Three words: tempura onion rings. They’re one of the dishes on the new dinner menu at Nami Kaze Hawaiʻi, and they’re an absolute must-have dish. But more about that later.
Nami Kaze Hawaiʻi chef/owner Jason Peel changed the restaurant’s brunch/lunch and dinner menus in January. In fact, the eatery started 2025 with its new dinner menu on Jan. 1. The previous dinner menu featured more izakaya-style dishes, or smaller tapas designed to share.
“We’ve been really busy trying to get through everything; we’re making new stuff and having the team involved,” Peel says. “We still have sushi and smaller dishes, but I wanted my team to really work on complete dishes. It’s a different skill to create the composed, complete dish. I’ve really been trying to push them to make their own things using local products; just trying to push them outside of their boundaries, as usual.
“We were doing OK, but I just wasn’t challenging them to create,” he adds. “That was one of the big reasons why I wanted to open the restaurant — to give the next generation the opportunity to grow, create and learn.”
For those who loved the ʻulu patatas bravas from an earlier version of the dinner menu, good news — this appetizer is back (our server said it was off the menu for about a year). This breadfruit version of fried potatoes comes with teri gel, chili pepper water gel and kewpie gel for dipping. It’s similar to potatoes in texture, and I especially loved the teri gel.
The tempura onion rings ($7) that I mentioned earlier are listed under the “sides” section, which should not be overlooked. The onion rings are delicate and perfectly battered — sufficiently crispy but not heavy, oily and greasy. Do yourself a favor by asking for extra Asian remoulade sauce. Even when doused with the flavorful aioli, each onion ring boasts a satisfying crunch.
This next-level Caesar salad is like a deconstructed version with the toppings — Hau‘ula tomatoes, crispy bacon, Asian remoulade, chunks of Tristan lobster and garlic croutons — on the bottom and the baby Romaine lettuce on top. I enjoyed the meaty lobster chunks, the bacon’s smoky flavor and the tender lettuce, which contrasted nicely with the buttery-yet-crunchy croutons.
This new sushi roll is stuffed with cucumber, shrimp tempura and crab mix, and is topped with a shiso leaf, hotate (scallops), Gochujang vinaigrette and wonton crispies. There’s a lot going on with this one. Each piece boasts a flavorful seafood medley, and the moist scallops are its crowning glory.
Speaking of scallops, this new entrée is both visually appealing and tasty. The seared Hokkaido scallops come in a pool of red curry carrot butter and are served with cauliflower puree, bok choi and white rice. The buttery scallops are tender and succulent, as Hokkaido scallops should be, and the red curry carrot butter is balanced but boasts a slight spice. I wished there were more cauliflower puree, but that’s a minor complaint.
This washugyu shortrib ($58) — served with nori glaze, cauliflower puree, Mizuna salad, onion vinaigrette, ulu and white rice — is a newer entrée and is a hit with customers so far, according to Peel. He says that showcasing local products is still an integral component for the restaurant.
“Right now, we’re lucky to work with the GoFarm program, a UH program for aspiring farmers to take classes,” Peel says. “I want to be able to find more products for us to use and work directly with the farmer.”
Peel explains that he meets the program participants and talks with them about the relationship between restaurants and farmers.
"I buy from them and do talks with them; I love giving them some kind of mentorship," he says.
For dessert, I’m torn between the customer favorite — caramel nut tart ($8) with salted caramel, toasted nuts and vanilla Chantilly — and the Thai chili chocolate decadence ($12). Since I can only handle mild spice, having Thai chili in my dessert felt like a gamble, but we decided to get it since it sounded more unique.
To my relief, the chili wasn’t too strong. The dense chocolate cake was topped with a light vanilla Chantilly, Gochujang caramel and chocolate curls. There was a hint of spice with each bite, but it complemented the chocolate’s richness well. Plus, the cloudlike vanilla Chantilly was dreamy.
Peel says that pastry chef Beverly Luk is starting to showcase her cakes as slices at the restaurant, and specialty cakes for birthdays are available as well.
“We started taking orders now,” he says. “Instead of bringing a cake in, you can have a cake ready for you at the restaurant.”
At the time of this article, the restaurant had just finished a sake dinner collab with Islander Sake. Peel says customers can expect more of these collaborative events this year — in fact, the restaurant will be hosting a whiskey pairing event on March 18.
“Liquor pairing dinners was another thing to bring back,” he says. “I’m trying to get my team more involved in doing these menus to put them out of their comfort zone, so that these things become secondhand to them.
“The main thing was to re-start the dinners and adapt the menu to a slightly different style, just to give the team more experience,” he adds. “We’re still growing and trying to make new things, but it’s very fun.”
CONTACT
Nami Kaze Hawaiʻi
1135 N. Nimitz Hwy., Honolulu
808-888-6264
namikaze.com
Instagram: @namikazehawaii
Open for dinner 4:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, closed Mondays-Tuesdays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
