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Amuse Wine Bar
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Wed, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
133 reviews for Amuse Wine Bar
Review Highlights
-
"Amuse has become one of my favorite happy hour places." In 43 reviews -
"Grilled Cheese Sandwich, hands down was the best." In 12 reviews -
"Wed nights feature live music (haven't heard it yet." In 13 reviews
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133 reviews in English
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Review from Nikki A.
5/18/2012
So, I got a happy hour app on my phone and I started looking for some where to do girl gossip with my co-worker. How could we pass up $5 appetizers and drinks?
We got there at 6:30pm-ish and it was pretty empty. I was a little confused on how to order. I didn't know if we were supposed to go up to the bar or wait for one of the guys to come out of the bar to us? We sat there for a while and talked and no one came so I went up to the bar to order.
I pretty much ordered EVERYTHING on the $5 menu except for the edamame, variety cheese, and fries. However, my coworker ordered the cheese and fries so we basically ordered the whole menu except for edamame which I don't think is worth $5 anyway.
I ordered a Garden Mist and she ordered a wine.
After we sat back down, someone came by to ask for our order.
The food came out pretty quick and we looked like heffers but who cares it was $5!
There was a guy setting my to sing. I ended up loving the entertainment because it was so soothing and some radio songs we knew.
-Best item was the Mini Puas which were cute and deliciously soft.
-The BBQ french fries were bomb with powder bbq dusted on the fries.
-The vegetarian spring rolls were also really good. Especially with the sweet chili sauce.
-The grilled cheese and cheese pizza were not that good. A lot of bread and not enough cheese for both.
-The arabiki sausage was too oily but Titus gave me a tip to put it in the grilled cheese sandwich, which was a not too bad idea.
-The agedashi tofu was just okay. I like it when the tofu is marinated in the sauce so it does'nt just taste like sauce and then only tofu which was the case here.
-The kalua pig sliders were pretty junk because the meat was unbelievebly dry.
-I did not try the cheese cause I didn't get wine.
Overall us two girls did damage. But we did have some to take home to our boyfriends. I ordered 3 Garden Mist drinks, one being at regular price like $10 so the bill would've been cheaper had we not ordered anything outside of the happy hour time and selection. For the both of us it was $77 all together but $40 of that was 8 plates of food. Not Bad.
Oh yah lots of parking but the stalls are pretty small. -
Review from Laura S.
Waipahu, HI
5/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
All I have to say is wow! When my friend told me about this place, I wasn't expecting such a large wine selection for the wine taste. I came during happy hour (weekdays 5-7 pm) so my wallet was definitely happy too. The place had a very upscale feel to it, and I loved how they had an outside area to sit in too. I felt very classy sitting in this place.
I will be coming back again to taste some more of their wine collection, and maybe this time I will try some of their food. It was definitely a experience to remember and I recommend anyone over 21 to definitely give it a try.
The place is inside of the inspiration building, so I had a little trouble finding it at first, but after the search, had a lot of fun here. If you decide to give it a try, you can find parking in the parking garage next to the inspiration building. :) Enjoy!! -
Review from Brandon L.
Honolulu, HI
5/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
My friends and I came here for happy hour (5pm-7pm) on a Friday. We almost didn't make it in time to order food, but luckily one of us got there as they were doing last call. We were also lucky enough to get a table for our group. Parking in the Honolulu Design Center structure was free without validation. We ordered a bunch of pupus since each dish was only $5. Our bill was only $42 and I thought we got a lot of food. We tried:
Three Cheese Pizza - wish it had some kind of topping on it, kinda plain, cut into six slices
Asian Sliders - like peking duck with pork instead, tasty, three pieces per order
Grilled Cheese Sandwich - delicious, lots of cheese, four pieces per order
STAGE Frittes - thinly cut, good seasoning
As for drinks, we used our Amuse cards to sample different wines from the tasting machines. I don't recall the names of the wines I liked, but I tend to enjoy white wines more.
Although the atmosphere seemed more upscale, you can dress casually. There was live music the whole time we stayed. Our table was right below one of the speakers, so it was a little difficult to talk amongst ourselves. I had an enjoyable experience and would definitely come back. -
Review from Rissa M.
Honolulu, HI
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Kinda pricy for a wine tasting bar if yaaa askkk meeee. Yeah, you didnt ask...but i'll give ya my two cents anyways.
I like the ambiance. Dim, classy, upscale, and sometimes they have acoustic music.
The tables are seat-your-self, so try to get there early if you want to go for happy hour.
$5 pupus between the hours of 5-7 on the weekdays. They are all pretty good. The selection ranges from Pork Sliders, Sausage, Cheese Platter, Egg Rolls... pretty eclectic, but staple bar-foods.
