Nadine Kam photos
Doraku Kaka'ako by day.

By Nadine Kam

If not for one small detail, I would not have recognized the kinship between Doraku Kaka'ako and next door neighbor Blue Tree Cafe, in the new Pacifica condominium building at 1009 Kapiolani Boulevard.

The former caters to the happy hour, pau hana and party crowd. The latter offers the fix for the aftermath, with healthful libations and many a vegetarian and vegan food offering.

But I put two and two together when I saw the small photograph of Benihana of Tokyo founder Rocky Aoki and his first wife Chizuru, on a table at Blue Tree while reviewing the two eateries last month. (Aoki also translates as "Blue Tree.") The two are the parents of the restaurants' founder, Kevin Aoki, who hosted a casual media tasting Feb. 25 to introduce the two concepts.

For Aoki, raised with the Benihana tradition, Japan-style specialities with a twist seems to come naturally, so I was more intrigued by his organic and vegetarian direction, which he chalked up to a matter of getting older and recognizing the need to guard his health in light of raising a young family while undergoing the daily stress of overseeing a growing empire that will soon see another teppanyaki concept, Aoki, opening in Miami soon.

Introducing a delicious fruit "life-changing" elixirs, very verde smoothie and kombucha, the probiotic fermented tea, is in line with what he does at home to stay healthy.

I applaud the effort believe that all restaurateurs should consider ways to keep their clientele alive. I would have opened a french fry and aioli shop in downtown Honolulu two decades ago if I didn't care that to do so essentially amounts to killing people.

Lilikoi kombucha and a very verde smoothie sit in front of a  portrait of Rocky and Chizuru Aoki at Blue Tree Cafe.

Coral Reef roll with salmon, avocado, crab and won ton chips.

Doraku's Kaka'ako's "New Style" tuna tataki with julienne radish and onions, kaiware sprouts, crisp garlic chips, garlic aioli and ponzu sauce.

Doraku's Kaka'ako's Double Happiness roll of crab rolled in nori, thin-sliced cucumber and finished with tobiko, garlic aioli and ponzu sauce. This was so refreshing and a perfect option for the gluten-free crowd.

Chef Hide Yoshimoto’s panko-crusted hamachi with mango salsa, king oyster mushrooms, asparagus, mango puree, and lemon-butter ponzu sauce.

The Red Dragon Roll is an unagi-topped variation of the Dragon Roll, or California roll.

Love the upscale-casual vibe at Blue Tree.

At Blue Tree Cafe, we sampled delicate zucchini "pasta" topped with pesto and sun-dried tomato ...

... And mac 'n cheese comprising quinoa shells and mashed pea "cheese." I like the quinoa macaroni just fine, but not being vegan, I still prefer milk cheeses.

Nadine Kam photos
Restaurant and Bar Ko has replaced Ninniku-ya in Kaimuki.

Ninniku-ya had a long run as Oahu's most famous garlic restaurant, but now it's gone, and in its place is Restaurant and Bar Ko, run by the mother-daughter team of Ritsuko Asahi and Keiko Inai.

It's a very feminine place, with an interior that looks very homey with its plush sofa and shelving that forms a partition for a semi-private room that seats up to eight. Outside on the patio, frilly pillows line tables with a mix of bench seating and chairs, and one table wraps around a tree the deck was built around.

They want to be good neighbors and a hangout for night owls, open until 2 a.m. daily. The menu is Japan Japanese, and to get the full impact, they're encouraging newbies to start with their prix fixe Asahi ($40 per person) and Ko ($55 per person) menus. There's a minimum two-person order for menu, but having been an early visitor, I was able to substitute one dish from the Asahi menu when ordering the Ko menu. Here's a look at what was on the table:

Appetizers, clockwise from top left, dashimaki tamago with ikura, simmered pumpkin with gobo, nikujaga, ika daikon, simmered spinach with shrimp, and fish nanbanzuke.

