Best Ko Olina Snooty Restaurant?

[HIRyeDVC]

We went to Mina’s by walking from the beach path, and we sat outside, so we really didn’t see the resort building at all.

Whoa! I remember the Ihilani and there was *nothing* out there….

You only let us pick 1! I would have picked AMA AMA and Mina’s as a close tie and Roy’s below that because of the building/ambiance and just a notch below on food.

For “higher end” dining, we tried Momkeypod, AMA AMA (it autocorrects to all caps on my device, don’t know why), Mina’s and Roy’s. We enjoyed all of them and took our 7 and 11 yo daughters (also foodies) to both of them. The server at Mina’s helped us organize a family-style meal that helped us save some money (i.e., 3 of us shared a whole fish, and we added bulky sides and appetizers), but I don’t think it would have been that much less $$ if we’d ordered the same level/quantity of food. The setting was magical - sunset (although AA‘s sunset view is a little better), with live music and great service. The kids ran down to the beach and played between courses, and it was overall a very relaxed experience.

Roy’s - we actually considered going back a second time (and then decided to just eat casually by the pool because no one wanted to get dressed up any more). Its standards (butterfish) and other fish dishes were really excellent, but because it has no view and the indoor restaurant doesn’t feel very fancy (and it’s a little dark), I think it detracted from the experience a bit. But the *food* was very good and our server was knowledgeable and attentive. So we didn’t have the issues that other people mentioned upthread. Yes it’s a “chain”, but we are from NYC so a PacRim “chain” with good food is still worth a try. Because of the decor and lack of view, we probably had lower expectations, but they were more than met.

Ama AMA - the food here was the best. Yes, it’s far more expensive and it’s restrictive in the sense that it’s a prix fixe, and you have to pick an appetizer and a main and a dessert, but that freed us up to try a LOT of stuff. We were there for a spectacular sunset, and our server was super friendly and knowledgeable. We probably messed with their schedule a lot because we kept getting up to take pictures everywhere, but they didn’t miss a beat and they never told us we should sit back down, either. And the food was sooo good. Also - we’ve taken our girls to some pretty high end restaurants in NYC but not the upper-level Michelin starred places, so they really appreciated AMA AMA. (Really, autocorrect??) It was our last night, I believe, and everything came together to make for a magical experience. I will note that the adult beverages at AA are a step above those at Mina’s also - Mina’s are good but they are fanciful and don’t take themselves too seriously (e.g. one comes in a SPAM can). AA had an ube cocktail that was very memorable.

i concur. All of it is too rich for my blood and I’m glad I’m local. I’d rather get Hawaiian plates and poke from Foodland and eat it on the beach watching the sunset for ~$50 for my family of 4 but that’s just me . And no tip required. The tips drive me crazy.

 

[J-Dog]

i concur. All of it is too rich for my blood and I’m glad I’m local. I’d rather get Hawaiian plates and poke from Foodland and eat it on the beach watching the sunset for ~$50 for my family of 4 but that’s just me . And no tip required. The tips drive me crazy.

Oh, I have no problem with that at all. We plan to do that same thing a bunch of days of our trip.

But we always try to make a point on vacation to visit at least high-end restaurant. Or maybe semi-high-end, based on the comments here - but that's fine with us.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Oh, I have no problem with that at all. We plan to do that same thing a bunch of days of our trip.

But we always try to make a point on vacation to visit at least high-end restaurant. Or maybe semi-high-end, based on the comments here - but that's fine with us.

Thanks again for all the help.

I forgot about 53 by the sea. Go on a Friday evening and you can watch fireworks from the restaurant.

 

[J-Dog]

I forgot about 53 by the sea. Go on a Friday evening and you can watch fireworks from the restaurant.

Thanks very much for that suggestion! Hadn't looked into it and looks good. May consider that as well, but maybe for when we are in Waikiki.

 

[Paul Stupin]

I forgot about 53 by the sea. Go on a Friday evening and you can watch fireworks from the restaurant.

Have been curious about 53 By The Sea. We love Ward Village and the entire Kaka’ako area, and have walked by it numerous times. From the outside, it looks nice but a tad stuffy and pretentious. How’s the food, the vibe, and the environment?

