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Valentine’s Day dining options abound

BY NINA WU / nwu@staradvertiser.com

Made reservations for Valentine’s Day yet? It’s on Thursday, Feb. 14. Don’t worry, it’s not too late. Here are The Pulse’s picks for last-minute Valentine’s Day dining options on Valentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day weekend.

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani

Renew your vows for free while dining buffet-style at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

The Sheraton Princess Kaiulani is offering a buffet dinner with carved prime rib, steamed crab legs, an iced seafood bar, savory hot food selections, assorted desserts and an ice cream Sunday bar.

Dinner, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Pikake Terrace, is $45 per person (and includes the vow renewal, certificate, sparkling cider and chocolate strawberries). Vow renewals start at 5:15 p.m. on the Lava Stage.

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani is at 120 Kaiulani Ave. Reservations are recommended at 921-4600.

SHOR at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki

SHOR at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki is offering two Valentine’s Day specials on its menu for Valentine’s Day.

The “Shor’s Famous Seafood Tower for Two” ($40) includes Kauai shrimp, crab legs, oysters on the half shell, mussels, clams, cocktail sauce and grilled lemon.

The “Lovers Duo for Two” ($20) features Waialua Chocolate covered red velvet cake with Kula strawberries, mascarpone and caramel sauce for $20.

The Valentine’s sepcials will be available from 6 to 10 p.m. at SHOR. Every couple receives a rose.

Cupid’s cocktail ($10), a blend of strawberries, amaretto and vanilla topped with whipped cream, will be available at both SHOR and Japengo, which serve dinner from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, 2424 Kalakaua Ave.

Call 237-6395 or go to opentable.com.

Alan Wong’s Honolulu

The four-course Valentine’s Day menu at Alan Wong’s Honolulu will feature seafood, passion fruit and a choice of sweets on Feb. 14 and 15.

Start with an amuse bouche of housemade egg tofu, ahi and caviar. For the first course, choose from a seafood salad or Hawaiian Kampachi shiso tartare with passion fruit ceviche sauce and purple sweet potato.

For the second course, choose from Keahole lobster and crab or seafood dumplings à la nage. For the third course: pan-seared Hawaiian Kampachi or ginger-crusted onaga. For the fourth course: Maui Cattle Co. beef striploin in a red miso broth or roast rack of lamb caramelized with honey.

Dessert is a Wailea Meyer lemon frozen souffle with li-hing mui strawberries or Waialua chocolate cake with popcorn Okoshi ice cream and candied peanuts.

Cost is $95 per person ($140 with wine) at Alan Wong’s Honolulu, 1857 S. King St., 3rd floor. Call 949-2526.

The Pineapple Room

The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong also offers a Valentine’s Day menu on Thursday, Feb. 14.

Start with an “Amuse” of raw Kumamoto oyster with bell pepper soy  mignonette, a MA‘O Farms beets, radishes and Hamakua hearts of palm salad, a “Surf” entree of butter poached Kona lobster with cauliflower and Nozawa Farm’s corn pudding, a “Turf” entree of soy braised short rib with kabocha puree and guava glazed pork belly with quail egg.

Dessert is a Hawaiian vanilla coconut panna cotta with rose petal pomegranate syrup and poached Kula strawberry.

Cost is $75 per person ($105 wit wine). The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong is at Macy’s Ala Moana, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. Call 945-6573.

3660 on the Rise

For Valentine’s Day, 3660 on the Rise if offering a special, four-course dinner for lovers.

The menu includes your choice of starters: crispy garlic scallion prawns with honey chili aioli or braised pork belly in natural jus, followed by a Greek salad.

Choose from the fresh catch of the day or fire roasted tenderloin of beef. Dessert is a dark truffle tart with fresh straberries and a strawberry coulis.

Cost is $75 per person. Dinner is served from 5:30 to 9 p.m at 3660 Waialae Ave. Call 737-1177 or go to www.3660.com.

Zpizza

Zpizza is making heart-shaped pizzas for Valentine’s Day.

Choose from the Napoli (roasted garlic, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil and parmesan), Tuscan (mozzarella, cremini, shitake and button mushrooms with caramelized onions, feta and truffle oil), and Provence (mozzarella, artichoke hearts, capers, tomatoes and fresh basil), and more.

The pizzas are made with organic wheat flour which will be hand-crafted into heart shapes on Feb. 14 for dine-in, carry-out or delivery in large (14 inches) or extra large (18 inches).

Honolulu has two locations at Ward and in Kailua. Visit zpizza.com.

Vino

Vino’s Valentine’s Day dinner is simple, but sumptuous.

Chef Keith Endo created a five-course menu started with a roasted fingerling potato with truffled cauliflower puree and osetra caviar, followed by roasted candy striped beets with candied walnuts and then a butter poached Kona cold lobster with ricotta cheese ravioli and lobster-uni sauce.

The main course is a braised horseradish crusted short rib with homemade porcini linguine with root vegetables.

Top it all off with a Kula strawberry panna cotta and chocolate gelato.

Cost is $48 per person. Vino is at Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana Blvd. Call 533-4476 or email Sara at svilliers@dkrestaurants.com.

Hoku’s at the Kahala

Hoku’s at the Kahala Hotel & Resort will offer its “lover’s menu” from Feb. 13-16.

The five-course gourmet menu with wine pairings by Chef Wayne Hirabayashi starts with “Anticipation,” which is shrimp with hibiscus and Kaffir lime salt. Follow with the “Flirtation” course, which includes seared day boat jumbo sea scallops with vanilla, beets and crispy nori.

