Located at Pier 38 — in the former space of Nami Kaze Hawaiʻi — Thirty Eight restaurant just opened to the public.
The eatery opened briefly in late December, but then closed to fine-tune its menu. It officially opened for dinner service Feb. 18; it’s currently open for dinner only from 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays to Fridays.
The eatery still focuses on serving the freshest seafood possible, according to manager Dong Dang.
“It’s still supposed to harbor-centric; we’re really going to work toward utilizing as much fish as possible and highlight those ingredients,” he says. “What we envisioned with this concept is a gathering place — someplace you can go and get really good seafood.”
The dinner menu — which will eventually expand to include more dishes — offers small plates meant for sharing, as well as larger entrees. Start with dishes like hamachi crudo ($17), maguro cabbage ($19), poke crackers ($10) and cabbage Caesar ($14).
The hamachi crudo, comprising yellowtail served with sinigang gazpacho and Ho Farms tomato, is light and refreshing. The maguro cabbage is a highlight for restaurant chef de cuisine Daysen Masuda, who came up with the eatery’s new menu.
“Growing up in Hilo, everything is cabbage and ‘ahi (instead of daikon and ‘ahi),” he says. “This is a play on that; it’s topped with ginger scallion, ginger garlic cilantro, green onions and ikura zuke.
“I think the whole menu, in general, is pretty approachable,” he adds. “It’s local flavors that you’re familiar with, but elevated a bit more.”
Of everything we try, the poke crackers ($10) are one of my favorites. Each order includes two rice crackers topped with local big-eye tuna, spicy aioli, avocado and tare.
“That dish alone is nostalgic,” Masuda says. “Growing up, you buy a container of poke and you’re either dipping shrimp chips or rice crackers into it and eating it together. That’s the perfect combination. I wanted to use rice crackers because that texture is so nice and crunchy, and it stays crunchy.”
The cabbage Caesar is a tasty way to incorporate greens into the meal. It features a miso Caesar dressing — the miso flavor is subtle — along with Parmesan and fried anchovies for texture.
If you want something a little more indulgent, go for the shrimp toast ($10). Each order contains two petite sandos featuring shokupan bread and savory shrimp filling. It’s served with a makrut (kaffir lime) sauce for dipping.
When it comes to entrees, the fried whole moi ($36), furikake king salmon ($38), and ‘ahi steak ($28) come highly recommended. The moi features a Alii mushroom and lup cheong stuffing.
“A lot of the dishes (here) are different from what you would find anywhere else, but the moi, to us, is a standout,” Dang says.
“The moi is definitely something I’m very proud of,” adds Masuda. “In Hilo, when you go to someone’s house or party, there’s always someone who has steamed fish. That’s our play on that.”
Moist and buttery, the Big Glory Bay king salmon is topped with a delectable furikake crunch and served with garlic aioli. Meanwhile, the ‘ahi steak features local big-eye served with confit potato and watercress salad.
Other entrée options include huli huli chicken with lemongrass huli glaze, watercress and kabocha, and braised short rib ($34).
The eatery also features specialty cocktails — including toasted rice old fashioned ($17), gin mint gimlet ($15) and chili water margarita ($16) — and will be expanding its beverage menu in the future.
The restaurant is accepting reservations via OpenTable. Stay tuned — it will be launching lunch service and happy hour in the coming months.
CONTACT
Thirty Eight
1135 N. Nimitz Hwy., Honolulu
Instagram: @thirtyeighthi
Open 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays to Fridays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
