New Menu Item Calabash Curry at House Without A Key

Gorgeous desserts!  Pictured are Halekulani's Coconut Cake, Key Lime Pie, and Pineapple Cheesecake. 

For several years now, it has been our tradition to spend the 4th of July holiday with a staycation at the Halekulani Hotel.  Halekulani, which is home to (IMHO) the best Sunday brunch buffet at Orchid's and award winning fine dining restaurant La Mer, is also the home of local favorite House Without a Key - an informal dining spot known for its live entertainment under the famous kiawe tree. 

Our family loves to dine at House Without a Key and have celebrated many special occasions at the restaurant.  We were invited to try a new dish called the Calabash Curry that is available for a limited time.  I was looking forward to trying the curry because I had seen many pictures of it on Instagram, including one from Gem!  The Calabash Curry is made with an in-house blend of Indian curry, nori, and spam.  I usually only eat spam in the form of musubi, but this calabash dish totally worked.  I also really liked the pineapple chutney that came with it.  The sweetness complemented the savory dish nicely.     

Besides the new menu item, we also tasted some of their mainstays like the Halekulani Signature Joy's Special, a crab meat salad sandwich with avocado, bacon, and lettuce served on whole wheat bread.  We also enjoyed the Smoked Salmon Tartine served with lemon cream cheese, cucumber, capers, and onion on rye bread.  I was surprised how much I liked this sandwich as I usually don't like smoked salmon.

We ended our delicious meal with a trio of desserts - Halekulani's signature coconut cake, pineapple cheesecake, and key lime pie.  Once again, the food and service were exceptional and we left with very full and happy bellies.  

If you don't find the calabash curry on the lunch menu next time you dine at House Without a Key, be sure to ask for it and you just might be in luck!

While the kids can sip on blended fruit punches and calamansi soda, the adults can indulge in cocktails! 
House Without a Key is especially known for their Mai Tai! 
Their signature recipe dates back to the reopening of the hotel more than 30 years ago

Recommend you start your lunch or dinner with some poke! (local yellow fin tuna)

And you can't go wrong with the local ahi sashimi.

Calabash Curry is delicious!  A good choice if you are looking for taste and texture. 

I really liked the lemon cream cheese with the smoked salmon.  And the fries are addicting!

Joy's Special!  A crab meat lover's dream come true.

The kids ordered off the kid's menu.  My daughter enjoyed her huge portion of mac and cheese while my son had chicken strips and fries. 

Read More

Halekulani's Wine Tasting Events

Yesterday @wina_wina and I had the pleasure of participating in two Hawaii Food & Wine Festival Events held at Halekulani - Domaine Vieux Télégraphe Vertical Tasting and Château Cos d’Estournel Tasting.  

About Domaine Vieux Télégraphe Vertical Tasting

Cast off your training wheels from session one and roll into an intensive study of a single appellation with the Domaine Vieux Télégraphe Vertical Tasting. The Appellation of Châteauneuf-du-pape (the house of the Pope) resides in the first recognized wine appellation (Côtes du Rhône) in all of France. One the most celebrated of that region is Domaine Vieux Télégraphe. Proprietor Daniel Brunier turns on the microscope and adjusts the lens to discuss and dissect ten vintages from the family’s fabled “La Crau” (The Cradle) vineyard. Learn about the intricacies of the thirteen cépages (grapes) legally allowed to craft these legendary wines and determine for yourself what separates Télégraphe from the pack. 

During the Domaine Vieux Télégraphe Vertical Tasting, surprise guest Angéline Templier from Champagne J. Lassalle featured a few champagnes.

About Château Cos d’Estournel Tasting
In this 5G age of information access, how good a wine tastes right out of the bottle often overshadows the nobility or pedigree of a wine. When the French determined the Classification or Growth system of Bordeaux and the Grand Cru system in Burgundy, it was with generations of experience guiding them. In 1855 Bordeaux established a classification system ranking Château Cos d’Estournel as one of only fifteen “Deuxième Crus” or Second growths. Please join us at 12:30pm for the Château Cos d’Estournel Tasting. US Director for Cos d’Estournel, Mr. Etienne de Nantes will guide us through an eight–vintage vertical tasting from this esteemed Château. As you taste through the vintages, learn what founder Louis-Gaspard d’Estournel saw in his “Cos” or “Hill of Pebbles” (as translated in the Gascon dialect) back in 1810.

Not only did we get to taste some amazing wines, but we learned so much from the fantastic panel of Master Sommeliers - Richard Betts (Sucette, Nichon, Saint Glinglin, My Essential Wines - Australia, Bordeaux & California), Joseph Spellman, MS (JUSTIN Vineyards and Winery - Paso Robles, CA), and Roberto Viernes (American Wine and Spirits), along with Vigneron Daniel Brunier of Domaine Vieux Télégraphe, Etienne de Nantes, US Director of Cos d’Estournel, and Angéline Templier from Champagne J. Lassalle.

It was so intriguing to hear about each vintage, and I loved hearing what the panelists, as well as the attendees, thought about each wine.  

A great big Mahalo to Halekulani for having us!

Read More