If you’re looking for a casual spot to enjoy dinner — and a great view of the Waikīkī Friday fireworks — check out The Grove Restaurant & Bar.
Located on the pool deck of The Modern, a Hilton Hawaiian Vacation Club, The Grove revamped its menu earlier this year. The open-air eatery offers farm-to-table ingredients in its breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes. You don’t have to stay at the hotel to enjoy a meal at The Grove.
The chopped chef salad is a colorful — and tasty — way to get your greens. Waipoli mixed lettuce is topped with heirloom tomatoes, avocado, cucumbers, pickled onions, bacon, eggs, feta and sweet potatoes, and it’s topped with a housemade green goddess dressing.
I also loved the flavors in the burrata and beet salad ($23), which includes roasted beets, arugula, feta cheese, pistachio, heirloom tomatoes, and seasonal fruit with macadamia nut vinaigrette. Creamy burrata is always a win, and this salad does not skimp on the beets.
The lūʻau bowl is listed under the “daily fresh selections” portion of the menu, which features a few new dishes. This bowl ($23) is one of the most popular selections — it includes a hearty serving of kalua pork, ‘ahi shoyu poke, and lomi lomi salmon over a bed of white rice or salad. Even if you opt for greens instead of rice, there’s a lot of protein in this dish.
If you’re looking for a hearty option The Grove burger ($25) — a wagyu blend beef patty with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, bacon jam and glazed bacon strips on a toasted brioche bun — doesn’t disappoint. While the burger is flavorful — we couldn’t get enough of the bacon jam — it’s the fries that will keep you coming back for more.
Both, the kalbi short ribs plate ($26) and seared mahi mahi ($30) are newer menu items. The pan-seared mahi mahi is served with seasonal veggies, a rice pilaf and yuzu beurre blanc sauce, while the kalbi plate includes 6 ounces of barbecue short ribs, two scoops of white rice and kimchi.
If you dine on a Friday — and time your visit appropriately — you’ll have a great view of the Waikīkī fireworks, which start around 7:45 p.m., weather permitting. Restaurant guests can also enjoy full parking validation for the first two hours ($5 per half hour thereafter).
CONTACT
The Grove Restaurant & Bar
The Modern Honolulu – A Hilton Grand Vacations Club
1775 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu
808-943-5800
Open daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Full parking validation for restaurant and bar patrons for the first two hours; $5 per half hour thereafter
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