On Wednesdays they have a special: spend $30 and get a $50 card for the wine bar. It's a super good deal. The only problem is that I'm wine "retarded" and never know what to get. I need one of them "wine for dummies" book.
Because there is happy hour, this venue attracts an older "work" crowd. I've seen some young adults, and middle aged adults, as well as borderline senior citizens. But i like it, its a super chill up-scale bar/lounge and it isnt' claustrophobic at all (cough apt 3 cough cough). Nice, open, and spacious. :-)
I don't know how to say this eloquently, so i'll just say it. The pizza is shitty.. Don't get it. Yeah, its only $5, but does anyone remember the cheese pizza from public elementary-high school here in Hawaii? It's about equivalent in taste, and the crust is hard as rock. Yuckkkkk.
That's my two cents for ya. -
Review from Linda K.
4/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've found my happy place. At Amuse Wine Bar that is.
My first time here I got the wine card for $30 instead of $50, awesome. Me and my boyfriend shared a card, I think we should have gotten one each.
I like the fact that I can pick the wines that I want to taste and that they have a good selection of all different kinds of wines. For a wine-o like me that is perfect. I don't know if the people working there are experts or not, I didn't ask any questions. Next time I go I'm gonna ask them more questions about the wines.
When we first got there at 5pm it was empty but at around 6.30 the place was starting to fill up. We got some food for the happy hour price. Tried the spring rolls (loooove spring rolls) and their bbq fries. Both yummy.
In the end I think I tried about 7 different wines and then stuck with about two to drink more of. I told myself that next time I go to Amuse I will try the most expensive wine they have. Just because I can. -
Review from Bryan A.
Waikiki, Honolulu, HI
3/30/2012
Went here before Stage for some wine once. Now it is a regular spot to go to enjoy a variety of great wines. So original. You can sample ounce pours of whatever wines you care for... even Opus One or Silver Oak (Napa Valley). Or fill'er up, paying per ounce.
They also have a full bar with a good beer selection.
Love this place.
And the pupus, fantastic.
There are great community tables to visit with lots of your friends and lounge areas with couches and coffee tables. I have heard some good live acoustic music here very often. Awesome place, any night of the week. -
Review from Lora H.
3/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Can't believe I didn't discover this place sooner! Wine on tap (okay, yes, wrong term but you get the idea). Live music. Good happy hour pupus and prices. Hint... get a $30 for $50 value wine card on Mondays and Tuesdays! Cool atmosphere. Nice vibe. Central location with tons of free parking. Now, only thing though... if you're a lush, you may be dishing out some bucks to get a nice buzz. One push of the button gives you only 1 oz. of wine. A taste!
Definitely a fav happy hour spot! -
Review from Heather B.
Raleigh, NC
80 Wines To Sample Via Self Serve Stations & Two Beer Tap Tables
Visit: February 27
Whenever I travel to a new city, I search on Yelp for wine bars and I am particularly interested in bars that have self serve wine stations...a little 'candy store' for adults. I found the Amuse Wine Bar with 80 wines available in self serve stations. Yeah, wino heaven! Get a prepaid smart card and a wine glass and let the tasting commence. Well, my husband and I had to find the place first before the wine sampling could begin. I did see that Amuse Wine Bar was located in the Honolulu Design Center but I assumed the bar had its own entrance. My husband and I walked around the whole block since the Design Center actually is a block long looking for Amuse. We actually called Amuse asking for directions to find the entrance. Well, Amuse and Stage Restaurant are located INSIDE the Design Center on the SECOND FLOOR so you have to walk through a furniture store to get to the bar and restaurant. You may enter from the parking garage and take the elevator to the 2nd floor or you can walk into the main level off of Kapiolani Blvd where there are some outdoor table with umbrellas. So these businesses have a "Day Job", a furniture store. It's kind of cool once you know what you are looking for.
On Monday and Tuesday evenings, there is a wine special where you can purchase a $50 wine card for only $30. During Happy Hour, Amuse offers a $5 food menu. Since we visited on a Monday night, we scored twice: wine and food deals! In addition to the Happy Hour Food Menu, Amuse has a regular menu. FYI, the menu with the prices listed after each item is the regular, full price menu. While we were waiting for our wine card and glasses, my husband and I ordered a light meal: Ahi "Poke", Vegetarian Quesadilla (without mushrooms), and Vegetable Spring Rolls. It took a little while to get our card and glasses but we walked around the bar looking at all the wines trying to decide what I wanted to try first. The price listed is for an one ounce sample of wine. Place you card in the machine, put your wine glass under the spigot, and press the button corresponding to the wine you want and the wine is automatically dispensed into your glass. Then sip and enjoy. Aaahh! There's a wide range of wines and price points. One of the reasons I love wine sampling is it gives me the opportunity to try wines that I consider expensive. It is very rare for restaurants to offer high-end wines by the glass. I don't want to invest in a bottle of wine with a big price tag unless I've had the chance to taste it first. Amuse Wine Bar has a section of high end wines including Opus One, Silver Oak, The Velvet Glove by Molly Dooker, and Hourglass. I didn't spring for the Opus One but I tried the Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon and I loved it. This wine will be my new 'Special Occasion' wine. It's also fun and a challenge to find wines which are less expensive but are stellar. So I greatly enjoy the research at wine bars like Amuse that offer so many wines by the taste. -
Review from Cee J.