Sashimi of hamachi, salmon, ahi and scallops with amaebi. After eating the bottom half of the shrimp, the head is taken away and brought back on a platter, deep-fried. Super crisp, super light, full shrimp flavor. Yum!

Roast beef salad.

Box-pressed eel hakosushi was the sushi course.

Loved this lotus root manju, a satisfying glutinous bundle filled with thin-sliced hasu, edamame and sliced shrimp, and served in a silky crab broth. You could add the mild wasabi to the broth.

Changed up the menu a bit with the entree courses. We had ordered the Ko dinners ($55 prix fixe), but chose the sauteed shrimp and scallop off the Asahi menu ($40 prix fixe), and was totally happy with this dish, that also included two pieces of octopus and broccoli.

From the Ko menu, our other entree was the tender wagyu, grilled and topped with grated daikon, green onions and ikura.

The tempura course featured snapper and mountain potato wrapped in yuba.

The vinegared course was namasu of thin-sliced carrot and cucumber wrapped around surimi.

Although you usually get a choice of either salmon and ikura, or simmered pork belly kamameshi, staffers offered a small portion of both to sample. Even so, the small wasn't very small, and after sampling a few bites, I took the rest home to enjoy the next day. They were both delicious as leftovers.

As full as I was, I forgot all about it when dessert of vanilla ice cream and azuki beans on a floral clamshell-style wafer arrived. It was a lovely finale.

Nadine Kam photos
Members of Iona Dance Theatre welcomed guests through the door at NOBU Waikiki for a celebration of Waikiki Parc Hotel's 25th anniversary.

Waikiki Parc Hotel marked its 25th anniversary with a celebration at NOBU Waikiki Nov. 20. Guests were welcomed by costumed members of Iona Dance Theatre, including a Living Fountain.

Parc staff members were offering guests shiny new quarters for tossing into the fountain's wishing well, to bestow many more years of blessings and good wishes upon the hotel, a sister of neighboring Halekulani Hotel.

Food was plentiful, and NOBU was offering many of its greatest hits, including popcorn shrimp tempura, black cod in butter lettuce cups, and one of my absolute favorites, silky, fiery hamachi topped with sliced jalapeño.

The event also honored staffers who have been at the property 25 years or close to it, and I was reminded I was there on opening day as well. (I must have been a prodigy.) I hadn't joined the Star-Bulletin yet, but was working for the Waikiki Beach Press.

The Parc is also marking its anniversary with a "25 Alive" promotion, through March 31, 2013, featuring accommodations in an Ocean View Room, chef’s special dinner for two at NOBU Waikiki, daily breakfast for two, a welcome amenity gift pack (Parc Chic private label wine, Parc’s Endless Summer CD featuring Grammy winner Daniel Ho and Herb Ohta Jr., and a Parc Surf note card pack) and complimentary parking. Guests will also receive complimentary VIP access to the Bishop Museum and Honolulu Museum of Art by presenting their Waikiki Parc Hotel room key card. Package room rates start at $885 for a minimum three-night stay.

Call 808-921-7272 or visit www.waikikiparc.com.

Meanwhile, for a look at more of what's yum and a chance to win a $100 gift certificate from Nobu (by Nov. 23), check out photographer Rae Huo and artist Zakka's popiroiro.com

Rae Huo photo

Photo courtesy Halekulani Corp.
Sadly, I was reminded I was there for the grand opening 25 years ago, and I was sent the photo to prove it. You can tell it was the '80s by my permed 'do! Also at left, our columnist Ben Wood with Halekulani VP Patty Tam.

Heaven is a platter of NOBU's  hamachi and jalapeño.

Parc staffers offered guests quarters for tossing into Iona Dance Theatre's Living Fountain, bestowing 25 more years (at least) of good wishes upon the hotel.

Mini ceviche tacos.

Nobu's sushi platter.

