Cheesecake Factory, Aloha Tony's Look

 The menu is intimidating if not overwhelming, with pages and pages of options for salads, ‘specials’, starters, desserts, and drinks.  This place has everything, probably too much of everything, as it takes a good 10 minutes just to read through the whole list.

 

  
 

 

 

 

I had to start with a Vodka tonic just to calm myself down after a long day of work.  It was a little weak, a disappointing start.

 

The server was friendly enough, but there was some scrambling around by the other staff, as somehow they had just lost their hot water.  I was hoping our dishes had been washed before that happened, but who knows.  The atmosphere is very busy anyway, with literally dozens of people standing around waiting for tables and hostesses leading groups all over the place to find theirs.  It’s Waikiki, and you know the entire time, as the rooms all open to a view of the hustle outside. 

 After we overcame the giant menu, my fetching wife and I decided to split a large salad and a seafood pasta.  For salad, we chose the Barbeque ranch chicken salad with avocado, tomato, grilled corn, black beans, cucumber, and romaine lettuce, tossed with barbecue ranch dressing and tossed with crispy fried onion strings, $13.95.

 

It came nicely presented with the onion rings piled quite high.  They are light, with just enough batter, not like the fast food onion rings you might be used to. Crispy like chips and salty enough to flavor the entire salad, which is near perfect.  Enough variety to make it very interesting, and lightly flavored chicken to add some protein.  The Ranch is not laid on heavily as it almost always is on a big salad with Ranch dressing. The crispiness of the onion rings and greens added to the soft give of the avocado and black beans make for a great combination of textures.

 

Our main course was the Garlic Noodle dish of Spaghettini, fresh asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, oven roasted tomatoes and parmesan in garlic sauce, with plump shrimp added for $17.95. Not exactly cheap for a chain store restaurant, but a wonderful meal.  You might expect the main flavor to be garlic, but actually it’s the shiitake mushrooms that take the spotlight.  Adding that little hint of shiitake to everything else on this dish is what makes it special.  I think if you took those mushrooms out, it would be a completely different dish that would be just marginal.  

The shrimp were so huge you wouldn’t want to eat them in just one bite, and the asparagus was cooked to perfection, crispy, not squishy as they often are.  We were hoping the garlic noodles would be similar to my wife’s favorite version at PF Chang’s, and though they were completely different, we still really enjoyed them.  
 

 

After you’ve finished your meal at Cheesecake factory, you feel like you have to order Cheesecake to get the full effect.  To not try their world famous dessert would be like walking out of a movie before the ending.  So even though we weren’t hungry, we felt compelled to order something off of their massive selection.  

This process is somewhat maddening, because like any large dessert menu, you have to start by elimination.  Do you want a light flavor or heavy Chocolate? Something fruity with lemon or raspberries perhaps?  How about coffee or Dutch apple, or even Oreo cheesecake?  

 We settled on dark and heavy, with the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake. Layers of flourless Godiva chocolate cake, Godiva chocolate cheesecake, and chocolate mousse.  Yes, it sounds like a bit of a chocolate overload.  Then you taste it and think there is just enough chocolate, until you realize you’ve just finished the entire thing and have now used your fork to scoop up the chocolate sauce drizzled onto the plate.  Yes, you’ve eaten the garnish.

 

If you love chocolate, this is your pie, complete with a piece of dark chocolate sitting on top, as if you needed it. Every bite is filled with rich, dark, happiness.  It’s the kind of dessert that makes you smile and feel guilty, which means it’s perfect. 

Cheesecake Factory is a great stop in Waikiki if you’re willing to wait a few minutes during busy hours, which is most of the time.  They have something for everyone, with a wider selection than just about any other place I’ve seen in my life.  When you visit, make sure you leave room for dessert, because you’re obligated by the name on the sign.