Tiny Pyramid Bistro + Pastry Bar at Na Lama Kukui is quite the hidden gem. It makes its home among the lifestyle and design stores in the complex, and fans of the now-closed JJ Bistro & French Pastry and chef Praseuth “JJ” Luangkhot will be glad to know the new restaurant is named after what is arguably Luangkhot’s most famous dessert: the chocolate mousse pyramid. And, yes, it’s still on the menu (more on that later).
Tiny Pyramid can best be described as elevated casual fare that features a lot of seafood and Lao-inspired dishes — but don’t sleep on the proteins like the pork belly.
If you’re new to the restaurant (or just want a really great deal), I recommend getting the four-course menu that comes with a soup or salad starter, an appetizer, an entree and a dessert.
Menu A is $43 with standard entree choices like the Asian Classic (rice pasta with seafood and veggies in a garlic cream sauce), hen, pot pies, seafood brioche, sea scallop Napoleon (with a lemongrass curry sauce and puff pastry) and Crying Belly (braised pork belly with veggies over mashed potatoes with a five-spice cream sauce), as well as upgraded entrees like baked salmon, baked opakapaka and cheese ravioli ($2 more for these options).
Menu B ($50) has the high-end entrees like braised duck, lamb Wellington, lobster pad thai, poached lobster tail ($14 more if you want a double lobster tail).
But I’m getting ahead of myself. The first course is your choice of soup (cream of corn with blue crab meat) or a side salad. The soup was sweeter than I expected, but the pepper and the crab balanced out the flavors nicely. I did wish the soup was thicker, but I think that’s more personal preference than anything.
The second course features an array of appetizer choices like baked lobster (served on a baguette with minced apples and tomatoes for texture), escargot, a Lao roll (lemongrass curry chicken summer roll), soft-shell crab, baked oyster or Parisian (duck mousse with port wine pate with a sliced baguette). I have to recommend the baked oysters. The creaminess of the mozzarella cheese gives depth to the dish, and the sweet chile aioli adds a nice kick of flavor.
OK, now we’re ready to talk about those entrees. The standard $43 menu is a really great value considering the options. I was eyeing the Crying Belly and the seafood brioche, but pork won out in the end. It’s a flavorful dish bolstered by the that five-spice cream sauce. Its robust flavor almost overpowers the whole dish, but the mushrooms and bok choy tie everything together nicely. And there’s something to be said about mashed potatoes placating strong flavors — and it does a much better job of it than white rice would. Plus, I love potatoes, maybe even more than rice (gasp).
If I haven’t convinced you that the quality, quantity and value of the four-course menu is worth it, then I’ve saved the best (and probably the most compelling) reason for last: the desserts. You can choose anything from Tiny Pyramid’s pastry showcase. Yes, you read that right — anything.
When I saw the row of tiny pyramids sitting in the display case, I knew that’s the one I wanted to get. Was it going to be as good as I remembered? Will it taste the same?
The answer was a resounding yes. The richness is substantial, but the texture is also light enough to polish off by yourself, no problem. It’s the perfect single-serving size, so if you have sharers at your table, give them the evil eye to ward them off. Just kidding, I shared a bite (just one, though) with my husband. We also tried the fruit basket (a white chocolate basket filled with fresh fruit and cake) and the strawberry shortcake. I’m not really a fan of fruits masquerading as dessert, but those seemed to be popular with the other tables so I guess I’m in the minority. That’s OK, though. More tiny pyramids for me!
Tiny Pyramid Bistro + Pastry Bar
Address
Na Lama Kukui
560 N. Nimitz Hwy.
Ste. 102, Honolulu
Phone
808-739-0993
Hours
11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays; closed Tuesdays
Website
tinypyramid.com
INSTAGRAM
@tinypyramid.hnl
Food: 4/5
Price: $$
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Parking: Free in the Na Lama Kukui lot
