The 220 Grille Restaurant at KCC

About two weeks ago I dined at Ka ‘Ikena, the fine dining room at Kapiolani Community College where students showcase their culinary and hospitality skills. The experience was so fantasic I had to go back to try The 220 Grille Restaurant, the casual Hawaii regional cuisine restaurant at KCC also run by students. The students did not disappoint.

The ambience is more casual with cafeteria style seating and paper plates/plastic utensils. But do take a look at their menu, which is far beyond what you’d expect at a casual “grille”. They have escargot! And lamb chops!

My friend ordered the Calamari Fritti ($5.95) served with smoked chipotle aioli and (SPICY) Asian cocktail sauce…

220 Grille - Calamari Fritti ($5.95)

and Mushroom Soup ($3.00).

220 Grille - Mushroom Soup ($3.00)

My other friend also ordered Calamari Fritti and Chicken Quesadillas ($5.95) with shimeji mushrooms and served with Mexican cream and mango pineapple relish.

220 Grille - Chicken Quesadillas ($5.95)

I had Escargots in Mushroom Caps of course, because, where else can you eat escargot for $4.95!? The flavor of the white wine was too strong because the alcohol was not cooked off enough, but I’m happy to dismiss that because 1.) these are students learning how to cook and 2.) this is not a for-profit restaurant.

220 Grille - Escargots in Mushroom Caps ($4.95)

And I had Lamb Chops with Chipotle Honey Glaze and Cilantro Mint Vinaigrette ($9.50). Lamb is one of my favorite meats and this one came with 5 petite, tender chops cooked medium rare and perfectly seasoned.

220 Grille - Lamb Chops ($9.50)

For dessert I had Crepes Suzette with Orange Butter Sauce ($3.75) served with strawberries and spiced whipped cream. YUM.

220 Grille - Crepes Suzette ($3.75)

To sum it up: fabulous food at prices that are a steal. The only unfortunate thing is that I got busy and took so long to write about 220 Grille – their last day of operation for this module is tomorrow! After that, you’ll have to wait until they re-open next year after renovations to their kitchen.

When you do have the chance to go, don’t forget to leave a donation in lieu of gratuity to support the KCC Culinary Arts Program! Parking is available on the campus in unmarked visitor stalls.

OVERALL: GOOD food, WOW concept
PRICE RANGE: $3.00-$5.95 for starters, $6.25-$9.50 for entrees. View menus on their website.
MY BILL: $18.20 plus a donation
RETURNING?: Yes but we’ll all have to wait till next year!

The 220 Grille Restaurant
Kapiolani Community College
Ohia Building, Room 220
4303 Diamond Head Road
Honolulu, HI 96816
Lunch – view schedules and hours on their website

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Ka ‘Ikena at KCC

The first quarter “board meeting” for 2010 took place at Ka ‘Ikena, the fine dining room at Kapiolani Community College (KCC). If you have never heard of it or never dined there, you are missing out on a fantastic experience!

Ka ‘Ikena is the venue where students in the culinary arts program at KCC apply their learned skills in a simulated restaurant setting. The food is prepared by the students, the desserts are made by students in the pastry course, and the tables are served by students in the dining room course, all under the supervision of their instructors. They spend their first 2 weeks of the module in the classroom, and spend the third week putting their lessons to the test.

Because it’s a learning venue, the value is absolutely unbeatable. Three course menus for lunch range between $16.95-$18.95 and includes soup or salad, entrée, dessert, and your choice of coffee, tea or iced tea. AND the dining room has a panoramic ocean view!

On the week that we went the soup was Vichyssoise, a creamy chilled potato and leek soup:

Ka 'Ikena - Vichyssoise

Although Vichyssoise is one of my favorite soups, I opted for the Goat Cheese Tart and Tomato Salad with Balsamic Vinegar Dressing. This was excellent. The perfect combination of light crispy phyllo dough, moist goat cheese and tangy tomatoes made it one of the best goat cheese dishes I’ve ever had.

Ka 'Ikena - Goat Cheese Tart

For our entrées my friend had the Fisherman’s Stew ($17.95) with fennel in a saffron broth served with garlic crostini.

Ka 'Ikena - Fisherman's Stew

Our other friend had Beef Wellington ($18.95) with truffle sauce and roasted vegetables.

Ka 'Ikena - Beef Wellington

I opted for the Roasted Cornish Game Hen ($16.95) with creamy polenta. The bird was so big, we’re convinced it was a small chicken rather than a big cornish game hen.

