Waikiki Gateway Hotel
2070 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815-2048
(808) 955-6333
Nicely uniformed staff ushered us to captain’s chairs ringing our table for our dinner at Nick’s. Internet reviews indicated that Nick’s was a “fine dining” destination, and so far the atmosphere did not disappoint. The single table decor however had suffered some bruising and breakage, but nobody in the establishment had made any effort to replace the faltering flower. Our party of four quickly assessed the menu and found few standouts. We proceeded to order escargot, calamari and coconut shrimp for starters. Immediately we noticed some lag time in the delivery of our appetizers, but at least the bread and the wonderful butter spread filled in the void.
When the staff finally made the presentation, the escargot was the biggest disappointment, reportedly tasteless despite its garlic butter bath. Four coconut shrimp were nicely coated in coconut, but the reddish sauce accompanying it looked and tasted suspiciously like ketchup, until the mango relish was discovered under a bed of sprouts. The calamari seemed greasy but not chewy and the dips were original: jalapeno aioli, a spicy concoction and a regular cocktail/marinara sauce.
The salad options failed to impress: Nick’s Classic salad did not garner any rave reviews, but it was the side caesar option ordered at the last minute that drew the biggest disappointment. The dressing was uncharacteristically sweet, a hint vinegary; it was promptly rejected and sent back to the kitchen.
After another long wait, our entrees were wheeled out on a cart, looking pretty. Like the Nick’s Classic before it, the Seafood Mix Grill failed to elicit any excitement, even though the salmon was grilled perfectly with no hint of dryness or toughness. Of the two filet mignons ordered, one was well done (a far mark from the medium rare that was requested) and the second filet appeared medium well, shy of the medium requested. The well done steak was replaced with another but came back blood red rare, still not quite the medium rare expected but at least more edible. It was obvious that beef was NOT one of this restaurant’s strengths. The only exceptional dish of the evening seemed to be swordfish which proved moist and tasty, deliciously grilled and garnished with roasted garlic, onions and dried tomatoes.
Overall, a rather pricy gamble on seafood, but not worth the risk to try anything else.
3801 W President George Bush Highway
Plano, TX 75075
(469) 467-3944
When you hear of “steak and sushi” in the Dallas dining scene, hibachi/sushi bar palaces jump to mind…full of loud noisy parties, flashing knives and unintimidating (i.e. “safe”) concoctions meant to woo and dazzle the Texas diner who is typically challenged–dare I say, ignorant–when it comes to ethnic food.
DH and I visited the newly opened Geisha for lunch. Their menu had the typical dining options such as bento boxes and nigiri/tempura combos. We began with a bowl of miso, seaweed salad and edamame (hardly adventurous choices). Seaweed salad was the standout in the appetizer portion of the meal. Moving on, I ordered the salmon bento box, while DH selected a more exotic plate: a spider roll partnered with a trio of handrolls. Kudos to Geisha for a nicely optioned bento box; I enjoyed the fried dumplings immensely–and unlike some other Japanese lunch spots, the teriyaki sauce on the salmon came light and mildly sweet. The salmon itself was cooked perfectly–not too rare and not too dry.
DH approved of their handroll sampler plate; he scarfed up the fried crab rolls and worked diligently through the handrolls (one of which was spicy). But the star of the hour came when we selected a chef’s special dubbed the White Dragon Roll. It arrived at our table, elegantly dressed in a swirl of sauces, and lightly tempura batter-fried. DH nominated it the best roll anywhere, succeeding the reigning long-time champ, Volcano Roll. This entry alone guaranteed that we will be returning to Geisha to sample their other chef’s specialties. Good eats!
I’m planning on integrating more diverse content such as foodie reviews and my adventures in hardware, plus the puppies content at puppies.wolfextreme.com into this blog. So I will consolidate all my hobbies, musings, etc into this one blog to keep it simple. Still toying with the idea of getting a new domain…but I intend to keep wolfextreme.com dedicated strictly to gaming and other high-tech entertainment.
This severe drought has taken an immense toll on the garden. Summer scorched what little grass remains in the backyard. The salvia microphylla planted in the rear garden islands stand naked, having dropped most of their leaves. The white salvia plantings in the side yard got trampled on by some foster pups and perished in the heat. At least one purple salvia still stands erect, its sibling a few feet away lies low but valiantly blooming. The Natchez myrtle is thriving off its green suckers but I intend to prune it down to see if it can be stimulated into growth for next year.
The most annoying (and disheartening) discovery I made was the theft and destruction of my lily garden by some hungry hares. Several holes and uprooted lily stems gave evidence of the buffet. I found a few stray bulblets and quickly buried them. The last butterfly bush was ejected from its corner, left to wilt in the sun. Gaping holes stare at me from the wrecked landscape. Oddly, the pests ravaged the east side of the lily garden; the west side remains largely intact host to a few dried out lily stalks.
The front yard is my only consolation now. While the weather singed the tops off the transplanted nandina, the rest continue to flourish. The canna colony continues to flower, and the red salvia are constantly aflame…some bald patches on the lawn, and weeds occasionally interrupting the landscape. For the most part, the front yard fared better than the rear yard. Pictured is the second canna lily gracing us with its scarlet freckled face and yellow trim ruffles.
