Ninniku-Ya, a garlic restaurant.
The two of us have been driving upand down Waialae Avenue for quite some time and have always noticed blue Christmas lights surrounding a dimly lit restaurant. We finally decided to give it a try and upon entering the restaurant, we immediately smelled the strong garlic. The restaurant was separated into inside and outside seating and we were seated inside. The garlicky aroma was a bit overwhelming especially for people who aren’t so thrilled of garlic, so beware it sticks to your clothes and hair even after you leave.
We waited for around 25 minutes until our first dish arrived. For starters, we had the $10 garlic Caesar salad. The salad was very crisp with the perfect light amount of dressing. Only thing different from the others is it comes with thick cubes of salami and chewy garlic bread croutons.
Our carb of the meal was garlic rice with shrimp, and egg. At first sight, we were pleasantly surprised it came in was purplish red rice, instead of the expected white. The shrimp was cooked perfectly juicy and springy to the bite. The unexpected bursts of pineapple added a nice sweetness to the rice. It came in a generous portion size and we didn’t’ even finish it. Totally worth the $20.
For main course, we ordered the 18 oz rib eye. The waiter came out with it sizzling on a hot plate and did a cutting show. He seemed kind of bored. Apart from that the garlic butter looked sinful as it melted on top of the thick steak. Some veggies came on the side and three dipping sauces for the steak. I personally preferred the white sauce, which tasted very milky. The other two were a Thai style sweet and sour sauce, and garlic soy sauce. The meat continued to cook on the plate as we ate and produced quite a bit of smoke. The rib eye was good, a bit dry for my taste, but good. It had great peppery flavoring and came with a big scoop of garlic on top so definitely didn’t lack in flavor. Rib eye came out to be $38.
Matt insisted that the meal wasn’t complete without the honey and garlic ice cream (even though I was extremely full). It was too sweet for my taste; just a whole lot of honey and not enough garlic, but he loved it. I didn’t think it was worth the $6 though.
Overall, the food was satisfying but the service lacked a bit. Food came out very slowly one after another, but the wait staffs were friendly. Ninniku-Ya is on the pricey side, but great for talking business or date nights. If you like garlic and its spicy tingly goodness, this is the place to go.
3196 Waialae Ave
Honolulu
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