Where We've Been Eating Lately - April 2006
Gail Jennings
April 2006

Lately we've encountered a number of restaurants that don't really warrant a full review but are certainly worthy of a brief mention. Overall, these three are decent dining choices but, surprisingly, the best service was at Wahoo's. Not only was the staff efficient, friendly and courteous, they checked back often to see if we needed anything else and if we were pleased - not true of the other two, which is rather startling given the price disparity. So, from a value perspective considering the quality of the food, service and overall dining experience, which I personally rate as whether I walk away happy, Wahoo's landed squarely on top of this list.[Photo: Kobe Beef Sliders with Korean Ketchup and Taro Strings from Ryan's]

Wahoo's Fish Tacos

The first Hawaiian outpost of this California-based chain trades on a predictable format with some rather tasty results depending upon what you order. The Carnitas tacos are excellent, as are the side dishes of black beans and herbed white rice. Not so successful are the fish tacos - the fish being used is not as fresh as it should be resulting in an unappealing smell. We don't think this is a fluke as it happened more than once. So, even though 'fish taco' is in their name, we recommend anything but the fish.

Wahoo's is something of a hybrid between a fast food place and a casual dining spot. While you line up to order, your food is delivered to your table and is served on real plates, not disposable ware. The possibilites are almost overwhelming as you must first choose the style of food you want, eight choices including tacos, salads and burritos; then you select one of ten fillings from vegetarian to carne asada. They also have a nice selection of beer.

As you might expect, portions are large. If you're especially hungry, you'll want one of their humongous Outer Reef Burritos which is stuffed with rice, two kinds of cheese, guacamole, sour cream, beans, lettuce and whatever filling you choose topped with salsa. Order it wet and it comes slathered with sauce. Easily enough to feed two normal appetites.

Wahoo's Fish Tacos
940 Auahi St (corner of Auahi & Ward)
Ward Gateway Center
Kakaako, Honolulu
591-1646
Hours: Sun-Wed 11am-9m, Thu-Sat 11am-10pm

12th Ave Grill

The first of its kind in Honolulu, 12th Ave Grill is the quintessential modern American neighborhood bistro serving gussied-up classics like braised short ribs and macaroni & cheese followed by homey desserts. The menu reads like a familiar book of standards until you note the details. The aforementioned short ribs have been treated to cinnamon and are accompanied by horseradish mashed potatoes. They are wonderful, but they pale in comparison to the Macaroni & Cheese. Never have I encountered such a creamy and luscious version of this simple pasta dish. The crunchy bread crumb top adds the perfect texture and you can really pile on the comfort with additions of sauteed mushrooms and/or Black Forest ham.

Daily specials are an important part of the menu and you can reliably find fish or seafood prepared in a variety of ways, from mahi mahi with a graham cracker crust to seafood risotto. In addition to the regular desserts they do every day, there are special creations. We ordered one of these, Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd. Ours was delivered with all elements in place but our neighbors was missing the lemon curd, which was essential as it served to moisten what was a dry cake. The absence of the lemon curd on their portion rendered it inedible. They didn't realize they were missing the lemon curd until ours was delivered and belatedly pointed out the oversight to the management. I believe they were offered a replacement but since they had already paid their bill, they declined.

Our experience was marred by a series of service failures, any one or two of which would have been inconsequential. These escalated as the evening progressed culminating in a consensus that we might not bother to go back. All things being equal, they are not doing anything so exceptionally well that we would tolerate the service for the food. An off night? Perhaps. But at $35 plus per person (pre-tax & tip), I can think of other places I'd be more willing to take a chance on.

12th Ave Grill
1145C 12th Ave
Kaimuki, Honolulu
732-9469
Hours: Sun-Thu 5:30-9pm, Fri & Sat 5:30-10pm, closed Sundays

Ryan's Grill

Part of the Restaurants Unlimited Group, Ryan's is the most casual of the three members of the group we have here in Honolulu. The other two are Kincaid's (which I personally loathe) and Palomino, which actually has some good points including stellar service, but suffers from an overly-broad menu. Ryan's is the only one which is not part of a chain. So, while you'll find Kincaid's from Virginia to California and Palomino from Pittsburgh to Seattle, you can only eat at a Ryan's here in Honolulu. This may account for the dishes which incorporate many of our favorite local flavors and ingredients like taro, kim chee, guava and Chinese five spice which wouldn't be likely to turn up together on a national chain restaurant menu.

The Kobe Beef Sliders with Taro Strings were quite tasty especially with the spicy Korean ketchup which is really just ketchup mixed with ko chu jang (the Korean hot pepper paste used as a base for kim chee and soups). The buns were grilled yet still soft and the taro strings made for an excellent change from the potatoes one would typically expect. Ahi Sliders were on the menu as well but not available that day - too bad as they came highly recommended.

Over the past couple of years, I've been to Ryan's a total of three times. On each occasion the food is slightly above average and the service is adequate. The upshot is; while Ryan's is not one of my 'go to' places, it is an acceptable, if not terribly exciting, dining choice.

Ryan's Grill
1200 Ala Moana Blvd
Ward Centre
Kakaako, Honolulu
591-9132
Hours: Mon-Sat Lunch 11:15am-5pm; Dinner 5pm-1am; Sunday: Brunch 10am-3pm, Sunday Dinner 3pm-1am