Summer is in full swing and the places to eat are almost unlimited! As you may have read in our June column, we carefully explained our criteria for our restaurant reviews. The question is who would be the first to be critiqued? In Honolulu alone, the choices are vast and encompass eateries from great plate lunch shops to fine dining in the new Waikiki restaurant boom.
However, we chose not to start off our restaurant review with a brand new big time fancy place. Nope. We chose a comfortable, consistent and affordable establishment. Our intention on writing this first review is to familiarize you to our methodology. Sometimes it's better to start slow and sure, rather than quickly and flashy. For you and especially for us, less confusing is better. Aside from our professional persona, we're still just three local boys from humble and strict upbringings. We were all raised with very similar rules. Some of those rules were:
- Don't waste food.
- Study hard.
- Work hard.
- Wash your hands.
- Don't do drugs.
- Don't drink too much soda. (Guilty as charged) Sorry Moms.
That's just to name a few. So with that in mind, as relative as that may be to this restaurant review, we chose Buzz's Steakhouse! Yep. First, stop laughingbecause we already laughed for you. Second, stop trying to figure out if our content and organization is congruent with our context. Third, it makes sense. Here's the whole story.
We all wanted to eat steaks and were already in the Pearl City area after an all day round of golf. Going to Waikiki to where we originally intended to choose a restaurant to review was out of the question. We were way too far, and far too hungry. Funny.???
We thought about the reasons why we shouldn't just turn around and go back to Waikiki, but we all had a carnivorous craving and nothing was about to stop us. This was interesting, and something we needed to address. We decided to add this irrepressible desire into our criteria and call it the "Mood Factor*." This will be a part of our criteria, but will not be rated.
We think the "Mood Factor" is very important for our critiques and also for your eating pleasures. Ever changed the way you told someone something because you knew how he/she was going to react to it? Or have you waited to do something for someone after a certain amount of time, or until the right situation? Well that's essentially observing the Mood. We go through so much to appease everyone else and to make everything fit just right in life, so when we eat out for ourselves, shouldn't we observe and honor our own moods and cravings especially? Yes, we should.
So instead of going somewhere just because someone said a new restaurant opened up, go for what's offered on the menu and what you are in the mood to eat. A good idea is to call or even visit the establishment to preview its menu before committing to dining. That's also a good way to induce a mood as well. You might be thinking, does anyone not eat based on their own cravings? Yes, and you know who you are. "The social eaters." These people are motivated unfortunately, and sometimes unknowingly, by the reason that who they eat with is more important than what they eat. Terrible. Here's another generic example of mood versus, let's say, hype: You crave Chinese food, but end up at a very expensive new celebrity chef namesake "fusion" restaurant just because everybody else is going to be there. Bad choice. Technically, no one likes to eat alone. But we believe if people still love you, they will understand your fickle ways.
How do you feel after that session of culinary psycho-analytical therapy? Anyway, let's look at the restaurant review criteria to see if Buzz's Steakhouse is a cut above.
Overall experience: Great - 4 stars ****
The thing that stood out the most when we were eating there was the service. The front of the house was great. Question: Ever order an iced tea, used the lemon, then get a refill but no new lemon? We hate that. All servers out there please note, give new lemons! Even if your management requests you to conserve, we implore you, just do it. We tipped our server ten dollars extra just for bringing us a small dish of lemons without us having to ask.
Value: Great - 4 stars ****
With any entrée you have the free range to frequent the all-you-can-eat salad bar. The selections are plentiful and fresh. Don't forget to grab some freshly grilled sourdough bread and those pickled Maui onions! We also enjoyed the free soft drink refills.
Price point: Good - 3 stars ***
The prices are relatively affordable and like we mentioned the value is great. However it's not somewhere that you might eat at every night if you're on a budget. Prices for a complete meal range anywhere from $16 - $30+ not including beverages.
Service: Excellent - 5 stars *****
As we mentioned earlier in this column, our server was "akamai" and brought us extra lemons and refilled our iced teas with a smile. Our server was an attractive young woman that was well versed in the menu and its content as well as the specials for the evening. We were checked on routinely and never needed to flag anyone down. Big tip!
