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Buffets, page 1
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Where's Waldo? I'm sure he's somewhere on this plate at Makino Chaya. And yes, I did conquer it all and then some - chi-hoo! |
Todai. 1910 Ala Moana Blvd. at the Canterbury Place Condominiums in Waikiki. 947-1000. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in condominium structure entrance on Ena Rd. Prices: $$$. Map. Todai is another popular buffet that attracts a line of people before the opening dinner bell, which rings at 6pm Monday-Thursday and 5:30pm Friday-Sunday. The menu items often change, but you can always be assured of one of the largest, if not the largest, buffet on the island. There are clams, shrimp, crab, scallops, and mussels cooked in all manner of ways, as well as BBQ chicken, pork spare ribs, baked salmon, prime rib, and much, much more. The sushi choices alone are impressive, including the more elaborate, new-wave choices like dragon, caterpillar, and rainbow rolls. As with any buffet where the sushi is pre-made, quality is not as good as a sushi house, but that’s expected. There are also a huge variety of salads, including such offerings as watercress, jicama, eggplant, and spicy scallop.
Hakone. 100 Holomoana St. at the Hawaii Prince Hotel in Waikiki. 944-4494. Dinner nightly except closed on Monday and Tuesday. Parking at hotel or in lots oceanside of hotel. Prices: $$$$. Map. On a strictly quality-oriented basis Hakone has the others beat, but at just north of $40 you better be good! The buffet is on the smaller side, probably because at these prices, there’s not a whole lot of traffic like the larger, more popular buffets mentioned. Perhaps the greatest thing about this traditionally-minded Japanese buffet is the sushi bar (only on weekends), which is made-to-order by a single sushi chef behind a glass counter, where you can choose more commonly found, but delicious, items like ahi, hamachi, and salmon, as well as more expensive choices, such as ikura (salmon eggs), uni (sea urchin), and amaebi (a certain type of sweet shrimp). There is also a shabu-shabu station where you can dip your own meats and vegetables into a caldron of dashi-flavored broth to cook, along with such items as teriyaki lamb, shrimp tempura, and a large variety of Japanese pickled vegetables, or tsukemono.
Hanaki. 2756 Woodlawn Dr. at the Manoa Marketplace in Manoa. 988-1551. Lunch daily except closed on Tuesday, dinner nightly. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. Hanaki is one of the cheaper buffets in town, dipping below $20 for weekday dinners and just clearing that mark on weekends. The dining room and buffet areas are on the small side and a bit cramped, but they have recently renovated and improved the situation a bit. Reservations are recommended, as the delicious local/Japanese mix of items have not remained a secret to hungry general public. There are Dungeness crab legs, shrimp tempura (heavy on batter, but always nice and crispy), miso butterfish, dynamite oysters, fried noodles, teriyaki chicken, soba, miso soup, and a decent variety of sushi choices.
Tsukiji Fish Market. Ala Moana S.C. 237-5444. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$$$. Map. Located at the Ho’okipa Terrace of the Ala Moana Shopping Center, this buffet has a lot to live up to. Its namesake in Japan is the largest fishmarket in the world, and everything there is fresh, vibrant, and full of energy. Though the fish may be fresh here, and the poke is mixed in sauces after ordering (a very positive sign), the cases are so unattractively understocked that it leaves you utterly unimpressed, considering the name and all. The buffet section is better, with its huge, modern-designed dining room and line-up of sushi, yakitori, and robata-grilling stations, along with a decent selection of mostly Japanese, but also a few Korean and Chinese dishes. There is also a separate ala carte sushi bar, where you don’t have to pay for the entire buffet. You’ll get good-quality sushi and sashimi there, but you’ll easily end up paying more than the roughly $30 buffet price on a normal appetite.
Kat’s Sushi. 715 S. King St. in Kakaako. 526-1268. Dinner nightly. Parking in building lot. Prices: $$. Map. The best reason to visit Kat’s is the almost unbelievable price! I don’t know anywhere on the island, or in the entire country, where you can get as much sushi as you can fit into your stomach for about $20! Of course, the slices of raw fish are a bit thinner and the rice a bit larger, but I really don’t think anyone could stay in business if this weren’t the case. The sushi buffet at Hakone in the Prince Hotel in Waikiki is much better, but you will be paying roughly double the price. The other buffet alternative is to have sushi at the Japanese buffets that offer a whole variety of menu items, such as the ones we've just mentioned, but Kat's is much better than any of them when you are talking strictly sushi. Oh, and it's BYOB to save you even more money!