Honolulu, HI
4/3/2012
OK Amuse- I gave you chances. Food just OK nothing special - loud music by not so great musicians, outrageous prices. Being in the wine business I was a patron at one time even though I know the cost of the wine & the markup is ridiculous for a one once pour - not a drop over. But my friends want to learn about wine so it was a stop for us to taste different wines and a nice learning experience. Then tonight I find myself going for the Ken Wright seminar at Cupola so I grab my card that had at least $50 loaded onto it and pop it into the slot to have it say "EXPIRED" Really? You take my hard earned dollars and if I don't come in for a while they expire? How can that be? Money is money - You have mine & I have nothing............Arrrgghhh Just looked this up:Hawaii Rev. Stat. 481B-13(e)
"Gift certificate" or "certificate" includes any electronic card with a banked dollar value where the issuer has received payment for the full banked dollar value for the future purchase or delivery of goods or services, any certificate where the issuer has received payment for the full face value of the certificate for future purchases or delivery of goods or services, and any other medium that evidences the giving of consideration in exchange for the right to redeem the certificate, electronic card, or other medium for goods, food, or services of at least an equal value. Hawaii Rev. Stat. 481B-13
The date of issuance and the expiration date shall be clearly identified on the face of the gift certificate, or, if an electronic card with a banked dollar value, clearly printed upon a sales receipt transferred to the purchaser of the electronic card upon the completed transaction. The expiration date shall be not less than five years after the date of issuance; provided that the expiration date of certificates issued only in paper form shall be not less than two years after the date of issuance. If the gift certificate does not have an expiration date, it shall be valid in perpetuity. -
Review from Ashley L.
Honolulu, HI
3/28/2012
Um. This place sucks on like 30 different levels. 1) they offer water in plastic cups and the waiters are offended when you ask for it. 2) the food is generic, costco sourced, and poorly prepared. 3) they play the music way too loud. I'm all for the club - but last time i checked this place was a wine bar...in a furniture store.
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Review from Emi H.
12/14/2011 6 Check-ins Here
One of the best happy hour spots in town and I can't believe I haven't written about it sooner!
Reasons to visit Amuse:
+Self-serve wine tasting machines
+$30 for $50 worth of wine tasting cards on Mondays & Tuesdays
+$5 pupu menú til 7 pm
+Live music nightly
+Lots of free parking
Charge up your card, then spend the evening sipping through a myriad of inexpensive to totally baller wines. Be careful though because it's very easy to sip your way through $50 at 1 oz a sample. Pushing the button on the machine can get addictive.
The upscale atmosphere of Amuse makes it a great place to go for casual drinks with friends or a date. Something I'm looking forward to trying in the future are their beer tap tables. It's self serve beer! Freakin' genius!!! Beer pong anyone?
Yelp 365 Challenge: #107/365 (The Wine Lovers) -
Review from Courtney Y.
Honolulu, HI
12/30/2011 1 photo
After perusing Yelp for Amuse Wine Bar earlier today knowing that I would be headed there tonight, I've come to the conclusion. This place = AMAZING.
There was a pretty big group of us, twelve. The service was pretty good, and they were nice to look at as well.
In short:
Parking = A major plus! Bonus points for that! Parking garage is conveniently located, and lots of parking space available!
Food = Can I relive it again, please?! Even though someone needs to roll me around because all of the food that I managed to eat, some noteworthy things to get are as follows: $5 GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH (Thanks to these helpful Yelpers), and $5 Barbecue Fries (I forgot the fancy name for it)!
Drinks = Lemon Drop, and SexyBack ("Yeahhh!") were good.
Price = Happy Hour till 7, which means $5 pupus, which is a pretty decent amount.
You won't have to force me to go back there, I'll gladly go the next time I want to feel fancy drinking and eating in the midsts of classy people drinking wine.
But, if you go there, you MUST, MUSSTTTTTT order the GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH! -
Review from Murray B.
12/29/2011
Overall I like this place. I also can't believe it took me this long to review it. Here's a quick synopsis.
pros
-wines for every budget; you simply saunter over to one of the various wine machines and than choose from different "value" choices, the "my eyes just popped out of my head" expensive choices or the "everything in between" choices
-free parking
-on Mondays & Wednesdays, pay $25 and get $50 in wine bar credit
-live music
-they have a separate room adjacent to the main area where private parties are held; I attended a friend's birthday party here and it was fun
cons
-this is more of the diy wine bar; don't expect lots of details from the staff re: the different wine choices
-when the live music gets going, you might find conversation challenging due to the acoustics of the room -
Review from Alysha M.
