You’ve heard of the tomahawk steak, the primal bone-in marbled rib-eye, or tomahawk chop with a lengthy rib bone handle calling to your inner caveman, “Grab me!”
At the newly relocated Aloha Steak House, the tomahawk weighs in at 2 pounds, enough to feed four people. But if you’re really hungry, they’ve one-upped themselves by adding a 3-pound Megahawk to the menu. And if you’re really, really hungry, there’s a 4-pound Gigahawk.
The gargantuan offerings are symbolic of a new expansiveness that characterizes the restaurant’s latest moves, and perhaps a welcome signal that good times are back again.
It’s in stark contrast to the experience of dining out throughout the pandemic, one of contraction — smaller menus, shortened hours, reduced staffing. To visit the new ASH was like reawakening to a whole new world … or an old one in which we were still blissfully unaware of COVID-19.
With the move, the restaurant that had been closed seven months due to the pandemic, has expanded its footprint threefold. A bigger kitchen has allowed it to increase its menu to offer seafood in addition to steaks.
Still in the works is an oyster bar that they anticipate opening in June.
Whereas the restaurant had been perceived as a Japanese-style steak house with mentaiko pasta and hamburger steaks topped with creamy cheese sauce, new additions make it more of an American-style venue, one that’s more casual and lively than stuffy.
There’s a feeling of exuberance as soon as you step into the restaurant, cheerfully greeted by “alohas” from a staff eager to show off their new home. It’s on the site of the former Crackin’ Kitchen, at Seaside and Kuhio avenues, or going back further for those of a certain vintage, Matteo’s.
There’s plenty of light and fresh air that comes with its open design and lengthy outdoor lanai enhancing the restaurant’s spacious feel.
Settle in with a cocktail, wine, juicy mocktail or beer, including Kona Brewing on tap and an opening collaboration with Beer Lab HI, including Hakea Blond Ale and Omakase IPA.
Then it’s decision time, with tough choices to be made as you wade through a fairly lengthy list of popular bar offerings as pupu before you get to the main event.
To start, there are raw offerings such as market price snow crab and lobster, or oysters, recently creamy and mild Washington Kumamotos at $18 for four pieces, $26 for six and $48 for a dozen served with mignonette, cocktail sauce or wasabi shoyu.
If you feel like splurging, a seafood platter includes a dozen oysters, two orders of ahi poke and shrimp cocktail at $110 (full) or $60 (half size).
Also among the seafood offerings is your choice of Cajunor curry-spiced crispy calamari ($16 each), served respectively with marinara sauce and curry aioli. Both were good but I favor the curry version because it’s not as common.
For those who can’t resist a combination of butter and garlic, there’s Kona abalone prepared escargot style ($16). I also enjoyed the restaurant’s rich, truffle-topped chicken liver pate ($15).
The potent shaved truffle also shows up as a french fry option ($14) or as a luxurious $10 add-on to steak sides such mac ‘n’ cheese ($10) or creamed spinach ($9) flavored with honey and garlic cream or mac ‘n’ cheese ($10).
Get your greens with a wedge salad ($12.90) or Caesar salad ($15.90) topped with a half-boiled egg and loaded with thick chunks of smokey Canadian bacon.
Eventually you’ll get to the Black Angus steaks that start at $34 for 10 ounces of New York sirloin to $100 for a 16-ounce double filet mignon, all arriving on a sizzling platter. But I recommend grabbing some friends willing to split the cost and going for the splurge of ordering one of the tomahawks. The two-pounder ($99) comes with one side, while the 3-pound Meg ahawk comes with two sides for $149, and the 4-pound Gigahawk comes with three sides for $189.
At first, the massive size can seem like a matter of pure hype and machismo over substance but after trying the Megahawk, I realized that isn’t the case. It’s cooked sous vide-style before finishing, resulting in tender, juicy bites packed with flavor. Now that’s a steak!
After the drama of the ‘hawks, desserts of Manoa chocolate fondue ($15) served with fresh fruit and marshmallows or Gorgonzola cheesecake with honeycomb ($9) have a calming effect.
Or keep the drama going with the baked Waikiki ($18), the steakhouse’s twist on a baked Alaska in which a half pineapple is full of cubed frozen pineapple, haupia ice cream, popping lilikoi boba, topped with fluffy cream and set afire with dark rum. Just be careful when biting into the pineapple to avoid a case of brain freeze.
Aloha Steak House
364 Seaside Ave., Honolulu
Food: ****
Service: ****
Ambiance: ****
Value: ****
Call: 808-600-3431
Hours: 5-10:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Mondays
Prices: About $80-$100 per person without alcohol
Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).
