For the Love of...: ...The Eastside (Kauai, Hawaii)

Overall - 9/10
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Food -  9/10
Service - 9/10
Ambiance- 8/10

Located in the town of Kapa'a on the easternmost shore of Kauai this restaurant was voted best new restaurant in 2009 and came highly recommended as a place to sample fresh local fare prepared with an asian twist. After having many great meals on the island and sampling the freshest catches our expectations were pretty high considering the accolades this place had received. 


Thankfully the food and service lived up to all the hype. We started our evening off with the ahi sashimi served with a delicious miso sauce and over a bed of crispy fried shoestring sweet potatoes. As has been our experience throughout our visit to this island the fish was as fresh if not fresher than anything we have had back home. The bed of crispy potatoes though was genius, providing a nice textural contrast to the dish and adding a touch of the islands to a dish that is too often boring and forgettable. 

Ahi tuna sashimi

Our mains that night included a potato crusted mahi mahi and the surf and turf special which included seared ahi tuna and a braised beef short rib. The mahi mahi being a firmer fish can often be dry but wrapped in the potato crust was moist and flavourful. As for the surf and turf, the ahi tuna was seared to perfection retaining its vibrant ruby red interior while the short rib proved a nice meatiness to the dish. 

Potato crusted mahi mahi 

Surf and turf

To finish our meal we decided on the papaya bread pudding and the lemongrass creme brule. Our favourite was the bread pudding which was actually baked within half of a papaya. The top was golden brown giving the pudding a nice crispiness rather than the stodginess often seen on other subpar bread puddings. Never having had papaya other than in its fresh form I was dubious about it being baked but found that its sweetness and flavour were intensified by the heat. 

Papaya bread pudding

Lemon grass creme brule

Overall The Eastside lived up to its reputation and provided a memorable dining experience in a comfortable and laid back setting.