Skewered Peruvian beef antikucho, marinated in cumin, peppers, garlic and vinegar.

Black cod in butter lettuce cups from Rae Huo and Zakka's popiroiro.com

Offering guests their thanks for 25 years of patronage were COO Peter Shaindlin, left, and general manager Ulrich Krauer, both of sister Halekulani Hotel.

Also welcoming guests were longtime Parc employees general manager Julie Arigo, employed for 19 years, and 25-year veteran sales director Mike Kikuyama.

Guests went home with a Parc cupcake, which didn't last long after this photo was taken.

Nadine Kam photos
PR woman Kristin Jackson, left, in her other life as Kiss My Grits restaurateur, with Kim Oswald. Kiss My Grits was a double winner in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser's 'Ilima Awards. The public voted it "Best New Restaurant," and critics gave it one of 22 Critics Choice Awards.

Work on the annual Diamond Head Theatre and Honolulu Star-Advertiser 'Ilima Awards officially begins in June, but the work actually continues all year as we eat our way through many, many restaurants and take notes on what was memorable and what we liked best.

June is when I and fellow food and entertainment writers—Joleen Oshiro, Nina Wu, Elizabeth Kieszowski, Jason Genegabus and Betty Shimabukuro—start comparing notes in advance of the October announcement of award winners, and soon after, we start fanning out to make sure the restaurants are continuing to perform well.

We try to include mix of restaurants high, low and spots in between for diversity that reflects the entire dining scene. Of course, for the restaurants, it helps to have a visible profile throughout the year to remind us who's out there. There are many more restaurateurs who go about running their restaurants in a low-key way, and I admit we always miss a few of these. I already have a few in mind that didn't make the book this year but deserve another look next year. And, of course, it helps to open before August, when our decisions are finalized.

Click book for a look inside.

If you're wondering why I disappear from Facebook and Twitter all summer, it's because of the extra task of helping to write the book. The reward is the annual 'Ilima Awards ceremony that took place Oct. 8, a benefit for the theater, that begins with cocktails and a DHT song and dance performance honoring the award winners.

This year marks the 17th annual awards, which started in partnership with the Honolulu Advertiser before our papers merged.

On stage, Loretta Ables Sayre—straight from her star turn in "South Pacific" on Broadway—joined the cast and cracked up the audience with a particularly suggestive number sung to the tune of "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," which had her getting up close and personal with a few of the representatives from Kiss My Grits, Prima, Lahaina Grill and Amasia, which included the Lahaina Grill rep burying his head in her bosom.

Other highlights included "Funny Girl" star Isabelle Decauwert singing about food to the tune of the musical's "Don't Rain on My Parade," and Tricia Marciel bringing hilarity to the otherwise bittersweet tune of "The Way We Were," sung as "The Way We Dined."

And, a representative from 3660 on the Rise provided one of the most entertaining moments of the night during the finale, when the members of the youth ensemble Shooting Stars got him to his feet and he joined in, rather well, on matching their dance moves.

Then, it was all about tasting, and the ultimate reward was hearing from guests that they enjoyed sampling from restaurants that they hadn't heard of prior to that night.

Kiss My Grits offered a generous combination of catfish, okra and black-eyed peas, along with grits and hush puppies, below, that all threatened to fill a diner up before hitting any other booth. I missed the bread pudding that came later.

Alan Takasaki, left, is the chef-owner of this year's Critic's Choice of Best Restaurant, Le Bistro. He was cooking up shortribs, below:

Azure executive chef Jon Matsubara with his inspired sambal clam banh mi and liquid brandade.

Diners accustomed to grabbing a plate were caught off guard when Matsubara placed the cracker-style "banh mi" in their hands, instructing them to take a bite, then follow with a sip of the chowdery salt cod brandade.

The stack of small brandade cups caught the eye of our 'Ilima Awards book page designer Joe Guinto, who admired their architectural form. (more...)