maryland, Samoan,
Dungeness, Florida stone) lines the open kitchen. Clam chowder, seafood gumbos, oysters
from the oyster bar, and assorted poke (chunks of marinated raw fish) are also offered at din-
ner, which comes complete with soup, salad, and entree. Children's menus are an attractive
feature for families. Several varieties of Big Aloha beer, brewed on-site, go well with the crab
and poke.
580 Nimitz Hwy., Iwilei.
&
808/545-7979.
Reservations recommended for lunch and dinner. Main courses $8-$15 break-
fast, $12-$36 lunch, $12-$47 dinner. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 7am-2pm and 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 8am-2pm and
