The Weekly Eater Nadine Kam

COURTESY OF KAHALA MANDARIN Curtained tents set up on the Kahala Mandarian lawn make the dining experience cozy at Cabanas.

Cabanas is like
a barbeque with
silverware and extras

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Visitors to Hawaii often wonder why there isn't more al fresco dining in a place like this where the sun always shines. That would seem to be a no-brainer opportunity, but those of us who live here don't even notice anymore. The best solution is the back-yard barbecue or luau. Otherwise, we think of Waikiki, where meals outside are generally accompanied by a sidewalk full of gawkers and flocks of pigeons overhead, or a crowded lanai subject to the sounds of traffic below.

Enter Cabanas Seaside Grill, which arrives to show us what we're missing. I don't know if it could formally be called a restaurant. Its elegant simplicity and seeming spontaneity is refreshing, as if to say, "Hey, I just wanted to throw an intimate dinner party for a few special guests, and you're one of them."

The ambience is akin to making a trek to the seashore, with caterer in tow. With only nine cabanas -- curtained tents supported by bamboo posts set up on the Kahala Mandarin Oriental lawn -- it's all very cozy and private. At least that's how a couple of prospective bridegrooms felt. Since Cabanas opened last month, there have been two proposals that the staff knows about. The Cabana curtains are usually kept open for views of the ocean and lawn, and to allow the waiters to easily come and go, so you can probably guess marriage is being proposed when you see the curtains drawn. Try not to stare at the silhouettes.

You may have to share your cabana with another table, but you'll forget about those interlopers by the time the food arrives.

THIS TIME OF YEAR is perfect for a visit, when the air is balmy and the sun takes its time going to bed. The Cabanas were created with fall's drizzles in mind also, and if the weather should turn nasty then, guests may simply get steered to Hoku's, which isn't exactly an imposition.

Cabanas' seating times are 6 and 8:30 p.m. Go at 6 and you'll enjoy the natural light but you may feel rushed, particularly if you want to linger over dessert. Go at 8:30 and you'll dine by the glow of a light bulb but you can take your time without seeing guests queuing up, hoping you'll leave soon.

The menu is as spare as the set-up, which seems appropriate this close to the water's edge. It's like that back-yard barbecue, but with silverware and lots of extras.

Upon arrival, you are presented with the wine and champagne menu, including an oyster menu. A sampler trio runs about $18 and offers a great way to compare shellfish from different parts of the world. My favorite was the boldly flavored and meaty Crystal Bay oyster, with its complex fruity finish. Nevermind the miniature Kumamotos which are too mild to deserve the oyster name. The third was even less memorable.

Then it's on to the main menu, which starts with buckets of peel-and-eat shrimp at $17 per pound, or Manila clams at $11 per pound.

This being the great outdoors and all, there are also kebabs ranging from $10 to $14 for two skewers. Choose from grilled shrimp served with a sweet BBQ Ohelo Berry sauce; Indian chicken with cucumber-watermelon raita, or yogurt sauce; or lemongrass beef cubes served with a spicy Vietnamese peanut sauce, which seemed to use more sweetened chili sauce than lemongrass. Vegetable kebabs of red bell peppers, eggplant and mushrooms are also included.

In true back-yard family style, the dishes are meant to be shared and this is evident with the Cabanas specialty of whole fish. The fish is seared to achieve that hot-off-the-grill flavor, then poached to finish, which prevents it from drying out. The result is perfection, accompanied by a kalamata-caper relish and soy-ginger vinaigrette. Recent offerings included a 3-pound opakapaka at $68 which would break down to $17 per person for a party of four, and a 2-pound uhu for $45, which could feed four with one other entree.

Those other entrees include grilled pulehu beef ($20), grilled prawns ($25 for half pound, $50 for a pound) served with garlic herb butter, pan-roasted chicken ($18) and a salty Hawaiian bouillabaisse ($26). At some point, do try the pork ($16), slow-roasted over four or five hours to fall-apart tenderness, and topped with an apple and apricot compote.

The portions are described as "large," but remember, the Kahala Mandarin caters to the salad-eating, you-can-never-be-too-thin crowd, so you may have to fight over the last bits of pork, but your body will thank you later when you leave the table still able to breathe.

There are side veggies of sauteed asparagus ($6), mini corn on the cob ($10) and starches you don't really need. Pass on the plain Indo-Pacific rice ($6) and smashed potatoes ($6) which weren't smashed at all. They were rather flavorless lumps of boiled potatoes sprinkled with minced chives.

I was happy with dessert of a Da Bomb banana split served over brownies with vanilla and chocolate ice cream. They do have fireside s'mores with marshmallows you can toast at the table in true camp spirit, but they have to come up with a better heat source. I watched as a neighboring family fought for space over a small flame, their marshmallows remaining snowy white.

All in all, Cabanas creates a fun, novel experience in a town where most restaurants tend to look alike.

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Cabanas Seaside Grill Kahala Mandarin Oriental / 739-8888 Food Service Ambience Value Hours: 6 to 10 p.m. Cost: About $60 to $75 for two without drinks

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See some past restaurant reviews in the
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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:

	excellent;
	very good, exceeds expectations;
	average;
	below average.

To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to nkam@starbulletin.com