Aku Eats Oahu : a closer look : Chins in Kahala, a closer look

Chins in Kahala, a closer look

Aloha!

9/24/08 - Before hitting Chin's Chinese restaurant out in Kahala, wifey and I stopped by the Mall across the street for another session of clothes and accessory shopping, or pin the tail on the wifey, as I like to say. Even without the blindfold, I can never quite nail her down as she whisks her way, yonder and hither, through store after store and rack after rack, as happy as a kitten on a ball of yarn. Thank goodness, though, because despite the many feminine temptations inherent in a bright, modern shopping mall, she understands the fact that credit cards are not gift certificates, and someone actually does have to pay for it all eventually.

Once in a while, Aku can even take a break from chasing wifey all over the place, be the typical guy, and do the 'ol "I'll be over here, honey" thing. No, no, I'm not the one sitting there in the department store, on the same platform housing all the mannequins, resting my arm on plastic-mans knee. No, no. At least I'm busy checking something else out nearby. In this particular case - the candy store! Carousel Candyland at the Kahala Mall is a pretty cool place to venture into, with all the bright, vivid colors and innocent dreams you'd expect from such a place. Dag-nabbit, I shoulda taken a pic! All I got now is a shot of candy corn I picked up there!

I dunno, somehow, memories of how much I loved these things as a kid always leaves me thinking I'll love them just the same today, but I guess the body doesn't really appreciate the same things anymore. Whereas once upon a time I'd devour a whole bag and be in a sugar-induced, candy-land bliss, now, I see only a slightly nauseated belly as I reach out for a hot cup of tea or a good workout to get the sweet treats out of my system! Why I keep ingesting them, I'll never know - it used to work before!

As a kid, I used to wait all week, looking forward to our once-a-week visit to Time's Supermarket, where we were allotted a single candy bar of our choice each time. Those were the days, boy. I'd tear into those Twix, Snickers, and Heath bars like I do a fat, juicy steak today! Which, then, serves to remind me yet again about the benefits of growing up - Sure, I could eat candy to no end, but I never did like steak. In fact, back then, never would I have even attempted something like raw fish, which prevented me from enjoying the wondrous splendors of sushi, sashimi, ceviche, and carpaccio altogether! How about hibachi oysters? Foie gras? Caviar? Not a chance. So forget the candy corn and Snickers - I'll leave them to my nieces and nephews! I got much better things to tear into!

Forgive me - Do you see the mind positioning and psychological wrestling I must perform in order to keep myself happy after such a disapointing experience as an under-performing bag of candy corn?

One thing I could eat, however, as both a kid and an adult, is Chinese food. In fact, as a kid, this was my favorite food type of all! I've always said that Chinese chefs can make even a piece of wood taste fabulous! Refuting my assertions, however, was Savio Pang, part-owner of Chin's in Kahala. He says that Chinese chefs can cook up anything on four legs - except a table, that is...

Here's as entrance shot of the store, located at the former Tony Roma's restaurant.

Wifey and I were fortunate enough to have sat down with Savio for a while to "talk story" and get to know him a little bit. Definitely a funny guy, he was kind, open, and very humble despite his many successful business ventures and accomplishments in life. He asked his head chef Sonny Chan, who just returned from Hong Kong with new dishes and ideas, to whip us up a few items he thought we might enjoy. Having heard that the quality of food here was more upscale than most, I was definitely looking forward to the meal.

The first to arrive was one of many signature dishes, plum tree beef. Placed on a hollowed circle of steamed broccoli, this dish is surely destined for stardom, its explosion of flavors leaving you in a sudden, hypnotic state of awe and wonder. First of all, the tender, succulent strips of beef were so soft it seemed to have found the end of a butcher's mallet, its tissue broken and easily torn. Next, you may have noticed small "balls" of a deep-fried nature surrounding the beef, giving it a surprisingly pleasant, crunchy texture. And finally, the plum sauce was tangy/sweet and highly pronounced, with a garlicky-spicy touch and a bright-red, shiny glaze to finish. Without a doubt, a very classy and sophisticated dish even without the well-orchestrated presentation, full of layer upon layer of different taste sensations to pique your interests. Trust me - A must-order in every way.

