Our office gang had lunch yesterday for the first time at Makino Chaya’s new location in Aloha Tower Marketplace. We were all thoroughly impressed. Even amazed. This place gives Willows some serious hard rubs, especially considering it’s half the price at only $12.95/person for lunch. Certainly several notches above Todai’s lunch buffet, which was impressive itself. I can’t even fathom how MC makes money charging that little for sooooooo much all-you-can eat FOOD! We’re not talking “just food”. We’re talking everything from Alaskan King Crab legs to Ahi Nigiri Sushi to cooked-to-order Teppanyaki steaks! Wow! Trust me, when you go there, you’ll be blown away by how much food there is. Jaw dropping.
You know, it’s kinda’ frustrating with buffet restaurants that have so many great choices, because you only have so much stomach space. As you can see, I refrain from the starches, going strictly for the gold. As in seafood gold!
The soup (technically stew) on the top in the second photo above is Oden. It tasted like they used the same oden nomoto I use in my recipe. I love that had Konnyaku in it (that purplish, black-dotted thing), and lots of various Kamaboko (fish cake) in the steamer to choose from. I wish it had Kombu Maki, but that’s OK, it was still oishii. Below the Oden is Miso soup. Pretty basic, but it worked.
The selections on my main plate (top photo) includes (clockwise from top): Roast Beef (excellent flavor, but a bit tough), shrimp and vegetable tempura (just as great as Hanaki!), “Rainbow” Sushi, (not bad, but not great) Baked Oyster with Bak Choi cream sauce (ono), steamed chili Basa (fish, but not Saba!, mild, moist flavor), Shrimp Tempura Maki, Gyoza (fantastic), Glazed Button Mushrooms (great), seafood shumai and pork shumai (ono).
The crab legs (third photo) were a standout winner. Tasted like they deep-fried them, with a heavy pepper and butter flavor. Yum. That alone over-justified the price of admission.
I can’t remember the Japanese name of the dish on top (blue bowl) in the 4th photo, but it was basically a slice of tako, shrimp and fresh ahi on a dollop of rice, topped with a chiffonade Shiso leaf. The other dish is stewed clams. Both were sugoi oishii desu!
And that was just nipping the bud. There is just WAYYYY TOO MUCH TO CHOOSE. I don’t know if I was in buffet bliss or simply mad that I didn’t have space to try everything! lol What I showed you is probably less than 1/4th of the total item selections available for lunch at MC AT.
You just have to go for yourself to see and taste the experience. It’s much better than the King St. location, IMO (I’ve never been to their other locations). They didn’t have a menu to order from like they do at the King St. location, as it appears most of those items have simply been made available on the buffet line. At $12.95/person (Kama’aina rate), it’s just an amazing bargain for all the high quality seafood and just.. just everything. WOW! is really all I can say.
Makino Chaya at Aloha Tower is located on the second floor, on the Mauka-Ewa end (no view of Honolulu harbor).
Hana hou photos added 3.17.07 from a return visit for someone’s birthday…
Shrimp, Eggplant and Bell Pepper Tempura
Ogo Sesame Salad, Imitation Crab Salad & Edamame (steamed soy beans)
Steamed Clams and rice
Various Sushi
Unagi Eel Sushi and inverted California Rolls
Oysters with a creme sauce, Shrimp Shumai, Lobster and Crab Legs; keep in mind that this place is only charging $12.95 for admission. Wow!
Miso Soup and Sauteed button mushrooms, which go along with the next dish.
Teppanyaki steak, grilled to order. Very tender! A Nigiri sushi adds the “surf” to this “turf”. Yum.
This dessert is made up of unsweetened mochi balls in a sweet Azuki Bean “sauce”. I can’t remember the Japanese name for it, but it was my favorite item on the dessert table. Oishii desu!
Apple Pie, Jello, Mocha Cheesecake (my favorite one on this plate), White Chocolate and Almond Mousse and Bananas floated in Whipped Creme.
Bananas dipped in chocolate fondue.
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12 comments
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February 2, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Chubbypanda
Seafood gold indeed.
March 14, 2007 at 9:02 am
Anonymous
The azuki beans with mochi is called zen zai. I love that stuff, my mom used to make it all the time. It’s perfectly balanced, not too sweet!
