Last November, I polled readers and came up with the top 25 Oahu restaurants that were gone but not forgotten. The Willows topped the list, followed by Tahitian Lanai, Columbia Inn, Flamingo, John Dominis, Swiss Inn, Alan Wong’s, Fisherman’s Wharf, Canlis and Pearl City Tavern.
At the time, readers told me about some of their favorites that didn’t place at the top but were nonetheless memorable. Here are some of those favorites, from fine dining to cheap eats.
Maile Room
“The Maile Room at the Kahala Hotel was elegant,” Mae Kanazawa recalled. “Our waitress, Wendy, in her kimono, would serve our cocktail and stir it ever so gently. Server Ron made you feel so important, even though we were not. The music of Kit Samson and Rene Paulo was the perfect background as we dined.”
Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas
David Monk of Kalama Valley said, “My wife, Amy, and I dearly miss Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas since it closed in Restaurant Row. Unlike many of the down-home, local-style favorites of your readers, this was elevated, creative cooking with high-quality ingredients and great service, and for the price, terrific value.
“The house-made rice crackers with wasabi aioli that they served while you perused the menu were addictive. All their seafood dishes were outstanding, especially the opah. Entrees came with a single corn shoot on top, kind of a chef’s signature.
“Corn shoots are a kind of microgreens, maybe a couple of inches long, cut just after the seeds germinate. Think of radish sprouts or bean sprouts. Hiroshi laid one or two on top of each main dish for decoration.
“The happy hour 50%-off food deal at the bar was a fantastic bargain. Despite the ‘Tapas’ in the name, there were plenty of full-serving size plates on the menu.”
Chef Hiroshi Fukui left in 2013 and joined Rainbow Drive-In.
Like Like Drive Inn
Ken Takeya said, “For about 4-5 years on most Saturday nights, we used to bowl in the various bowling alleys in the jackpot games that started around midnight and usually ran until 6 a.m. We would always conclude our mornings at Like Like Drive Inn.
“The waitresses knew us. I would always order the shrimp curry with an extra scoop of rice, and a banana royale for dessert. Whoever won the most bowling would pay for everyone’s breakfast. We were taken care of at our own table in the back of the restaurant. Leaving a big tip was always a must.”
Spindrifter
“We always went to the Spindrifter,” Ken Fujii said, “which was a restaurant in a stand-alone building on the mauka-Ewa corner of Kahala Mall. Ross Dress For Less is there now.
“They originally had swivel chairs with tufted leather backs and armrests, which were so comfy that customers overstayed their dinners. The waitress once told us that because diners stayed so long, they often could not turn over the table more than one time per evening — a death knell for profitability.
“We usually started with their artichoke appetizer, simmered in a wine-garlic- butter chicken broth. It was where I first learned to eat those unique flower buds. I now cook my own artichokes in a similar fashion till this day.”
Fast Food
Whenever I went to the North Shore, I stopped first at Fast Food in Wahiawa at 75 S. Kamehameha Highway. I loved the steak, mushroom and cheese sub on a 16-inch loaf of French bread. I think it was $3.
Alan Mileski worked there for many years. “Doc Hofmeister retired from the Army at Schofield Barracks in 1966 and decided to open a little restaurant. His wife, Eve, put the menu together, and they succeeded by keeping it simple. Chicken sub sandwiches, French dip and a few other items.
“The sub sandwiches were always a huge seller. Another popular choice was four pieces of fried chicken, French fries and a small salad for $1.50. We had constant business from Wheeler AFB and Schofield Barracks. I used to deliver to them.
“Doc and Eve were wonderful to me. … I was a fixture back then.”
Jumbo’s
Wini Hee said, “I remember going to Jumbo’s in Mapunapuna for their whole Maine lobster dinners (I can’t remember the price, but it was very reasonable).
“We would go in a group and some of my friends didn’t like the heads, so I made out! They gave me theirs. Was so ono. Those were the good ole days.”
Jumbo’s was owned by Rod Sugai. It was at 1052 Ahua St., next to Hopaco. There was also one in Waipahu.
Tin Tin Chop Suey
Ray Chu said, “I was born in 1972 and my dad was one of the main cooks at Tin Tin on Maunakea Street downtown. I spent many afternoons and evenings hanging out in the back kitchen with my dad and other cooks.
“After my family moved to the mainland in 1978, my parents operated a fast food restaurant in San Jose for 20 years. The won ton soup was essentially the same as Tin Tin’s.
“On more than one occasion, customers would unsolicitedly comment about how it tasted just like the won ton soup they grew up eating in Hawaii.”
Wo Fat
Richard Lee-Ching said, “If you were going to a nine-course dinner for a celebration, there were two choices: Second floor at Wo Fat, or for the upscale, Lau Yee Chai in Waikiki.
“Lau Yee Chai had a pond with fish where people would toss coins, and kids would scheme to figure out how they could accidentally fall in to the pond to grab a quarter or two.
“Wo Fat was just for the food. We’d start with shark fin, bird’s nest, or soup steamed in a whole winter melon; some kind of noodles; abalone and black mushrooms; steamed red pork with taro; steamed fish with ginger and green onions; shrimp with broccoli; pot roast duck or taro duck.
“It was Cantonese cooking in all its glory, especially after the Communist Chinese Party kicked out all the good cooks.”
Byron II
One of Milt Yamamoto’s favorites was Byron II Steakhouse. “It was located at Ala Moana Shopping Center where Assaggio’s is now. It was one of the many Andy Wong restaurants.
“Byron II was a fine dining restaurant with a great ambience, awesome food and excellent service. My favorite waiter was Mak. He was such a comic. We’d order things he made at the table.
“We’d start with either Caesar salad or hot spinach salad. Followed by the main entree, which was Steak Diane. Ending with my ALL-TIME FAVORITE DESSERT — cherries jubilee. All made tableside. What great memories. Woo-oo!!!”
Horitsuji’s Aala Diner
“My family used to frequent Horitsuji’s Aala Diner a lot in the late 1980s,” Robin Uyeshiro wrote. “It was located near College Walk and later moved to Kukui Plaza.
“Mrs. Horitsuji recognized our young daughters and was always very gracious. My favorite was the shrimp tempura and ahi teriyaki combo plate. I’ve looked for a dish like that ever since but haven’t found it.”
Bagwells 2424
Ruth Limtiaco said she worked at the Hyatt during its “golden days.” “We created the ‘2424 Carat Gold Club,’ within Bagwells 2424, referring to the hotel’s address at 2424 Kalakaua Ave.
“Everyone who dined there recalls the signature ‘reveal,’ when the gorgeous silver domes, topped with sculpted wild animals, were lifted simultaneously from the guests’ plates by waiters in white coats and black ties.
“Our sommeliers were noted figures like Michael Florian and Chuck Furuya. There was also beautiful guitar music by Jeff Linsky in the lounge.”
Readers: which restaurants do you miss and what would you like to reorder just one more time?
Bob Sigall is the author of the five “The Companies We Keep” books. Contact him at Sigall@Yahoo.com or sign up for his free email newsletter at RearviewMirrorInsider.com.
