Back in Time

Now known as the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the hotel was built in an astounding four months in 1955. With Alfred Apaka singing to packed houses and the beautiful people and the occasional celebrity hanging out at the famed Shell Bar, the hotel became the place to see and be seen. Even today, the Village dominates Waikiki. With nearly 3,400 rooms, it is the largest hotel in Hilton's worldwide chain and by far the biggest in Hawaii. It's one of the handful of Waikiki properties that feels like a true resort instead of a building by the beach.

If you're interested in nostalgia, Bali by the Sea, the Village's fine-dining restaurant, is a good place to visit. With its all-white, French-inspired, outdated interiors, and wait staff with white jackets and light-blue bow ties, it looks like little has changed at Bali since the Reagan administration.

Rack ‘em: Roast Rack of Sonoma Lamb is surrounded by a quartet of appetizers. Photo: Jimmy Forrest

However, the restaurant's famed view of Duke Kahanamoku Beach has never gone out of style. It is purported to have one of the best views in Waikiki. I wouldn't know. When our party of four arrived, we were seated at a table in the far corner of the restaurant, near the hostess stand. Our only view was of the ocean of people dining at the Rainbow Lanai below. For us, it was Bali by the Door.

Bali by the Sea offers one of the best things I've eaten all year. The Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad ($9.25) is served with macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, Banyuls vinegar, olive oil and champagne dressing. Roasting releases the beet's considerable sugars, which are complemented by the savory creaminess of the cheese and the pineapple's sweetness, and contrasted by the tartness of the vinegar and the dressing. In addition, the macadamias were nutty and crunchy. It was an amazing amalgamation of flavors and textures, endlessly interesting.

For my entrée, I ordered the Roast Rack of Sonoma Lamb ($43.25), one of the house specialties. The dish featured mashed Molokai sweet potatoes and assorted vegetables. The meat was basted with an orange hoisin glaze and finished with a spicy peanut demi glaze. The rack was split in two, then rejoined by interlocking the ribs together. It reminded me of two hands held in prayer, which was kind of neat, but also kind of creepy.

The lamb was cooked a perfect medium rare. It was soft and tender and had a nice subtle sweetness that didn't interfere with the meat's natural flavors. The sweet potatoes kept the gentle flavor parade going.

We ended the evening with chocolate truffles in a solid chocolate replica of Diamond Head, complete with a bubbling dry-ice eruption. It's Bali's signature dessert and is offered to all guests compliments of the house. The chocolates were first rate. The dish was classy, kitschy and cool at the same time, sort of like the restaurant itself.

My evening at Bali by the Sea was enjoyable, but I don't know if I'll go back anytime soon. It's pretty expensive. However, I would be persuaded to return, if I could have the biggest beet salad they make, served to me at a table with a view of the ocean.