Ka 'Ikena - Roasted Cornish Game Hen

For dessert, you get to make your selection from a traveling cart:

My friend had the Flan:

Ka 'Ikena - Flan

and I had the Fresh Fruit Tart:

Ka 'Ikena - Fresh Fruit Tart

Because the students need to learn in somewhat of a controlled setting, reservations are required and the menu is limited. And they’re only open during certain periods of the year following the course schedules.

But maybe that’s a good thing because Ka ‘Ikena is so fantastic, I’d be here every day otherwise. This is by far the most delicious way to support the local community. One more thing: students are not allowed to accept gratuity, so don’t forget to take that tip money and donate it to the program at the host stand.

(I was so impressed with Ka ‘Ikena I wanted to discover the other casual dining option put on by KCC students – The 220 Grille Restaurant. I themed our board meeting “Discovering KCC” and declared that we must continue part two of our meeting there next week. Stay tuned for my review of The 220 Grille Restaurant…)

OVERALL: GOOD food, WOW concept
PRICE RANGE: $16.95-$18.95 for 3 course lunch menus, $27.00-$30.00 for 3 course dinner menus. View menus on their website.
MY BILL: N/A
RETURNING?: Definitely

Ka ‘Ikena
Kapiolani Community College
Ohelo Building, Ka ‘Ikena Room
4303 Diamond Head Road
96816
808.734.9499
Lunch and Dinner – view dates and hours for this semester on their website

Best Deals – Lunch at Costco Hawaii Kai

When you’re in the mood for a romantic alfresco dining experience with waterfront views, but you’re short on cash,  Costco in the Hawaii Kai Towne Center is the place to go! They have the most unbelievable deals ever, and you don’t even need a Costco membership card.

My husband and I always get a Polish Hot Dog ($1.50 includes a soda), Pizza ($1.99 slice) and Chicken Caesar Salad ($3.99) which is more than enough food for the two of us. Our entire meal for two is only $7.83!

We got the combination pizza, a nice big slice of sausage, pepperoni, olives, bell peppers and onion toppings.

Costco - Pizza ($1.99)

There’s a condiment station for the hot dog with ketchup, mustard, relish, and chopped onions.

Costco - Hot Dog ($1.50)

and their Chicken Caesar Salad is so fresh and crisp with tomatoes, parmesan cheese, tender chicken breast, and a separate packet of croutons.

Costco - Chicken Caesar Salad ($3.99)

After grabbing our food we walk over a few short steps to the marina side of the towne center (behind Panda Express) to pick out a picnic table.

Check out the amazing marina views from this table…

 

Costco Hawaii Kai
333A Keahole Street
Honolulu, HI 96825
808.395.5538
Mon-Fri 11:00a-8:30p
Sat 9:30a-6:00p
Sun 10:00a-6:00p

Best Deals – Breakfast at Wailana Coffee House

Did I mention how much I love breakfast? Some of my favorite breakfast places include IHOP, McDonald’s, Longhi’s, Orchids at Halekulani, Plumeria Beach House at the Kahala Resort, and Hau Tree Lanai at the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, depending on my mood. But the best breakfast  deal in town can be found at Wailana Coffee House.

The Breakfast Special includes All-You-Can-Eat Pancakes, 2 Eggs and 2 Strips of Bacon for just $5.75! And you can order it 24 hours a day.

The pancakes are so buttery and yummy and are served with Traditional, Coconut, and Boysenberry Syrups (or Sugar Free for me). They come in stacks of 2 and you can have as many as you want.

 

I take my eggs over easy and I like to pop the entire yolk in my mouth.

Wailana's - Breakfast Special ($5.75)

I only come here for breakfast, but there are other items on the menu (your typical local coffee house/diner eats like burgers and saimin at average prices) and as I was studying the menu I spied $3.25 Mai Tais and $5.50 Strawberry Daiquiris – possibly the best cocktail deals in Waikiki.

OVERALL: GOOD for breakfast
PRICE RANGE: $5.75 and up for breakfast, $6.95-$9.10 for burgers and sandwiches, $9.50-$13.95 for hot entrees
MY BILL: $16.98 for two
RETURNING?: Yes

Wailana Coffee House and Lounge
(Located on the corner of Ala Moana Blvd. and Kalia Road, across from Hilton Hawaiian Village)
1860 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.955.1764
7 Days a week, 24 hrs a day