I had friends in town this week, and someone made a suggestions that we go to Henry Loui for dinner. I had never heard of the place, but I was told that the food was good, and that it would be a relaxed, and casual dining experience.
The restaurant is located in Mapunapuna right in the same complex where the 99 Ranch Market used to be, the Mapunapuna Ethnic Village. There are a couple of signs on the street that will point you in the right direction when you enter the area. Just remember it’s on the Diamond Head side of the complex.
The restaurant itself is an interesting mix of bar and steakhouse. Think of Stuart Anderson/Black Angus on one side, and your favorite sports/karaoke bar on the other side, and that’s what Henry Loui’s looks like. There is a fair amount of seating on both sides, bigger booths and tables being on the steakhouse side. There are a few large screen tv’s, and the lighting is low, and spotty.
Apparently this place is knows for it’s ribs. “Best Suckin’ Ribs in town”, they claim.
But there’s other notable fare. A good mix of steaks, and seafood appear on the menu — from prime rib, to the old standards, new york steak, lobster and shrimp. There’s also a good mix of sandwiches, and one burger, which you can dress up in a variety of ways. Nothing out of the ordinary or extravagant. The menu is simple. What you see is what you get.
Our party went in a few different directions. Most had combos of prime rib and seafood. One had ribs. I opted for the French Dip Sandwich.
This particular one claimed to have Prime Rib in it. I’ve seen these before, and to say that you have Prime Rib in your sandwich, is a bold statement. When I think Prime Rib, I’m thinking tender, juicy meat, cut thick, seasoned and prepared well, and slow cooked to perfection. That’s setting the bar pretty high for a sandwich.
The place wasn’t banging, so we didn’t have to wait too long for our food to arrive. Everyone’s food looked good. From what I could see, that is. I mean, it was dark, but not so dark that I had to bust out the Night Vision Goggles to see what I was eating. More light would have been good, though.
The French Dip sandwich came with a light, warm Au Jus. Tasty without being too salty. It also came with seasoned french fries. It looked like they’d been double fried — you know, fried once and then again to heat them up — because they had a real crispy “shell” on them, while retaining the fluffy insides. Very good. Also came with a carrot stick, and pickle.
The sandwich itself was well constructed. The bread was a baguette type roll, with a firm, pliable, light brown crust that didn’t flake, and a nice, buoyant, chewy, inside that was thankfully not doughy or rubbery. Also Very Good.
Now, the meat. Prime Rib? I’d have to say yes, but it wasn’t the kind you get as an entree. Of course you can’t expect that, and even if they did slide it in between bread, that wouldn’t make a good sandwich. It was actually well done, not raw, or red…a tad dry, but flavorful with just the right amount of fat around the edges, and when you put it to the Au Jus, it came together nicely. Overall, a very good sandwich.
And, for $10.95, not a bad deal. The portions were very good, from meat to french fries. Would have liked to try a creamy horseradish spread with it. That might have put it over the top. But I walked away very satisfied.
As for the others, the general consensus was the the food was good, the prices were decent, and the service was fine. As for thre ribs? The ribs were “good”. Were they the best? Nobody was ready to make that statement. But if you get the chance, you should try it for yourself.
The experience was good enough to encourage me to come back and try some other stuff sometime.
Henri Loui Resturaunt
(808) 833-3728
2850 Paa St, Honolulu, HI 96819
Cuisine: Steak, Seafood, some Local Food.
Price Range for Entree : $10-$30
Parking: Parking Lot (I heard it gets real crowded at Lunch Time, though. Keep that in mind)
Opens at 11:00am and closes at 2am most days.
Reservations: Yes, you can call to make reservations.
Other: Sports/Karaoke Bar right next to dining room.
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