Red Salt

Red Salt at Koa Kea Hotel

Poi'pu, Kauai

Hotel Lobby. Pretty chic, eh?

I adored the throw pillows and the colors. Very organic in material and hip in style.

Before dinner, we went for a little walk by the pool, near the beach. Check out the sunset. Koa Kea is a boutique hotel, so it's not a long walk. The boutique aspect applies to the restaurant as well. Though the restaurant interior of Red Salt is contemporary-modern, the tables are congregated together at the far end of the lobby with a barrier separating the main lobby from the dining area, which cozies it up a bit. The lighting was not good - you could hardly see your plate after dark - and the colors and textures were dull in the restaurant itself, but the natural lighting along the bay window area, where we sat, was nice. I think sitting by the window added to a more pleasant experience; plus, the window area blessed us with a cool breeze.

Lilikoi beurre blanc prawn of the Island Prawn appetizer

The Bread Basket had an excellent wheat bread that was packed with seven grains. It was served cool, and would have been best served warm, but it was still good. Wish I could have taken some back to the hotel for breakfast the next morning! Part of the red salt theme was observed in the butter, which had red salt granules on top. I liked.

Island Prawns: [$10]

Champagne Sauce, Lilikoi Beurre Blanc,

Mango-Avocado Salsa

The prawns were okay, not outstanding in flavor, but they were OK. I liked the Beet salad more, which doesn't look like much but the flavors were good. Oooh beets.

Roasted Kalaheo Beet Salad [$12]

Kailani farm greens, pickled onions, pine nuts, and goat cheese fondue

The dressing and onions were lovely with the beets.

(Rule #1: Don't order the cheap wines here - they are not good and have a lot of tannin, which equals bigger headaches. Opt for something in the medium-priced range, at least.)

Slow-cooked breast of Chicken [$27]

morel mushrooms, yukon gold puree, foie pau sauce

The meat here was so tender, and the morel sauce was divine. Total comfort food, except it's healthier than most.

Pan seared Ono
Fresh vegetables substitute with sake-spiced coconut broth

This coconut broth is a popular glace in Hawaii. Semi-sweet and semi-creamy, with a bit of butter. This is another comfort food meal, even with the vegetables.

(Rule #2: Tell the waiter exactly how long you'd like your fish cooked. These ono fillets were overcooked; next time I'd ask that the cooks prepare it rare. Still, the sauce was yummy, and I finished most of this. The sauce paired well with the vegetables, even.)



Can't get enough of the view, and the sounds from the ocean waves were soothing.