There’s a reason why they call it Heavenly, with its sofa seating with coffee tables, facing the marina at the Koko Marina center in Hawaii Kai.
It was a heavenly meal, as far as I was concerned, when I ordered the kal bi special which arrived on a sizzling cast-iron plate, the meat-with-the-bone hiding a mound of rice, sharing a cozy bed atop corn. Remove the decorative greens atop the kal bi, and whoa, there’s ample to enjoy.
Because the kal bi is grilled in the kitchen, you don’t really smell like you’ve been in a Korean restaurant. Besides, this is a Japanese-owned eatery, anyway, so gomen (sorry) if I offended anyone. Had munched on half of the entrée, so enjoyed the leftovers for lunch. Only then did I realize that the sauce seemed slightly over-salted, but it was still a joy.
Our party of five sat in one of those roomy, U-shaped booth seating inside the restaurant, a first for me. The booths were reminders from the past, with retro lamps shaped like palms overhead, and glassy art on the walls. Remembered the tiny battery-operated copper candle on the table, from earlier visits, and this zone of tables is a wholly different experience than the sofa and living room sector facing the waterfront. And likely more comfy, for those with aging back aches, Me, included.
Tried, too, for the first time, Heavenly’s sundae dessert, a compilation of custard cream topped with a cherry, a mini scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, surrounded by a sea of fruits: banana, Mandarin orange slices, a wedge of fresh strawberry, thinly sliced apples…all arranged like ikebana in an old-fashioned fountain sundae dish. Yummy.