Sunday, January 28, 2007

Restaurant Review: Hale Kai's


I started going here after being recommended by my German friend and her Dutch boyfriend who used to live in the neighborhood.

Hale Kai's is a darling little restaurant with a very strong aloha ambiance.
The food here is delicious and simple. I'm not really sure what Hawaiian food is, and based on past experiences, some Hawaiian food will always have fresh pineapple in it, which I'm not too crazy about.
Pleasantly surprised, the foods served are all very tasty, light and fresh. Eating lots of their foods will not make you feel bloated. Instead, you will be pleasantly satiated and the portion is just the right amount.
In conclusion the taste could simply be described as partially American, Japanese, and island-ish. Well, fusion, rather.

Hale Kai's is a tiny restaurant, and it has no website nor map for getting there. It is in one of the little streets of Nishi-Azabu. So click on the Japanese map I got here for getting yourselves there.

Service is excellent, reservation is recommended. They have English menu available (no pictures).
The price is right. Just to give you an idea, the last time I went there, there were 3 of us. We ordered a bottle of Ravenswood's chardonnay, plus 1 glass, and 5 kinds of food. The bill was footed at a handsome price of 11,200 JPY.

Restaurant Information


Hale Kai's
2-16-4 Nishi-Azabu
Minato-ku
Tokyo 106-0031
Tel: 03-3400-8012
Open Tue-Sat 6pm-2am, Sun & hols 6pm-12am
Closed Mondays
Smoking unrestricted

A la carte foods start from JPY 900.
Good selection of wine.


Rating
food quality *****
food taste *****
service *****
value to money *****

4 comments:

Lowly Norgate said...

Great blog/restaurant website. I am trying this place out tonight & your blog helped me find it.

Anonymous said...

Great restaurant. It will become a regular place for my husband and me.

Not said...

Hale Kai is often crowded, slow service and indifferent wait staff. Decent,creative food but nothing especially special. When it is crowded, it is not, in my opinion, worth waiting to be seated.

Anonymous said...

Delicious unpretentious food and friendly service. The one big negative is that smoking is allowed. The restaurant is very small, so if you're unlucky enough to be sitting near a smoker it can ruin your meal.