Restaurateurs choose Kapolei

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

The husband-and-wife owners of the Assaggio Italian restaurant chain hope to break ground next week on side-by-side Italian and Chinese restaurants in Kapolei.

Thomas and Siri Ky are accepting bids to build two restaurants on Kamokila Boulevard, next to the state building, and hope to begin operations early next year.

"Kapolei is a good, growing community and I think in the future probably going to be so many people living out there," said Thomas Ky, 40, who immigrated from Vietnam in 1979. "We want to give them convenience so they don't have to drive so far to eat other place. We want to build a good restaurant in the community for them."

The Kys run Assaggio Italian restaurants in Hawai'i Kai, Kailua and Mililani and at Ala Moana and the Paesano restaurant at Manoa Marketplace with various partners.

Their Kapolei Italian restaurant, Buono Pasto Assaggio, will have a slightly different name from their Assaggio restaurants because it will involve a different partner, Nghiem Nguyen. Next door, the Kys plan to build — but not operate — a Chinese restaurant they hope to call House of Fortune.

Thomas Ky would like to possibly lease the restaurant to one of his current or former employees.

"I want to build the building and lease it out," Ky said. "I want to retire. My job is to slowly move out of restaurant business and and give someone else keys to run it. I'll be the landlord."

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8085.