Listed in: Cocktail Hour
Categories:
Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt,
Desserts
Listed in: Brain Freeze is My Heroin Rush
Categories:
Seafood,
Food Stands
Categories:
Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt,
Desserts
Neighborhood: Moilili
Listed in: Brain Freeze is My Heroin Rush
Category:
Hiking
Neighborhood: Diamond Head
Category:
Watches
Neighborhood: Waikiki
Listed in: My Favorite Carb
"Polyphagous"
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Review votes:
6208 Useful, 5032 Funny, and 5309 Cool
Los Angeles, CA
Yelping SinceJuly 2008
Things I LoveBloody Marys, Built to Spill, California, feminism, freebies, gmail, ice cream, Korean food, mezcal, noir, poker, ramen, red velvet, Raymond Chandler, Scramble, taking pictures, uni, wine, writing, yelp
My HometownEncino, CA
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I write fiction and practice law (sort of).
Why You Should Read My ReviewsJonathan Gold called me "a prolific Yelp aficionado": http://tinyurl.com/3dl...
The Last Great Book I ReadCarry the One by Carol Anshaw
My Favorite MovieNo Country For Old Men
My Last Meal On EarthMy mom's galbi jjim and kimchi jjigae, side of Soban's ganjang gaejang
Most Recent DiscoveryUnidon at Nozomi
Current CrushMatt B.
The views were lovely, not quite panoramic, but very pretty, and the sky went down softly, in many colors. The patio was relaxing, and service was great. We were attended to by a waiter named Charlie who treated his job with pleasant earnest. He gave us potato chips when we sat down, and checked on us often. The chips were later refilled.
Matt and I have gotten drinks at enough fancy hotels that we kind of know not to be offended when we're monstrously ripped off. Before we opened the menu, we took turns guessing how much the drinks would cost. We guessed $15 and $17, and we decided that either would be okay, as we were paying for the venue. The prices were a nice surprise - the "cool concoctions" cost a not-cheap-but-reasonable $12 each.
The second surprise came when the drinks were really quite delicious. We had a Mai Tai, a Strawberry and Basil, and a couple Rangpur Guava Fizzes, and they were all excellent tropical cocktails. The Mai Tai was fantastic, boozy and not too sweet, with rum and rum and rum, some curaçao, lime, and orgeat and rock candy syrups with plenty of crushed ice. It came garnished with mint and lime, a sugar cane stick and a pretty pink flower. Perfect for a Hawaiian evening. The Rangpur Gin Fizz was also fantastic, with a citrus gin and guava juice making a refreshing combination with just a bit of sugar. The only drink I didn't care for was the Strawberry and Basil, a tropical gin martini with Tanqueray 10, strawberries, and basil. Not bad, but not very balanced.
As we sipped on our drinks and grew slowly tipsy, we watched the sunset and a small troupe of Hawaiian entertainers. We were treated to the hula stylings of a current or recent Miss Hawaii. It was an idyllic evening on the island, a true and pure interlude of undisturbed vacation. When I'm bored or stressed with my non-island life, I might take flight to sunset at the Halekulani, where I savored the waning day with a cold Mai Tai in my hand.