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Pioneer Saloon, a closer look
Don't just take my word for it! Check out these other views on Pioneer Saloon!
Aloha!
2/12/10 - Before checking out Pioneer Saloon, the Japanese plate lunch eatery just opened on Monsarrat, right below Diamond Head, let me just mention one thing - Sapori Enoteca!!! Braaaah - this place rules!!! It's a kind of Italian fusion restaurant featuring small, tapas-like dishes that are exquisite, sophisticated, and rich in taste, but are reasonably priced at the same time. You won't see a Closer Look there just yet, however, as I wanna go back at least one more time to sample more dishes, hopefully early next week, as I'll be working the rest of this week. Can't wait!!!
And on another note, bummer's from Lily Koi in Pearl City, as they've recently announced their closing. They had the best slow-cooked kalbi anywhere, and it was a pretty cool, local-style, laid-back place to chill and relax. Look for Chef/Owner Keith Ogata to pop-up somewhere else, as his skills in the kitchen won't be laid to waste, that's for sure!
But alas, we're movin' on to Pioneer Saloon, the eclectic new spot at the base of Diamond Head, right across from the little shopping center housing Bogart's and Diamond Head Cove Bar/Grill. There's limited parking in a tiny lot immediately left (ocean-side) of the restaurant, but mostly, you'll have to find a spot somewhere on the street - not the easiest thing to do, at times. If you turn into the small parking area and find it full, the drive-way leads you behind to Kaunaoa St., where you may find something, although I've had more luck along Kanaina Ave., mostly mountain-side of Monsarrat.
Once home to Mi Casa Tacqueria, a great-little Mexican restaurant, the self-standing building is a casual, unique spot with a style all it's own:
Whether it's a case of extreme discombobulation or pure genius, is anyone's guess, as there's about as many different stories and themes here as the Joy Luck Club. Both at least employ different roads that all meet-up in the end, though, with one climaxing in a meeting over dim sum and noodles and the other culminating in some pretty darn good Japanese food, all at plate lunch prices. Here's a quick look at the various angles:
Scene one theme - American Frontier life.
Scene two theme - Boutique Clothing Store.
Scene three theme - Surf.
Scene Four theme - Local, Hawaiian-style plate lunch.
Scene Five theme - Cheap, good-quality Japanese foods.
How a single restaurant can employ all of these aspects is beyond me!
You may not see every theme from these pics, but if you do wanna see 'em all, through some incredibly gorgeous, crystal clear shots, check out Jalna's blog (link at top). The whole place has an appeal that may work perfectly for some (those that like the genius of it all), but may not do for others (those who think it's a poor version of stylishly unkempt chic). Me, I'm a little divided. I kinda like the originality and freedom of expression implemented, purely from a visual, perhaps artistic angle, and definitely, A+ for being different, but the tiny, wobbly tables and seating arrangements (including sofa's!), all placed randomly around the room, do not make good use of the space available, and are not the best practical application for those wanting a comfortable place to eat. With all the props going-on here, all of which take-up valuable Real Estate, I'm just wondering if certain areas could instead be used for more eating room. After all, tables fill very quickly, forcing late-comer's to take-out.
However, the patch-work dining room is, if anything, highly entertaining! It'll make your eyes wander through every corner of the restaurant, trying to make sense of it all, wondering how deer skulls, piled firewood, corrugated steel sidings, and Wild West signs complement Daruma dolls, surfboards, clothes hangars, and Wal-Mart/Ross furnishings! I thought the outhouse-looking structure in one corner was a restroom, but I believe it's actually a fitting room, to be used if the owners' intention of a small boutique ever comes to fruition! Interesting, to say the least...
But as stated, all the different roads you dare meander down all lead back to one thing - some really ono kine grindz! According to Melissa Chang, the seasoned writer (link above) featured in so many papers and magazines, the Chef/Owner here came from Rokkaku, a fabulous Japanese restaurant from the Upscale Japanese section, and Tokkuri-tei from the Izakaya section, both great spots that are, by the way, much more expensive! Like the scene at Your Kitchen in Palolo, where its Chef came from high-class Tokyo Tokyo and split to open his own value menu, here we have genuine culinary skills that have left the rarified air for a more workman-like, economical venue.
There are a bevy of choices on the menu, with whole plates ranging from $6 to $9 each, and include such items as tofu stir-fry, unagi bowls, yakiniku bowls, hamburger katsu w/demi sauce, chicken katsu w/miso sauce, curry, miso pork, spare ribs, grilled salmon, teriyaki saba (mackeral), shrimp tempura, and even rib eye steak, to name a few. Chef also once spent time at one of my favorite Japanese bento shops, Iyasume, which is probably the reason Pioneer also features a large variety of musubi (riceball) choices, which Iyasume is also known for. For a look at some of these musubi choices, check out Writer Catherine Toth's page (link at top).
