Straits Honolulu Delivers a Tasty Southeast Asian Vibe

Photo: Melissa Chang

I’m just going to get to the point: If you’re looking for authentic Singaporean food, you’re not the target audience for Straits Honolulu.

The restaurant opened in the Ward Entertainment complex a few months ago, drawing mixed reactions. It was created in San Jose by chef Chris Yeo, who was born in Hong Kong and raised in Singapore and yearned for the Southeast Asian flavors he remembered. The Straits California website describes it as a fusion of Malaysian, Indonesian, Chinese, Indian and Nonya (a.k.a. Peranakan) cuisine. The Hawai‘i website also claims the dishes are authentic, which is probably where diners get confused, and the mixed reviews come in.

The food and drinks are fun, and the place is definitely a vibe. But my Singaporean friends and family who have gone have been very judgmental. So don’t read too much into the Singapore theme: It’s just that—a theme.

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Do I like the food? Yes, many items. If I were 25 again, I’d probably meet my friends there every other week. Think of Straits Honolulu as the new Ryan’s or Kincaid’s. But it’s kind of pricey, so it’s better if you go with a few friends.

Photo: Melissa Chang

I like the oysters ($20 for six) and satay sticks ($18), though they aren’t much different from those you may have had somewhere else. And I like the hamachi crudo ($27), which is served with yellow curry. This isn’t a combination that sounds like it would work, but it’s actually pretty good.

Photo: Melissa Chang

The wok-fired mussels ($26) are a great start with cocktails, as they’re plump and wonderfully savory with the oyster sauce and smoked garlic butter glaze.

Photo: Melissa Chang

Don’t miss the Asian aguachile ($29), a Hawai‘i-exclusive item created by chef Reid Matsumura. It’s a refreshing and spicy dish of poached shrimp, Kahuku sea asparagus, Ho Farms tomatoes, finger limes, shaved onions and tobiko.

Photo: Melissa Chang

The laksa broth is spicy, creamy and comforting. People have complained that it’s $24, but even the most legit laksa on O‘ahu (which is, by the way, Café Kopi) is about $20. And you know why? Because we are in Hawai‘i, not Singapore.

SEE ALSO: New Windward Café Has Singaporean Flair and Weekend Laksa

Photo: Melissa Chang

Whole fish ($55) at Straits Honolulu is a snapper, fried crispy and served with baby bok choy, Thai basil and a spicy black bean chile garlic sauce. I like that it’s savory, spicy and very hearty. It’s one of those fried foods that’s great to share with a few friends, and cocktails, too.

Photo: Melissa Chang

The chili crab ($80) is good, but it’s definitely a splurge and definitely hands-on, so you do have to work for it. The fresh, shell-on Dungeness crab is in a house chile sauce or black pepper sauce accompanied by fried bao buns. If you can get rice instead of the bao buns, I would recommend that.

Photo: Melissa Chang

One thing that is authentic is the roti ($12). It’s flaky, chewy and buttery, just like the ones I eat in Little India, lah. These come with a curry sauce for dipping, but I use them to mop up the chile crab sauce instead.

Photo: Melissa Chang

Get some cocktails, all priced about $16 to $17, and you’ll be set. My favorites were The Jillian, which is a floral lychee martini, and the Milk & Honey, which is a tequila milk punch with Thai chile-infused banana du Bresil, Carpano Bianco, honey syrup and lemon milk. These are smooth and super easy to drink.

If you’ve read this far, you should probably go at 4 p.m. when Straits Honolulu opens, so you can sit in the lounge area and spread your food and drinks out on the larger tables. (Tip: the natural lighting is yummy at this time, so your Instagram will look good.) Then you can be home and in bed well before the place turns into a club for all the 20-somethings.

Better yet, try the weekday lunch, which just started last week. The lunch menu and prices are much more approachable and nicely done. Nasi lemak plates are all $20 and include pandan coconut rice, wok-fried egg, spicy pickled vegetables, fried anchovies with peanuts, a bowl of chicken broth and your choice of protein (I like the miso-glazed salmon and sambal eggplant).

The roti john—basically a baguette sandwich—is $18 and filled with Ma‘o Farms sassy mix, Kamuela tomatoes, onion omelet, sambal aioli and your choice of protein (I like the butter chicken katsu and beef rendang, which is way better than the dinner entrée). The sandwich is served with fries and a galangal cocktail.

Photo: Melissa Chang

If you don’t like surprises, you can get a Cobb salad ($24) that’s large enough to share. There’s also a selection of starters, as well as specialties from the dinner menu, like Hainan chicken, laksa and lemongrass beef. Interestingly enough, kaya toast ($12) is a starter, which is something you eat for breakfast in Singapore. I do like this version, using shokupan from Okayama Kobo Bakery next door: You break the egg, mix it with the shoyu and black pepper, then dip the sweet kaya toast into the salty mix.

I understand weekend brunch has just started, as well, so their menus are now rounded out. And parking is right there in the Ward Entertainment complex.

Open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m and 4 to 6 p.m. for happy hour; Sunday to Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight. 1060 Auahi St., (808) 888-0683, straitshawaii.com, @straitshonolulu