Hawaii Day 05

Today was a relaxing day, as we finally got to spend some time at the pool and beach. We had been super-careful to stay out of the sun prior to the wedding, so we really let loose and baked today (with sunscreen on, of course). The weather was perfect outside, and it was very relaxing. We checked out the jacuzzi for a little bit, and even made sand castles on the beach (it was condemned due to water damage, unfortunately).

For lunch we went back to the Hula Grill, and sat at the Barefoot Bar section. It’s all sand on the bottom, and you can take you sandals off and admire the nearby water. There are little birds and lizards all around, and the view was spectacular. I started off with the Crab and Macadamia Nut Wontons (which had a kicking mustard sauce). Bunky had a simple burger and I went with the BBQ pork sandwich (taking a small break from fish).

After lunch we took a nap and then went back to the pool again. It was great to just be lazy and not have to worry about wedding preparations. It was more fun in the sun until we went back to the room to get ready for dinner at Son’z. This was the first restaurant that had a black star in the Fodor’s guide. I was really excited for the food and Bunky was excited for the view of the swan lake. It was so beautiful there on the water, although I was annoyed that Son’z has a house photographer. They take your picture and offer you a poor quality picture (my white shirt looked blue…) for $20, and it also precludes asking the waiter to take a snapshot with your own camera (which we did at most other places). Our waiter also seemed rather stern, and we were afraid he would yell at us if we didn’t finish up our food.

We both started with salads, and Bunky had the simple “Just a Salad” (Baby Greens and Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette) while I had the Son’z Chopped Salad (Hearts of Palm, Rock Shrimp, Avocado, Grape Tomatoes, and Nalo Frams Cress). Both were pretty good. For entrees, Bunky had the Kobe Beef Meatloaf with Potatoes Au Gratin. I had the Island Snapper prepared with Pohole Ferns Shoots and Maui Onions on Buckwheat noodles. The snapper was cooked to perfection and had fantastic texture and flavor. The other things… not so much. I had had ferns at the Feast at Lele and they were good, but maybe these were different ferns. They had a sticky inside like okra (which I hate). There were also too many flavors going on with the pickled ginger (which I also hate) and the broth. The buckwheat noodles didn’t seem to have the right texture either.

Bunky’s meatloaf had a nice smooth texture, but the dish was too strongly wine flavored. I think if you like very rich food, Son’z would be fantastic, but it was definitely on the opposite end of the spectrum from Plantation House. After the main course, we just shared a Chocolate-Peanut Butter Napoleon with a peanut brittle on the side. It was good, and we were totally stuffed. We capped off the evening by walking along the beach and then laying in a hammock and staring up at the stars. The stars were all so bright and beautiful, and it was a perfect ending to the evening. It was super-romantic, at least until it started to drizzle and we had to run back indoors.

Related posts:

1. Hawaii Day 04
2. Hawaii Day 06
3. Hawaii Day 03