I just moved back home to Hawaii and Amuse is my new fav wine bar here! Coming from the Bay Area and living near wine country, it's hard to find places in Hawaii that have good wine & food.
Friday night there was live music. Amuse has the perfect vibe with dimmed lighting and a chill ambiance.
The thin-crust sausage/pep/mushroom pizza was perfect. And the spinach caesar salad and french onion soup were a good combo. I ordered some cocktail with cotton candy on it. The drink itself tasted like juice (dangerous). I thought they short poured me just a tad, though. The martini glass was only like 3/4 full for what it's worth.
Will definitely be back to try their wine & cheeses! -
Review from Jason D.
1/8/2012 4 Check-ins Here
Whoa, where have I been? I've been to this place as a nightclub and I've known about this place for happy hour, but just never went.
This place has quickly become one of my favorites for happy hour. $28 for a $50 wine card and $5 pupus until 7pm. The ambiance of this place is really chill and great for conversation. Oh and it's also good for dates, since looking at the different wines (and sake!) is pretty interactive.
I've been here twice in the last two weeks and have reloaded my card twice! No, I haven't drank $100 worth of wine, but it's that good of a deal.
Oh and they have live entertainment. All in all a great way to wind down your day.Listed in: Here drinky drinky!
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Review from Fred M.
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I would have never known about this if it wasn't for Yelp.
Came here for one of Emi's CMYE events and donated some gifts for the family she's sponsoring.
This place is awesome, it's like a great secret little spot for wine drinkers and those who want to take a break from picking furnitures.
The main attraction I really I liked about this place besides having a small room filled with different kinds of wine is their self serve wine machine. I've seen something similar on TV and always wanted to try this. This holds more than a dozen kinds of wine and pours 1 ounce and price will range anywhere between $1 to $4 depending on the brand and type of wine you pick.
Yelp 365 Challenge - #068/365Listed in: Yelp 365 Challenge
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Review from Jennifer K.
Honolulu, HI
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
My coworkers and I decided to try out Amuse because one of my coworkers wanted wine. Happy hour was pretty good for the price. Monday to Friday 5-7pm, $5 appetizer and cocktails. We tried the asian sliders, grilled cheese sandwich, vegetable spring rolls, and bbq spiced french fries. They were all super good but I think best value were the fries because they give you a pretty decent-sized basket of fries. :D There were 3 of us at that time (2 more showed up afterwards) and we were all super full.
As for drinks, I tried the Sexy Back and the Garden Mist (extra sweet). I preferred the Garden Mist because it tastes slightly like a mojito and the sexy back, is sweet enough only if you get a good lick of the sugar around the rim.
After our food and cocktails, we decided to give the wine a try. There's two ways to go about it. You can either get a prepaid card with a minimum of $20 and pay $2 for the card itself or you can borrow a card from them and open a tab. We decided to borrow cards because we didn't envision ourselves drinking a lot and we had already opened a tab to begin with. You insert your card into the slot, such as at the casinos in Vegas (You know how you insert your card and then play and take it out after you finish playing?). You insert the card, put your glass under the spigot for your desired wine and press the button once for an ounce. You can press it more times if you want more wine but you don't have to hold onto the button or anything.
I didn't care too much for Amuse though because they didn't have Moscato and that's the only wine I like.
Ohh and there were a whole bunch of older people dancing salsa and whatnot there too. We were told we could join in when the servor caught us constantly looking over but we were too ashamed. -
Review from Summer N.
12/24/2011
One Friday afternoon, my husband and I went to Amuse on a whim--we were tired, hungry, it was Friday...we wanted a quiet place to relax and unwind. Luckily, we were on Piikoi, driving right past the bright orange Honolulu Design Center. Parking was easy--free valet that night, and after a quick elevator ride, we were in wine heaven! The inside, of course, was designed well, with urban open ceilings, track lighting, long dark wooden tables. We were slightly confused how everything worked, but the bartender explained that you can fill an Amuse wine card with money, insert the card into the self-serve wine tasting machine, and select your pour by the ounce. The wine dispensers were a fun way to sample lots of different wines without committing to a full glass.
Happy Hour is from 5-7 PM, and we ordered the vegetable spring rolls and grilled cheese sandwich from their $5 appetizer menu. The vegetable spring rolls were good, but not exceptional, but the grilled cheese sandwich, a french bread sandwich stuffed with havarti cheese and truffle oil, was delicious.
