Buho Cocina y Cantina - Restaurant Week Prix Fixe Menu Preview

Restaurant Week Hawaii, a week when restaurants around Hawaii offer special menus and promotions in support of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head, takes place November 17 to 23.  

One of the participating restaurants is Buho Cocina y Cantina, and I had the opportunity to preview their Prix Fixe Restaurant Week Four Course Menu, which is being offered for $35.

Course 1: Salad - Big Island Goat Cheese Salad: Mixed greens, romaine lettuce, Big Island goat cheese, roasted pepitas, red apples, jicama, tossed in a tamarind vinaigrette and drizzed with local golden honey.

I enjoyed the combination of the creamy goat cheese and sweet honey, and the jicama and pepitas gave the salad a nice crunch.

Course 2: Appetizer - Pork Belly Flautas: Slow roasted pork belly, pulled and tossed with fresh cilantro, and a three cheese blend, wrapped in a flour tortilla and pan seared, topped with escabeche on a bed of homemade guacamole, and
Your choice of: Pork Belly Taco (shown below): 48 hour slow roasted pork belly, on a hand-pressed corn tortilla topped with a fresh local pineapple pico salsa and achiote aiole
-or-
Fresh Fish Taco (shown above with the flautas): Fresh local fish of the day on a hand-pressed corn tortilla garnished with a red cabbage slaw, and a mango pico salsa and topped with an achiote aiole and dusted with ancho powder

I really liked the flautas, and I had a chance to try the Pork Belly Taco, which was also very good.  I especially liked the pineapple pico salsa and achiote aiole atop the taco.

Course 3: Entree - Pan-Seared Duck Breast: Pan seared duck breast in a salsa de naranja sauce on a bed of papas fritas (hand cut potato wedges) sautéed green beans and caramelized onions

-or-

Mexican Adobo Jidori Chicken Breast: Jidori chicken breast sauteed in our homemade adobo salsa on top of a jalapeno-bacon potato gratin, red onions and wilted baby spinach

All items on the Prix Fixe menu are available on the regular menu with the exception of the duck breast. It was very delicious and one of the favorites on our table, but I actually preferred the chicken. I was pleasantly surprised with how tasty the chicken was, and the jalapeno-bacon potato gratin really completed the dish.

Course 4: Dessert - Mexican Habanero Brownie: Mexican chocolate steeped with fresh local habanero peppers and cinnamon baked and served with a cold chocolate ganache and topped with Maui Roselani premium vanilla ice cream, fresh raspberries and mint

The brownie is a customer favorite, and I could see (and taste) why - the delicious chocolate brownie had quite a spicy kick, but the heat of the peppers was complemented nicely by the ice cream and raspberries.  It was a very sweet (and spicy!) way to end the meal.

The Prix Fixe Menu offers a nice variety of options so those who have yet to try Buho can have a taste of some of the most popular dishes at the restaurant, and frequent customers can indulge in some of their favorites - all at a great price.

Buho Cocina y Cantina
2250 Kalakaua Ave Suite 525
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-2846