The Pagoda Floating Restaurant. (Star-Advertiser photo by Cindy Ellen Russell)
BY STEFANIE NAKASONE / snakasone@staradvertiser.com
If you grew up or have lived at least a few years on Oahu, odds are you’ve been to the Pagoda Floating Restaurant at least once, probably for a family brunch or dinner. But few have tried the Pagoda’s happy hour, and that’s too bad. In addition to the calming surroundings — such a treat when you’re smack-dab in the middle of town — the restaurant provides friendly staff, delicious tropical drinks and solid pupu.
PAGODA FLOATING RESTAURANT1525 Rycroft St. |
For those who have never been to this Honolulu institution, one piece of advice: Do not judge this book by its cover. From the street, the exterior of the restaurant and hotel looks dated and unimpressive. But once you step through the wooden archway, you are surrounded by beauty, from the koi-filled ponds below your feet to the lush greenery of the Japanese garden.
The restaurant takes full advantage of this serene scene with glass walls enclosing the main dining area. When I walked in at around 5 p.m. — right in the middle of their 3:30-to-6:30 p.m. happy hour — the restaurant was empty, save for a few waiters and a bartender preparing for the dinner crowd. I was warmly greeted by the bartender, and told I could sit anywhere.
There are a handful of seats at the recently renovated bar, but I chose a spot next to the window, with a perfect view of the large artificial waterfall.
Pagoda’s Asian Braised Pork Belly with Bao Bun and Kim Chee Slaw. (Star-Advertiser photo by Cindy Ellen Russell)
I FOUND the overall feel of the place to be classic island-style, right down to the music. No touristy explosion of tiki idols, tacky wall hangings and rattan-everything here. Instead, the tone is a bit more sophisticated — deep red chairs, dark wood tables and black pendent lighting — making one feel relaxed and free to unwind from a busy day of work or shopping at nearby Ala Moana.
The drink specials on the happy hour menu are OK: $3 domestics, $4 imports, $1 off drafts and $4 for the house wine.
There are also daily drink specials that are selected by the bartender on duty. On this day, the offerings were the Hawaiian Sunset Cocktail, Hawaiian Redneck and Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai.
I first tried the mai tai, which at $5 is a good value for any cocktail. The bartender admitted that the happy hour version of the mai tai is made with a cheaper grade of rum, but I couldn’t tell. In a word, strong. I know mai tais by nature pack a punch, but this was like taking a left hook from Mike Tyson — but smiling after you pick yourself off the ground. It’s a good fruity drink, complete with a large pineapple slice.
I also sampled the Hawaiian Redneck, mostly because I loved the name. The cloudy red cocktail consists of dark rum, Southern Comfort, pineapple juice and grenadine. As with the mai tai, the drink was certainly not lacking on the liquor. But the Southern Comfort made it fairly smooth. And at $6, you get a lot for what you pay, a trend that continued with the happy hour food.
The Pagoda’s bartender features different drink specials daily; pictured is the Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai. (Star-Advertiser photo by Cindy Ellen Russell)
THE PAGODA offers standard pau hana fare like edamame (garlic and spicy), fries (sweet potato, garlic or regular) and onion rings. But there are also standout dishes, like the Kalua Duck Spring Rolls and the Asian Braised Pork Belly.
The spring rolls, in addition to being crispy and not too oily, were loaded with duck, making it well worth the $7 price. The four pieces were served with a slightly spicy kim chee hoisin and mango salsa.
The pork belly ($8), served in a bao bun and topped with a kim chee slaw, was visually beautiful and flavorful to boot.
Pagoda also offers a Sizzling Garlic Ahi Belly served with sauteed Maui onions and garlic chips ($7). Though I didn’t get to taste this dish, I got a delicious whiff of it from a neighboring table.
I did try the Seafood Artichoke Dip — made with scallops, shrimp and clams — with cheesy garlic bread. While the dip tasted fine, its soupy consistency and bland presentation left me disappointed. For $8, it wasn’t bad, but I probably wouldn’t order it again.
Although the Pagoda revamped its happy hour just a few months ago, the manager said another revision — with more beer and cocktail specials — is on the way. While I think the drink menu is definitely something that can be improved, not much needs to be done with the food selections, which are creative and affordable.
No matter what changes are in the works, I plead with the Pagoda, at the very least, keep the duck spring rolls!