'Ono Kine Grindz

Greek Marina

It's been a couple of months since I last had Greek food, and although I enjoy it, there aren't very many places here that do it well.  So after I had posted about my visits to The Greek Corner, a reader of this blog sent me an e-mail and asked me to visit Greek Marina.  So after a recent visit to Costco in Hawaii Kai, I decided to stop by Greek Marina for some lunch. 

Greek Marina is located in a small strip mall where you'll find a 24 Hour Fitness and a Yummy's Korean BBQ.  There may be other food places in the general vicinity, but there wasn't anything else that really stood out.  The Greek Marina offers both indoor and outdoor seating and since it was really hot out, I decided to eat in air conditioned comfort.  Since it was 1:00 pm, I thought more people would want to eat indoors, but I guess I was wrong -- I was the only one eating inside.

The white walls were trimmed with bright blue waves, and the furnishings consisted of light wood tables and chairs.  After reviewing the menu, I decided on the gyros plate (US$10.95).

When the plate arrived, I noticed that half of it was covered with salad.  On the other half of the plate, there was a huge pile of gyros and a stack of pita bread (one pita cut into 4 wedges).  The well seasoned and slightly spicy gyros was fork tender, but just a little dry.  The salad was refreshing and covered with just the slightest amount of tangy dressing.  The pitas, while warm and a little crispy around the edges, were just a little too brittle.

About two weeks after the initial visit, I decided to stop by Greek Marina again after running a few errands.  Again it was lunchtime and the restaurant was surprisingly empty.  This time, I was considering either the souvlaki or the Greek steak (if there is such a thing), but instead, I decided to go "healthier" and opted for the chicken gyros (US$10.95).

When the plate arrived, I was really shocked by the presentation.  On the plate where the gyros was last time, was a mangled mess.  The chicken was chopped and shredded, and it looked completely unappetizing.  After the first bite, I declared this a failure.  The chicken was extremely dry and flavorless.  The salad was drowning in dressing and the pita bread was cold.

While I was deciding what I was going to do, out came the side order of falafel (US$5.95) that I had ordered.

Here's a closeup of the falafel.

Garnished with lettuce and sliced tomatoes, the deep fried falafel arrived overdone.  When I tried to bite into the first one, I could have sworn my teeth cracked on the hard exterior.  The inside was moist and tender, but what little flavor was here was obscured by the bitter and burnt tasting "crust".

After the second visit, I left in utter disappointment.  The food here was inconsistently prepared, and expensive -- the quality of the food certainly did not justifying the price I paid.  And although the service was good, it isn't enough to warrant a repeat visit.

Greek Marina
Koko Marina Center
7192 Kalanianaole Highway Unit E-126
Telephone: 808.396.8441

The Chef's Table

Located in a strip mall that's also home to Costco, Jamba Juice, Starbucks and Panda Express, the Chef's Table seems to be a little out of place.  It's one of the few restaurants that I know of that serves European cuisine in the state -- in this instance, the restaurant's specialty is Austrian food.  The restaurant has quietly existed in the Hawaii Kai Towne Centre for just about 8 years now, and after hearing so much about this place, I decide to pay it a visit.

With a frequent dining partner in tow, we make the drive out to Hawaii Kai (about 20 minutes from my apartment) and since it's a little after 7:00 pm when we arrive, the parking lot is empty.  I was surprised to find that the restaurant was doing brisk business as close to 75% of the tables were already occupied.

After rattling off a list of specials, our waitress brought us some break and left us so that we could look over the menu.  It has been a while since I last ate Austrian food so I had to ask the waitress for a little help in deciphering the menu.  She was very helpful in making recommendations, and after we had placed our orders, the dishes started appearing in a slow procession.

First to arrive was the carrot and orange zest soup (included in the meal).

The soup was warm and delicious and not at all like what I expected.  It was light and full of tender shards of carrot, onion and celery. 

Next was the appetizer recommended by our waitress, the roasted mushrooms in cheese and walnut sauce (US$7.50).

Underneath the cheese were tender slices of mushroom surrounded by a delicious gravy.  I couldn't quite make out the flavors, but it was definitely something that I would come back for.  As we worked our way to the bottom of the bowl we discovered bread there -- great for soaking up all that rich gravy.

Next was the house salad with onion vinaigrette (included in the meal).

(Sorry for the terrible photo.)

For dinner, I ordered the wienerschnitzel (US$18.50).

A lightly breaded and pan fried piece of veal cutlet was served with a lemon wedge, some steamed broccoli and carrots, a mound of red cabbage and some onion potatoes.  The veal cutlet was moist and fork-tender.  The breading was not too thick and the veal had been seasoned perfectly.  The braised red cabbage was tender and slightly sweet, each bite slowly melted in my mouth without my needing to chew.  The onion potatoes were a tasty departure from the starch options we normally see in restaurants here. 

The other dish that was ordered was the beef goulash "paprikash" (US$17.50).

This ragout of beef was served in an onion paprika sauce.  Alongside the goulash was some steamed broccoli and carrots, a mound of red cabbage and a lot of pasta.  The beef here had been slowly stewed and was very lean and tender.  The sauce had a slightly sweet, slightly savory flavor to it -- quite different from the Hungarian-style goulash that I was used to.

The food here at the Chef's Table was worth every penny, it was all delicious and thoughtfully prepared.  Our waitress was helpful and very attentive, frequently coming by to ask how things were.  The one thing that really stood out here was the pacing of the dishes.  At no time did I feel rushed, or hurried, to finish a dish.  Each dish arrived just as we were finishing the previous dish.  The delicious food, excellent service, and subdued atmosphere made for a nice, relaxing dinner.

The Chef's Table
Hawaii Kai Towne Centre
333 Keahole Street Space 2B8
Telephone:  808.394.2433