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Plenty at Steak

April 2, 2012 | By Waikiki Magazine Team

Waikiki is a Meat Lover’s Paradise.

We expect a lot from our favorite steakhouses. From the depth of the char on a New York strip, to white linen on the tables and wood wainscoting on the walls, the perfect steakhouse has to satisfy some pretty high standards.

Today in Waikiki, there are an unprecedented number of steakhouses, where atmosphere, service, wine and decor are just as important as the prime beef. Here are a few to get you started on your quest for the perfect filet mignon.

Ruth’s Chris

226 Lewers St., (808) 440-7910

If saddling up to a cozy bar for your hulking steak is your idea of a luxurious eating experience, Ruth’s Chris is the place for you. At one of the city’s most popular steakhouse destinations, eating at the bar has been turned into something of an art form. Choose from a menu that includes aged prime steaks, each cooked at a searing 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Fresh locally caught fish and inspiring specials bring the sizzle tableside, as the restaurant honors its Southern-inspired recipes and hefty wine menu. Barbecued shrimp, chopped salad and sweet potato casserole originated in founder Ruth Fertel’s New Orleans steakhouse.

Hy’s

2240 Kuhio Ave., Suite A (808) 922-5555

Tradition is what draws us to this steakhouse again and again. Here, the dining room resembles an English country mansion, with mahogany paneling and the ambiance of a private gentleman’s club.

Steaks are grilled over kiawe wood and ferocious heat, where New York strip or 34-ounce porterhouses are presented with a smoky, dark char. Tuxedo-clad waiters serve tableside classics such as warm spinach and bacon salad, as well as one of the city’s best Caesars. Much of the waitstaff has worked here for more than 30 years.

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse

Royal Hawaiian Center, (808) 922-3600

At Wolfgang’s Steakhouse by Wolfgang Zwiener, the curious can take their steak viewing a step further with a visit to the restaurant’s aging box. The room is kept at 36-38 degrees Fahrenheit, and steaks are aged here for precisely 24 days, then trimmed and cut by hand.

Despite its location in Royal Hawaiian Center, Wolfgang’s ambiance is completely New York, based on the city where Zweiner spent 40 years at the helm of the legendary Peter Luger’s Steak House. The menu is as true to New York as a big yellow taxi, including the now-famous sizzling slab of bacon and not-to-skip Junior’s cheesecake with a heap of homemade schlag.

BLT

223 Saratoga Road, (808) 683-7440

Despite their name, steakhouses also are great places to eat supreme seafood. At BLT (Bistro Laurent Tourondel), a trendy raw bar offers a wide variety of little neck and cherrystone clams, oysters, crab, mussels and lobster. BLT’s impressive contemporary menu includes complimentary popovers and pate, fresh island tuna and USDA prime or certified Black Angus beef. On the ground floor of Trump Waikiki International Hotel, BLT also boasts a trendy bar where busy bartenders delight patrons with creative cocktails.

Bali Steak & Seafood

2005 Kalia Road, (808) 941-2254

Hilton Hawaiian Village has taken its signature fine-dining restaurant and turned it into a steak-lover’s destination. Rarely has the transformation of a restaurant been more successful.

Here, it’s all about locally harvested produce, prime-aged steaks, and side dishes such as truffle Parmesan french fries and roasted Hamakua mushrooms. There’s no shortage of treasures to be unearthed on the wine list, that’s been eloquently tended to for more than 20 years by sommelier Stephen Fuller.

Whether you want your rib eye steeped in tradition or prime rib peppered with nouveau attitude, this is an ocean-side eatery not to miss.

Tanaka of Tokyo

Waikiki Shopping Plaza, (808) 922-4702
King’s Village, (808) 922-4233

At this award-winning Japanese steak and seafood restaurant, diners are treated to meals skillfully prepared and presented with flair. The master teppanyaki chefs prepare dishes from a menu offering a full array of steak— Tanaka of Tokyo specializes in certified Black Angus steak—and seafood. The chefs’ speed and dexterity dazzle guests, while the generous hospitality of the waitstaff and elegant atmosphere are a delight.

D.K Steak House

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, (808) 931-6280

Here, you’ll find succulent cuts of steak that are dry aged in-house with a menu offering classic sides including creamed spinach and baked potatoes. Add an island twist to the classic steak house experience by choosing one of d.k. Steak House’s offerings that use locally sourced foods: Asparagus Milanese made with Waialua asparagus and local farm-fresh eggs, sauteed Maui onions, or Kula Baby romaine Caesar salad. Acclaimed chef D.K. Kodama also partners with master sommelier Chuck Furuya to offer a stellar selection of wines to perfectly pair with any meal.