How happy we look in this picture. Wide grins, bright eyes.
Funny how faces can be deceptive.
Not that we didn’t enjoy ourselves at Hanohano Room. We got there about 10 p.m. on a weekday and found the highest point in Waikiki is as breathtaking as it sounds. Floor to ceiling windows. A lounge singer that sings mostly jazz with the occasional Shakira interlude (specifically, “Hips Don’t Lie"). A man and a woman tearing up the dance floor with as much ferociousness as suggested by the guy’s thigh-huggingly tight tiger print suit. And the glass elevator that took us to the 30-floor high restaurant was so cool that we went up and down twice (Josh offered a sheepish explanation to the couple that entered on Ride 2, but it turned out they only spoke French).
Yes, I think breathtaking was the right word choice.
But this blog is about drinks so let’s talk about drinks!
The drinks…were terrible. I’d like to consider myself the Paula Abdul of this blog, the voice of compassion, the yin to the yang, the graceful enthusiast in contrast to the crotchety elitist. But there’s no diplomatic way to put this… Both cocktails tasted medicinally syrupy and sweet--actually, hand over the Dimetap and we'd at least stop the runny nose while we're at it. We could barely finish our drinks, which made us especially sad since each glass hit us with $12!
Unfortunately, I don’t think the bar used fresh juices in the drinks, which seemed evident both in taste and color. Josh’s looked like Crayolas gone liquid. Mine was something called the Lilikoi Rita—as the name suggests, an attempt to tweak the margarita. Both were a clash of sugary liquors. Yuck. No balance. No finesse. Maybe on par with the sticky shooter you'd get during last call at the club.
But I don’t want to keep bashing the place. It's not a cocktail lounge, but a hotel restaurant. It never promised exceptional drinks, and so I left feeling unbetrayed (though maybe my pocketbook felt differently). The Hanohano Room did boast about its unparalleled view, and in that respect, it delivered. The atmosphere was great (despite the extra dash of tragedy the other pleasant circumstances added to the cocktail), and we went home with a cute picture and a bottle of Sauza tequila, which we had picked up from the market on the way home. Mmm, a duo of tequilla sours and a few episodes of Frasier, anyone?
Not so bad for a night, not so bad.
The Hanohano Room
at the Sheraton Waikiki
30th floor
2255 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.922.4422
Dinner: 5:30pm - 9:00pm
Cocktails: 5:30pm - 11:00pm
Happy hour? No.
Dress code: Yes. No Beach or Athletic Wear, No Logo Tee Shirts, No Baseball Caps.
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