Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
steak (beef marinated in a sweet-hot sauce and grilled). A chalkboard menu lists the specials
of the night (the smoked trout is a must). Diners are packed in close, so noise is a problem
(you can easily find yourself screeching to be heard by your dinner partners), but the food
more than makes up for this one flaw. Whatever you order, leave room for the desserts by Chef
Samantha Choy (the baker for Sam Choy Restaurants), who always has a fruit crisp of the day
on the menu. The most recent upgrade is their full bar.
1145-C 12th Ave. (at Waialae Ave.).
&
808/732-9469.
www.12thavegrill.com
.
Reservations recommended. Small plates
$6-$12, large plates $18-$32. MC, V. Mon-Thurs 5:30-9pm; Fri-Sat 5:30-10pm.
INEXPENSIVE
Cafe Laufer
★
BAKERY This small, cheerful cafe features frilly decor and sublime
pastries—apple scones, Linzer tortes, fruit flan, decadent chocolate mousse, carrot cake, and
so on—to accompany the latte and espresso. Fans drop in for simple soups and deli sand-
wiches on fresh-baked breads; biscotti during coffee break; or a hearty loaf of seven-grain,
rye, pumpernickel, or French bread. The place is a solid hit for lunch; the small but satisfying
menu includes soup-salad-sandwich specials for a song, a fabulous spinach salad with dried
cranberries and Gorgonzola, and gourmet greens with mango-infused, honey-mustard dress-
ing. The orange-seared shrimp salad and the Chinese chicken salad are hits for the light eat-
er, and the smoked Atlantic salmon with fresh pumpernickel bread and cream cheese, Maui
onions, and capers is excellent. The special Saturday-night desserts draw a brisk postmovie
business.
3565 Waialae Ave.
&
808/735-7717.
www.cafelaufer.com
. Checks average $15-$20 per person. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
Sun and Wed-Thurs 10am-9pm; Fri-Sat 10am-10pm.
Hale Vietnam
VIETNAMESE Duck into this house of pho and brave the no-frills service for
steaming noodle soups, the house specialty. The stock is simmered and skimmed for many
hours and is accompanied by noodles, beef, chicken, and a platter of bean sprouts and fresh
herbs. (But approach the green chiles with caution!) We love the chicken soup and shrimp
vermicelli, as well as the seafood pho and spicy chicken with eggplant. Be advised that this
restaurant, like most other Vietnamese eateries, uses MSG, and that the pho, although respect-
able, does not equal that of To Chau in Chinatown, the ne plus ultra of pho in Honolulu.
1140 12th Ave.
&
808/735-7581.
Reservations recommended for groups. Main courses $12-$28. AE, DISC, MC, V.
Daily 10am-9:45pm.
EAST OF WAIKIKI: KAHALA
Hoku's
★★★
HAWAII REGIONAL Elegant without being stuffy, creative without being over-
wrought, the upscale dining room of the Kahala Hotel & Resort combines European finesse
with an island touch. This is fusion that really works. The setting is stellar, with its ocean view,
open kitchen, and astonishing bamboo floor. Reflecting the restaurant's cross-cultural influ-
ences, the kitchen is equipped with a kiawe grill and Szechuan woks for the prawn, lobster,
tofu, and other stir-fried specialties. The chef's daily selection of appetizers could include pan-
seared Hudson Valley foie gras, sashimi, Chinese roast duck, and other dainty tastings, and is
a good choice for the curious. Salt-crusted rack of lamb, avocado crusted seared halibut and
