I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. My mom read to me when I was in her womb and would go on to buy me all the books I wanted from the Scholastic Book Fair. My family made constant trips to Borders Books & Music for me and I practically lived at Aiea Public Library. My fondness for books only grew as I got older and I’m proud to have passed down that same love to my daughter.
So, I could think of no better place to review for my first Crave column than Vintage Books, which opened this past December in the former 3660 on the Rise space. The biz is a speakeasy restaurant — a concept inspired by local businessman Bill Tobin’s love of Kaimuki and vintage books.
As we walked up to the business, we noticed the display windows are lined with books. When we stepped inside, we saw several shelves of literary works from every genre. The staff immediately greeted us with what I assumed was feigned curiosity to see if we were there to peruse the books or if we would in fact ask them the secret phrase: “Can we see the private collection?” (The password is please.)
The gracious hostess led us through a door to an intimate bar space adorned with torn book pages on the walls and a string of Christmas lights cascading down from the ceiling. We were then escorted to another door that transported us into the magical realm that was the restaurant portion of Vintage Books.
Vintage Books general manager Brian Gavin shared that he and the team wanted to open the restaurant with a fun facade.
“We think of the front space as Vintage Books, and everything behind that door is an open book,” he says.
We were led to a cozy table in the back and began our meal with drinks. There was an eclectic wine selection put together by Gavin, and a gamut of cocktails curated by bar maestro Jen Ackrill. Tip: You can tell the bartenders what you like and they’ll happily make you a personalized cocktail.
The food menu was curated by chef Stephen Toyofuku, who grew up in Kahala and Kaimuki and spent time elevating his skills in New York and Seattle before returning to Oahu — and, I for one (and many others), am so glad he did.
We started off with the cold mapo tofu ($12) and house karaage ($14). The tofu did not have the usual kick to it, as Toyofuku went with a more refreshing take on the Sichuan classic with fresh scallions and earthy shimeji mushrooms. It was a nice palate cleanser between bites of other dishes.
The karaage was definitely my favorite; each crispy and tender bite popped with flavor. The dish came with two sauces — a house Japanese mayonnaise (my fave of the two) and a kimchi-spiked ketchup — but honestly, we didn’t need them, as the chicken was perfectly delicious on its own.
We also ordered the Cowboy Beef Salad ($15), which was hearty and boasted crispy deep-fried short ribs and fresh greens with a citrusy dressing that had a hint of chile. It paired perfectly with the crispy lamb ribs ($16), which were cooked/braised to perfection. The meat wasn’t gamey in the slightest and was so tender it fell right off the bone. And, the caramel sauce it was glazed in took the dish to a whole new level.
The entire experience from the customer service to chatting with the staff afterward to learn more about the biz was amazing. So good, that I ended up staying longer to meet my best friend there to enjoy more of the signature cocktails. I highly recommend the biz’s version of a lychee martini (my go-to libation).
Reservations are highly recommended and dress code is smart casual.
Just like a favorite book that I never get tired of rereading, I’ll definitely be coming back to Vintage Books.
Vintage Books
Address
3660 Waialae Ave. Ste. 101, Honolulu
Phone
808-739-9050
Hours
11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily
Website
vintagebookshawaii.com
instagram
@vintagebookshawaii
Food: 5/5
Drinks 5/5
Price: $$/$$$$
Ambiance: Warm, intimate, cozy, sophisticated
Service: 5/5
Parking: Validated parking/street parking
