Great spot for sunset viewing!
If you're looking for a place to eat Japanese food with an ocean view,
the Miyako Restaurant at the New Otani Kaimana hotel instantly comes to mind for a lovely evening.
the Miyako Restaurant at the New Otani Kaimana hotel instantly comes to mind for a lovely evening.
We were celebrating Queen Goddess' birthday (Fiancé's mom), so a view is a must!
The restaurant indeed has a gorgeous view (though before the sun had set, the shades were down and it was a bit hot even though we weren't directly sitting by the window). It is summer (and El Niño season) so it's super humid in Hawaii.
We decided it was best to sit indoors. We arrived as they opened, but the temperature inside was making me sweat
(and that never happens because I'm generally cold all the time).
I doubt it would have been very comfortable to sit outdoors in their Cabanas in this weather anyway.
During cooler times of the year, I recommend snagging one of their three Cabanas
to watch the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Friday night fireworks--
which you can read about in my original
Miyako Restaurant Review.
As this is a re-visit review, I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking.
I will be covering the following items this time around:
August Kaiseki, 3 different Pre-Fixe menus along with corkage, and thoughts at the end.
[Note]: Prices posted as of 8.18.16.
"Miyabi" (雅) Pre-Fixe - $49
(Sashimi, Miso Butterfish, & Tempura set).
Sashimi with Shiso & Konbu. (Ahi & Hamachi).
It tasted pretty fresh. I wished there were a few more pieces.
 Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura. |  Misoyaki Butterfish. |
Deep fried tofu.
Octopus and Cucumber Namasu.
The set also comes with your choice of Ice Cream
(Green Tea, Vanilla, Red Bean, or Lychee Sorbet).
The Miyabi set comes with:
Small Appetizer, Soup, Sashimi,
Butterfish, Deep fried Tofu,
Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura,
Vinegar Dish, Rice & Japanese Pickles,
Dessert.
Small Appetizer, Soup, Sashimi,
Butterfish, Deep fried Tofu,
Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura,
Vinegar Dish, Rice & Japanese Pickles,
Dessert.
"Aoi" (葵) Pre-Fixe
(Lobster & Steak Dinner with US Beef- $59 / US style Kobe; Washugyu- $78).
*The set comes with a house salad.* (Sorry, I didn't snap a photo).
Sautéed Lobster in butter sauce.
The sauce is subtle but the lobster was really succulent. Really lovely!
Both beef are supposed to be 4 oz.,but the Washugyu one looks slightly bigger.
Both beef are supposed to be 4 oz.,but the Washugyu one looks slightly bigger.
 US Beef Filet |  US Washugyu Beef Sirloin (Cross breed between Kobe Beef & US Angus). |
Both beef were good, but the seasoning tasted fairly simple (Salt & Pepper).
Green Tea Ice Cream and Lychee Sorbet (you can pick your flavor) as it comes with all the regular Pre-Fixe sets.
The Steak & Lobster set comes with:
Small Appetizer, Soup, Salad,
Sautéed Lobster with light butter, U.S. Beef Filet or U.S. Washugyu Sirloin,
Rice & Japanese Pickles, Dessert.
August 2016 Kaiseki- $55
(Changes Monthly).
(From Left to Right): Beet & Cheese made as Tempura & Kiwi Vinegar Sauce. Lotus Root & dried baby sardines (they are so tiny!). Vinegar Seasoned Eel.
Sashimi (Tuna & Organic Salmon).
 | Egg Custard (Chawanmushi) with Eel & Onion Vinegar Sauce. |
| Cabbage & Zucchini Vinegar Mountain Yam (Yamaimo). |  |
Cold Beef Shabu Shabu.
More Eel! Seasoned Unagi on rice. Pickles & Miso (Red) soup.
Honey Gelee with Granola, Coconut Ice Cream & Mascarpone .
All non Kaiseki sets came with the following items:
Small Appetizer, Soup & Pickled Vegetables.
Tsukudani; fermented seaweed.
Clear Soup & Pickles. Wine not included, obviously. ;)
The clear soup was really good. Super light yet a bit refreshing.
Green hot Tea.
We brought our own wine (BYOB).
Since I didn't find any information on Corkage online
(and there's no mention of it on their menu from the last visit),
we decided to chance it and bring a nice bottle of wine just in case.
Turns out they do allow BYOB!
(and there's no mention of it on their menu from the last visit),
we decided to chance it and bring a nice bottle of wine just in case.
Turns out they do allow BYOB!
Corkage is $25 for wine.
There is a separate wine list, but I didn't ask. I just recalled on the last visit
that their regular house wine selection was limited.
I'm not sure if they would allow you to bring in your own Sake though as they
do have a list (sake, beer, drinks) of their own.
They double-checked our IDs, and gave us the wine glasses.
that their regular house wine selection was limited.
I'm not sure if they would allow you to bring in your own Sake though as they
do have a list (sake, beer, drinks) of their own.
They double-checked our IDs, and gave us the wine glasses.
Interior of the restaurant. It's quite intimate. At most, there's only about 10-12 tables. The ambience is pretty quiet and low-key.
Thoughts
In lieu of my usual PROs/ CONs list, a quick summary:
I still recommend Miyako for a relaxing night out, but order their Sashimi/ Seafood/ Kaiseki as those seem to be their specialty.
- [Monthly Kaiseki]- Can be a good value if you like what's on offered + you pair it with birthday/ local discount. For example, this month's Kaiseki was Unagi (Eel) which I'm not a big fan of so I decided on the Miyabi (Butterfish & Tempura set) instead.
- [Service + Value]- Friendly and kind staff. They staff would explain the dish every time it's brought out.
- Our dedicated server wished birthday girl "Happy Birthday" but other than the birthday discount, they don't do fancy decorations on desserts, etc. But the discount is more than generous (15% up to a group of 6 with valid ID). This was slightly decreased from 20% from about 10 months ago due to a slight price increase in the menu.
- Their Pre-fixe menus are fairly priced for Waikiki. The early/ late dinner sets are also a good deal ($33).
- [Food]- Most items were solidly good. Though one of the tables next to us ordered a Shabu Shabu and it smelled heavenly.
- [Other]- When the weather is cool, Cabana seating is a treat!
I still recommend Miyako for a relaxing night out, but order their Sashimi/ Seafood/ Kaiseki as those seem to be their specialty.
 |
| Miyako Restaurant New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel (2nd Floor) 2863 Kalakaua Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815 808.921.7066 Opened for dinner only: 5:30p-9p daily (CLOSED: Tuesdays). Reservations available online. | [SPECIALS]
|
 | If you book via OpenTable, sometimes you may be able to find reservations slots with 1,000 points for early dinner. (Cabanas are not guaranteed so you should still call the restaurant). The points are good for dining certificates. Read more about OpenTable dining redemption & points rules. Basically, 2,000 points = $20 dining rewards/ $10 Amazon gift card. Typically you receive 100 points after you fulfill your reservation (for regular slots). Free to sign up & use! It's not 100% perfect, as sometimes certain reservation slots are blocked off on OT, so you still need to call the restaurants directly. |
Early/ Late Dinner Special- $33.
The early/ late dinner special sounds like a good deal too!
Parking
 While you can find street/ meter parking near the Aquarium, it's easiest to just valet & get it validated from the restaurant. A typical Kaiseki/ Pre-Fixe meal should run from 1.5-3 hours. |
Koi Pond by the Valet/ Hotel Entrance.
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