Surf and Turf

Probably no other chef in Hawaii has been able to bridge the local/tourist divide as seamlessly as D.K. Kodama. Mixing the familiar with the exotic and outlandish and combining quality and quantity, Kodama has been able win a wide following. Of course, guys like Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong have legions of fans, but there is something comfortable and comforting about dining at Sansei.

A different venue isn't the only thing new about Sansei. Since the 10,000-square-foot space in the Waikiki Beach Marriot Resort was too big for Kodama's sushi restaurant alone, he split the area in half and also opened a steakhouse. Talk about surf and turf.

I visited d.k. Steakhouse on a Thursday evening with my wife, 21/2-year-old son and my parents. Like Sansei, d.k. Steakhouse interiors aren't fancy, just homey and warm.

OSCAR WILD: d.k. Steakhouse’s Filet Mignon and Crab Oscar is served with Waialua asparagus.

Our hostess showed us to a side booth that comfortably accommodated the five of us, along with my son's small collection of toy cars and trucks, a handful of crayons and a picture book. But the steakhouse isn't just good for families. There were also several couples on date night, honeymooning tourists and a couple of tables of Mainlanders and locals doing business.

d.k.'s menu is fairly easy to navigate, so it didn't take us long to decide. We started out the meal with a Monster Shrimp Cocktail ($11.95), Sansei-Style Crab Cakes ($10.95) and a Sliced, Vine-Ripened Tomatoes and Maui Onion Salad ($7.95). The cocktail came with three enormous shrimp and was straightforward and delicious. The crab cakes, accompanied by a ginger lime chili butter sauce, was one of the best I've ever had. The cakes were all crab, crispy on the outside and moist and flaky on the inside. The sauce was creamy and tangy, and brightened up the salty crab meat. Never have so few ingredients tasted like so many.

The tomato salad was also simple and scrumptious. The vine-ripened tomatoes and shaved Maui onions were incredibly sweet and delicate, while the crumbled bleu cheese and sliced basil provided just the right amount of oomph.

For my entrée I ordered the Monster Shrimp Scampi ($28.50). Although I'm a steak lover, I just couldn't pass up any dish named "monster shrimp." The shrimp were the size of U-boats, massive, meaty and juicy. However, the garlic butter sauce was a little too rich for me. I ended up eating about half the linguine that came with the dish, but I finished all of the shrimp.

Also on our table were two different filet mignons: a 10 oz. "Regular" Filet ($28.95) and a Sansei Filet Mignon ($27.95), which was topped with shiitake mushrooms and demi-glaze. Both my wife and my mother declared that they were the best steaks they had ever eaten.

About mid-meal, my son got antsy and my wife took him for a walk by the hotel's pool and deck. After I gobbled down the last of my shrimp, I found them at the far end of the lanai, leaning against the railing and listening to none other than Auntie Genoa Keawe singing. Her soprano/falsetto voice was as clear as the November sky. The standing-room-only crowd was largely local, with a handful of tourists, who were probably unaware that they were enjoying the most authentic evening of their vacation. A couple of women in the crowd spontaneously started dancing the hula in between tables, singing along.

It was a perfect, beautiful night in touristland.