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The Weekly Eater Nadine Kam |
Everything’s peachy
at Momotarou SushiMovies and dining go hand in hand -- and by dining I don't mean a fistful of jujubes or Sno-Caps and a hotdog. I'm talking real sit-down fare.
The only problem? The ideal has little to do with reality. With movie tickets costing $8, a date means shelling out close to $20 and after that a hot dog, popcorn and soft drink spread is just about all the meal anyone can afford.
Then there's the time factor. There's not much time between pau hana and getting to the movie theater, much less time to eat in between.
It's taken years for theater developers to put 2 + 2 together and realize -- duh -- that it makes sense to build food courts and restaurant spaces into theater complexes as a convenience for all who want to snack before or after a movie. Protecting their concessions just didn't work for the theaters because families fed up with $20 bushels of popcorn simply sneaked in their own goodies.
This week, cineasts are focused on the hippest fest in town, "Cinema Paradise," concentrated at Wallace Theatre's Art House and Kaimuki's Movie Museum through Thursday. Both of the theaters are attached to restaurant rows -- one named just that, the other simply springing up organically on Waialae, particularly between 11th and 12th aves.
For the most diverse selection of food, Kaimuki's the place to be. You can pick up pastas at C&C, sandwiches and desserts at Cafe Laufer, American and local family fare at Big City Diner and Hillside Cafe, or phó at Hale Vietnam, and that's just a few of the available options. And of course, there's always the possibility of a new find, and this time around, it's Momotarou Sushi -- same name as the Peach Boy, but with an alternative spelling.
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Chef/owner Billy Le often waits on customers himself at Momotarou Sushi Restaurant. He's pictured serving Wes Thein and Kumta Le.
LOCATED A FEW doors from the Movie Museum, it's a place where you can pick up a few bites of sushi before a film to quell any rumblings, and come back for more afterward. Talk about your happy endings.
The restaurant is the dream of Billy Le, formerly of Akasaka and Yanagi Sushi, and he delivers superb sushi and teishoku specialties. What's more, for Japanese cuisine it's pretty darn affordable. Go for the Momotarou special combinations at night and you'll pay only $11.95 for two entrees, $15.95 for three, both including the requisite tsukemono, rice, tossed salad with a light peanut-accented dressing and miso soup. (Lunch prices are about $1 less for combinations and $2 less for single entrees.)
These combinations offer a selection of about 25 entrees, including a thick fillet of broiled salmon (not the usual thin salmon "jerky" served elsewhere), chicken katsu, medium-rare New York steak, crisp tempura or an assortment of sushi rolls such as California maki and spicy tuna maki. Each represents a full-size portion, so before you get carried away and order the three-item combination, start with two. You can always add the third later.
Light eaters can go the a la carte route and start with the likes of sashimi ranging from $5.95 for saba (mackerel) to $14.95 for mirugai (giant clam). Fried tofu runs $3.50 and the popular chicken karaage is $6.95. Momotarou is also becoming known for its scallop butteryaki ($8.95) that is dredged in a light coating of flour and spices before hitting the frying pan. Even better for butter fans are the oysters on the half shell, given escargot treatment with the garlic-butter combination.
A friend who eats nothing but butterfish misoyaki ($12.95 a la carte; can be a combination selection) at Japanese restaurants proclaimed Momotarou's tops as it beat her former favorite served up at Kyo-ya. Ditto for the eel, painted with teriyaki sauce.
As good as all this was, I was sorry I wasn't able to sample more of the sushi, ranging from your basic tekka maki ($3.95) to rainbow rolls ($11.95). The hamachi was melt-in-your-mouth heavenly and likely measured a good 4 inches, extending way beyond the fingerling of rice.
Adding to the experience was the room's cozy ambience and the staff's diligence, creating an all-around good vibe. This one's a keeper, even without the movie.
1108 12th Ave. / 735-8583 Momotarou Sushi
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Fridays; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to midnight Saturdays and Sundays
Food 
Service Ambience Value Cost: About $25 to $30 for two without drinks
See some past restaurant reviews in the Columnists section.
Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to nkam@starbulletin.com
excellent; very good, exceeds expectations; average; below average.