The “Romance” course is sure to please, featuring fresh island catch of the day with coconut rice and passionfruit sauce. The “Passion” course offers lehua honey lavender-glazed duck with baby bok choy and turnips.

Finish up with “Sweet Additions — Valrhona Ivorie,” a white and dark chocolate heart, cocoa nib meringue and fresh raspberry coulis.

Cost is $90 per person ($125 with wine pairings). Call 739-8760 or restaurants@kahalaresort.com.

Il Lupino Trattoria & Wine Bar

On Valentine’s Day, Il Lupino Trattoria & Wine Bar is offering a dinner special plus a gift of heart-shaped Belgian milk chocolates.

Valentine’s Day specials include appetizers of fresh oysters, arancini and beef carpaccio. Entrees include a roasted chicken marsala, calamari stuffed with lobster and spinach, gnocchi, and Roman-style lamb chops.

For dessert, enjoy a Valrhona chocolate mousse cake with crème anglaise and strawberry coulis.

Items are available a la carte. Each couple dining at Il Lupino on Valentine’s Day receives Belgian milk chocolate hearts.

Il Lupino is at the Royal Hawaiian Center, 2233 Kalakaua ave. Call 922-3400 or go to opentable.com.

Salt Bar & Kitchen

The four-course, prix fixe Valentine’s Day menu at Salt Bar & Kitchen starts with an amuse bouche of champagne poached oysters followed by Big Island abalone as a starter.

Choose from Kona Lobster or Maui flat iron steak for your entree, and polish off the evening with a dessert of chocolate cremeux.

Cost is $70 per person ($95 with wine). Seatings are from 5 to 6 p.m., 7 to 8 p.m. and 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Salt, 3605 Waialae Ave. Visit salthonolulu.com for reservations.

12th Avenue Grill

Valentine’s Day is already booked at 12th avenue Grill, but reservations are still available on Friday and Saturday.

Twelfth Avenue will continue offering the Small Plate special (Gulf white shrimp, sunrise papaya and red endive salad with house bacon) and Large Plate specials like smoked paprika roasted N.Z. King Salmon with grilled baby romaine from the Big Island in a lilikoi brown butter vinaigrette and Rack of Lamb.

Of course, for your sweetie, dessert is cinnamon in a phyllo crisp with Alae Estates Madre Chocolate mousse and Kula strawberry jam with a pink prosecco sabayon cloud. Call 732-9469.

Cactus Bistro

Cactus Bistro in Kailua is putting its own unique spin on recipes from Laura Esquirel’s “Like Water for Chocolate,” which is a love story set in Mexico.

Special menu items on Valentine’s Day include “Chiles’ Nogada,” which are roasted chiles stuffed with Kauai lamb, pomegranates, raisins and almonds in a walnut and Big Isle goat cheese sauce. Don’t miss “Tita’s pan roasted North Shore quail with rose petal mole” which will incorporate local ingredients like macadamia nuts and lehua honey.

Last, but not least, enjoy cream fritters with Mexican chocolate and lilikoi sauces for dessert. The regular menu will also be available. Seating begins at 5:30 p.m. Call 261-1000 or visit www.cactusbistro.com.

Cafe Julia

If you’re thinking of dining in town, Cafe Julia is offering a one-time Valentine’s Dinner menu on Thursday, Feb. 14. Chef Lance Kosaka is offering a four-course menu from 6 to 10 p.m. prepared from locally sourced ingredients.

Choose from a Thai inspired seafood salad or vegetable crudité for the first course, followed by Big Island Kampachi with kai choy pesto, grilled lemon pepper shrimp with local corn puree or cioppino inspired seafood stew for the second course.

For the third course, mouthwatering courses include a choice of roasted duck breast with foie gas wine sauce, apple curry glazed pork tenderloin or roasted beef with an Asian inspired eryngi mushroom relish.

Dessert is either flourless chocolate cake with strawberry coulis and vanilla ice cream, a Japanese inspired honey cheesecake or white chocolate and raspberry mousse with mint gelee.

Cafe Julia is at Laniakea, 1040 Richards St. Reservations are being taken at 533-3334. Visit www.cafejulia.com.

BLT Steak

At BLT Steak Waikiki, chef Johan Svensson is offering Valentine’s Day specials including a salmon carpacccio with uni. For the main dish, choose from an 8-ounce Kulana tenderloin with a cafe de Paris crust, braised boneless short ribs and toasted brioche or broiled jumbo diver scallops with sun choke puree.

Your choice of sides include an English green pea risotto with pancetta or goat cheese polenta with caramelized onions.

Dessert is a white chocolate creme brulee topped with passion fruit sorbet and fresh berries, plus chocolate hearts and raspberry semifredo.

BLT Steak is at the Trump International Hotel at Waikiki Beach Walk, 223 Saratoga Rd. Call 683-7440.

Chef Mavro

Chef Mavro is also booked on Valentine’s Day but offers the same “Romance Menu” on Valentine’s Eve (Feb. 13), which will feature fresh Perigord truffles flown in from France and sliced tableside along with a full six-course menu.

Chef Mavro’s 4- and 6-course and Grand Tasting menus will be available until Feb. 17 for those who have extended their Valentine’s Day plans. You won’t want to miss Pastry Chef Lynette Pflueger’s Pavlova “Moderne,” featuring seasonal berries poached in maple syrup, lemon scented creme fraiche and lychee sorbet. Call 944-4714 or visit chefmavro.com.