Hello Restaurant XO

Restaurant XO - 3434 Waialae Avenue

New restaurant, new bar, new decor, new menu!

A fairly new kid on the Kaimuki block, Restaurant XO now sits in the former spot of an old Waialae Avenue Chinese restaurant, with all new decor, a brand new dining room, art installations, fresh tables and chairs, along with a brand spanking new bar  - this place is sure to be the next hot spot. I featured them in my summer edition of Hawaii.com's Best New Restaurants - for the summer months 2018, if you wanna take a look. 

Now on to the review... I may dare to say this is my new favorite new restaurant. First and foremost, the menu is a blend of contemporary, ingenious and inventive as it blends a menagerie of diverse flavors, ingredients and local comfort foods. At first glance you'll spot items like Spam, Adobo, Lup Cheong and Crispy Rice, but look closer and you'll find Buratta, Black Truffle, Sous Vide Duck, Cured Egg Yolk and fine Caviar. How do these un-seemingly unrelated ingredients come together? Beautifully. In a nut shell they compose dishes that are exquisitely delicious, perfectly cooked and immensely familiar. Price points are $9-$26, so while you're eating what looks, tastes and feels like ultra fine dining you're still enjoying something that is relatively moderate in price. Add to that the extremely generous portion sizes, as these items are also prepared family-style so sharing is a must, and this is an experience all its own. 

Since taking over the space in the summer of 2018 they jumped over hurdles and lept over speed bumps, now after a renovation and investing thousands of dollars into new equipment, decor and more the restaurant has a look, feel and vibe all its own and it is worth checking out for sure. 

​Here are some new items along with some delicious favorites. 

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Open everyday except for Sunday 5-10pm, reservations suggested.

I LOVED the Buratta with Proscuitto and Tomato Jam, Lemongrass Sausages, Loaded Potato Au Gratin, Tomato Risotto, Adobo Fried Chicken and Buttermilk Shiso Fried Chicken, Fried Bass, Sous Vide Duck, Seared Steak and XO Scallops. The Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Ala Mode is addicting!