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The Weekly Eater Nadine Kam |
Kohnotori pampers fans of
grilled fare -- no D.I.Y. thereI was recently discussing Gyu-Kaku -- the Japanese charcoal-grill restaurant soon to conquer America -- with a friend, and while I said I enjoyed the whole smoky, D.I.Y. tabletop grill experience, he had one reservation.
It's too difficult, he said, to cook and eat at the same time.
Apparently, due to his inability to multitask, food intended to sizzle for one to three minutes ended up charred on the grill while he gabbed.
"I wish they'd cook it for you," he said, wistfully.
"Dream on, you lazy sod," I said.
Well, his dream has come true. There really is a restaurant, Kohnotori, where a grill master does the cooking for you behind a bar provisioned with meat, shellfish and veggies threaded on skewers for Japan's version of shish kebab. Honolulu does have a precedent for this food: perhaps some will remember Gonbei, housed at Kilohana Square in the mid-'90s. It was great, and there hasn't been anything like it since.
Just to prevent too much smoke from getting in your eyes, a Plexiglas barricade at the bar separates chef from diners, but if you can't take the heat, I suggest you stay away from the front-and-center seats. Temperatures rise as more patrons show up, and it is definitely no place for anyone with asthma or other breathing difficulties.
Grill chef Hiromasa Ueno has a hot time behind the Plexiglas at Kohnotori.
KOHNOTORI LOOKS empty compared to the vastly popular Imanas Tei next door, but give it time. It doesn't help that Kohnotori doesn't have the signage to make it stand out from the street, where it's partially obscured by the building housing The Haunt. The banner they do have looks like a giant peanut, which does nothing to enlighten passersby. But now you know, so finding it will be a cinch.
You can sit at the bar to be close to the grill action. Watch what turns up and you'll see ... rice balls? Many have sworn off carbs, but the sight of the sesame seed-studded and salted musubis, or onogiri, browning on the grill is tempting. The finished rice cakes prove to be an irresistible smoky-chewy-sticky crisp on the outside, with a center that remains soft and fluffy.
The rice is a perfect complement to the beef skewers that come coated with a house sauce or plain old salt. I like the basic salt version best -- ditto for the rice, which is better without the miso coating option -- and overall, food doesn't come simpler than this. The mistake would be to equate simple with coarse. Just because there's meat and fire doesn't mean your inner caveman can come out to play. It's quite civilized here.
THIS IS A good place for those trying to limit their portions, which here, are sushi sized. If the menu looks cheap, with items priced from $1.20 to $4.40, it's because you get a single skewer or plate per order, with anywhere from two pieces (scallops or oysters) to five pieces each (beef or delicious sweet peppers). You could also order ramen for $4.60 or chanko nabe for two at $12.75, but it's a little too hot for soup now.
For a refreshing starter, try the sauteed spinach ($3), served chilled with a sprinkling of shaved bonito. You might want to add cold tofu as a break from the parade of grilled foods.
Each piece, by the way, is perfectly cooked. No charring. No leather. Maybe my friend was right about leaving the cooking to a pro.
One thing the restaurant doesn't seem to offer is raw fish, so don't go thinking "sasimi" is a typo for sashimi. It's yakitori of tender chicken backs topped with just the right dab or serving of wasabi ($1.20), ume ($1.40), shiso ($1.60) or ponzu sauce ($1.60).
Dainty quail eggs are wrapped in bacon and served in pairs.
There are a handful of items on the menu I wouldn't touch, but aficionados of tongue ($1.60), salted squid guts ($2.80), liver ($1.20) and fried gizzards ($3.80) will be thrilled.
For dessert there's mochi ice cream ($2.50) of the grocery-store variety, so you might skip it, especially since they have their own dessert of a tiny frozen cream puff. It would be nice if they would let it thaw awhile since they know every diner will eventually get one. As it is, you sort of have to scrape the surface with your teeth until it's completely whittled away.
One other thing -- even if the food seems inexpensive, the pop is pricey. Berry, grape and plum sodas are smooth and subtle, but a single glass is $5.45. It may be worth sampling once, but after that, you might as well go back to water with a twist of lemon.
2626 S. King St. (next to Imanas Tei) / 941-7255 Kohnotori
Hours: 6 p.m. to midnight daily
Food 
Service Ambience Value Cost: About $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.