We ended up finding sofa seats in their "enclosed patio," a white and silver room with glass windows overlooking Kapiolani Boulevard. It turned out to be the perfect relaxing spot we were looking for.
I would definitely come back with a group of friends to try out their beer tables, where you can pour Blue Moon, Heineken Light, Guiness, or Newcastle from your own table overlooking a television playing SportsCenter. -
Review from Cindy G.
Kapolei, HI
4/8/2012
Enjoy going to the Stage/Amuse Wine Bar, If you wanna get your groove on the Bands that play there are awesome...Nuvo and Funkshun! Pupus are fantastic- the Pork Quesadillas with the tomatoes and avocado dip are my favorite. Abundant selection of wines and beautiful atmosphere and decor, can't wait to try the wine sampling the next time we hang out there... and oh not to forget HAPPY HOUR too!
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Review from Cassie T.
1/20/2012
One of our favorite places for sure! We love the happy hour specials on Wednesday! We really enjoy trying all the different wines. Great vibe and we love the nights when they have live music!
We have tried the sliders with the seasoned fries. Delicious! -
Review from Michelle H.
Honolulu, HI
3/30/2012
I love the ambience and it's a super nice spot for happy hour with the girls. There is a $5 pupu menu until 7:00 and if you are not a wine drinker then they have some decent drink specials too. If you are a wine drinker, then it could get a bit pricey, but worth it just to try!
The one thing that really stood out to me was the grilled cheese. They use truffle which absolutely makes it that much better. I would go back just to eat the grilled cheese. So good!
I will definitely go back on a Monday or Tuesday to take advantage of the $50 wine card for only $30 deal! -
Review from Robert D.
1/9/2012
Pretty good place, reminds me of a Dave and Busters just using wine.
Good:
Lots of wines to try, growing up my father tried to educate me on the different types of wine. I wish I had listened instead of zoning out. But the selection here is great, Red wine is healthy for you... In moderation of course.
Bad:
Apparently, white wine is non existent there? I must have seen only one bottle available to sample... Boo to you, it cost you a star. Other than that I really have nothing negative to say. -
Review from Jessica D.
Rockville, MD
10/16/2011
IT'S A TRAP!
Decided to try out this place on military appreciation night (Tuesdays). Great deal! We pretty much made a meal out of the $5 appetizers and ordered 4 different ones. I can say that they were all very delicious. My husband and I couldn't get enough of the stage frites.
This place is excellent for trying out different wines. They all dispense at 1oz servings. The selection of whites is pretty small but they have some good selections. And we didn't use the entire $50 card so there's some left for next time (oh there will be a next time)
the thing is.... this place is located in the Honolulu Design Center. So after a few glasses of wine, we decide it's a good idea to browse around the furniture (it's not all outrageously expensive). NO we didn't buy anything that night, but we definitely got a bug after seeing a nice bedroom suite. Few days later, after looking at other furniture stores, we return to buy it... It's awesome though so it's all justified -
Review from Rebecca C.
Honolulu, HI
why haven't I ever come to this place sooner? think this is my 3rd time here but first to enjoy the wine sampling experience...
depending on your alochol tolerance it can be a bit pricey, rangeing from $2 to $10+ per ounce.
the pork quesadillas were yummy. but the hamachi sashimi had 6 measly pieces and was poorly presented on a third of a 12 inch plate. but if you want food food, stage is just steps away. -
Review from Thomas O.
8/24/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Watch this first: http://www.youtube.com... and then come back.
Walkin' to Amuse
How can I explain
Drinkin' I can't refuse
Where am I again
We are always try to fill it up, fill it up
Always pushing the button, don't like the price going up
On and on and on we are walking out and out again
Never looking at happy hour the same again
Is it beer now
Only two taps or one
I can hear it
When two people fight for one
Thought I'd never be
Eating for nearly free
Now I'm here all the time
Must come here if you love wine
We are always try to fill the cup, fill the cup
Always pushing the button, don't like the price going up
On and on and on we are walking out and out again
Never looking at happy hour the same again
Catch me I'm falling down
Why don't I live in town
Don't stop just keep going on
Can I have a hot udon
So how do I get inside
Park for free stay on the right side
Unfortunately I wasn't up to taste the wine as much as I was up for $5 Happy Hour pupus. I'm telling you, it's all about the food. You can drink all the wine you want at home, for way way cheaper but can you make Truffle Essence Grilled Cheese with Havarti, Veggie Spring Rolls, or Mini-puas for less than $15?
ME THINKS NOT.
We also noshed on the Three Cheese Pizza which was pretty good but I think the crown and glory were the BBQ Frites. A HUMANGOUS basket of golden brown fries with a dusting of what tastes exactly like KC Masterpiece Lays.
Don't forget the ketchup and aïoli!
Even though I wasn't up for wine, I wanted a good beer. And guess what, I poured it all bys myself! Daddy would be proud.
