Fall is arguably the best time of year. Not because of pumpkin spice but because football, baseball and basketball (and hockey, but I don’t indulge) converge into a trifecta of sports perfection.

Such was the case on Sept. 28, when my husband and I headed to Moani Waikiki Island Bistro & Bar at International Market Place for an early dinner. I remember the date because it was the day of the riveting Alabama-Georgia game in which Georgia nearly came back from a double-digit deficit but eventually was overtaken by a great Alabama passing play by quarterback Jalen Milroe that connected with wide receiver Ryan Williams. Thank you to Moani Waikiki’s management and servers for putting the game on the big screens for us!
If sports isn’t your thing, though, there’s also nightly live music from notable names like Maunalua, Robi Kahakalau and Hoku Zuttermeister.
But, this is a food column, and you’re here for those the delicious details.

To start, I recommend heading in as soon as the restaurant opens. Moani Waikiki has a great daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. that features $4 beers, well spirits and house wines, as well as a discounted pupu menu that doesn’t skimp on portions. We got the Seffer’s Sliders ($14), pork belly ($14) and edamame hummus with pita ($4), and already I felt myself getting full. The double-patty mini sliders were elevated with bacon jam and a truffle cheese fondue dipping sauce — and the portion is also perfect for kids. The hoisin pork belly was my favorite appetizer, though. I liked the way the accompanying kimchi cut the fattiness of the pork belly, as well as the garlic aioli, which added tons of flavor.

For his entree, my husband ordered the family-style spicy garlic butter shrimp and clams ($35) that came with Portuguese sausage, Ewa corn and taro buns. It was reminiscent of jambalaya (one of my favorite meals), so I ended up eating most of his food. Story of his life.
I opted for the four-course prix-fixe menu ($50). That really is the way to go if you want variety without breaking the bank. It featured an appetizer of either Pele’s prawns with coconut and lava sauce or a bao burger with pork hash, soy mustard, kimchi and hoisin sauce. The prawns were phenomenal, and quite large. The combination of the sweet coconut mixed with the lava (Sriracha-style) sauce was the cherry on top.

The greens course featured tofu salad with a miso yuzu dressing (so good that Moani Waikiki should bottle and sell it), tomatoes, cucumber and wontons, or a Caesar salad with furikake, bubu arare and Parmesan croutons.
Entrees were a choice of miso salmon or the Moani moco. I got the miso salmon, and I have to say that it was one of the best I’ve ever had. There was a lot of decadent sauce, which was great because it seeped into the rice, ensuring I got a bit of flavor in every bite. My salmon was also perfectly cooked (the sauce likely helped keep everything moist).

Finally, dessert was Moani Waikiki’s Cheehoo cheesecake with a berry drizzle. I usually don’t like fruit in dessert, but they put the lilikoi sauce on the side, which was nice.
While I don’t like fruit as dessert, I definitely love chocolate. So we also ordered a Mauna mud pie ($12) topped with a chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. The texture was like an ice cream cake, and I’m a big fan of the Oreo crust. I’d return just for this dessert — and to watch some football on one of Moani Waikiki’s numerous screens if there’s another nail-biting game like that Georgia-Alabama brawl.

Moani Waikiki Island Bistro
& Bar

Address 
International Market Place
2330 Kalakaua Ave.
No. 312, Honolulu

Phone
808-466-2629

Hours
4-11 p.m.
Sundays-Thursdays;
4 p.m.-midnight
Fridays-Saturdays

Website
moaniwaikiki.com

Food: 4/5
Price: $$
Ambiance: 4/5 
Service: 5/5
Parking: validated parking at International Market Place (first hour free, then $2 per hour
up to the third hour; after that, standard
rates apply)