 

[iheartglaciers]

I voted for 'AMA'AMA because I had an amazing meal there, but I haven't tried the others so I don't feel like it's a fair vote . Our sunset view was gorgeous, the food was great, and the service was excellent.

It's a really nice meal in a setting that's far from stuffy. We loved the open air seating!

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Have been curious about 53 By The Sea. We love Ward Village and the entire Kaka’ako area, and have walked by it numerous times. From the outside, it looks nice but a tad stuffy and pretentious. How’s the food, the vibe, and the environment?

53 By the Sea is an afterthought for most visitors because it's a bit out of the way. It's also in Kakaako water-front park, which has traditionally been a "locals" hang out area with old time surfers and body boarders. The area has also been overrun by the homeless population, though the state has dispersed them elsewhere for the most part. The restaurant itself is fantastic, at least how I remember it before COVID. The food is fine dining during dinner and a white collar business lunch place during the day. I've only had lunch there and the food/ambiance is great. Terrific views of Diamond Head with lots of light. The food is fancy burgers, lobster rolls, seafood plates, and such. I think it's worth a visit. The place looks pretentious because many wealthy locals and Japanese tourists use the venue for weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and special events so I get why they made it look so gaudy as a novelty. But anyone can eat there wearing an Aloha shirt I believe, unlike La Mer in Halekulani where you need a dinner jacket.

 

[Curiousporpoise]

And, as a side note, we are staying in Waikiki for 2 nights at the Hyatt Regency prior to Aulani, so wasn't really considering Waikiki in terms of this thread.

But I will definitely consider the recommendations for Waikiki for the beginning of the trip. Thanks!

If you’re going to Waikiki first, I would recommend La Mer at the Halekulani, Michel’s at Colony Surf and Hoku’s at the Kahala. The views are amazing.

 

[Curiousporpoise]

Have been curious about 53 By The Sea. We love Ward Village and the entire Kaka’ako area, and have walked by it numerous times. From the outside, it looks nice but a tad stuffy and pretentious. How’s the food, the vibe, and the environment?

I haven’t been in awhile. The food, the vibe and the view used to be pretty good. The area is scary at night.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I voted for 'AMA'AMA because I had an amazing meal there, but I haven't tried the others so I don't feel like it's a fair vote . Our sunset view was gorgeous, the food was great, and the service was excellent.

It's a really nice meal in a setting that's far from stuffy. We loved the open air seating!

I’m glad to see the Ama Ama vote coming up. The “nothing go to CostCo crew”….smh…

 

[nono]

FWIW, Roy's on the mainland is a different company.... Roy's throughout Hawaii is a 10 location operation, which just cancelled its 35th anniversary bash due to the Maui tragedy. All locations are not the same, so calling it a chain seems let's say a stretch.

Roy's Hawaii
https://www.royyamaguchi.com/

Roy's the rest is down to just a few locations...
https://www.roysrestaurant.com/

This isn't to say you, O.P. should go there, but I wish you good luck in your search!

 

[AstroBlasters]

Just got back from Ama Ama tonight. The dinner was lovely, the service was great once we got into the restaurant (apparently the system lost everyone’s reservations), and we went with a bottle of white wine from Beaune instead of the wine pairing. Very happy with our selections.

And the views…. You can get Roy’s or Foodland Farms Poke (which is delicious) all you want…. Ama Ama is an experience!

Back to Mina’s on Sunday…. I’ll try and report back then!

 

[Princess Tess]

I voted for Roys - they have very good, very fresh food. Great drinks too! We didn’t eat at AMA AMA this time out simply because it’s so expensive for the quality (imho).
Their food is ‘ok’ but Monkey Pod has a great Mai Tai - they are right across the street. We found ourselves at the 4 Seasons next door a couple of times for cocktails and apps too.

 

[Paul Stupin]

53 By the Sea is an afterthought for most visitors because it's a bit out of the way. It's also in Kakaako water-front park, which has traditionally been a "locals" hang out area with old time surfers and body boarders. The area has also been overrun by the homeless population, though the state has dispersed them elsewhere for the most part. The restaurant itself is fantastic, at least how I remember it before COVID. The food is fine dining during dinner and a white collar business lunch place during the day. I've only had lunch there and the food/ambiance is great. Terrific views of Diamond Head with lots of light. The food is fancy burgers, lobster rolls, seafood plates, and such. I think it's worth a visit. The place looks pretentious because many wealthy locals and Japanese tourists use the venue for weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and special events so I get why they made it look so gaudy as a novelty. But anyone can eat there wearing an Aloha shirt I believe, unlike La Mer in Halekulani where you need a dinner jacket.