I tried the most expensive one since that was the table we were sitting at (and couldn't move from to try the other two because they havent perfected their system). I'm so glad I liked it! What was interesting was that its Chef Masaharu Morimoto's beer, Rogue, which is brewed from freaking SOBA noodles!
Not one noodle, Nicole. (Sorry I'll never let it go).
Very smooth and refreshing...a PERFECT pairing for all of the tasty treats we ordered. Fantastic!
Review #024/365Listed in: Phe-NOMNOMNOM-enal Food!, Yelp 365 Challenge
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Review from Sheryl G.
2/28/2012
what: a wine tasting bar. you get to regulate your own pours from serve-yourself wine dispensing kiosks.
something good: i like the idea that you get to choose your own wine and fill the glass as little or a lot as you'd like. however, it's a little expensive. it is a wine-tasting bar so they charge by the ounce!! the best thing about this place is the ambiance. i like the way everything is set up and it's a perfect place to bring the girls :) !!
something not so good: the food is just okay here but i would come back for happy hour :) !
something to try: steak frites (5) & ahi poke (13) -
Review from Kelly M.
11/12/2011
Love the format. With the service-it-yourself spigots, I feel comfortable trying one ounce of many different wines before committing to a full glass.
Wish they had more choices. Seem especially light on whites. Extremely light on non-chard whites, and almost non-existent on after dinner wines (one lonely port).
Easy parking and decent pupus with happy hour pricing, make this a great choice to decompress for an hour after work.Listed in: Happy Hour Dinner
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Review from Kelly J.
9/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This quaint but modern wine bar is the perfect place to explore your wine world. The dispensers are quite unique and provide a great amount of adult fun. Insert card into machine and press button once to dispense 1 oz of the wine of your choice! Varieties include mainly reds, but a couple whites and of course the top shelf stuff!
We were only able to taste a couple wines before our friend falls in love with a Cabernet smelling Merlot and buys a bottle of it to share. They ordered crab cakes (2 small patties with micro greens for $13) and edamame and we got the cheese and crackers ($12).
Hours say until closing but it seems everyone clears out by 10pm! Our waiter says they try to encourage people to stay later, but the stigma of closing so early especially on weekends seems to have lingered. I understand that since Amuse is located IN a furniture store, precautions would be taken, but most of the store is blocked off at around 9!
Happy hours are M-F, 5-7p, $5 drinks and pupus. Military discounts on Tuesdays, 5-10p, 25% off food and $50 credit for $30. The $50 for $30 deal is also on Mondays and Wednesdays for the general public.
Can't wait to come back and try more wines and turn my beer drinking bf into a wino! -
Review from Daniel N.
Aiea, HI
3/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
There is a lot of wine to choose from. The selection is pretty good. The parking can be a bit of an issue on weekends. Other than that, it's a good place to try.
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Review from Tina H.
8/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
As being part Filipino, part Samoan, and part P.Diddy, I look for a restaurant that can fulfill three things:
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1) My need to quiet the inner manang, hounding for a cheaper price.
2) My need to feed the wild sole football team in my stomach.
3) My need to keep it real for the ladies and for all my dead homies I'm still making money off of (We miss you, Big.)
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Amuse Wine Bar lived up to all three challenges.
Located on the corner of Piikoi and Kapiolani, this little bar of swag is not hard to find. If you're coming from Piikoi, stay in the second to left lane right before you hit Kapiolani Blvd. (the farthest lane is a forced left.) From there, make an approach to the tall orange building and the parking lot should be there on your left.
Once you park your car in the free parking lot, you can make your way to the second floor where you'll find this little spot at the end dressed with modern furniture and art. Be assured that upon entry, your chill-the-fuck-out switch will automatically turn on and will require no help from Samuel L. Jackson.
As cool as the ambiance and look was, the thing that makes this place a stellar choice for any night event was the alcohol "vending machines." Amuse is different from other bars in that it has wine and beer on tap right in front of you.
And here's how it works: You put your wine card into a slot, press the appropriate button for desired wine, and the machine spits out an ounce of lovely drunk juice for a fixed price. Want to get into alkie mode? Press the button a few more times and it'll spit out even more.
I'm not sure what it's like when the place gets busier since the slots seem to take one card at a time, but I stand by the opinion that this is a great place for networking, making business contacts, or leading events where you just have to break the ice. If you have nothing to talk about, talk about the alcohol. My friend said it best when she said that Amuse is like D&B but with booze instead of video games.
The second thing that struck me about this place was the food. Not only was it delicious and plentiful on my plates -- IT WAS CHEAP. The $5 happy hour appetizers almost made me do a happy Samoan slap dance (I say "almost" because Amuse seems like the kind of place that would throw out people who slap themselves and hoot, so don't do that. Seriously.)
