Splurging on Scallops!

Happy Sunday, Ono readers! We need to treat ourselves every now and then, and if it’s not with sweets, then it should be with scallops. These cute little critters are everything you could ever want and more. Bite-size, mild but sweet, velvety and dense … boy, are they worth every bite!

Regarded as the only free-swimming mollusk, in the U.S., scallops come in two varieties — bay scallops and sea scallops. Sea scallops are more commonly utilized out of the two, as they are larger and possess a flavor and texture that are out of this world. Yet, bay scallops are perfect for sushi creations because of their petite size.

So, this week let’s fall into the sea of luxury with a “day-boat” load of scallops and splurge on a variety of tantalizing tastes at the following Ono, You Know establishments.

The Mandalay

Exquisite Hong Kong-style fare tempts diners at The Mandalay on Alakea Street, where owners and husband-and-wife team Larry and Linda Chan only dish out the best.

According to Larry, the food and the atmosphere are of the highest quality.

“There is no MSG in our cooking,” Larry says. “The restaurant is two stories and we can seat 320 people comfortably.”

Stand-out dishes at the restaurant include The Mandalay Delight Salad, Honey Walnut Shrimp, House Special Seafood Noodles and, of course, dim sum. Steamed Scallop with Spinach Dumpling ($4.50 for three pieces) is a hot pick among scallop lovers. As one of the restaurant’s best-selling dim sum options, Steamed Scallop with Spinach Dumpling presents one piece of scallop and the perfect amount of spinach in each dumpling, which is steamed and placed in a basket before it’s brought fresh to your table.

Another scallop sensation worth mentioning is The Mandalay’s Seafood Taro Basket. Priced at $18.95, this dish will make jaws drop and mouths water as it features an edible taro basket overflowing with a seafood fantasy of shrimp, scallops, squid and fish sauteed with garlic and mixed with a vegetable medley of broccoli, snow peas, carrots and mushroom.

Open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., The Mandalay appeases all cravings, especially when you have your sights set on scallops.

The Mandalay
1055 Alakea St.
525-8585

Hifumi Restaurant

Hifumi’s Wafu Scallops — Sizzling Style ($15.95)

Situated within Chinese Cultural Plaza, Hifumi Restaurant brings a Japanese twist to the locale, which houses a slew of Chinese restaurants. For more than three decades, Hifumi has been serving up traditional Japanese cuisine at affordable prices.

My family and I have frequented this eatery for years, and everything on the menu, including the miso soup and tsukemono, are definitely worth raving about. So, the next time you pay a visit to Hifumi, take my word for it and go for Wafu Scallops — Sizzling Style. Priced at $15.95, this lunch and dinner entree boasts close to a dozen deep-fried jumbo sea scallops doused in soy sauce, garlic sauce and a hint of sake, and paired with ground onions and freshly chopped garlic. The description alone is enough to make your mouth water, and once it’s placed before you, you’ll be chomping at the bit to savor each and every bite. The meal comes complete with a bowl of rice, miso soup and tsukemono, which will leave you satisfied for days. Kick up your meal a notch and pour the extra sauce from the dish over your rice. Oh, so ono! Happiness awaits at Hifumi.

Hifumi Restaurant
Chinese Cultural Plaza
100 N. Beretania St., Ste 113
536-3035

Genki Sushi

Gosh, what’s not to love about Genki Sushi? I am a self-proclaimed sushi addict, so as Hawaii’s premier kaiten-style sushi establishment, Genki Sushi steals my heart over and over again with every visit.

Kaiten is the signature style of Genki, meaning all 60-plus of your sushi must-haves are easily accessible via a revolving conveyor belt. This form of sushi dining was based off the idea promoted to create a “fast-food” sushi of sorts. Although Spicy Tuna Roll is an original favorite of mine, I decided to explore the scallop possibilities during my most recent visit.

First and foremost, I tackled two pieces of Scallop Mayo ($2.20), sushi rice combined with scallops, mayo and tobiko wrapped in nori. So simple, but so good! Then, my sushi journey continued with Genki’s Dynamite — Scallop Mayo ($4.80).

A popular pick among Genki fanatics, this sushi features shrimp tempura topped with scallop mayo and laced with unagi, unagi sauce, garlic mayo and topped with green onions.

“We use bay scallops because they’re small and great for sushi,” says Genki Sushi’s director of purchasing, David Moon. “We’re in the process of changing up the menu and we will be renovating our Ala Moana location beginning March 1. We will be installing a new express system and will reopen again in July. There are a lot of new and exciting changes going on.”

Genki Sushi
Ward Warehouse
1200 Ala Moana Blvd. #408
(and various locations)
591-5600