A Review of the Monkeypod Kitchen at Ko'Olina

The hubby and I celebrated our 3rd year anniversary earlier this month and we decided to celebrate it at Monkeypod at Ko'Olina. I love going back to Ko'Olina because that's where we got married, plus the place is gorgeous. The beach is gorgeous, the hotels are fabulous, and there are many nice restaurants where you can sit and have a super relaxing time. It's like being in a vacation 15 minutes from home! So, Monkeypod! What a peculiar name, right? I never thought this place would be so chic being called Monkeypod. But hey, Chef Merriman named it Monkeypod and that's certainly catchy and different.

Monkeypod specializes in fresh meals and by fresh, I mean fresh. They only serve local fish, local vegetables, Big Island grass-fed beef, virtually everything in their menu is grown here in Hawaii. Our server was extremely friendly and immediately explained to us how their items are organic and locally-grown. If you didn't know from visiting their website they're going to tell you once you sit down. All their appetizers sounded amazing. We tried the Raw Bar Mixed Plate which brings taco (octopus), ahi (tuna), and shrimp ceviche. It was pretty good, but kind of on the small side. The other appetizer we tried was the Pumpkin Patch Ravioli. WOW! That was amazing. That could be an entree all on its own. I really liked it, I thought it was delicious and original. 10 points! My hubby ordered the steak which, again, comes from the Big Island, and I had the ahi steak. I can't talk about the steak (all I can say is that he ate the whole thing - and it was a good size), but I can tell you about the Ahi Steak. It was PERFECTION. 5 stars. It was the BEST ahi I've ever had, cooked in the most perfect way.

Lastly, the drinks. Neither my hubby and I are beer drinkers, but they have more than 30 beers on tap, and serve all of the local beers from the islands. Their beer list includes beers from California all the way to Belgium. We stayed true to ourselves and ordered cocktails. I had a margarita which I thought was ok, and also had a sangria which was excellent. The hubby had a Mai Tai and it was served with some kind of cream on top. I've never seen a Mai Tai like that so points for originality. Overall we had a fantastic time, and they complimented us to dessert for our anniversary. They're just awesome!

I loved everything about this place and I'm so happy they're close to my house. They have happy hour from 3:00-5:30pm where their appetizers and drinks go 50% off, plus they have live music. This place is not to be missed if you're visiting Hawaii, and if you live in Hawaii, careful because you might get addicted. We didn't have reservations, but the place is huge (2 stories), so they have plenty of space.

For more information visit www.monkeypodkitchen.com. They also have a location in Wailea, Maui, which is their original location.

Have fun!