(808) 735-5900
3435 Waialae Ave Ste 104
Honolulu,
HI
96816
21.2845
-157.8028
Neighborhood: Palolo
03/15/09
an insufferable wait experience
by foolishginger
After being promptly seated for our reservation, my party of four had to wait 10 minutes for our server to finally make an appearance at our table. The server took our orders and served our drinks, which took a while getting to our table. The soup and appetizers ordered were delicious and I sincerely offer my compliments to the chef. Unfortunately, our server did a very poor job of checking back in on the table to find out if we needed more drinks, etc. In fact, he was so miserably absent, we had to procure our own water from the bar and we had to stop this server repeatedly as he whisked past our table to ask that he refresh our drinks. Luckily, dinner was served and it was very well prepared. And I am very impressed that town relies on local organic farmers for their produce. However, due to the terrible wait service, I seriously doubt I will ever visit town again. Indeed, I have very high expectations of servers, having been one myself, and especially when I am in a restaurant charging over $20 per entree. I am afraid that my dining experience was entirely exasperating and could hardly be called a relaxed and enjoyable. I recommend that if you want excellent wait service and excellent local organic dishes that you visit Indigo instead.
- Pros: excellent local foods
- Cons: terrible wait service
04/01/07
happy to have found town
by pikake21
I was pleased to stop by town the last time I was in the neighborhood to grab breakfast. From the reviews I had read, I was under the belief that at any other time of the day (assuming it were busy), it would be crazy and loud. Fortunately there was only one other couple in the restaurant, and I was able to eat my portuguese sausage in peace. What I did appreciate (and what in fact had pushed me in the direction of this place to begin with), was the organic food selection and the natural foods appeal. I'm sure there was nothing organic about my sausage, but I did have it with some steel-cut oats, which in my head evened out the good with the bad. I would maybe stop by here again in the future for another quiet morning breakfast.
- Pros: the interior is so different in comparison to other nearby restaurants; parking behind the restaurant
01/19/07
Unique corner bistro--great food,
by youngchefty
Maybe it's because I'm so young, or maybe it's because I'm the antithesis of almost everything locally Hawaii, but the hard interior surfaces of town (with lowercase "t") make for excessive noise when the place is crowded, which is a refreshing change from the serene ambiance that pervades most other local restaurants. Plus, if you've ever been to a true Parisian-style bistro, it's bloody noisy; small restaurants often are because the owners want to make it seem busier than it really is. Noise aside, town is certainly one of the more unique places to dine in the entire State, with its Italian-inspired New American fare and multi-ethnic staff. Ed Kenney made a drastic career change from being a real estate agent to one of the best chefs on the island, and foodies are grateful. I had heard wonderful things about town's carrot-ginger soup, which shows up maybe once a week or so on the daily-changing menu. Of course, when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped, and was instantly rewarded with a bowl of sweetly earthy puree, judiciously scented with the distinct spice of ginger. Another day it was a comforting cream of potato with a smart hand of cumin, garnished with ground flax. Locals have been complaining about the "under-dressed" salads; note that we here in Hawaii expect nothing less than greens drenched in tangy vinaigrette. Kenney instead shows off the unique characteristics of the organically grown local greens and dresses them with nothing more than good olive oil. A half chicken was incredibly tender, with crispy, perfectly golden brown skin, and the tatsoi mustard greens on which it rested contributed a pleasing bitter component. Locally raised beef makes for an incredibly juicy burger, even at medium-well, and the accompanying housemade fries maintain their crunch even when left to cool. Two visits thus far have held me addicted, despite the unenthusiastic, unsmiling service staff. But no doubt...I'll be back.
- Pros: Extremely well-prepared, creative food, uniquely noisy atmosphere
- Cons: Uncaring servers, rather lacking food presentation, limited parking
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