Our first visit to Pioneer Saloon included a fried oyster plate for mom. She said it tasted exactly like the pieces her mom used to make growing up. Perhaps the highest of compliments, ey?
Kumi, quite surprisingly, also went with a fried choice, for some reason (no, she's not pregnant!), a chicken karaage:
Perfectly done - moist, juicy, and tender, with a nice, crisp finish, while who can complain about the fresh, fancy green salad and home-style potato salad - and for six bucks, at that?! As so many contemporary eateries these days, there also seems to be a bit of a healthy slant in these plates, with the potato salad coming light and with minimal use of mayo. Their rice, as you may have noticed, is not limited to just white, but also brown, as well as a shiso wakame version (shown on next plate) and a purple-tinted, whole grain variety you've already seen on the karaage plate above. Here's a closer look at it:
Normally, this type of rice is called seki-han, and is stained purplish-red with the addition of azuki beans. This one, however, wasn't quite the traditional version, as various other beans and types of wild rice were used, as well. Don't know what kinds of beans they were, but they definitely added a pleasant, crunchy, and health-wise kick that, for me, made this particular scoop. Despite the deep colors, don't think the grains come highly flavored like a fried rice plate from Mitsuken or Side St. Inn - it's pretty much almost the same as regular rice, with the only non-bland taste coming from the beans, which are generously provided. Not shown are sauces, which come in either garlic, spicy mayo, and ponzu.
One of the most popular dishes here are their spare ribs, which arrive as two large, meaty pieces of marinated, glazed pork:
Though not quite as tender as I'd hoped, there were a lot of great flavors inherent. The sauce was very tasty, with a sticky-sweet bbq flavor that was mostly Japanese teriyaki, but also came with a hint of tomato-based American sauce and/or perhaps Chinese hoisin, or at least something comparable.
Their shrimp fry curry is delicious, with five decently-sized pieces of perfectly-cooked, sweet shrimp, all katsu-fried to a light, delicate, airy-crisp finish. The curry was thinner, just as I prefer - not quite as thin as Curry House, but not nearly thick and chunky as some other versions.
I don't know many places that cook saba as well as mom, but Pioneer's piece was indeed very good. Offered in teriyaki or salt flavorings, we chose the latter, and were rewarded with the right amount of seasonings and one of the oiliest, tastiest fish out there. Like a good steak, all's you need is a good amount of salt, and the fish itself does the rest!
I guess cold-water countries get all the tastiest fish, ey? To protect themselves from frigid waters, their meat becomes fattier, which means more flavor for us, yes? Saba, salmon, sanma, butterfish - all fatty, and all among the most popular types of cooked fish in Japan. It's difficult choosing a favorite, but it's hard to deny a well-cooked butterfish, served here in either garlic or miso varieties, the latter being the traditional choice, as shown here:
Per pound, butterfish is also the most expensive of the bunch, which is no doubt why you see mostly smaller end-pieces here. Eight bucks won't get you much in most restaurants, or even in the supermarkets, for that matter. Most sought-after and pricey are the thick, large, inner sections, cut into single steaks, but for the price, and for this quality of fish, I'd say the plates here are at least respectable, size-wise.
The flavor is definitely miso, but does come on the light side, with a nicely grilled taste and blackened edges. Butterfish is perhaps the silkiest of fish, oftentimes almost scallop-like, its flesh tearing, or shall I say falling, apart in beautiful, clean sections:
If you want more quality-oriented stuff than typical plate lunch fare, with no signs of inferior rice, starchy-mushy batters, freezer-burns, and hopelessly over-cooked meats, I'd say Pioneer is a welcome and refreshing new edition to the island dining scene. It's not without its quirks, though - parking is tough and 20-minute waiting times are not uncommon (calling-in orders is fine!), not to mention the eclectic atmosphere. It's all about affordable Japanese meals, done with a good degree of quality, in a local-style, plate lunch package. I've often made mention that I hoped more Kicked-Up Plate Lunch houses opened shop, and Pioneer Saloon is definitely worthy of the title, alongside such great eateries as Kakaako Kitchen, Diamond Head Market & Grill, Kahai St. Kitchen, and Nico's, to name a few.
But getting back to Sapori Enoteca at L'uraku Towers, do go check it out. And tell me how it compares to finer Mainland spots, if you're one that knows! I don't know nearly as much about Italian, nor about Spanish tapas, as I should, and I don't have a whole lot of experience outside of Hawaii, so I'd really like to know how Hawaii restaurants stack-up. Reid over at Ono Kine Grindz travels everywhere in search fine restaurants all over the world, so I'd be very interested in what he has to say regarding Sapori.
But anywayz,
You all take care, and Aloha till next time!
Aku
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