Ambience: Average - 2 stars **
Buzz's has been open for a while, since as far back as I can remember. Since then, it has preserved a rustic "homey" non-intimidating environment. Not exactly modern, stunning or even romantic, but semi-casual, decent and respectful. The bathrooms are nice and clean and so is the rest of the restaurant.
Comfort: Good - 3 stars ***
Depending on how you are built and where you sit, the seats are relatively comfortable and the tables are at a standard "eating" height. We visited on a busy early evening and had to wait for about 15 minutes until our table was ready. Pleasingly, the waiting area is beautifully decorated and spotted with several places to sit.
Capacity: Great - 4 stars ****
The restaurant is quite large. A bar and lounge/dining area is available for pau hana groups or just random couples or singles eating lunch or dinner. Also available are two party rooms, main dining room and a second level area.
Parking: Good - 3 stars ***
We found a decent amount of parking, but as the restaurant got busier it seemed as if there wasn't as much parking as we thought. Some of our friends that were going to join us for dinner had trouble finding parking complaining that other adjacent businesses seemed to "kapu" some stalls. Oh well, that's what happens when you come late!
Culinary Execution: Good - 3 stars ***
A steak house should be dead on accurate when it comes to doneness in its meats. That is exactly what we got when we ate there. Everything came out hot and on a timely basis at about a 8-12 minute ticket timeuntil, things took longer than usual when ordered later by our tardy comrades during the rush. Either way, the food should still flow, no matter what. Steakhouses don't do complex sauces or plate ups, so in that case, aside from average cook times, steaks and stuff should be rather quick. We kept a close eye on the expediting area. It was smooth and efficient, except for the food not coming out fast enough.
Newly added criteria (3):
Menu: Good - 3 stars ***
Everything you might want in a steakhouse Buzz's has it. The only thing I couldn't figure out was why Buzz's doesn't offer a delmonico or rib-eye cut? Where's the king of all steaks? They had prime rib, but that's not a "steak." Weird. Otherwise Buzz's offered everything else from some seafood to short ribs, a couple of chicken dishes and a few other interesting entrees. Once again, about that salad bar, contrary to our criticism of establishments that have an all-you-can-eat salad bar, we actually like this one.
Mood: Not rated.
* See paragraph 6 in the column.
Stats and Information (411): Not rated.
Name - Buzz's Steakhouse Pearl City
Hours - 11-2 pm(L) mon-fri & 5-9:30 pm(D)
Location - 98-751 Kuahao Place
Reservations - Recommended
Telephone number - 487-6465
Type of restaurant - Steakhouse
Payment options - Cash and credit card
Attire - Casual/semi-casual
Chef Shannon's Recipe Corner
Kapalua "Big Plate" coconut mahimahi & coconut-curry nage w/ Ka'anapali herbed couscous & Kula tomato and onion pacific-rim relish. Served w/ sauteed Asian hari-coverts.
Substitute any ingredients for preferable or seasonal purposes.
Single portion/short form recipe:
Kapalua coconut mahimahi
- 2 oz. coconut "spoon meat" thin slices
- 6 oz. fresh mahimahi fillet
- 1 tblsp. carmelized shallots
- 1 med/lg. savoy cabbage leaf trimmed
- salt & pepper
Layer & wrap all ingredients in savoy cabbage leaf, then re-wrap with sheet plastic. Steam in a bamboo or stove top steamer.
Ka'anapali herbed couscous
- 4 oz. prepared basic couscous (cooked)
- 1 oz. chicken stock
- 1 oz. water
- 1 oz. asparagus slivers
- pinch thyme
- pinch rosemary
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tblsp carmelized shallots
- 1 tsp minced green onions
- 1 tsp whole butter
- salt & pepper to taste
Combine everything except prepared couscous in a sauce pan. Reduce the contents in the sauce pan on high heat by half, then turn off the heat. Fold in the couscous and season as necessary.
