Wanted: Grinds

There are so many wonderful places to eat and foods to sample here that I feel almost guilty for complaining. Nonetheless, I have a want list of places I hope exist somewhere on this island- if they do, please let me know.

First is Indian. Please don't mention Zaffron- some dishes are quite good, but overall it's mediocre. Komala Curry House is great for lunch, but they only offer fish, chicken, and veggie curries. I want some good Tandoori chicken with a side of naan, please!

Also on the list are a Mongolian BBQ (you know, fill a bowl with frozen wafer-thin meat slices, fresh veggies, and all kinds of flavored oils, then hand it to the chefs to stir fry), and a place that has good fresh salads and soups. For dessert, I want gelato.

Oh, and this is probably asking for too much, but how about Ethiopian? Sometimes I get a craving for that yeasty neoprene bread. I know the Nepalese restaurant is totally out of the question, but I can live with that.

Do you have any other uncommon, exotic restaurant suggestions?

I have to say that Casablanca, the Moroccan restaurant here in Kailua, is excellent. Just beware- the owner is a bit of a Soup Nazi (they don't let you in the back room if you don't order the complete meal- but trust me, you want to do that, and the price is very good for all the food you get).

Comments

India House. On King, across from Puck's Alley. The owner was once chef to Nehru.

Take money.

What? Barnes & Noble cafes don't serve gelato? Or are you stuck with Starbucks in your B&N cafes?

If there's an Indian place on Oahu that serves good South Indian (i.e. Dhosas), let me know. We'll make reservations for December. Not that we can't get great Indian here in No VA, but my parents haven't had the pleasure of Southern Indian cooking, I believe.

Not to make you jealous or anything, but I have tandoori chicken, lamb vindaloo, lamb in a sultana cream sauce, and naan for lunch today... (leftovers from Friday's dinner). Yum.

Oh, and I love Casablanca. Especially when they come around and sprinkle you with orange flower water. The year after I first went there, I went through two bottle of orange flower water, adding it to my coffee...

Are there any Lebanese or Turkish restaurants anywhere in Hawaii?

Yes, Bunny, B&N in Kahala only carries Starbucks coffee - and dessert from Cheesecake Factory...

...Um, did I just say Cheesecake Factory? Oh well.

As for Indian cuisine - I know that there's this place on Kapahulu (the name escapes me right now, but I believe it's in the same place where they used to have Coffee Haven on Kilohana Square) that serves dosas, lassi, and Malaysian-inspired Indian food. I'm not sure yet if it's any good, but I'll let you guys know.

I'm also a HUGE fan of the old India Bazaar at Old Stadium Mall in Mo`ili`ili (S. King Street, right beside Pizza Hut) - back in college I used to live on their samosas and dal. Amd some Indian nationals have also told me that Cafe Maharani down the street isn't too bad, either.

There is a Mongolian BBQ in Kaimuki that's been there for a while. If anyone has tried it, let me know how good it is, and I'll make sure to take my folks there.

Gelato? No, not having any luck getting real Italian-style gelato as of yet. The Honolulu Coffee Company at Ala Moana used to have it, but I haven't seen any in a while. (Paging Bubbies!)

Stella, I just read your top 5 ice cream flavors. Now I want some (all?)!

I second Stella on India Bazaar! Yummy just thinking about it! And Maharani is excellent too...even the prices!

There used to be a wonderful Indian place across Starbucks in Kailua for a year or so...I dunno where they went. :(

And I'm always a big fan of Mediterranean...Pyramids in Kapahulu and it's Express in downtown.

Komala Curry gave me food poisoning not just once, but TWICE!!

Honukai, that's awful! I'm so sorry to hear that, and now I'm afraid to go back there. Was it the chicken or the fish?

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. And Stella, maybe we should get together and open a gelato/ice cream/shave ice cafe :)

Lisa, they were both chicken... And I shudder to think what went on in the preparation of it.

An update: Honolulu Coffee Co. at Ala Moana is still selling ice cream - haven't tried it yet to confirm (or deny) that it is honest-to-goodness gelato, but I can say for sure that one of their flavors is my favorite, stracciatella, or chocolate chip. (I love saying the Italian name anyway because it rhymes with my own name.)

And Lisa, as long as you have me cranking the shave-ice machine and scooping up azuki beans like nobody's business, we'll be fine! :)

Bunny- South Indian food with Dosai? Well, as Stella pointed out, there is India Cafe in Kilohana square off Kapahulu (across KC-Drive inn) which serves Southern Indian, Malaysian influenced cuisine. The only place in Hawaii to get Dosai made from scratch with a stone grinder. Check out the website for more details and the menu. The main dishes include, lamb masala, chicken curry, vegetable sambar, and Spicy Shrimp Sambal. I can assure you that the food is excellent! Don't believe me? Here's an article: http://starbulletin.com/2001/09/09/features/eater.html

Then again, if anyone wants some *really* good South Indian food, you can come out to my neck of the woods, namely, Flushing, Queens, NYC!!! Seriously, the food is so good that I think it's the main thing I would miss if I came back to Hawai'i!

