Monkeypod Kitchen Ko Olina

Our family used to go to Monkeypod Kitchen frequently for their Happy Hour specials, but it's been years since we dined there.  I was excited to return to eat some of my favorite dishes.

Garlic Truffle Oil Fries

The Garlic Truffle Oil Fries were just as good and addicting as I remember!

Taro Ravioli

The Pumpkin Patch Ravioli was a go-to order of mine, but now they have Taro Ravioli, and it is also very delicious!

Cheeseburger

Bulgogi Pork Tacos

Wagyu French Dip (Special)

Housemade Gnocchi

The Gnocchi were pillowy soft, and I enjoyed the mac nut pesto.  The mushrooms and chèvre made the dish a little more earthy than I had anticipated, but it was still a good dish overall.  

I'm not a fan of pies, but I love the pies at Monkeypod Kitchen.  We got the Orange Creamsicle (my fave), Strawberry Cream, and the seasonal Butterscotch.

They are huge, creamy, and so decadent!

Service was excellent!  

Monkeypod Kitchen
Ko Olina Station
92-1046 Olani Street
Kapolei Hi, 96707
(808) 380-4086

Read More

Mina's Fish House

I love to go to Mina's Fish House to celebrate special occasions. The view is so pretty, the food is delicious, and the service is amazing.

Amuse - Siu Mai

Garlic & Duck Fat French Fries

I absolutely love Mina's Signature Duck Fat Fries (which you can find at other establishments of Chef Michael Mina).  They come with three dipping sauces: Volcano Onion Ketchup, Dijonnaise, Tartar Sauce.  They are addicting!

Smoked Marlin and Maui Onion Dip

We were given this dip compliments of the house.  It was very tasty!

Soy-Glazed Pork Belly

Ono Tataki

Chili Miso Glazed Black Cod

I had the Black Cod, or Butterfish.  It had a pleasant kick to it from both the Chili Miso and the Garlic Wasabi Cream.  

Sesame Roasted Half Chicken

Charred Broccolini

Filet Mignon

SPAM Fried Rice

The SPAM Fried Rice was a meal in itself!  

Despite devouring nearly everything, we still made sure to get dessert. 

Dark Chocolate Mousse

The Dark Chocolate Mousse was my fave of the desserts - cocoa streusel, salted caramel, and Kona coffee ice cream.  Such a decadent treat!

Warm Malasadas

I'm not much of a Malasadas fan, but I loved these.  They were perfectly sized and had just the right amount of sugar - I didn't even need to add the caramel sauce or strawberry guava gel.  

Mango-Strawberry Shaved Ice

The Mango-Strawberry Shaved Ice was so refreshing!

The food was outstanding, and our server was Ryan, a Fish Sommelier, and he was awesome.  

It was another memorable dining experience at Mina's!

Mina's Fish House
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
92-1001 Olani St, Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 679-0079

Read More

Noe

Noe is without a doubt one of my favorite restaurants on the island. 

We try to go at least once a year, and it's quite the splurge for us since we take the entire family, but it's so worth it.  The food is so amazing and the service is stellar. 

Burrata and House Bread

The Burrata is always a must-order for us, and pairs nicely with the House Bread.

My go-to order is the Noe Signature Tagliatelle.

Noe Signature Tagliatelle

It's indulgent and umami-packed, and not surprisingly a signature dish.  You must try it for yourself!

Jidori Chicken Marsala

Lobster Spaghetti

Ahi Tonnato Carpaccio

Truffle Mashed Potato

Celebration S'mores Cake

We had tried some new-to-us desserts, and they were so elegantly presented!

Gianduja Rocher

Noe Limone

Our server, Kyle, was excellent.  Four Seasons is synonymous with amazing service, and at any venue on property you'd expect such service.  The service we received on this recent visit was the best we ever had of all of our visits, and really the best service I've had all year at any restaurant.

If you live on the Windward or East side, it's worth venturing to Ko Olina to experience Noe!

Noe
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
92-1001 Olani St
Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 679-0079

Read More

Noe

Refreshing Mocktails!

Noe at the Four Seasons Resort O`ahu at Ko Olina never disappoints.

And neither does their signature Tagliatelle, which I order all the time.  

Noe Signature Tagliatelle

The dish is chock full of umami from the truffles, mushrooms, and Parmigianno Reggiano, all of which give the perfectly al dente noodles so much flavor.  

Half Jidori Chicken

Two of my kids got the Half Jidori Chicken, which looked amazing.  It was served with white polenta, corn, spinach, chicken liver pate, and a smoked pancetta sauce.

Pescato del Giorno

The Fish of the day was Mahi, and it came with baked asparagus, broccoli puree, green olive, dried tomato, and celery tapenade.

Seared Squid

One of my kids just wanted the Seared Squid appetizer for dinner.  

We also ordered the Burrata, another dish we order all the time we go to Noe, and we also got a side of the Charred Eggplant Caponata.  

Burrata

Charred Eggplant Caponata

For dessert, we opted for more faves - the delightful Lemon Crostata and Lilikoi Semifreddo.

Lilikoi Semifreddo

Lemon Crostata

Service was fantastic, and we once again had a lovely dinner at Noe!

Noe
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
92-1001 Olani St
Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 679-0079

Read More

Noe at Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina

Disclosure: Our meal was hosted; gratuity was paid on my own.  

One of my favorite restaurants on the island is Noe at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina.

Michelin-starred Chef Ryo crafts amazing handmade pastas, giving guests a taste of "Capri-by-way-of-Oahu" in a very pretty outdoor setting.

Burrata

Drizzled with olive oil, topped with Ho Farms tomatoes and torn basil, and sitting in a pool of chilled tomato consomme - the Burrata is one of my faves.  The consomme offered a nice, bright acidic flavor to the dish.

Whipped Ricotta

The Whipped Ricotta was so light, and when combined with the truffle honey atop the housemade foccacia, it was heavenly.  The sweet and salty flavors were so delightful!

Seared Squid

The Seared Squid was accompanied by zucchini squash, bread crumbs, lemon confit, pesto, and a drizzle of olive oil.  

Filet Mignon

A balsamic-pepper sauce dressed the Filet Mignon, which my oldest son devoured.   

Veal Milanese

The Veal Milanese was one of several dishes recommended by our server.  My husband loved it!

Chef's Special Daily Pasta

A warm and savory chicken broth was poured into the bowl of the Chef's Special Daily Pasta, which my middle son ordered.   He slurped every last drop!

My go-to is the Noe Signature Tagliatelle.  You just can't go wrong with the ribbons of pasta, truffles, mushroom, and Parmigiano Reggiano.  All the components combined really up the umami!

A keiki menu is available, and my youngest son ordered a Hawaiian Pizza.

Keiki menus come with a dessert - Chocolate Budino or a Cannoli.

Cannoli

For dessert, I was presented this beautiful tray of sweets!

On this dessert board was Matcha Stracciatella, Liliko`i Semifreddo, S'mores Cake, and Lemon Crostata.

There was truly something for everyone, whether you prefer sweet or tart, chocolaty or fruity (my fave was the S'mores Cake, because I just love chocolate!).

Even though I'm not a huge matcha fan, I actually enjoyed the Matcha Stracciatella.  The raspberries and yuzu sable offered very pleasant contrasting flavors.  

Service was good, although I thought at times sparse, but our server was very friendly, and our family had a really nice dinner.

Noe, in my opinion, truly is one of the best Italian restaurants on the island, and the ambience is simply stunning.  

It's worth the trek even if you're not staying at the resort!

Noe
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
92-1001 Olani St
Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 679-0079

Read More