Kona Grill

Location: 290 N. 170th St. - Village Pointe
Listening to: Sweet Love - Woo Yun Joo

We needed a last minute place to eat on Sunday night. We ended up at Kona Grill via Eat Here, Sunday. Fabulous resource.

Of course Vegan D decided to be vegetarian again, "just this once." But I managed to get him to eat some fish AND chicken. I'm such an evil omnivore :)

Let's get to it...

Hibiscus Cocktail

Cocktails
I chose to start with the Hibiscus Cocktail.  An effervescent drink containing Absolut Pear vodka, St. Germain, Lunetta prosecco, and a sugared hibiscus flower.
This libation was pleasantly sweet with very faint floral notes from the St. Germain.  I loved watching the bubbles rise from the base of the glass.  Dinner and a show!  Of course, it tasted mostly of champagne, in fact, so much that the pear and elderflower were totally eclipsed by the heart prosecco.  Still, a good starter drink.  Eating the flower afterward was a delight.  It tasted quite fruity after its bubbly bath in my glass.  Definitely worth a try!  And the champagne will go straight to your head :)

I also enjoyed a Strawberry Basil Lemonade.  It was very refreshing, and one may be tempted to guzzle it down.  Don't be fooled, this drink isn't virgin.  Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum, lemonade, strawberry, basil, Sprite.  This drink was incredibly cloying and tart, like liquid Smarties.  Strawberry and basil made a cameo on the back end.  The blend of herbal and fruity flavors added a mild complexity to a classic favorite.

Starters and Maki

Angry Edamame & Cold Seaweed Salad

The edamame was angry indeed!  The blanched pods were coated in what tasted like lime juice, chili paste, and garlic, with nutty soybeans on the inside.  Edamame is definitely one of the better beans in the world.  They're not mushy like pinto or white beans (blech!).  This dish left my lips and tongue afire, and consequently almost as angry as the aptly named appetizer.

The seaweed salad provided excellent contrast to cool my temper.  It was slimy and crunchy, coated in glorious sesame oil and seeds....mmmm!  I saw chili flakes but didn't taste them.  One might hesitate to try this salad, but I say go for it.

Volcano Roll

The Volcano Roll is one of my favorite cooked sushi rolls.  It comes garnished with daikon (bitter and starchy) and eel sauce.  Soft shell crab and whitefish on the inside, tender yamagobo and seaweed on the outside, and topped with motoyaki sauce.  A single drop of sriracha lends a hint of spice which is quickly dissolved into creamy, sweet, sinful goodness.  These are small and easily swallowed, so don't eat too fast.  Be sure to savor them just a bit.

The Checkerboard Roll is a whimsical, raw sushi roll of alternating flavors and textures....crisp asparagus, creamy avocado, and spicy habañero tuna on the inside.  The outside was topped with either tuna or yellowtail and spicy motoyaki sauce.  This roll comes with plenty of flavor and isn't dry at all.  I never use soy sauce for maki (unless it's terribly bland), and only then do I choose low sodium soy sauce.  I'm a firm believer you should always try a roll as it comes before drowning it in liquid brown brine.  But I digress...  The roll is marked as a Kona original, so again, a must try.

Checkerboard Roll

Entrées

Dustin ordered a veggie flatbread.... which was unimpressive.  Covered with asparagus, squash, red peppers, mushrooms, pesto, mozzarella, and balsamic reduction.  Ah, balsamic reduction, its saving grace!  Great dish for someone who likes to stick to the same old, same old.  I'm all for eating healthy, but throwing a bunch of "fresh frozen" veggies on a pizza lacks imagination and effort.  And the pesto...ugh the pesto.  Looks a bit nauseating, wouldn't you say?

Grilled Veggie Flatbread

I was feeling adventurous and thought I'd try something new.  Well, new for me.  Disclaimer: I am not a fan of bananas.  And I have been on an anti-chicken crusade for the last three years.  (I mean, really, a white chicken breast is rarely cooked properly and is the blandest meat in existence.  It's simply a vehicle for whatever sauce it's been drenched in.  Why bother?  You're better off with soup and a few chicken bones.)  Anyway, I ended up with Caribbean Chicken, "Pan-Asian Ratatouille," and caramelized bananas.  Talk about a stretch!

This dish smelled more like Thanksgiving turkey than anything from the Caribbean.  The aromas of garlic, sage, and brown sugar were very apparent.  There was a little kick at the end, a bit of jerk spices lay hidden underneath - allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, salt, thyme, and scallion.  It was salty and picante!  Not bad for chicken.  I was pleased to see the meat was roasted still on the bone, not drowned in sauce.  The ratatouille comprised of squash, tomato, eggplant, onion, zucchini, pineapple, black sesame seeds, and lots of cilantro.  I guess "pan-asian" meant regular ratatouille with pineapple salsa.
So I've hated bananas my whole life, but these were surprisingly good!  The skins were still on, but the flesh slid out easily.  There was a thin, delicate, crispy layer of sugar on the top, just like crème brûlée.  More of a dessert if you ask me, but tasty nonetheless.

Caribbean Chicken

While Kona Grill is not an Omaha-based joint, it is still a great place to try new cuisine and indulge in island flavors.  Let me know how your next trip goes by commenting below!