Next was a Chef's Special chicken, coming with a crispy, tasty skin and covered with enough garlic kernels to even satisfy me! I'm the kind of guy who can throw in two entire bulbs of garlic (not individual cloves!) into one hot pot of soup or stew, so this dish was right up my alley! There was also the slight flavoring of a kind of plum paste lightly applied in certain areas.

Our last entry was a very interesting green tea shrimp on bamboo net. Though I was a little dissapointed it didn't come in an edible net to get my crunchy's on, this one, made of woven bamboo, was just as visually appealing and dramatic. A small bed of garnish, with cabbage, parsley, and beautiful flowered carrots, made this a real show-stopper.

The shrimps themselves were huge, perfectly cooked, and delicious. The shrimp shells can be tossed, but those little legs are still tender enough to eat, providing a concentration of tastes from soaking in all the various flavors used. This basket had none of the normal veggies to take up any more space - it was all shrimp and tea leaves - that's it! This fact alone gave it a simple elegance, a confident sense of not over-doing anything, a highlighting of just two items that complemented eachother flawlessly. The large portions of tender-white shrimp meat were perfect with the slightly bitter, almost black, smoke-infused taste of tea. Fabulous.

Oh, and did I mention the buffet? Yes, as a sister restaurant to Ho Ho's Chinese buffet out in Kapolei, there is an all-you-can-eat arrangement here, as well. It's not quite as large, but they still have both snow and dungeness crab legs in the evening, and all for very economical prices. You surely won't find another crab leg buffet at a better price than these two spots! At Ho Ho's, the larger buffet is almost a must, but here at Chin's, the more upscale nature of fabulous Chinese cuisine choices offer plenty of good reason for defection, indeed. Depends on the mood, I guess, but most of the time I'd probably go with the menu. That's just me, however...

Stuffed after three delicious items, wifey and I weren't quite able to finish everything. Our left-overs were packed neatly by our kind waitress into a single take-out box, perfect for lunch the next day.

The creatively-constructed plates here do leave quite the impression, indeed! With other dishes like roasted cognac pidgeon (I'll definitely be back for this one!), chamomile-smoked chicken, nude party (de-shelled shrimp, basically), and shrimp roll w/peach, there are plenty of fun options in addition to all of your more standard Chinese dishes like minute chicken, oyster sauce beef, and sweet/sour pork. There are also lunch plates served with soup, steamed rice, and an entree choice, mostly costing between $7 and $10.

The waitresses, by the way, were all extremely friendly and helpful, with our waters and teas being filled often and our needs met at every turn. It is a testament to the all-around philosophy of this spot to strive for something a bit more upscale and inclusive than your average Chinese restaurant. The atmosphere also helps to heighten the mood, with it's warm tones of cherry-colored-wood, red brick, and brown trim mixing well with clean-white linen, lazy susan's of glass, shiny-new silverware, and curio cabinets filled with expensive-looking porcelain showpieces. Why not - we're in Kahala, right?

Chin's seems to have all the pieces of the puzzle in place, bringing together the wide variety of elements that will meet not only the requirements of authentic Chinese cuisine, but also of both western and local preferences, as well. I dunno, it just seems to me that both my friends from the Mainland, who are a bit intimidated at a truly ethnic experience, and my local bruddah's here, who I can see absolutely raving about the plum tree beef (and the buffet!), will all enjoy this particular restaurant. And with chef Sonny Chang periodically in China to keep in touch with cutting-edge dishes and flavors from the homeland, you can be sure even the tourists from back east will appreciate everything here!

All of this makes for a delicate balance of slightly higher-end service, great atmosphere, delicious Chinese cuisine, and very affordable prices. Reason enough to stop by, yes?

Be sure to say hi to chef Chan or Savio, both super-cool cats who are down-to-earth, friendly, and humble guys, the kind you wouldn't mind having over your own house for dinner.

Y'all be cool and take care till next time!

Aloha!

Aku

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