Returned to Pewa approximately 2 weeks later to partake in Happy Hour on a Friday afternoon, which runs from 2PM - 5 PM. First, let's talk about:
PARKING: parking on weekday can present it's challenges, especially since we are used to parking on the street on Sundays for free! We had to come on a Friday due to an event at Skull and Crown down the street, so Friday it was for Happy Hour at Pewa. Metered parking on the street for $3.00/hour with a one-hour limit. We decided to park in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza parking which costs $2.00 per 1/2 hour with the first 30 minutes free. After 5 PM husband drove out and parked the car in the street, which was free. Unfortunately, he parked under a tree, which left bird poop all over the car, which forced me to go through a really, terrible car wash that I had to pay $18.00 for basically nothing (had to hand wash the bird poop off the next day - stay tuned for a review).
SERVICE: super friendly, but painfully slow. It wasn't that crowded but i can imagine Happy Hour with a bunch of drink requests, with a small kitchen working hard in the back. When we did get service it was very cordial and attentive.
HAPPY HOUR DRINKS: $10 drinks with a choice of the Waialua Ginger Spritz, 'Oi Lilikoi Spritz and the La'ie Vanilla Espresso Martini. We only ordered the Espresso Martini toward the end, and it was the best drink, should have taken a clue from all the other bar-goers and followed their example, the only problem is that a few sips of the espresso martini kept me up mostly all night. The Spritz drinks were fine, a bit on the sour side. Buzz factor for the spritz 2/5 and 3/5 for the espresso martini based on my body weight and size (not divulging, of course), husband felt nothing but we are not coming to Happy Hour to get buzzed, right?
CROWN FLOWER ($18): Very good drink but moderately priced given it's very large, super-clear crafted ice cube. I'm not being sarcastic when I say these types of ice cubes are "crafted" because they are. It takes time and money to make each cube of crystal-clear ice, so that's probably factored into the price. Milk-washed gin, lychee and pikake syrup, blue butterfly pea tea. I could tasted the milk-washed gin with very faint floral flavors, not at all bold or forward but I thoroughly enjoyed this cocktail, this had to have been my favorite thing of the night. Buzz factor 2.5/5 but thoroughly enjoyable due to the complex flavors and presentation (it was so pretty I had to go to the patio and take a photo of it under some outdoor lighting and plants in the courtyard).
HAPPY HOUR PUPUS:
Brussels Sprouts ($8.00) was the best, and this is what I came back for after coming to the VIP breakfast brunch about 2 weeks ago. We couldn't figure out if the flavoring was rosemary or thyme, but in the end I came up with a crazy notion that perhaps the sprouts were doused with a bit of their Pono Potions lavender syrup, it was very subtle but added a complex depth of flavor.
Frito Misto ($10) fried calamari with some veggies thrown in, not a huge fan but it wasn't bad either. Just average.
Parmesan Fries ($6.00) with standard shoe-string fries with shredded Parmesan grated over it. We wanted ketchup but didn't want to bother the servers as they seemed really busy.
All three pupus came with a white lemon aioli dipping sauce, across the board.
Total bill, without tip was $88.00 rounded down (not a bad deal for 4 HH drinks, 1 specialty drink, 3 small pupu plates). Be aware they add a "Kitchen Love" fee to your bill, and for us, it was under $2.00 and we totally do not mind, but if that kind of "hidden" fee bothers you, it's best to keep that in mind.
Return factor - will try to return for brunch next time, or standard evening/lunch fare. Happy hour will return probably for the espresso martinis, and only if I want to stay up all night.