Photo courtesy Trump Tower

Wai'olu at Trump Tower Waikiki Beachwalk offers locally inspired dishes and cocktails.

Photo courtesy Trump Tower

An extensive bar and outdoor seating overlooking Waikiki adds to the elegant atmosphere.

Innovative cocktails at Trump Tower’s Wai‘olu

Shaken, stirred, caramelized, gold-encrusted or infused, the cocktails at Wai’olu – the sixth-floor bistro in the new Trump Tower – are stellar reasons to dip into the newest ultra-luxury Waikiki property.

The “liquid kitchen” menu makes pau hana taste like the start of a beautiful friendship. From a Chinese five-spice tequila drink with basil and caramelized pineapple to a light honeydew elixir with antioxidant-boasting liqueur to a bubbly gin drink with an edible hibiscus, the libations are fruity, fresh and generously mixed with fine liquors and homemade infusions. Its frothy signature Mai Tai may rank among the Islands’ best.

“The cocktails might seem complicated and the prep may actually be extensive, but the drinks are not complicated to make,” says food and beverage manager and award-winning cocktail artist Christina Maffei. Maffei handcrafts most of the infusions and syrups for the drinks, which are blended or muddled with only the freshest herbs and fruits. She dismisses trendy cocktails that look good, but fall short on flavor.

“Just like a meal, you don’t want it too strong, too spicy, too sweet, too sour,” she says. “We want the balance.”

Strains of traditional Hawaiian music dance over the sound system at Wai’olu, which means “calm water.” The plush, foliage-filled lanai seating is unfortunately not high enough to escape the street noise below, but the view is greener than most in Waikiki – a glimpse toward the ocean horizon on one hand and the mountains on the other, with urban Honolulu framed in the middle.

The bar menu at Wai’olu is a microcosm of the Italian, Japanese and fusion options that make up the full breakfast, lunch and dinner items sent out by executive chef Shoji Namatame. Almost too cute to eat is the Wai’olu loco moco, served miniaturized in Asian soupspoons. It is a single, perfect bite of a rice and ground beef croquette with a fried quail egg topper, sitting in a splash of gravy. The edamame hummus is intriguing and tasty, and the staff gleams with pride over the homemade pate. The king crab tempura roll is generously portioned, and thus a good idea before moving down the cocktail menu.

Suddenly, a silvery glint at the end of the bar catches a ray of afternoon light. It is a four-spout absinthe fountain, containing ice water used to louche the absinthe, a diluting process that transforms the color of the drink and unlocks herbal properties. Originally brought in to celebrate Mardi Gras, the fountain is a piece from Maffei’s personal collection that has proved popular among connoisseurs who appreciate the proper rituals of absinthe service.

Other popular drink specialties include an a.m. Bloody Mary bar, extensive champagne specials and a long list of shochu, a distilled drink from Japan gaining in popularity.

With a developing calendar of live music, changing menu and specialty cocktails planned for holidays such as Girl’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, April Fool’s Day and Easter, there is always a mouth-watering reason to pop into Wai’olu Bistro.

Wai’olu
Trump International Hotel & Tower
223 Saratoga Road
Honolulu, HI 96815
808-683-7777
www.trumpwaikikihotel.com
Open 6:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. daily