Kaimuki’s newest dining experience is tucked away behind the charming façade of Vintage Books Hawaii. It’s in the location of the former 3660 on the Rise.
When you arrive at the bookstore, ask the clerk to see the “Private Collection” (the password is “please”) and you’ll be able to enter the speakeasy.
The speakeasy feels spacious compared to others, but dinner is more popular (and crowded) than lunch. Since we visited right before Christmas, festive beverages ($16) were available, such as the Notorious N.O.G. — featuring a secret-recipe boozy egg nogg — and holiday sangria.
Popular beverages from the regular menu include lychee martini ($16) and White Sands Spritz ($16). Spirit-free options are also available.
The menu at Vintage Books features a variety of flavors, and many dishes have a connection to local foods, according to Head Chef Stephen Toyofuku. Toyofuku, who was born and raised in Hawaii, honed his craft in Seattle while working as the manager of his friend’s fried chicken restaurant called The Chicken Supply.
“Sometimes, you want to capture the feeling or style of eating,” Toyofuku says. “I grew up eating umami-laden sweet food — with pickles and other sour delights — and in general, it was very heavy. I wanted to hit the Hawaii food notes of addicting and comforting, which also send you on a subtler but nerdy food adventure.”
Dishes are designed to be shared and feature locally sourced ingredients when possible. Popular starters include the Island farmer salad ($13) made with fresh Sensei Farm greens, the cowboy beef salad with crispy, deep-fried short ribs ($15) and taco flight ($18). The latter includes kalua pig, braised brisket and tako tacos on local breadfruit tortillas — very “local-style” tacos, according to Toyofuku.
The cowboy beef salad is a nice option if you want something lighter but still filling (perfect for recovering from all those indulgent holiday feasts). Its citrus dressing is full of bright flavors, combined with a zing from the chili. Meanwhile, the tacos are hefty with a generous amount of filling.
“Of the tacos, the Suadero one is the most popular,” Toyofuku says.
The house karaage ($14) and crispy lamb ribs ($16) are both winners. While karaage’s exterior isn’t the crispiest, the tender chunks of chicken are sufficiently juicy. They come with ketchup spiked with kimchi and house Japanese mayo for dipping.
The lamb ribs are not only visually appealing, but they also boast a fall-off-the-bone texture. The subtle sweetness from the caramel glaze is balanced nicely with fresh mint.
For something flavorful and unique, Toyofuku recommends the Goan curry clam bake ($18).
"Goan clams have Portuguese sausage because Goa was a Portuguese Indian colony,” he says. “I think curry clams are typically done with Thai-style curry. This was a happy median to keep the coconut milk in but add more Indian spices.
“The end goal for the menu is to have big, interesting and impactful flavors, with a small hint of fun and nostalgia,” he adds.
Two dessert options are available — Ko Hana rum tres leches cake ($6) and S’mores Yan-Yan ($8). The tres leches cake was somehow light and decadent at the same time — light in texture but rich in flavor, thanks to the rum-infused cream.
The S’mores Yan-Yan was already in its second iteration — the playful dessert (inspired by the popular snack) originally featured toasted biscuit sticks served with a rich chocolate dipping sauce. It’s evolved to a chocolate pudding with a marshmallow topping and biscuit crumbles.
This year, customers can anticipate an evolving menu.
“My hope is to get a few more vegetarian/vegan items on the menu, like eggplant Dengaku with berbere,” Toyofuku says. “I would love to get a fresh fish item on the menu, along with some Korean rice cakes.
“I’ve been fanboying Hawaii’s evolving food industry from afar over this many years away from home,” he adds. “It’s fun and satisfying to be able to see a lot of ‘saved future plans’ coming to life on the menu at Vintage Books.”
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