Oh yeah, and if you would like Nepali or Tibetan we got that too!:-)

As an Indian who was raised on home-cooked Indian food and who is now transplanted to Hawaii from the Mainland, I can honestly say that for me personally none of the Indian restaurants on Oahu are note-worthy, though India Cafe in Kilohana Square is acceptable when I'm desperate for an Indian food fix. None of the Indian cuisine here is sufficiently spicy; it has all been "blanded down," I suppose to suit American palates.

I wasn't a big fan of Maharani (not only due to the limited menu, but also because of the cramped quarters and poor service), and I've heard from another Indian friend that he had a very bad experience when his office ordered food from that place too, so I've not been back. Zaffron is my absolute LAST choice (I'd rather eat some other ethnic cuisine instead if given the choice), and the only restaurant I still haven't tried that I've heard good things about is India House, though like others have warned, it's on the expensive side (which may be one of the reasons checking it out hasn't been a priority, lol).

I think part of the problem for me is that since the Indian restaurants around here aren't owned by Indian-Indians, (the food is Malayisian-Indian or Fiji-Indian, etc) it just doesn't taste the same to me, though it's close...

FYI, India Cafe has a website, along with a mailing list which lets you know about special upcoming buffets or discount offers. If you do a search, I'm sure you'd be able to find it.

If anybody knows of any place around here that serves gelato, PLEASE let me know! My boyfriend has been craving it for some time, so I'd like to surprise him by taking him to such a place...

Thanks

Recently I visited cafe maharani and I have to say the best Indian foods are here. Excellent breads, biryanies, vegetarian, lamb, chicken, and seafoods. Really good.

My husband took me to Cafe Maharani for my birthday party. I was very satisfied with their foods. Excellent potato naan. I love this restaurant.

I decided to go out and try all 6 of Oahu's Indian restaurants.I 1 st visted the two South Indian ( fast food ) for lunch. India Bazaar and Komala curry house. I found the two restaurants are similar in taste, price and quantity. I had no complaints. Then I tried the other four Indian restaurants for dinner. 1st India house, I found this place similar to Japanese curry ( I think they use Japanese curry powder to make their curries), frozen breads and very expensive. The week after we visited Zaffron restaurant in down town. For $20 buffet you hardly have any choice. No appetizer and the flavor of the foods were very old and not tasty at all. We started to become disappointed with Oahu's Indian cuisine. We noticed the article in the Local newspaper claming India Cafe, as Oahu's best Indian restaurant, so we decided to give it a try. The place was very hard to find, but it is a unique looking restaurant. As for this restaurant all I can say is that the quality of the food went with the prices, cheap. The server even admited all of their breads were frozen and bought from local Indian grocery shop. The Malayisan twist they added didn't appeal to us, taking away from what the real Indian food taste like. Once again disappointed we decided to ask some of the locals around the area. They were quick to recommend a place called Cafe Maharani. We were hesitant, however we gave it a try. On arrival, it was obvious that this was the place to be. The restaurant was packed and the atmosphere was very Indian-like. There were two tv screens playing Indian music videos and the air was full with Indian spices. Although we waited about 30 mins to get seated, it was worth the wait. We ordered the combination dinner for two, which seemed like a good deal. We got two samosas, two entrees, rice and naan for about $35. The portions were big and the taste was amazing, however the service was slow. After trying the previous restaurants, we now know what real naan looks and tastes like. All I can say is, there is a big difference and the taste can't be compared. As the saying goes " SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST ".

After reading the review of Alex about the six Indian restaurants of Oahu, I totally agree with him. Being a foreign student and far away from home (India) I always miss my home cooking food. Maharani is the only restaurant thats brings the taste closer than any other Indian restaurant on Oahu. Their fresh Naans or I rather say all the fresh breads and foods foods are very good.

I was reading the article at the newspaper about India cafe, the only Indian best restaurant. My reaction was " what the fuck " ! Who the hell voted them the best Indian restaurant? Is there money or may be a good friend --- talks?????? I think India Bazar or Komola curry house is way better than this restaurant. Oh and Cafe Maharani, I even don't want to insult them compair to India cafe! Come on guys, what do you think?

For gelato: La Gelateria, on Cedar Street! The owner, Maurice Grasso, sells primarily to restaurants and a few stores, but also runs a small retail operation.

Are there any restaurants in Hawaii that serve or specialize in Doner Kebabs/Wraps?

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