Crab It Up!

Happy Sunday, Ono readers! Feeling a little crabby this morning? I am. But for all the right reasons and with a great big smile across my face. This week, it’s time to pay tribute to my all-time favorite crustacean — crab! Yes, I’m hooked on this particular catch. Come on, when you have a whole crab or a mountain of crab legs sitting before you, it’s pure and utter delight. And once you crack through the shell, working your way to the meat, which your teeth just sink into — it’s complete bliss!

So, enough talk, let’s dive right into a sea of adventure as we explore the many different crab offerings at the following Ono, You Know establishments. It’s a crab invasion that’s worth sampling. One recommendation: Bring on the towelettes because if you’re as passionate about crab as I am, you’ll need them!

Kit n Kitchen

Creating the perfect cuisine, Kit and May Yiu, owners of Kit n Kitchen, blend exhilarating European fare with edible works of Asian art. Stop by on any given day during lunch or dinner and you’ll be bombarded by the number of hungry patrons taking in the renowned alluring entrees, many of which are prepared by May herself.

The menu here suits even the most indecisive diner. Yet when it’s crab you’re after, the choice is simple.

“We have a special dish that you have to pre-order a day in advance, and that’s Singapore Spicy Crab,” says Kit.

One word: delicioso. Singapore Spicy Crab ($58.99) is a sight to behold — it definitely commands attention. Imagine a bed of flavorful long rice complete with a medley of vegetables, savory tomatoes, just the right amount of shrimp flavor, garlic and onion, topped with a magnificent whole Dungeness crab! Yes, it’s just as impressive as it sounds!

“It’s then seasoned even more with Singapore-style spicy sauce. However, you can request for mild or medium sauce as well,” Kit explains. “Singapore Spicy Crab is popular for many special occasions and it can generally feed up to four people.”

So, take in this amazing dish, and who cares if your hands get messy, right? We all know when it comes to crab, the messier the better!

Don’t forget, Kit n Kitchen added an Owl Menu to its repertoire, encouraging late-night dining from 9 p.m. to midnight, nightly. This new menu highlights many of the traditional menu’s offerings in addition to a collection of brand new dishes for your dining pleasure.

Kit n Kitchen
Varsity Center
1010 University Ave.
942.7622

Hy’s Steak House

Love is always in the air at Hy’s Steak House. No matter the time of year, hearts and appetites are pouring out a passion for its exquisite cuisine.

Located on Kuhio Avenue, Hy’s delivers the best signature selections of USDA prime beef and kiawe broiled steaks, along with decadent seafood spreads, amid a warm and romantic atmosphere.

Most recently, craving a flavor of the sea, it seemed like the most opportune time to relish in Hy’s avant-garde Alaskan King Crab Dinner (1-and-a-half pounds, $89.95). This royal feast presents you with the most tender of meat accompanied by savory drawn butter and a kick of lemon. The meal also comes complete with your choice of potato or rice and vegetables du jour.

“Guests can order the Alaskan King Crab a la carte as well if they wish, priced at $84.95 for 1-and-a-half pounds or $43.95 for three-fourths pounds,” says general manager Bob Panter.

Yet, if you prefer to dine in class with treasures from both land and sea, opt for Hy’s Steak and Alaskan King Crab Legs combo dinner ($97.95).

“Guests can choose either a 7-ounce Filet Mignon or 9-ounce New York Strip with 1-and-a-quarter pounds of Alaskan King Crab Legs,” Panter states, noting the choice of potato or rice and vegetables du jour are included.

And although you’re bound to be full (to put it lightly) after an extravagant meal such as this, please save room for the sweetest of endings, including Bananas Foster, a specialty flambe prepared tableside, or luxurious Creme Brulee.

Believe me, any evening at Hy’s Steak House will be an unforgettable one, so cherish each and every bite.

Hy’s Steak House
2440 Kuhio Ave.
922.5555

Ho Ho Chinese Cuisine

Crazy about crab? Well, what if I told you you can have all the crab you want and eat to your heart’s content at Ho Ho Chinese Cuisine in Kapolei? OK, I can already sense your mouth watering at this mere thought — but I kid you not! This irresistible eatery draws in crowds of hungry patrons with its extensive all-you-can-eat buffet and various a la carte items, not to mention its impressive dim sum selection. And according to director of sales Armando Bauzon, prices are very affordable.

The dinner buffet is presented nightly starting at 5 p.m. and is priced at $15.95 Monday through Thursday and $17.95 Friday through Saturday. The lunch buffet, which is offered from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., costs $9.95 Monday through Thursday and $11.95 Friday through Sunday. There are special buffet prices for keiki as well, so inquire within.

Calling all crab enthusiasts, the forecast here at Ho Ho Chinese Cuisine calls for mounds of snow crab. So, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

“Snow crab is available seven days a week at dinnertime only,” Bauzon explains. “We serve it with drawn butter and it’s a best-seller. Customers come here especially for the crab, and one person alone can easily consume three to five pounds of crab,” he adds.

And it doesn’t end there. Here at Ho Ho Chinese Cuisine, Salt and Pepper Dungeness Crab also is available a la carte style for $18.95.

Ho Ho Chinese Cuisine
590 Farrington Hwy.
692.9880