STROLL down Kalakaua, Diamond Head past Niketown, and you'll come to a row of one-story storefronts with windows full of trinkets and T-shirts. It's difficult to spot Kumi's Bistro in the gaudy mix, but finders -- like those lucky enough to hit on gray M&Ms, special Pepsi caps and purple-blue "Peanuts" Beanie Babies -- will be richly rewarded. Kumi’s tastes are
worth seeking outIf the restaurant were located anywhere else in the city, business would be booming. But it's too quiet here because Waikiki is tourist town and we just can't expect visitors to be up on the restaurant's cutting-edge mix of Japanese cuisine with Western/ Hawaiian accents.
At dinner time, Kumi's serves cold appetizers of hamachi ($13) and tako (octopus, $8.50) sashimi, then will turn around and give kalua pig the same kind of delicate treatment, serving it as part of a trio of hot Hawaiian pupu ($10.95), along with small helpings of poke and lomilomi salmon. These are laid out on individual ceramic dishes atop a fresh green ti leaf. Also making a bid for uniqueness is the baked "buta kimuchi" ($7.50), a bed of rice topped with tender pork and kim chee, then baked with a dollop of mayonnaise. Now this is a dish only a local would understand, and one that only a person who loves mayonnaise will truly crave.
Those on a budget can choose to dine on Japanese pupu alone, making this a great place for grazers. There is gyoza ($5.50), shrimp and vegetable tempura ($5.50), agedashi tofu ($5.25) and fresh or fried oysters ($10/$6.75).
Top off a pupu meal with the exquisite rainbow roll of sushi ($12). This starts out as a California roll that is topped, nigiri style, with overlapping layers of salmon, avocado, ahi and other seafood. When the roll is cut, each piece has a slightly different combination of toppings.
For those who need more substance, there is beef tenderloin ($22.75), grilled with garlic and cut into bite-sized morsels. A tempura dinner ($17.50) features a harmonic combination of shrimp, sweet potatoes and vegetables. Other entrees include lamb chops ($22.95) and garlic clam pasta ($17.95).
For dessert you can opt for a Hawaii-Euro-style Kona coffee creme brulee ($6.25), tropical fruit trifle ($6.95) or a rich, moist warm strawberry chocolate cake ($6.50) that's bound to be a chocoholic favorite. Or try the cream animitsu ($7), simply vanilla ice cream and azuki beans over Japanese pears and other fruit.
You can park free (two-hour validated) at the Bank of Hawaii lot a block away and though many may find that inconvenient -- judging from how most cars are clustered close to the mall entrances --Kumi's is worth it.
Kumi's Bistro: 2122 Kalakaua
Hours: Lunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; dinner 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. daily
Prices: About $10 per person for lunch; about $40 to $60 for dinner for two without drinks
Call: 924-9393
The word "cajun" is like pixie dust. Spread it around and diners will come, even if it is all illusion. Cheap eats!
The latest to use the "C" word is Kelly's Cajun Grill at the Daiei Food Court, 801 Kaheka St. It's like going to Panda Express, only the names are changed. For instance, shrimp with vegetables is now shrimp etouffee ($5.25).
The Cajun name will lure those who might never find the place otherwise, and prices are not bad for the pile of blackened and barbecued grinds you do get. There's Vietnamese-style tapioca pudding for dessert.
See a listing of past restaurants reviewed in the
section online. Click the logo to go!
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
