Visitors come to Waikiki with the expectation of sun, surf, sand--- and seafood. It's a given in their minds that an island in the middle of the Pacific will have fresh and delicious seafood in plentiful, if not economical, abundance. And there's a lot of logic to back up these expections. After all, early Hawaiians depended a great deal on the sea for a critical component of their food supply.
But in our modern era nothing is simple and things are not always what they seem. Despite a plethora of restaurants in Waikiki that style themselves as "seafood" establishments, finding an outstanding seafood meal at a reasonable price is anything but a sure thing. Certainly, you can go to a restaurant and order seafood. But will it meet those high expectations that being in Waikiki generate? Will it be--- objectively, rather than subjectively--- better than what you might have gotten back home in Dallas or Minneapolis or Atlanta?
That's the question we propose to investigate over the coming months. It's a question that evolved out of our own ongoing quest for outstanding seafood, and the surprising difficulties we encountered.
But this week we want to cut to the chase and present a positive result, an option that few visitors will associate with outstanding seafood: The Cheesecake Factory, on the makai side of Kalakaua, on the Diamond Head side of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.
Cheesecake Factory, you ask? Aren't these in most major markets on the mainland? Isn't this a chain restaurant?
The answer is "yes" to all of the above, but those answers don't begin to tell the story.
The Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki opened something like six years ago, and quickly grew into what the restaurant staff inform us is the busiest Cheesecake Factory in the world. Indeed, if you don't go at an off-hour, you could be faced with a long wait for a table, as long as several hours on a busy evening. Our last visit was at 1:30 PM on a Wednesday afternoon, and even then there was a wait of about twenty minutes.
The menu is extensive, something over 20 pages long, and filled with the usual sort of thing found at Cheesecake Factory locations everywhere. But there is a fish page in the menu, and your server will be happy to tell you about daily specials, consisting of fresh, locally-caught fish, prepared in a variety of manners.
Mahi-mahi seems to be always featured, and you can likewise order the ubiquitous macadamia-crusted version of this and other fish. There are additional choices, too; on our most recent visit, we tried mahi-mahi prepared Mediterranean style, with tomatoes, capers, and artichokes, in an olive-oil laden sauce, all served over a bed of mashed potatoes for $24.95. It was absolutely delicious, worth every cent, and the serving portion was nearly large enough for two.
We've had similar experiences on other visits. The fresh fish preparations were invariably, predictably wonderful.
Instead of our usual wasabe crusted ahi tuna, made with a crackly exterior which contrasts nicely with the ahi's solid but smooth texture, we decided this time to try the Firecracker Salmon Rolls for $10.95. These consisted of salmon wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and deep-fried, with a loop of green onion tied around them--- we imagine that's the fuse of the firecracker--- served over a bed of shredded red cabbage with a mild red chili sauce. Er ... next time we'll go back to the ahi. The idea is clever but the combination of flavors is not; the red cabbage wasn't that good and really clashed with the both fried egg roll wrappers and the salmon.
Of course, how can you not have cheesecake for dessert? We didn't see our favorite, passionfruit cheesecake, on the menu, and we were told that it isn't offered any longer. A pity; it was not only good, but it added more local flavor, something we deem a plus in restaurants that need to attract tourists. So we settled for one of the chocolate varieties instead.
Service was attentive and friendly, as it always is. When the new restaurant was launched, Cheesecake Factory brought in an experienced startup crew from the mainland. Of course, they've done a lot of local hiring, and some of the startup crew stayed on and became Hawaiian residents. But the point is, they did things right, from the very first day, and that continues on, virtually guaranteeing a great dining experience (once you've gotten a table, at least).
We're very pleased to recommend Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki to both visitors and kama`aina; we're especially pleased to recommend it as a place to get excellent, fresh seafood at a price that is probably just two-thirds or less of what you'd pay at one of the "fine dining" establishments elsewhere in the neighborhood. No, Cheesecake Factory isn't "economy" dining; not much in Waikiki really is. But it won't break the bank and most importantly, it provides great value. Do try it, if you haven't already, and let us know what you think.
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