Coconut curry nage
- 4 oz. white wine 4 oz. rice vinegar
- 1 oz. chopped tomatoes
- 1 oz. onions
- 1 oz. celery
- 1 oz. carrots
- 1 oz. bell pepper
- 1 oz. shiitake mushrooms
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp minced shallots
- 1/2 tsp minced thai basil
- 1 tsp. thai yellow curry
- salt & white pepper
Combine, simmer , strain, reduce hard down to 10%. Reduced liquid will be very concentrated. Reserve.
- 4 oz. Coconut milk
- 4 oz. Heavy cream
- 6 tbsp. Whole butter (cold)
- salt & white pepper
Heat and reduce coconut milk and cream by 50%. Off the heat, whisk in cold whole butter until completely dissolved and becomes thicker. Add in the reduced and strained reserved liquid and incorporate thoroughly. Cover and keep warm.
Fresh maui tomato-onion pacific rim relish
- 1 tbsp. fresh tomato medium dice
- 1 tbsp. sweet onion med. dice
- 1 tbsp. green onions
- 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- salt & pepper
Mix well, refrigerate.
Asian sauteed hari-coverts
- 3 oz. blanched hari-coverts
- 2 tsp. brunoise of red bell pepper
- 1/2 tsp. fresh minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. fresh minced ginger
- 1 tsp. oyster sauce
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- black pepper
Sauté ingredients on medium high heat with a tbsp. canola oil.
Plate up with a generous ladle of curry nage on the bottom, then place down herbed couscous. group sauteed green beans over the couscous, place mahmahi wrap on top of the green beans. Spoon tomato-onion relish around center mound, then top off the mahimahi wrap with either Beluga caviar or orange tobikko caviar. Enjoy!
Chef Norlan's Endless Summer Sushi Specials from the Chef Crew:
Standard Hand Roll Sushi Bar
$8 / person *(minimum 100 pax)
Spicy Tuna, Crab, Tuna Salad, Veggie, Lobster Salad
Deluxe Standard Hand Roll Sushi Bar
$12 / person BEST PRICE POINT, BEST SELECTION!
Spicy Tuna, Crab, Tuna Salad, Veggie, Lobster Salad, Ikura, Tobikko, Natto, Ume. Ahi Poke, Scallop Mayo
Full Standard Sushi Bar *****
$15 / person THE ORIGINAL & BEST SELLER! *****
Maguro, Hamachi, Salmon, Ebi, Lobster Salad, Tuna Salad, Spicy Tuna, California
Ultra Deluxe Hand Roll Sushi Bar
$18 / person MOST POPULAR CHOICE FOR HAND ROLLS ONLY!
Spicy Tuna, Crab, Tuna Salad, Veggie, Lobster Salad, Ikura, Tobikko, Natto, Ume. Ahi Poke, Scallop Salad, Hari Zuke, Smoked Salmon, Tako Poke, Unagi, Kinoko Mushroom
Supreme Hand Roll Sushi Bar (Summer Special Only)
$25 / person *(minimum 100 pax) BEST VALUE! WOW!
Spicy Tuna, Crab, Tuna Salad, Veggie, Lobster Salad, Ikura, Tobikko, Natto, Ume. Ahi Poke, Scallop Salad, Hari Zuke, Smoked Salmon, Tako Poke, Unagi, Kinoko Mushroom,
Kalbi, Abalone Salad, Corn Mayo, Soft Shell Crab, Shrimp Tenpura, Spicy Shrimp Poke
Full Deluxe Sushi Bar
$25 / person BEST VALUE FOR FULL SUSHI BAR SELECTIONS!
Full Standard + Unagi, Tako Poke, Ikura, Tobikko, Tamago, Ahi Poke, Scallop Salad
Full Ultra Deluxe Sushi Bar
$40 / person MOST POPULAR UPGRADE IN FULL SUSHI BAR SELECTION!
Full Deluxe + Chu Toro in place of Maguro, Moi, Shrimp Tempura, Soft Shell Crab, Natto, Ume, Abalone Salad
* All items on the menu may be substituted due to season, weather and availability.
Global Foods Inc. / Sushi Supreme
Live Sushi Bar Catering Menu
Contact: Executive Chef / Corporate Partner Norlan Horita (808) 620–5863
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