T.G.I. Friday's, an old reliable, serves updated menu

By Matthew Gray
Advertiser Restaurant Critic

T.G.I. Friday's menu includes the lemon chicken scaloppini, back left, shrimp summer roll appetizer and the vegetable grill. The restaurant, with locations on Ward Avenue across from Blaisdell Center and in Waikiki, also features drinks such as the Ultimate Captain Colada, left, Ultimate Mudslide, Island Oasis and Strawberry Surprise. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser T.G.I. Friday's 950 Ward Ave. Lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner 3 p.m.-midnight Sundays-Thursdays; Fridays and Saturdays until 12:30 a.m. 524-8443 2058 Kuhio Ave. (inside Ohana Maile Sky Court hotel) Breakfast 6:30 a.m.-11a.m.; full menu 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily 942-8443 Good

I don't often write about Mainland-based chain restaurants, but Friday's has been around for such a long time. The Ward location is more than 20 years old; the Kuhio spot, patronized primarily by tourists and workers in Waikiki, is more than seven years old. And they did a menu update recently.

One of the new appetizers, shrimp summer rolls ($8.89), is quite similar to the kind served at Vietnamese restaurants.

They contain poached shrimp rolled inside a chewy rice-paper wrapper with asparagus, sprouts, carrots, greens and noodles tossed in a peanut dressing with fresh cilantro. These are served fresh and chilled, not fried, with soy-ginger dipping sauce and toasted sesame seeds.

I recommend the firecracker crab roll ($8.89) appetizer — elongated, seasoned crab cakes inside fried spring-roll wrappers, served with a perky Cajun dipping sauce.

They are extremely enjoyable to eat, the hot, crisp exterior contrasting well with the creamy rich crab cake inside.

Another new menu item is a tuna wasabi salad sandwich ($7.89) — albacore flavored with fresh pineapple, celery, water chestnuts and wasabi on brioche, with mixed greens and crispy Chinese noodles. One of my favorites is the roasted vegetable sandwich ($7.89) — red peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and red onions, with fresh mozzarella and a pine-nut basil mayonnaise. They normally serve it chilled, but I enjoy mine hot. If you do, too, just request a quick saute of the roasted veggies and have them melt the cheese under the broiler.

A bare-bones angus-beef hamburger (with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and fries) will set you back $5.59; the more elaborate versions such as peppercorn-crusted with Colby cheese, the bacon cheeseburger, or a mushroom, onion and Swiss cost $7.29 each.

I loved the new lemon chicken scaloppini ($12.49) even though it didn't look like the photograph on the menu.

Food photography is a double-edged sword for restaurants. It clearly adds appeal and will increase the number of orders, but you always run the risk that the real thing won't live up to the advertising. In this case, the chicken was sauteed with mushrooms in a white wine lemon sauce with grilled artichokes over angel-hair pasta. The dish is finished with fried capers and crisp pancetta crumbled on top. Good dish.

The only dish I didn't enjoy in a pair of visits was another new menu item, hurricane shrimp ($12.49), which was way too sweet.

Although shrimp lends itself to some sweetness, this dish lacks any savory appeal. I suggest the cooks reduce the sugar in the tropical coconut cream sauce and increase the heat in the Jalapeno jelly.

For dessert, be sure to try the new dulce de leche ($4.39), an ultra-rich and creamy caramel filling (with a whipped, cream-cheese cake consistency), topped by caramel mousse with even more swirls of caramel, encased in a vanilla crumb crust. Two or three people can share a slice.

T.G.I. Friday's is a legend in the restaurant industry. The chain first opened in 1965 and as of a year ago, there were 671 in more than 50 countries.

The two units on O'ahu are franchises, owned by the Wesco Restaurant Group.

T.G.I. Friday's has created a very friendly environment. They open the double doors for you and greet you with a welcoming smile, and the staffers are knowledgeable about the menu — altogether a well-run business offering comfort and good value.

Reach Matthew Gray at mgray@honoluluadvertiser.com with your comments, questions and suggestions.