To top it all off, service was as swanky as the place itself. It was kind of confusing as to whether we had to go up and order at the bar or wait for someone to come around, but the people there were friendly enough that I didn't mind doing both.
If you need a reason to be chic but have no access to a mega-rapper's street cred or bank account, try this place out. At the very least, you have the opportunity to get drunk and forget about how you suck as a rapper.Listed in: Awesome Service
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Review from Eiich O.
Honolulu, HI
5/12/2012
i talked about the grill cheese sandwich for a couple days.....it was that good. drinks on HH menu was also very tasty. if it wasn't for the service, which started out great and went down hill, i would have given it 5 stars.
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Review from Kate T.
I really wish I could give the place a better review. After seeing this place on yelp and seeing all the good reviews from it I was all excited to go. I totally dragged my fiancee there just for their happy hour.
When we first got their we found out it was free valet parking! Score. My fiancee was very happy with that.
When we got up there we were a bit confused about where to sit but after wandering around a bit we snagged a long table. After we sat down NOBODY came and took our orders after ten minutes of waiting so we went up to the bar and ordered. I got a glass of chardonnay and grilled cheese (because all you yelpers said it was amazing). And my fiancee got the sliders and a corona.
After we ordered our drinks were brought to us. And I was all excited the service was nice (even though we had to seek them out) and they were discreet. All of a sudden my wine appeared at my elbow without me noticing. It was pretty awesome.
And this is where there awesomeness ended. So as I am sipping my wine and enjoying the ambience of the place I realized it's been 30 minutes since we ordered and our food is still not here. So by the time we had gotten our food it had been an hour.
Luckily for them the grilled cheese was AMAZING (good call yelpers). The fries were awesome (the bbq seasoning they put on them was bomb). And was my wine was awesome (I had a '09 Chardonany). If it wasn't for the quality of the food I would have given this place 2 stars. But since the food was bomb I'll give it three stars.
I'm not going to give up though on this place. I think I'm going to go back and buy a card and have a girls night there. Maybe it will be more fun in a group. Definitely not fun as a couple.
Also one more thing, this is a bar thats trendy. So put on your best threads because if you wear a t shirt and jeans you will feel out of place! -
Review from Cynthia C.
Honolulu, HI
9/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is the most amazing place in the world. LOL. I love my wine, I love my good food and I love getting good service.
Our usual nights at Amuse are when we're attending a show at the Blaisdell, but now we've been going more and more often.
I'll start with the service, because it is top notch. We had left our card there once and went back to retrieve it after a concert, finding they had charged our card and -- no tip on it. I then proceeded to give our awesome waitress a cash tip ... That was over a year ago. Every time she sees us come in, she knows to have a diet coke in her hand for my hubby (who doesn't drink) and knows exactly what we want to eat off the menu, if we're either coming for happy hour or after happy hour.
The wine selection is awesome, because I appreciate both red and white wine. If you like white wine or are a wine neophyte, meaning if you say you like wine and only drink Riesling, white zin or 'blends' ... there's not much of a selection for you. So if you know a good zinfandel can come outside a box and not taste like white grape juice ... chances are you'll LOVE Amuse. As I've mentioned, my husband doesn't drink and this is usually his first choice for a meal (when we're not accompanied by our kids). The Stage sliders are juicy and delectable and the BBQ fries are beyond yummy. I'm a HUGE fan of the grilled cheese, either the happy hour version or the non-happy hour version. Although, I always say everything's better with truffle oil!!!
They've added more seating, the wait staff is still attentive and consistent and the food is fairly priced and amazingly delicious. -
Review from Michelle L.
Honolulu, HI
9/22/2011
Hubby and I decided to eat out on a Wednesday night. We wanted to try a place we've not gone before. We are not much of a wine drinker so we usually overlook this place. The Happy Hour food list looked enticing though and I was feeling adventurous. So I said, "Hubby, take me to Amuse!" And he said, "Uhhh....okay."
The Good -
Happy Hour!
Found seats right away
Very friendly service by Shaun and the rest of the staff
$50 wine card for $25! We used all of it! Strange for non-wine drinkers...
Steamed Mini Puas - great for $5
Asian Sliders - great for $5
Grilled Kurobuta Pork Sausages - great for $5
Vegetable Spring Rolls - great for $5
Live music!
Parking!
Clean bathroom (that's important to me too...)
The Bad -
Steak Frites - steak was good but little salty and fries were extremely salty $15 (perhaps its a tactic to get you to drink more wine....)
Vietnamese Style Coffee Flan - Too thick and sweet $8 (but maybe I was just too full by then... Note to self: skip sausages next time to save room for dessert)
In a Nut Shell -
Good food, great atmosphere and awesome service. We would definitely come back again. -
Review from Shay F.
