'Ono Kine Grindz

Bistro A Un

For several years now, I've passed by Bistro A Un on my way to CoCo Ichibanya, never giving a second thought to the restaurant that used "shower curtains" as window dressings.  Several weeks ago, however, my curiosity finally got the best of me.  I was walking by with a friend on my way to eat curry, when I decided to stop and read the menu board outside.  There were a number of interesteing, reasonably priced dishes on the menu, so we decided to give this place a chance.

Entering the restaurant, I discovered the place to be empty.  On one side of the room was a bar, on the other, were five or six tables situated along a wall of banquette type seating.  The soft, dim lighting made the inside of the restaurant feel quite relaxing and created the perfect atmosphere for a quiet night out.

Since we had already looked over the menu outside, there were a couple of dishes that we ordered right away.  The first to be ordered, and to arrive at the table, was the omurice with pork cutlet (US$8.75).

Under the egg "omlette" was a pile of fried rice that had been seasoned with ketchup and onions.  A lot of ketchup was also poured on top of the rice, giving it a lot of sweetness.  The tonkatsu (pork cutlet) was crisp and well fried.  Lacking the usual oiliness, the pieces of tonkatsu were also quite tender.

Next to arrive were the crabmeat croquettes (US$4.75).

Crunchy and golden brown, the croquettes arrived in a pool of sauce.  Hot out of the fryer, the creamy insides spilled out after I took my first bite.  Along with the chunks of crab, these were sinful and quite tasty.

Following the croquettes was the eggplant gratin (US$5.50).

Thick pieces of eggplant were first topped with a tomato based sauce and lots of cheese.  The eggplant was baked, resulting in a tender eggplant dish that was savory, gooey (from the melted cheese) and satisfying.

Shortly thereafter, the sautéed spinach with bacon (US$4.75) was brought to the table.

Fresh spinach was sautéed until tender with pieces of bacon.  This dish was a bit oily because it was probably sautéed in the bacon grease, but the spinach was also tender and smokey, just like the bacon.

Shortly after the spinach arrived, came the tofu leaf spring roll with shrimp (US$4.95).

When I saw this coming, I was actually disappointed.  I actually ordered this because I was curious to see what tofu leaf actually meant (it meant yuba).  The crisp and crunchy spring rolls were filled with cabbage and tiny pieces of shrimp.  The rolls were good, but not exceptional.

And finally, our last dish arrived,, the deep fried yakisoba (US$8.95).

I was actually quite interested in seeing how this was going to turn out.  To my eye, it reminded me of cake noodles that we get here.  Pan fried noodles topped with gravy, vegetables and meat.  Ordinary and my least favorite dish.

The food here at Bistro A Un is a bit eclectic, and that's not really a bad thing.  You can enjoy standards, like the omurice with tonkatsu here, or you can enjoy something fusion, like the eggplant gratin.  There really is something for everyone here, and most often, the food is good to better than average.  Although the serving sizes are a bit small, I found the prices to be quite reasonable.  Besides, we like to share, right?  The service is great and the staff is helpful in providing recommendations.  I definitely look forward to visiting Bistro A Un again sometime soon.

Bistro A Un
McCully Shopping Center
1960 Kapiolani Boulevard Suite 107
Telephone:  808.947.4914

OnJin's Café

Quite some time has passed by since my first visit to OnJin's Café.  Back then, the restaurant was hidden from view by a parking lot that was often gated.  With the surrounding area in the midst of redevelopment, gone is the parking lot and in comes a new street.  OnJin's Café now finds itself located on a busy corner and a lot more accessible to the masses.

I've been to OnJin's Café a number of times over the years, but usually for dinner.  More recently, I stopped by during lunch and found it a bit more relaxing since there weren't too many people here.  The restaurant is bright, clean and spacious with a mixture of dark and light colored wood furnishings.

There is also an outdoor seating area which makes al fresco dining the way to go when visiting for lunch -- as long as the weather is nice.  After placing my order inside, and paying for my meal, I take a seat outside in the "garden".  Here there are fresh herbs growing and I wonder if the basil, rosemary or sage is actually used in the preparation of dishes here.  The only thing that distracts is the traffic beyond the gate.

On a recent weekend visit, I ordered the boolgogi and kimchee sandwich (US$7.25).

Thick, tender slices of Korean-style barbecued meat were piled high atop a toasted onion bun before being garnished with a few pieces of won bok kim chee.  Sliced tomatoes and a crisp lettuce leaf were provided as added garnish for the sandwich while a salad drowning in dressing, a small pile of beans and a couple of crowns of broccoli covered the other half of the plate.  The beef was well flavored being neither too salty nor too sweet.  The kim chee, on the other hand, could have been a lot more fiery. 

On a subsequent visit, I decided to order the Korean style ahi don (US$9.25).

Intrigued by the name of the dish, I was a little disappointed when what was basically an ahi salad was delivered to my table.  Seven slices of sashimi-grade ahi were placed strategically on a combination of chopped romaine lettuce and Nalo greens.  Thin slivers of white radish were piled in the middle before being garnished with a spoonful of kaniko (crab eggs) and a few bits of dried seaweed.  Served with a bowl of brown rice and some spicy kochu jang sauce/dressing on the side, the salad proved to be a light, refreshing, and surprisingly,filling lunch.

Whether you stop by for lunch, or for dinner, the food here at OnJin's Café is sure to be enjoyable.  However, if you are the type of diner that requires constant attention (i.e. constant refilling of water, clearing of dishes, etc.) you should consider dining elsewhere.  On both visits, since I was seated outside, the server only stopped by to deliver my food and beverages to the table.  There was no follow up to ask how my food was, nor did she stop by to refill my iced tea or water.  Good food, mediocre service, and moderate to high prices, does not make OnJin's Café a frequent dining destination.

OnJin's Café
401 Kamakee Street
Telephone:  808.589.1666