THE BRIEF
It’s difficult to get reservations at Hau Tree these days but, if you persevere and obtain a slot, you won’t be disappointed. The hotel and the restaurant underwent a major renovation recently. A new team of chefs took over as well. It’s now headed up by chef Chris Kajioka, a local O`ahu native who also runs some of the top restaurants in the state. Reservations are limited to 90-minute seatings so we showed up promptly at 5 pm. You are treated to valet parking as you pull up to the Kaimana Beach Hotel. The restaurant, located inside the hotel, is right on the beach on the iconic Gold Coast of Waikiki.
Just before going down the steps leading to the main seating, I stopped to check out the Hale Hau. It’s the private dining room for special events and meetings for up to 15 people. Like the rest of the restaurant, the décor is casual Hawaiian-themed.
We settled into our seats right under (what else) one of the Hau trees in the main dining area. This is a good option if you are trying to avoid the sun as I was. Even at this hour as we approached sunset, I found it very warm in the sun on the patio kind of deck. Definitely bring your sunglasses. To help cool down we ordered a chilled sauvignon blanc from Cloudy Bay New Zealand. It was smooth and satisfying with that wonderful aroma that is unique to that part of the world.
GREENS
For starters a chopped salad with za’atar vinaigrette, feta, pickled onion, crispy garbanzo, radish, cucumber, and boiled egg. We added king salmon tartare. This came with lemon, harissa, raisin puree, and brioche. Also ordered was baked oysters with“escargot” butter. A grilled Spanish octopus served with za’atar, eggplant caponata, cauliflower, and salsa verde completed our appetizer sharing plates. Amazing!
STARTERS
After slowly digesting the opening dishes we decided to switch over to a glass of Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast and enjoy the sunset. We also put an order in for the entrees to share. The crispy pork belly with charred coconut crema, roasted cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and coconut bechamel. Then we ordered seared Maine scallops in preserved lemon, peas, apricot, and kosho beurre blanc sauce. Both were cooked to perfection and delicious.
ENTREE
We savoured the pinot and the entrees well into a beautiful sunset that the hotel and beach are known for. For the finish, a wonderful and light cheesecake dessert came to the table as we lit the candle.
THE DEBRIEF
I think you can tell from the review that we had a marvellous dinner at the Hau Tree. Known for its views, fantastic sunsets and brunches. The lunch and dinner are crowd favourites also. Great for a casual dinner, especially a romantic one, this is the place to be in Waikiki.
👍👍👍
