Ka Restaurant & Lounge

Boy am I out of touch with what’s new! I had never even heard of Ka until some friends suggested we meet there for cocktails. It was sort of a part business/mostly pleasure date as we talked shop (they’re both wedding planners) and reminisced over funny times (we all used to work together).

I was so pleasantly surprised by Ka. They’re a relatively new restaurant & lounge in Ward Center where E&O Trading Company used to be. First of all, I walked in there thinking it’s a restaurant but it’s actually more of a nightclub (think dim lighting, bar stools and lounge seating). So then I’m thinking it’s a nightclub but when the food came out it was definitely worthy of being called a restaurant! It turns out they’re a restaurant but they turn into a club on Friday and Saturday nights. The food is mainly Asian fusion served tapas (or izakaya) style. “Ka” means fire, so the menu features many char-grilled or fire-roasted dishes.

We had the Ahi Lumpia ($9.00) with crunchy snowpeas inside and served with a sweet tamarind-chili sauce and salad.

Ka - Ahi Lumpia ($9.00)

Side order of Garlic Fries ($4.00). O. M. G. These were so yummy! There’s tiny pieces of fried garlic tossed all over these fries. It was so rich and flavorful I could have mistaken them for truffle fries.

Ka - Garlic Fries ($4.00)

Shishito Peppers ($6.00) char-grilled and tossed in a soy-sake sauce with bonito flakes on top. Addictive.

Ka - Shishito Peppers ($6.00)

Tofu Dynamite ($7.00) with a vegan, coconut cream based Thai sauce. This one was just OK, but what do you expect for vegan, right?

Ka - Tofu Dynamite ($7.00)

and they serve pizza only on Wednesdays, so we ordered a Pepperoni, Sausage and Onion pizza (only $5.00!). The bottom of the thin-but-not-too-thin crust was lightly charred to perfection.

Ka - Pizza ($5.00)

And for dessert, these beautiful Tempura Fried Cream Puffs ($6.00) served with matcha powder and honey. They fry the cream puffs still frozen, so it’s almost like fried ice cream but lighter. This was their special for the night so it’s not on the menu.

Ka - Tempura Cream Puffs ($6.00)

Everything was so delicious. I love the combination of the casual loungy vibe with sophisticated but solidly good food. The prices are extremely reasonable too. What a great place to meet a group of friends after work! It’s perfect if you’re in the mood to munch and talk all night rather than a sit-down dinner.

OVERALL: GOOD
MENU: Click here to view the menu on their website
MY BILL: $89.00 for three including alcoholic drinks
RETURNING?: Yes

Ka Restaurant & Lounge
3rd Floor, Ward Center (former location of E&O Trading Company)
1200 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
808.593.7885
Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30a-2:00p
Dinner: Mon-Sat 4:30p-8:30p
Nightclub & Lounge: Fri & Sat 10:00p-2:00a