Posted on: Sunday, October 30, 2005
BACKPAGE STORY
Todai brings back its carving station
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| Chef Masaaki Kai and Jeff Chen have added more desserts, sushi and a carving station to the lineup.
Photo by Randy T. Fujimori Todai Where: 1910 Ala Moana Blvd. Call: 947-1000 Hours: Lunch Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and from 11 a.m. Sunday and holidays; dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; between 5 and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and from 5 to 9 p.m. on Sundays Prices: Lunch costs $14.95 Mondays through Fridays, and $16.95 on Saturdays and Sundays. Dinner is priced at $25.95 Mondays through Thursdays, and $27.95 on weekends and holidays. Also, those celebrating a birthday (on the actual day) will be treated to a free meal, with three paying adults. Present your I.D. before ordering. Note: Private parties of up to 36 guests can now be accommodated in a separate dining area. |
The bow tie was made with leeks. The roses were carved from beets. And cubes of mint jelly surrounded the piece de resistance — a leg of lamb.
"My biggest challenge is trying to keep everything new," said Todai kitchen manager Masaaki Kai, referring to the lamb, which will be part of the restaurant's new carving station that was introduced last Friday night. "I study and keep studying in search of new dishes."
While not exactly "new" in preparation, the eight-pound leg of lamb is rubbed with coriander and cumin then roasted with rosemary.
"You've got to taste my lamb," Kai smiled. "It's good. No, I should say it's mmm good."
Next to the lamb, a 15-pound slab of prime rib will sit under a hot lamp, waiting to be sliced.
"We used to have a carving station several years ago," said assistant general manager Jeff Chen. "This time around, though, we're hoping to have the lamb carving station every night. But the prime rib will still only be available on weekends. "
Since coming under new ownership and management earlier this year, Todai has improved in looks — complete with a new "Celebration" party room for 36 guests — and in food.
While the buffet is replete with homemade desserts, fresh salads, shrimp and vegetable tempura and at least 15 different other hot items, Chen likes to place an emphasis on the teppanyaki station.
"We're the only ones that have this for lunch and dinner," he said. "There's always a long lineup at this station."
Here, guests can choose from among such items as beef, calamari, salmon and baby sausages — items may vary — which will be cooked to order.
Long lines also form around the sushi counter, where guests can pile their plates with such nigiri sushi as unagi, hamachi, saba, salmon, ikura and tuna.
In the evening, Kai and his kitchen crew keep up with the high demand for Dungeness and snowcrab legs, and hustle to keep chafing dishes filled with chicken teriyaki, pan-fried noodles, green mussels, gyoza, mabo tofu, breaded calamari and spicy shrimp.
"We go through a lot of food every day," Kai said. "That's the other most challenging part of my job — making sure that we never run out of food."
They never do.
