vein at KAKA'AKO — Restaurant in Honolulu

We tried this place on a whim as the other mediterranean restaurant didn't have an early reservation time and we had noticed this place over a year ago. When calling for the reservation they said that they could squeeze us in. maybe that was the sign. I had looked at pictures of where we sat on other photos and it was clear that they did squeeze us in. I didn't mind the location as it was near the front close to the bar by the area where they input orders. It was clearly in the way of others passing by us as they would hit the corner of our table. we also didn't understand why we are putting in an awkward position because there are many available seating areas -unless they like those areas for large parties which definitely could've been broken down to smaller tables. We will say this: service was great and prompt. The mr didn't like the additional charge for kitchen help. The food is Mediterranean fusion and I was not sure about the fusion part. Maybe because there were artichokes and octopus on the menu. We did order the artichoke karaage. It's really deep fried artichoke. It was OK. Some pieces were overly seasoned than others. The Mr. ordered the steak crostini. He said you couldn't taste the flavor of the meat at all. I ordered crab and scallion arrabbiata. I will say the texture of the spaghetti was on par perfectly al dente. I wonder where they get the pasta from. The sauce however was nothing spectacular. I had hoped for chunks of crab but they must've been pulverized within the sauce. Had I not remembered I ordered crab, I would never have known there was crab in the sauce. And I also have to agree with other patrons that a basket of bread would've been nice as there is way more sauce to pasta ratio that I could've mopped up with some bread. The mr ordered bolognese and again, was disappointed with the lack of taste in the sauce. We have to agree with other patrons where the price tag did not meet the quantity or quality we were hoping for. Two appetizers, two meals, a bottle of wine and two cocktails was well over $250. the cocktails were not as impressive as we would have liked. There was something strange with the limoncello that I couldn't put my finger on, but I also couldn't finish it -it just had a strange aftertaste. The mr is pretty particular about his old-fashioned and didn't care for his as well. He said it tasted very deluded. Considering it was date night and we wanted to try something new, we did. Would we come back again? Maybe if someone invited us but for now we will try other places. Once again, was the food great? No, but...

The world food tour duo made its first visit to Vein, in SALT. I don’t like the parking lot but I found a perfect space up on the top deck. Picky, am I.

We started with a 2018 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon ($95). It was interesting; not your usual “in your face” Napa cab … It was somewhat subdued with soft tannins and dark fruit; it reminded me of a wine from Margaux.

We chose the Polpette ($14.50) and Pan Bagnat ($20) as our appetizers. The Polpette is a large meatball sitting in a pomodoro sauce and with Parmegiano crisp atop. All it needed was pasta to make it a meal. It uses (American?) Wagyu ground beef; it was tender and flavourful. The Bagnat was unexpected … I should have realized it was a salad by where it appeared in the menu. Arugula, thin slices of watermelon radish and flaked ahi topped the pita bread. It was a visual treat but could have used a stronger dressing.

We ordered the Risotto “Funghi” ($26) and Uni & Eggplant Pasta ($30) as our carbs and shared a C.A.B. Harami Steak ($39). The risotto was the star of the evening … creamy and redolent with truffles. The uni pasta was cold … Again, a more careful reading of the menu would have been informative. It was a visual delight but I didn’t care for the capellini (angel hair) pasta, nor could I sense any eggplant. The hanging tender steak was topped with Vein Steak Sauce … It was ginger and two other ingredients and complemented the beef. This entrée came with halved roasted red potatoes and a herb salad.

We topped off our meal by sharing Bread Pudding ($12). This one was firmer than most but remained moist and reminded me of a cinnamon roll. I ended my meal with an Americano ($5.50); not my preferred coffee but the aroma made up for the lack of body.

All in all, we enjoyed our meal at Vein. Andrew, our server, was attentive but unobtrusive and we were given an 18% discount on the two pasta dishes. Thank you, Andrew! We gave Vein a 4-star rating and I’ll grant it a “+” for reasonable the cost...

If you are looking for a perfect date night? This romantic little restaurant located in the heart of Salt Kaka’ako, is the spot to go. They specialize in Mediterranean food with an Asian fusion. I came here before for the delicious pastas and amazing appetizers but we came back for the new “Prefix Menu”… it is such a great deal 🙌🏻🤙 most places they only offer three courses, however this place you get four courses and you can add on a wine pairing for just $35 more… The part I like the best is you’re going to get some of the best pastas and an entree also…

We enjoyed:

COURSE I PETITE HOUSE SALAD

COURSE 2- choice of

WAGYU BOLOGNESE, (note: A MUST TRY dish)

PISTACHIO -(if you love a really creamy nutty pesto, this will make you dream of it at night)

SEASONAL-Pasta

COURSE 3- your choice of

HARAMI STEAK- my wife’s favorite 🙌🏻

LAMB - I love tender delicious lamb 😋

CATCH of the DAY

COURSE 4 BREAD PUDDING- it was so moist and good 🤌

And our server Ty and Manager Adam were some of the best I’ve ever met… great friendly service…

Note: *if you go there and order the Prefix, both you and your date have to get it… but for me that was perfect, that way, we got to try everything on...