The Weekly Eater
THE pairing of a standard restaurant and a health club could be considered odd. To illustrate: En route to Alan T's in the Honolulu Club, a friend and I were trapped in the elevator by a man who asked if we were going to work out. To be polite, my friend answered that we were going to the restaurant. A place to work out,
then pig out"Ah," he said. "You'd be better off working out."
This insult came from a guy who was no Adonis. Nevertheless, Elevator Man unwittingly made the point that people who work out tend to watch what they eat, and that would seem to preclude them from chowing down at Alan T's very often.
As a result, the restaurant has had to be more creative and flexible than others in figuring out, then meeting, clientele's demands. Results show in themed events such as Mexican Night, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, a wine "buffet" Tuesdays where patrons can sample 10 or so wines for about $8.95, and a take-out counter where those done with their workouts can reward themselves with salads or bring home pasta dinners.
Food Alan T's
1/2
Ambience
Service
Value
Address: Honolulu Club, 932 Ward Ave., seventh floor
With all this extra stuff going on, the restaurant suffers a bit. The staff is not attentive to arriving guests, leaving them standing in the doorway. Don't worry, the chlorine smells of the health club dissipate once you're in the restaurant.
Dinner starts fairly enough. An un-Italian "Canneloni" ($8.95) is wonderfully creative. Two thin-cut slices of tofu replace the pasta, heaven to many who have embraced the no-carb diet fad and have had to give up on bread, noodles and pizza. In between the layers are a bit of ahi and tomatoes soaked in tapenade sauce, with tangy capers brightening the flavors. The dish is draped with spinach, another plus for the health crowd.
Calamari ($8.95) also gets nontraditional treatment, wrapped in a bright green puree of cilantro and ginger before hitting the deep fryer. It's served with the usual cocktail sauce, also spiked with the tasty cilantro-ginger combo.
This restaurant also does well when it sticks to basics like salads and burgers. In another nod to the health set, options include lean buffalo, turkey and ahi burgers ($8.95-$9.95). There's a sense of humor at work here too, with reference to the "Obligatory" Seared Fresh Island Ahi salad ($11.95).
Certain entrees are subject to overkill. Barbecued Thai Shrimp ($13.95) topping a lemongrass and cucumber salad would have been great, with a 10th of its saccharine dressing. If in doubt, give diners the option of requesting more rather than allowing the dish to become a drowning casualty.
Also on the sweet side, but faring better were Haji's (no, not the Haji of the old Hajibaba's) Grilled Moroccan Chicken ($12.95) and Panang Style Thai Chicken Curry ($11.95), both served with a mound of rice.
I don't know how much of this is what Honolulu Club members want. And getting the public to the seventh floor ... that's a pretty high order.
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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:
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