Arancino at The Kahala

I had the pleasure of dining at Arancino at The Kahala with a few of my coworkers—a much-needed evening out filled with laughter, conversation, and, of course, amazing Italian food.

Before we even got to the appetizers, we enjoyed the house bread ...  warm, crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and served with olive oil that made it impossible to stop at just one bite. Thank goodness they only serve one piece per person!

We kicked things off by sharing a few appetizers that really set the tone for the rest of the meal. The Affettato Misto was a beautiful spread of Italian cured meats and cheeses—perfect for grazing and pairing with sips of wine. 

The Calamari Fritti was light and crispy, not greasy at all, and came with a tasty dipping sauce that disappeared quickly. 

The Insalata Caprese was simple, fresh, and a good low-carb dish to offset what was to come next.

For my entrée, I went with my tried-and-true Italian restaurant pick: Pappardelle alla Bolognese. I can never resist it when it's on the menu, and Arancino’s version didn’t disappoint. 

One of my coworkers ordered the Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare (uni pasta), which is one of Arancino’s signature dishes. If you're a fan of uni (not me!!), this one’s definitely worth a try. 

Another pasta dish made it to the table as well, though I’ll admit, the name escapes me—but based on the clean plate at the end, it was amazing.

We wrapped up the meal with tiramisu, which came out deconstructed—a modern twist on the classic. It was beautifully presented, and while I appreciated the creativity, I’m more of a traditionalist when it comes to tiramisu. There’s just something about those layers of espresso-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cream that I missed in this version. 

Service throughout the night was fantastic—attentive, friendly, and never rushed. Even though Arancino is located right next to the hotel’s porte cochere, the atmosphere was still surprisingly pleasant, and if you’re lucky, you might even catch a celebrity sighting—one time (not on this visit), I actually spotted a star from Hawaii Five-0 arriving at the hotel! Just one more reason Arancino is always a memorable dining experience.

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ARANCINO at The KAHALA

5000 Kahala Avenue

808-380-4400

 

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The Kahala Hotel & Resort's Plumeria Beach House Breakfast Buffet

Plumeria Beach House at The Kahala Hotel & Resort offers a fabulous breakfast buffet, with everything from local favorites to breakfast classics.

You can indulge in a variety of fruits, pastries, cereals, and meats, as well as customize omelets, oatmeal, waffles, yogurts, and even loco mocos!

The Loco Moco station was my favorite.

The buffet offered a twist on a traditional loco moco, using fried rice and beef stew.

There was also a charcuterie station, a salad station, a carving station, and a Japanese station with foods such as miso soup, natto, and chilled tofu.

You could get your fill of comfort food faves, like loaded potatoes, bacon, eggs, and cinnamon rolls, or try more modern eats, such as guacamole toast and watermelon salsa,

And yet there's more!  The bountiful buffet also included bao, croissants, chia pudding, parfaits, thin pancakes, and frittatas.

No matter what you decide to fill your plate up with, I highly recommend you try the signature bread pudding, as well as the Kahalasadas.  

The bread pudding is so good - dense and delicious, and the Kahalasadas is sprinkled with sugar and li hing!

Although I do wish there were more dessert offerings for the Plumeria Beach House breakfast buffet, I was overall very pleased with the selection of foods and I thought the service was friendly and efficient.

Plumeria Beach House
The Kahala Hotel & Resort
5000 Kahala Ave

Honolulu, HI 96816

Mahalo to the Plumeria Beach House for hosting our breakfast.

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The Veranda at The Kahala Hotel & Resort

During our (too quick) staycay at The Kahala Hotel & Resort, we had dinner at The Veranda, a casual, family-friendly spot that still offers a level of food and service that you'd find in most fine dining restaurants.

Cured Meats & Cheese Board

Kahala Pupu Platter

Mixed Kula Green Salad

The Kahala Pupu Platter consisted of Chicken Wings, Calamari, Wok-Fried Soft Shell Crab, and Soy Braised Short Rib & Avocado Tempura.  I really liked the tempura!

And it's hard to go wrong with a Meat & Cheese platter.  It was a nice variety of meats and cheeses, and even my kids dug in!

A kids menu is offered, and I must say, I was quite envious of the keiki meals!

Wagyu Burger & Fries

Bolognese Pasta with Crimini Mushrooms & Parmesan

Grilled Catch of the Day

 Of course we couldn't leave without dessert!

Assorted Ice Cream

Hoku's Warm Chocolate Coulant

Chocolate and vanilla ice creams were served atop a pizelle cookie and accompanied by fruits.

The Chocolate Coulant was rich and decadent, and I loved the caramel ice cream that was served along with it.  It was a perfect match!

Service was a bit hurried, but still very friendly and accommodating.  

The Veranda
The Kahala Hotel & Resort
5000 Kahala Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii, 96816

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Kamaʻaina Thursdays at The Kahala

Did you know that on Thursday evenings, local residents (Kamaʻainas) have access to a specially priced promotional menu at the Plumeria Beach House at The Kahala?

It's a great way to enjoy the food and ambiance of the Plumeria Beach House at a reasonable price.

For $49 (plus tax and gratuity), Kamaʻainas can feast on unlimited servings of salads and desserts, and their choice of entree.  

Bread and lavosh are complimentary - we powered through two baskets throughout our meal service.

You can make your own tossed green salad with all the dressings and fixins.

I opted for the Chinese chicken salad, which is always my favorite salad.

For entrees, two of us ordered the braised short ribs. It was very tender - no knife needed! 

Another person ordered the Catch of the Day Hong Kong Style. Today's Catch was mahi mahi - she liked it a lot.  It was moist and was accompanied with a nice serving of vegetables.

My friend who works at the hotel ordered the Poached Butterfish, which she often orders when dining here. The butterfish was very flaky and buttery.  

Not long after we finished our entrees, we headed for the dessert bar and tried a taste of each dessert.

Kamaʻainas - catch this special deal on Thursdays at the Plumeria Beach House!

4 hours of free parking with restaurant validation.  Book your reservation on OpenTable.com

Plumeria Beach House at The Kahala Hotel & Resort

5000 Kahala Avenue

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