I haven't been to this place in a while...but basically it's a wine bar. You purchase a card with credits/points and you insert it above a wine you wanna try. (I hope it's the same system...LoL.)
I like this place because you can try all the wines you wanna try...but it is quite expensive. It's like a tease since you only get so little each time, unless you dish out for a full glass.
Worth a shot to check it out, but I you won't find me as a regular there~
Yelp 365 Challenge #72/365 -
Review from Dave H.
6/19/2011
I have to agree with Joshua C.'s review. Overpriced, but what isn't in this building? I get pretty sad when I see just a few drops dispensed into my glass and then realizing It charged me $2-8 for it! I cant imagine paying for the ~$20 drops of wine.
One can only hope that Jesus is in the building and can turn water into wine for you. =] -
Review from Nicole K.
Waipahu, HI
This review is for their happy hour
Amuse Wine Bar ... such a great place. 80 wine labels on tap (kind of like a soda machine, except no free refills and you can't top off). They have a special where you can get a $50 wine card for $30. It's on the second floor of the Honolulu Design Center. Parking is freeeeee! That's one of the main things I care about. From 5pm-8pm FYI. Perfect for pauhanaz.
Headed to Amuse Wine Bar in the Honolulu Design Center for happy hour on Monday after work, and it was a very happy hour. The boyfriend had an early flight on Tuesday morning, so we only stayed for a bit. Got glasses of cabernet because it's my favorite. The best was Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. It was about $1.87 for one ounce. Before you start getting confused, let me explain how it works. During happy hour, you can buy a wine card for $30 ... but the best part is that it's good for $50, so you get $20 of wine for free. The wines vary from $1.50ish to $13ish, and they have all different types. 80 different bottles to be exact.
The last time I came here, we got the grilled cheese sandwich and it was delish. When we were there tonight, my friend Jamie said she could smell the truffles. I wasn't able to smell it, but I believe her. Truffles have an interesting smell. It's the kind of toasted outside that has a crispy crush and a soft middle, so that makes for a great eat. The fries are ... eh, okay. I like the ones from Teddy's better. But I must say that the grilled Kurobuta (black pig) pork sausages are AMAZING. All the food items listed on their happy hour menu are $5, and they're pretty good portions of food.
Steamed mini manapuas with soy mustard sauce. The soy mustard sauce wasn't anything amazing, but the manapuas are mighty tasty. If you come with a group of 5 or more, you should just get everything on the menu and sample it all. That way you'll know what you like.
The fact that they come in one-ounce spurts is a great thing because that allows you to sample wines all night. The bad thing is that if you drink red wine first, the taste and smell linger in the glass when you want to try a white wine ... and it turns it pink.
There's a section on the Pensacola Street side that has glass windows and a lot of pretty fixtures. The seats are actually pretty comfortable, but I don't recommend sitting on them with shorts.Listed in: Good for Groups, can i buy you a drank?
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Review from Kevin H.
5/31/2011
The idea of a wine tasting "vending machine" will get people to at least try it once or maybe twice, just for the novelty and the curiosity, but in general, I'm not a big fan.
An ounce of wine is simply not enough. In fact, it's insulting. To really enjoy the wine, you end up pushing the vending machine button at least twice to get a decent glass (and therefore pay twice).
And because the tasting size is so small, it makes no sense to fill your glass and then sit down, because by the time you reach your seat, your wine is all gone. So, you pretty much have to hover around the vending machine, as your wine gets rationed out, just like how you see thirsty people in movies, begging for water.."Please, sir, can I have a bit more?" -
Review from Michael S.
Honolulu, HI
8/13/2011 5 Check-ins Here
#012/365
Star for "wine credit" concept. Star for placement in a swanky furniture store. Star for tasty happy hour items. And a star for being a cool place for everyone who wants to get loaded off of small sips of wine.
I think it's tricks you because even though you think you're drinking less; you're actually drinking more because you finish the 1oz a lot quicker. It's essentially set up to where you're taking shots of wine. The nice thing is that if you find a wine that you like, you can push the button multiple times to increase your pour.
My most recent discovery was a gift from god to men. It was a table with a 2 beer taps in the middle. You could gather around with friends and food and enjoy the convenience of a tap in your table. I need one of those damn things in my living room!
They've also put in some nice lounge furniture so Ive you don't want to sit a high top, you can lounge on the couches.
They also have live music pretty frequently, so this little wine arcade has become a great place to be social.
Parking is plentiful and on event nights they have valet. Also, if you like to have wine and work, they have free Wifi! So if you want to change scenery, stop in, hop on, and drink on!! -
Review from Leah Y.
12/19/2011 3 Check-ins Here
A great place to come and sample different wines from around the world. You should definitely come when you can get the $50 wine tasting cards for just $30. The food is tasty too!
