Enjoy contemporary local cuisine at Arden, located at the foot of Diamond Head in Waikiki. Experience the allure of Arden, which strives to “create an exceptional yet familiar dining experience where every bite feels like home.” Culinary artisans Makoto Ono and Amanda Cheng have curated the restaurant’s menu and present a few of their favorite dishes.
First, a li hing tomato salad, which comprises Kahumana Farms tomatoes — Ono’s favorite vegetable — burrata and a li hing mui vinaigrette. Ono also recommends the venison tartare, as he prefers simple raw preparations.
Meanwhile, Cheng’s favorite dish is the baked “Hawaii,” which is a black sesame chiffon cake topped with coconut and mango sorbet, in a toasted meringue, with a Koloa dark rum sauce. She says she enjoys putting a twist on classic desserts and this is her tropical version of a baked Alaska.
Visit ardenwaikiki.com or follow the restaurant on Instagram (@arden_waikiki).
Gobble till you wobble
Celebrate with those that you are grateful for at StripSteak, A Michael Mina Restaurant and its three-course Thanksgiving dinner from 3 to 8 p.m. Nov. 23, which is curated by chef Garrick Mendoza.
The first course includes a choice of marinated beets, truffle Caesar, hamachi crudo, or butternut squash and apple soup. Next, patrons can choose from a variety of entrée selections, including roasted heritage turkey, an 8-ounce Black Angus filet (with an option to substitute the filet for a 20-ounce bone-in rib-eye for an additional $29), ora king salmon or a triple-seared A5 wagyu strip steak (for an extra $200). Finally, customers will indulge in a decadent dessert with the choice of Basque-style cheesecake or pumpkin crunch pie.
For more information or to book a reservation, go online to stripsteakwaikiki.com or call 808-896-2545.
Touchdowns and tapas
Tropics Bar & Grill and Tapa Bar at Hilton Hawaiian Village are kicking this football season off with specialty menu items.
Patrons can indulge in Tapa Bar’s version of chicken and waffles, which features Nashville hot chicken bites, yuzu-maple syrup, hash brown waffles and then topped with scallions. Or, customers can satisfy their taste buds with a breakfast smash burger, which includes a smash patty, American cheese, sausage patty, an over easy egg and the restaurant’s “awesome sauce” on an English muffin.
Meanwhile, Tropics Bar & Grill will be serving its breakfast burrito — which comes with scrambled eggs, tater tots, Portuguese sausage, and cheddar and Jack cheeses in a flour tortilla — and its buffalo chicken sandwich. The latter includes buffalo chicken, buffalo sauce, pickled carrot and celery slaw, and blue cheese dressing.
Both restaurants also offer a variety of cocktails for guests to enjoy as they cheer on their favorite teams.
For more info, go online to hiltonhawaiianvillage.com.
Spooktacular treats
Ice Monster Hawaii (2255 Kuhio Ave.) and famed Ghost Bus creator Michaelty Yamaguchi have collaborated for a limited-engagement Halloween event throughout Oct. 31. Enjoy special Halloween-themed Ice Monster shave ice and visit the Ghost Booth. There will be family-friendly photo ops, contests and giveaways.
Both limited-edition Halloween shave ices are $19.80 each, and customers who purchase either treat will get a free entry into the Ghost Booth. The Spooky Mango is Ice Monster’s original bestselling mango shave ice with fresh mango, homemade strawberry sauce, mango sorbet, panna cotta and chocolate-coated monster pretzels. Meanwhile, the Spooky Sesame is a new exclusive flavor introduced for this special event. The dessert comprises black sesame shave ice, whipped cream, black sesame sorbet, strawberry panna cotta, homemade boba and chocolate-coated monster pretzels.
Visit ice-monster-hi.com or follow @icemonster_hi on Instagram.