I haven’t been in awhile. The food, the vibe and the view used to be pretty good. The area is scary at night.

Thanks for the intel! We’ve walked by 53 after the farmers market on Saturday. It’s a nice walk along the walkway by the water right past it during the day, but I can see how nighttime is a different story.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Ok, while I enjoyed the ambiance and views better at Ama Ama’s…. Mina’s hands down had more “snooty” food options that were delicious and I change my vote to Mina’s based solely on food.

 

[byhookorbycrook]

Thanks. But, as I said, we are foodies. So we're mostly looking for opinions on the available fine dining options.

The "Nothing" option was meant to be more of a choice if the available options are not worth it.

We're foodies too and I voted for Mina's if the desire for fine dining is non-negotiable. It was not memorable IMO. The best food we ate during our 5-day trip was the auction-grade poke from Fort Ruger Market and the udon from Marugame. Ko Olina is a foodie desert, the best food is closer to Honolulu.

 

[Paul Stupin]

We're foodies too and I voted for Mina's if the desire for fine dining is non-negotiable. It was not memorable IMO. The best food we ate during our 5-day trip was the auction-grade poke from Fort Ruger Market and the udon from Marugame. Ko Olina is a foodie desert, the best food is closer to Honolulu.

i think it’s a bit inaccurate to call Ko Olina a “foodie desert.” Both Ama Ama and Mina’s might not be the best restaurants in Oahu, but they certainly are worth trying, and both Noe and Longhi’s are pretty good, though obviously not Michelin star. And, foodie or not, I think it’s a mistake to just dismiss Monkeypod too. It’s fun, lively, good…the chef / owner, Peter Merriman, is quit well known in Honolulu. His other restaurants, Merriman’s and Moku in Kakakako, are great.

Also, I think a true foodie should look at more than just the prices on the menu. Just because some establishments are more informal doesn’t mean they’re not worth visiting, right? Not directed at you, or OP either, but I think there’s a difference between being a foodie, or just being snootie.

 

[J-Dog]

i think it’s a bit inaccurate to call Ko Olina a “foodie desert.” Both Ama Ama and Mina’s might not be the best restaurants in Oahu, but they certainly are worth trying, and both Noe and Longhi’s are pretty good, though obviously not Michelin star. And, foodie or not, I think it’s a mistake to just dismiss Monkeypod too. It’s fun, lively, good…the chef / owner, Peter Merriman, is quit well known in Honolulu. His other restaurants, Merriman’s and Moku in Kakakako, are great.

Also, I think a true foodie should look at more than just the prices on the menu. Just because some establishments are more informal doesn’t mean they’re not worth visiting, right? Not directed at you, or OP either, but I think there’s a difference between being a foodie, or just being snootie.

I have to say that I agree with you. I called myself a foodie, but maybe I don't know what that really means, because I agree that I only want good, maybe somewhat upscale dining. Which it sounds like there is plenty of that in Ko Olina. I don't require Michelin star dining.

Thanks to everyone for contributing!

 

[McNs]

Not a snootie foodie but I do like a good meal, and had one at Ama Ama in January. We enjoyed the food, I had the wine pairing, service was excellent, and the views divine. Definitely in my top 10 meal occasions for all round - not exceptional in any one area but thought the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. Added bonus was not having to worry about any sort of travel, could just meander back to the hotel room via the bar for a night cap.

I see the Four Seasons does "Al Fresco Dining by the Sea" for the princely sum of $3200 per couple

 

[Mommy2Logan]

For food I would say Noe, for the perfect balance of food and atmosphere I say Mina's. Mina's is the only one on the list we have continued going to repeatedly. Didn't care for this particular Roy's, though I do like it in other locations. If you can swing two places, I'd do both Minas and Noe. Longhis isn't even in the same caliber of restaurants. Loved Ama Ama for breakfast.