Set Sail for a Bountiful Feast

Experience the créme de la créme of fine-dining amid a beachfront oasis at The Kahala Hotel & Resort’s Plumeria Beach House. This picture-perfect setting is the ideal backdrop for indoor or outdoor dining, and the top-notch cuisine makes jaws drop and mouths water time and time again.

Plumeria Beach House, which opened its doors in 1996, now ups the ante even more and brings your every foodie fantasy to life with its Bounty of the Seven Seas: Seafood Dinner Buffet, offered Friday and Saturday evenings. Regarded as one of the best seafood buffets in town, guests are encouraged to immerse their palate into flavorful selections of seafood, meat, pasta, salads, appetizers, decadent desserts and more.

Dining Out recently caught up with Plumeria Beach House chef Jason Watanabe and food and beverage director Todd Oldham to learn more about this bountiful feast. Make your reservations now, so you can dive right into this sea of flavors!

DO: Plumeria Beach House features island-inspired cuisine in a breathtaking, secluded beachfront location. What makes this renowned establishment stand in a league of its own?

Oldham: What sets us apart is our incredible location. Plumeria Beach House is only minutes from Waikiki, but the view makes you feel as if you’ve stepped on to a Neighbor Island. Our property is surrounded by fragrant plumeria trees and that was the inspiration behind the name.

DO: Plumeria Beach House currently presents its Bounty of the Seven Seas: Seafood Dinner Buffet. What does this exquisite buffet offer guests?

Oldham: This buffet offers a vast assortment of delicious edibles ranging from fresh salads to chilled seafood, a carving station and tempting desserts. It also includes an action station, where you can create your very own hot entree prepared right in front of your eyes by one of our skilled chefs. Main dishes change nightly for the best variety and feature different ports of call, from Asia to Europe. The buffet is priced at $55 (plus tax and gratuity) per adult and $27.50 per child ages 6 to 12. We also offer a 15 percent kamaaina discount. The dinner buffet is available every Friday and Saturday evening from 5:30 to 10 p.m.

DO: What are some of the standout dishes that diners can look forward to?

Watanabe: Some featured dishes are Sous Vide Ribeye Steak, Steamed Snow Crab with Bearnaise Sauce, assorted domestic and imported cheeses, Smoked Salmon with Grilled French Bread, Seafood Bouillabaisse with Prawns, Mussels, Roasted Leeks and Ho Farms Tomatoes. These aforementioned dishes are based on our featured port of call, which was the beautiful country of France.

DO: For someone who has yet to dine at Plumeria Beach House, how would you describe the dining concept?

Oldham: We offer very diverse dining experiences. We like to think we have the perfect blend of up-scale beachfront dining and traditional island favorites. Here at Plumeria Beach House, we present everything from a full breakfast buffet to a fantastic lunch experience, our long-standing Curry Wednesday (where you might get a glimpse of a local celebrity or two), exceptional dinners and, of course, Bounty of the Seven Seas: Seafood Dinner Buffet.

DO: Aside from the seafood buffet, what are some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes?

Watanabe: The “Hawaiian Style” Braised Kurobuta Pork with Sweet Potato Taro Puree and Lomi Lomi Tomato ($28) is a favorite among guests, in addition to Rosemary and Hawaiian Salt Roasted Half Chicken ($28) served with mashed potatoes — another crowd pleaser. Finally, Peanut Miso Glazed Butterfish with Wok Fried Vegetables and Steamed Matsuri Rice ($28) rounds out the most popular dishes.

DO: Delicious! Are there any new items on the menu that have been enticing guests?

Watanabe: Yes! Steamed Manila Clams with Penne Pasta in a White Wine Garlic Butter Sauce, Fresh Sage, and Manchego Cheese ($26) is a new item on the menu. Also Charcuterie Plate ($18) is a new appetizer featuring sliced Italian dry salami, Parmesan cheese, shaved prosciutto ham, chef’s weekly inspired rillett served with balsamic shal-lots and grilled artisan bread.

DO: What is one common thing that patrons love about Plumeria Beach House?

Oldham: Our guests love the food, of course! Executive chef Wayne Hirabayashi, executive sous chef Daniel Uyejo and Plumeria Beach House chef Jason Watanabe do a fantastic job sourcing and preparing the best ingredients. But secretly, I think the view doesn’t hurt!

DO: What do you foresee in the near future for Plumeria Beach House?

Oldham: In the near future, slack-key master Makana will perform Oct. 27, Nov. 24 and Dec. 29 from 6 to 9 p.m. Looking ahead to 2014, we’re also looking forward to a change in decor and furnishings. With a restaurant like Plumeria, the location and view are decor enough. We just want to complement it as best we can.

Plumeria Beach House

The Kahala Hotel and Resort
5000 Kahala Ave.
739-8760
Open daily
Breakfast, 6:30-11:30 a.m.
Lunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Curry buffet Wednesdays, 11:45 a.m.-2 p.m.
Dinner, 5:30-10 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday