O's Bistro - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
The last time I was here, O's Bistro was in this same location at the Crossroads, but it was known as Oodles of Noodles. Oodles of Noodles has grown up and in a nice way -- in fact, I think the name alone makes this quite apparent.
Amy Ferguson-Ota's claim to fame is an appearance on Julia Child's program, "Cooking with Master Chefs". She has also been nominated for a James Beard award and has the destinction of being the first female Executive Chef at the Ritz-Carlton Mauna Lani. AND if that weren't enough, she part of the original group of twelve chefs that started the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement back in the late-80s and early-90s.
At 5:45 pm, my dinner guest/companion arrived. We made our way into the restaurant which was almost empty. I had actually called earlier in the day to ask if a reservation was necessary and was told that the dinner rush didn't start until about 6:30 pm. Inside, the walls were painted a dark shade of purple and there were lots of colorful paintings on the walls (the paintings were for sale).
After looking over the menu, we decided to share a salad, an appetizer and two noodle dishes. First up, was O's organic baby greens house salad with Asian green goddess dressing -- tomato, cucumber, onion (US$9.00).
Fresh, tender baby greens were piled high then garnished with julienned cucumbers, ribbons of carrots, paper-thin slices of onion and some croutons and grape tomatoes. On the side, was a little dish of Asian green goddess dressing. I don't often see green goddess dressing on menus here, and it's always been a favorite of mine. Traditionally made with mayonaisse, anchovies and few other ingredients, this is one dressing definitely gives a little oomph to any salad.
Next to arrive was our appetizer, the spinach tofu pot stickers -- ginger scallion sauce (US$13.00).
When the plate was set down on the table, I just had to stop and look at it for a moment. I enjoyed the plating, but was it going to taste as good as it looked?
Set in a pool of sauce that included both chili oil and ginger, among other things, I felt that the pot stickers were just a little undercooked, though the skins had a nice chewiness to them. Topping the pot stickers was a handful of mung beansprouts, some chopped green onions and chopped cilantro. The garnishes provided a bit of textural interest to the dish as well as some additional flavor.
As soon as we finished the plate of pot stickers, the first noodle dish arrived. It was the Mongolian beef chow funn -- sweet spicy hoisin, onions, scallions (US$15.00).
A huge mound of chow funn noodles (of different thickness) arrived on a plate topped with mung bean sprouts, chopped cilantro and chopped green onions. The sweet, sticky sauce had a bit of a spicy kick to it, but I was hoping for a bit more "heat". The noodles and sauce were stir-fried with some sliced onions, a bit of chopped ginger, and lots of lean chunks of beef. The lean beef meant that this dish was somewhat "healthy", however, it also meant that the beef was a bit tough and a little dry.
And the last dish to arrive, is probably the restaurant's most popular one. It was the "Kona Style" tuna noodle casserole -- orecchiette, wok seared or cooked spicy ahi, shiitake cream, crisp onions, scallions (US$18.00).
Orecchiette, ear shaped pasta, was tossed with a light shiitake cream sauce, then topped with lots of chopped green onions, crispy fried scallions and five thick slices of blackened, wok seared ahi. The cream sauce was light without being over bearing. The fresh, yet delicate flavor of the ahi, complemented the crunchiness of the fried shallots and the tender, but slightly firm bite of the pasta perfectly. After a few bites of this, I didn't want to give it up.
Were we done yet? Of course not. There's always room for dessert right? Again, we selected two and decided to share. One of the desserts we chose was O's cheesecake (US$7.00).
Light and creamy, the individual sized cheesecake sat atop a tender crust. Here, take a peek.
The flavorful topping included poppy seeds and lemon zest among other things. This dessert had a very interesting flavor, one that I wouldn't mind trying to replicate at home. The addition of poppy seeds to the topping was something that I found interesting, yet so exciting. Excellent.
The other dessert we chose was the Hawaiian cream cake (US$8.00).
A tiny white cake was spread with frosting, then sprinkled with shredded coconut. Since the cake was flourless, I found it to be a bit too dense and too dry. The frosting was a bit too sweet for me and to be honest, I didn't really enjoy this dessert.
The food here at O's Bistro was a bit of a mixed bag. There were a few items that were done very well -- the orecchiette with wok seared ahi and the O's cheesecake. There was a dish that showed promise, but could use improvement -- the Mongolian beef chow funn. There was also a dish that was OK and not really worth the price we paid for it -- the spinach tofu pot stickers. And there was an item that I would not order again -- the Hawaiian cream cake. Although the portions here are quite large (except for the pot stickers/desserts), the prices are still a little high. The service here was excellent. Our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable about the restaurant's offerings and he continuously stopped by to see how we were doing. And although I enjoyed my dinner here, no doubt due to the company I was with, if I were to eat here again, I would be very selective when making my decisions on what to order.
O's Bistro
Crossroads Shopping Center
75-1027 Henry Street Suite 102
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.327.6565
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