March 14, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Anuhea
HEY! At the lunch buffet did they have ice cream (green tea) or mochi or anything? I remember Reid’s blog from the time he went to the king street location they had it for dinner….and I love green tea ice cream. And do you by any chance happen to know about the dinner menu at aloha tower, does it change much?
About the hana hou for teddy’s…the teriyaki looks so good, I will try it next time…does it only have teri sauce of their special ’secret sauce’ as well?
March 14, 2007 at 11:25 pm
pomai
Zen zai. That’s right. There was a sign above the item, but I couldn’t remember it. Thanks! What’s funny is some folks overlooked this item, thinking the Azuki bean “sauce” in the pot was chocolate syrup to be used to pour into the fondue fountain that was located next to it. lol. Once I seen the mochi balls in the other pot of water next to this, I knew this was something different. Luckily the (local) Japanese woman in line behind me kindly instructed me how to serve it.
Anuhea, unfortunately they didn’t have any ice creams at the lunch buffet, something I also really wanted, as the afternoon temperature began to warm up. A vanilla/chocolate soft-serve ice cream machine would be great. Still, for just $13, I’m not complaining!
Like Todai, IIRC, the dinner menu is about twice the price of the lunch menu (around $26). With that, their current newspaper ad is touting a new Kobe Wagyu beef offering on the line-up. Something that wasn’t available on the lunch buffet. As for seafood offerings, we were surprised the king crab legs and the lobster claws were present for lunch, as we thought these premium items were reserved for the more expensive dinner line-up.
April 27, 2007 at 6:40 am
Seafood lover!
My daughter and I were invited to dinner here by our friends. We were only in Oahu for about a week. Besides Hawaii’s beautiful scenery I would say our dinner at Makino Chaya was the highlight of our trip. We have seafood buffets at our local restaurants back home but very pricey, about $37 a head and that does not include lobster and a lot of other stuff MC has. I wasn’t sure how much it cost to eat at MC since our hosts treated us but after reading the above I was quite surprised. After eating at MC, I’ve recommended it to everyone back home as well as friends living in Hawaii who have not been there. Can’t wait to go back when I’m on the island again!
August 4, 2007 at 7:55 am
Todd Cochrane
My wife and I were shocked when we had dinner and found out Adult meal pricing start for children when they are 8 years old. The standard children prices at Hawaii Buffets generally is 3-12. Children under 3 eat free. Those 4-7 pay children price which is 1/2 Adult price which is $15.00
Total rip off. We will never go back.
August 6, 2007 at 2:14 am
TokyoNose
Todd, What about the food???? You didn’t mention a thing about the food!
August 7, 2007 at 10:22 pm
Sol N.
Excellent experience! I went to the Pearl Ridge location to celebrate my wifes birthday, she got half-off from her dinner. There was so much food offered, every I had was great.If you want shrimp tempura, king crab and lobster, this is the place to eat. Check it out!
August 14, 2007 at 12:20 am
AJ
At least their buffets here in hawaii taste the best & they give alot which is worth your money. I’d rather pay that price then having to paying for dinner at a restrant thats not buffet especially in california no one can beat Hawaii’s Ono Food.
October 23, 2007 at 1:52 am
johnson
Why are they serving char siu at a seafood buffet at the pearlcity restuarant??? Thats a real turn off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 5, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Julie RN
My husband and I visited the MC Westridge location on 5/27/08. There were flies and gnats covering the cold crab legs, sushi, sashimi and desserts. NONE of the staff seemed concerned. It was unsanitary and disgusting. I’m not a fan of eating regugitated insect larva on uncooked meat. I’ve attempted to contact the manager several times about this serious situation without a call back at all.
June 12, 2008 at 10:50 pm
pomai
Hi Julie,
I think ANY buffet - especially those that are in an open air environment such as Makino Chaya - are going to have “those days”. But I can honestly say on the several visits we made there, we never noticed such problems. And BELIEVE ME, there are sticklers in our group who would quickly notice those things and walk out if there were issues like such.
But if you think about it, you could just as well be eating the a prepared meal under the same unsanitary conditions coming out of a restaurant kitchen where you CAN’T see what’s going on. It happens all the time. Just best not think about it too much I guess. God Bless Germs!