One such restaurant is Shokudo Japanese Restaurant and Bar. Located on the ground floor of the Ala Moana Pacific Center at 1585 Kapiolani Blvd, Shokudo Japanese is a little difficult to find. It's a couple of blocks north of Ala Moana Blvd., the main thoroughfare from downtown Honolulu to Waikiki.
Restaurant Background
The restaurant, which opened in March of 2005, is the brainchild of Tetsuya Emura, an experienced restaurant executive from Japan who wished to introduce true Japanese food culture to those outside of Japan. Judging from the accolades the restaurant has received in just two years, Shokudo Japanese can only be considered a major, if still somewhat unknown, success. In their first year the restaurant won Honolulu Magazine's Gold Hale `Aina Award for "Best Japanese Restaurant" in 2006 and the bronze award in 2007.
"Shokudo" in Japanese means "dining room." The restaurant encourages guests to share their dining selections with others at the table, much like they would do in their own home dining room. In fact, Shokudo Japanese defines their style of dining to be just that "to share."
The dining room was designed by Yasumichi Morita of New York City's Megu. It is very open with a highly contemporary design with booth, table and bar seating available. A drawback of this design is that the restaurant seemed a bit noisy which would make intimate conversation difficult. It is, however, a strikingly beautiful restaurant which reminds me of designs I've seen used by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and Stephen Starr in their Philadelphia and New York restaurants.
Sharing Dinner With a Friend
Shokudo Japanese Restaurant and Bar
Photo by John FischerSince my experience with authentic Japanese cuisine is somewhat limited to the standard teriyaki and tempura dishes as well as sukiyaki, I decided to invite a friend in the public relations industry, Sandi Yara, to dine with me. Sandi is of Japanese decent and I value her opinion and advice. Our dinner was arranged in advance by the restaurant's management company in Beverly Hills, CA. (They also operate Tokyo Table in Beverly Hills.)
Sandi had been to Shokudo previously and we expected to find valet parking at the restaurant. We quickly learned that this had been discontinued and we were directed to park behind the restaurant in the Ala Mona Center parking garage. This was somewhat inconvenient since the Ala Moana Center in involved in expansion and some entrances are closed or relocated.
Once we located a parking spot, we took the short walk to the restaurant and introduced ourselves to the individuals at the reservation desk. Strangely, they had no record of our reservation or invitation from restaurant management. Nevertheless, we decided to enjoy our dinner and not let the oversight upset us.
We were promptly shown to a table and presented with Shokudo Japanese's extensive menu. The menu is a 14-page oversized document with photos of virtually every item on the menu. I've been to Japanese restaurants that have those lovely displays of selected entrees, but I've never seen a menu that contains photos of each item. What a treat!
Restaurant Menu
Shokudo Japanese has a full bar with extensive selections of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage. They offer Hawaiian tropical drinks, standard western selections as well as extensive selections of Japanese beers, sake and shochu (a clear distilled spirit similar to vodka.)
The restaurant has a large selection of appetizers and salads including daikon, tofu, edamame, gyoza, and tempura offerings as well as unique specialties such as Yukari french fries, stir-fried udon noodle with king crab and even pizza. They also offer several soup selections.
We selected an assortment of appetizers which included soup, edamame, garlic shrimp and salad. All arrived with superb presentation and large portions.
For entrees we elected to go with hot entrees as opposed to choosing from the restaurant's extensive sushi menu. I selected the 8-oz filet mignon on hot plate and Sandi selected the pork cutlet curry. Both were excellent.
As we were finishing our entrees, the restaurant's manager, Geraldine Jordan, introduced herself and apologized for the confusion with our reservation. Apparently she had been looking for us for some time. We explained that it was really not a problem. We were enjoying our dinners and appreciated the excellent service.
For dessert we were treated with a selection of the restaurants popular choices including their baked banana with ice cream and the luscious honey toast.
We noticed that as the evening got later the crowds in the restaurant did also. It's clearly a popular spot for those who enjoy dining or having a late evening snack after 8:00 p.m.
Prices
Baked Banana with Ice Cream and Honey Toast - Shokudo Japanese Restaurant and Bar
Photo by John FischerPrices at Shokudo Japanese are very reasonable. Salads range from $6.95 - $7.95, appetizers range from $3.95 - $9.95 with a large assorted tempura platter available for $13.95. Entrees range from $8.95 for chicken selections to $20.95 for the 8-oz filet mignon. Sushi platters range from $8.95 - $13.95. Desserts range from $6.95 to $8.95. Beverages are equally reasonable. A glass of wine, for example, costs $6.00. These prices, of course, are subject to change.
Overall Opinion
Overall we were both well pleased by our dining experience at Shokudo Japanese Restaurant and Bar. The dining area is visually exciting if a tad noisy. The food is excellent and reasonably priced. Service is also quite good. Parking is somewhat difficult.
If You Go
Location:Ala Moana Pacific Center, Ground Floor
(Behind Ala Moana Center)
1585 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
Hours of Operation:
Sunday - Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Last call at 12 midnight
Friday - Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Last call at 1:00 a.m.
Phone Number:
(808) 941-3701
Reservations not required, but recommended.
Dress Code:
Casual, shirt and footwear required.
Parking:
Validated parking entrance on Kona Street, behind the restaurant.
