IN case you hadn't noticed, journalists have the attention spans of 5-year-olds in a room full of toys oooh, wow, cool ... next! We need to wrap up
the wrap crazeWe're always in search of the new, the best, the brightest. When it comes to restaurants, this is how it works. If you're the first, you're the best by default. After that, you've got to be the best.
In the case of wraps, they were something to talk about when they first arrived. They still are great in concept an inexpensive, fairly nutritious meal in a quick, compact, edible package. Except ... do they taste good? Put it this way; the only time I ever eat a wrap is when reviewing.
Not that there's anything wrong with wraps. I have the greatest admiration for those who can subsist, even thrive, on what is basically rice in a soft tortilla. Call me weak, but I need food with a little more oomph.
As late-comer to the scene, Pili Wrapps needed to one-up the other guys. To a certain extent it does. The greens seem snappier. The menu is a snapshot of diversity, inspired by Western BBQ, Cajun cooking, Indonesian curries and more. It sounds so promising. In practice, plain, pre-cooked chicken becomes a canvas for thick dabs of sauce that are cloying in the case of the BBQ chicken ($5.25) or steak ($5.50) and the Hong Kong moo shoo chicken ($4.95 wrap/$5.65 bowl), where the sauce is straight hoisin. I don't know about you, but I can only tolerate hoisin in small doses or thinned out.
I imagine children would enjoy these sweet flavors in the simple, unthreatening "burrito" format, and sure enough, there are many young families trying out Pili Wrapps. The combinations of rice and veggies make a healthy option to pizza.
FINDING something to please adults is more problematic. The New Orleans ($5.25 chicken/$5.50 mahi) wrap featured Cajun blackened chicken that is not blackened at all, but dusted with bland seasonings. The Indonesian wrap ($5.25) came with a weak yellow curry sauce.
The best wrap that I tried was the Phuket ($4.95), chicken rolled with rice, carrots, sprouts, cilantro, peanut sauce and peanuts. Also tasty was the simple pesto fire-grilled veggie salad ($6.25), romaine tossed with tomatoes, grilled eggplant, zucchini and a pesto vinaigrette. Pili signature chili ($5.65) with chopped vegetables and ground beef is mild and saucy, perfumed with hints of cumin, coriander and other spices.
This won't be the last wrap cafe to open. I hope the next one delivers more cuisine than concept. Or maybe I'm just wrong to think there's anything more to wraps than fast-food cliche.
Pili Wrapps Cafe: Manoa Marketplace, 2752 Woodlawn
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Prices: About $12 to $15 for two
Call: 988-9744
Those who have searched for cheap sushi have had to put up with flavorless conveyor belt and other fast-food fare. No more. Cheap eats!
Itochan Sushi doesn't quite have the "sushi bar quality" it advertises. But with offerings half the cost of the pricey bars, they come close enough.
One of the deals here is a California special combination. For $5.25, it features eight pieces of California roll sushi, plus nigiri sushi featuring ahi, squid, shrimp and smoked salmon.
Itochan is at 212 Merchant St., open 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Call 545-7848.
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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
-- excellent;
To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to features@starbulletin.com
