The Weekly Eater
WHAT a difference a week makes. Three days after Alan Wong's The Pineapple Room opened, service was slow and confused. At least one dish was not as described because the kitchen had run out of seafood and made something up without informing the guest. It’s worth the break
from shoppingBut it's safe to go now. A return visit found more assurance in the kitchen and service vastly improved, though staffers still hovered, redundantly offering more water, dessert menus, etc., in quick succession.
Of course, the idea of what comprises good service is relative. I must be fussier than most. My New York guests -- a lawyer and two fashion designers, one with magenta hair -- were impressed, in fact grateful, that the staff was even polite.
"Everyone's so nice," one cooed. "In New York, we'd be like (holding index finger up), 'Uh, excuse me?' and they'd just zoom by. The waiters make really good tips because everyone's afraid of them."
They were just as impressed by the food, and the novelty of a Kalua Pig BLT ($9), the pork piled thick, and the decor, modern with a slightly retro color scheme of a fruity golden yellow with green accents. A pineapple crown embellishes the ceiling over the kitchen where cooks work in the open.
Food THE PINEAPPLE ROOM
1/2
Atmosphere
Service
Value
Address: Liberty House Ala Moana, third floor
For lunch there is a broad selection of salads, sandwiches and local-style pizzas -- about 8 inches across -- on thin, crisp crusts, such as the Kalua Pig, Onion and Boursin Pizza ($10), also topped with slivers of shiitake and lomi tomato relish.
If you have to brownbag it everyday to save up for one lunch meal here, the Char-Siu Crusted Onaga was worth the $20 price tag. Here, the crumbled pork contributed subtle flavor to the fish. It wasn't gimmicky at all.
Dinner is the best time for those who appreciate variety. The menu represents a fast-forward from the department store dining of the old Garden Court Restaurant while managing to be an unpretentious experience, geared toward the shopper who wants a pupu or dessert break.
One of the signature appetizer dishes is the pair of Pineapple Room Crab Cakes ($9.50), two plump golden pineapple-shaped morsels filled with fresh crab, celery and other greens, served with tartar sauce and basil oil.
Some dishes are more filling than others. For instance, two people sharing about a half dozen Salt and Pepper Kauai Shrimp ($13) may leave hungry, but I prefer this and the accompanying caper aioli to the more substantial Seafood Chili ($14) of shrimp, ahi, scallops and mashed potatoes. The subtlety of seafood just gets buried under the concentrated flavor of chile peppers.
Nori-Wrapped Tempura Chicken was an early favorite, with the standout flavor of seaweed, but a return visit found the chicken replaced by Salmon ($8.50). There's plenty of room for play on a menu like this, so shopaholics driven by newness are guaranteed to find something to delight every time.
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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;
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