The 2004 `Ilima Awards

[pzarquon]

The Honolulu Advertiser today has published its "Hawai'i's Best Restaurants" guide, including the readers' picks for best restaurants. The full list is apparently only available in hardcopy to home subscribers, but they've posted the highlights online:

• Hawai'i's Best Restaurant:
  Alan Wong's Restaurant
• Best New Restaurant 2003-2004:
  Cheesecake Factory
• Best Fine-Dining Restaurants:
  Ruth's Chris Steak House, Hy's Steakhouse, John Dominis
• Best Family Restaurants:
  Zippy's, Big City Diner, Anna Miller's 24-Hour Restaurant
• Best for Pasta:
  Auntie Pasto's
• Best Bakery:
  Liliha Bakery & Coffee Shop
• Best Drinks and Pupu:
  Ryan's Grill
• Best Coffee Bar:
  Starbucks
• Best Vegetarian:
  Down to Earth Deli
• Best Plate Lunch:
  L & L Drive-Inn
• Best Central O'ahu Restaurant:
  Ruby Tuesday
• Best Windward O'ahu Restaurant:
  Lucy's Grill & Bar
• Best North Shore Restaurant:
  Haleiwa Joe's Seafood Grill, Hale'iwa
• Best Leeward O'ahu Restaurant:
  Bravo Restaurant
• Best East O'ahu Restaurant:
  Roy's Restaurant, Hawai'i Kai
• Best Southeast Asian:
  Keo's in Waikiki
• Best Italian Restaurant:
  Assaggio
• Best Japanese:
  Kyo-Ya Restaurant
• Best French restaurant:
  La Mer, Halekulani hotel
• Best Chinese:
  Hee Hing Restaurant
• Best Korean:
  Sorabol Restaurant
• Best Restaurant, Kaua'i:
  Hamura Saimin Stand
• Best Restaurant, Maui County:
  Longhi's
• Best Restaurant, Big Island:
  Merriman's
• Best Hotel Restaurant, O'ahu:
  Hoku's, Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii hotel
• Best Hotel Restaurant, Neighbor Islands:
  Kona Beach Restaurant, King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel
• Critics' Choice Restaurants:
  BluWater Grill, 12th Ave. Grill, Hilo Bay Café and Chef Mavro

[easTTriver]

Re: The 2004 `Ilima Awards

alan wong's is definitely my favorite restaurant.

the service is outstanding (IMO, best service along with Roy's)
it has the best tasting food i ever ate: appetizers, soups, main entree were good. i didn't have any dessert though.

[pzarquon]

Re: The 2004 `Ilima Awards

The folks over at eGullet have noticed an unusually high correlation between the restaurants picked for these awards and the restaurants that are regular advertisers in the Advertiser. BluWater Grill is a "critic's choice," even though the critic who reviewed it gave it only middling marks.

Matthew Gray, who signed off in May, now runs HawaiiFoodTours.com. Anyone ever been on one?

[Mocha]

Re: The 2004 `Ilima Awards

The Hawaii food tours sounds interesting but I don't have that kind of money to spend...not on a fixed income. Maybe the tour guide will write a book then I can go visit the places on my own...you know like the okazuya book and I think there is a plate lunch book...local style too.

[glossyp]

Re: The 2004 `Ilima Awards

I was speaking with a restaurant owner yesterday and he claims inside knowledge of certain winners where the owners and/or managers purchase hundreds of papers with the ballots inside and then require admin staff to vote for their restaurant over and over again. Hummm....yet another twist to what appears to be a sordid tale