Arden Waikiki — Restaurant in Honolulu

We had a reservation at 7:45 PM, but most of our party arrived late, and we were all seated by 8:15 PM. While waiting, our server was attentive and offered to take drink orders, which was appreciated. However, once the rest of our group arrived, service slowed down significantly. It took a while for our server to return to take our order, and at one point, we had to ask the hostess to send the server over. While the server remained polite and professional, the slowdown in service was noticeable, possibly due to the late hour.For our meal, we ordered a round of drinks and six dishes to share:

Hamachi Sashimi ($29) Mushroom Rice ($35) Fries ($15) Cabbage ($25) Hamachi Kama Tempura ($26) Braised Oxtail ($54) (later substituted with a 16oz Ribeye ($79) after being informed the oxtail was sold out)

When ordering, we asked the server if this selection would be enough for five people, and he assured us it would be. The menu also described the portions as shareable, but this was not the case. The portion sizes were smaller than expected, and each person only had a few bites per dish. Additionally, the dishes were served as they were ready rather than all at once, which made the meal feel disjointed. The first two courses arrived before our drinks.

Food Overview

Hamachi Sashimi – Fresh and well-executed, one of the best dishes of the night.

Cabbage – Lacked texture and substance. Described as a take on okonomiyaki but felt more like soft cabbage with sauce on top. The marinated trout roe added a nice pop of flavor, but overall, the dish fell flat.

Mushroom Rice – Well-flavored and enjoyable, but the portion size was small given the $35 price.

Fries – Decent, with the larger fries having a nice creamy interior and crispy exterior, but the smaller fries were overcooked and lacked seasoning. The dark green powder garnish (likely seaweed) didn’t add much flavor.

Hamachi Kama Tempura – A miss. The fish was dry with minimal meat, which made it difficult to serve as intended in lettuce wraps. The sauce itself was good, but the fish flavor was completely lost when combined with the lettuce and sauce. The dish didn’t make sense as presented.

16oz Ribeye – The best dish of the night. Cooked correctly and tender, but the accompanying sauce was underwhelming, dominated by dried rosemary. The grilled onions were a nice touch but didn’t elevate the dish significantly.

At the end of the night, the wine director approached our table with a cart of rosé and asked, "Can I pour you a glass of rosé?" The wording made it unclear whether this was a complimentary offering or a sales pitch. Several people in our party assumed it was complimentary and accepted. The wine was poured, and only when we received the bill did we realize we had been charged for it. The wine director could have easily made it clear this was a paid option without explicitly stating so—for example, by saying, "Would you like to see our special rosé selection for tonight? I'd be happy to pour samples." This would have eliminated any confusion.

The following morning, while reviewing the bill, we noticed that we were charged for both the sold-out oxtail and the ribeye steak we ordered in its place. I have since called the restaurant, and I’m sure they will correct the mistake, but it was an added frustration on top of an already underwhelming experience.

Final Thoughts

The food was well-executed in some areas but inconsistent in portion sizes and pricing. At this price point, we expected more substantial portions and a more refined dining experience. Service was friendly but lacked attentiveness, and the pacing of the meal was off. While we recognize that we were one of the last tables of the night, the overall experience did not feel polished. If not for the birthday cake we brought, we would have left feeling unsatisfied.

I gave the food, service, and atmosphere 3 stars, but the overall value/experience dropped down my overall...

Overrated and unimpressed.

Food was innovative. That’s the only upside. Maybe for American standard it’s good, but it would be just above average in Asia. It doesn’t stand out by all means. Medium was more like medium-rare. Can’t even cook beef properly.

The lighting was terrible. The whole place was very noisy and loud during our visit due to hosting an event. There’s not even a proper separation of the bar area and the restaurant. When I inquired about happy hour details, our server simply put we don’t serve happy hour here, still refuse to give any information about the happy hour. If it doesn’t belong to the restaurant then don’t put it on flyer maybe?

The services were quite amateur. Our server always showed up at not so proper time. Did things for the sake of doing. At the end, he tossed the receipt on the table w/o a word. The lead was more like a tour guide. The whole mindset needs improvement. Like, I don’t care whom on your team you want to assign the task, just get it done. Tell us your plan of steps isn’t necessary for simple stuff like pack the food and get the check. Should realize the reason it’s brought up was that the original server was inattentive. Also where we go after finishing dining wouldn’t relevant. I simply don’t like wasting my time. Do people just expect everyone sit dining for 2+ hrs?

We were told there were a few tables available at the door. But when showed to the seat, they squeezed us at some least desirable corner. They explained all other tables were reserved. I thought to save some time just to finish eating and get out instead of heading to another restaurant so we stayed. Earlier as we arrived at the hotel, front desk specifically told reservation wasn’t needed that the restaurant’d accommodate hotel guests. As mentioned, the lighting was rather terrible. Ambience was more like food court. Well, during the whole time we were there (an hour) only three other groups showed up. Most tables remained empty, ironically.

Now I noticed most reviews were written by local guides. Might be the reason why it felt overrated. A restaurant isn’t just about how innovative the taste it offers. The overall experience is decided by...

Okay, first, I missed her name but whomever took our call and put us down for reservations, then remembered our name, and then seated us - was a STAR. How lucky they are to have her!!!

From there, everything for us was perfection. We needed a cozy spot and the leather nest and table for six was divine. The cocktails were fun - most balanced gin cocktail I’ve had in forever and my husband and son loved the Thai Fighter. So great.

Our sever - the brightest light. And knows when to take a dish and leave the fries…IYKYK. A gentleman helped us with wine and we geeked out talking Canadian and CA Central Coast wine. Loved him. (Check out the Villa Creek!)

And food-wise that part was so effortless it’s hardly worth mentioning in its excellence. Shishito peppers, aforementioned fries, melt in your mouth hamachi…and then oxtail and ahi were magical in their perfection. (Even the often overplayed Brussels were yum and a win)

We had to scoot out leaving our adult children to wind down the meal but I cannot wait to hear about their after-dinner aperitif and desert choices.

What a delightfully surprising find.

And honestly, it’s all thanks to that first call and the amazing soul who answered the...