Restaurant Week in Hawaii is November 16 - 22 this year. My very organized friend, Amy, got us reservations for lunch at Stage Restaurant - I had wanted to go there for YEARS! My family thinks it's too pricey, but I feel that once in a while, you need to treat yourself and enjoy life! This is a very hipster place - what do you expect when the eatery is located inside of a furniture store (Honolulu Design Center) on the second floor? The tables, lighting, decorations such as paintings, etc. were all very modern and eye-catching! When you park in the building, enter on the Piikoi Street driveway and get your ticket validated, you get 3 hours free - YAY! Amy & I both chose the special 3-Course lunch for $30, partly because "A portion of the proceeds from Restaurant Week Hawaii will support the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head". Another reason why we selected the set menu was because of the following: 1. Graham Cracker Crusted Fried Calamari with 2 sauces: Chili Aioli and Wasabi Cocktail 2. Mom's Pot Roast - with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted vegetables and Crispy Onions 3. Dessert du Jour - Pecan Pie with vanilla ice cream That calamari was so GOOD! The 2 sauces gave the dish variety and I happily hopped from one to the other! The crunch on the outside was a smart contrast to the soft inside! YES!! Mom's Pot Roast was the comfort food that we sought after. It filled our tummies and warmed our hearts! I used the very savory sauce to liven up the veggies. Then I paired the onions with the mashed potatoes. Other combinations worked out well, so just go ahead and eat everything together or alone! Pecan Pie is not my favorite. This one, however, is not your typical pecan pie. I was expecting a triangular, traditional pie. Instead, it came out as a rectangular shape in a cookie bar form. Enjoyed the thick, buttery crust! The whipped cream helped to balance out the sweetness, especially from the decadent chocolate layer between the pecans and the crust! The vanilla ice cream was infused with cookie crumbs - Amy pointed out that it had a gingery flavor - could it be crushed gingerbread??? How clever! The food and its presentation, the ambiance, the service,... everything - was so wonderful and such a great experience! (Note: go to the restroom - it's a contemporary grunge style, but very cool and pleasant! Check out the sink - hint, hint!) Thanks, Amy, for this Restaurant Week memory!! read more

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*This review is for the bar counter service* Somehow we find ourselves back here over and over because of the great friendly service from Bartender Matty,she' awesome! Hey don't judge me because I like sitting at the bar! Ahem!!.. (Terry K.) would agree we me..lol! Don't get me wrong I also come here for the beer on Tap whether it's Deschutes ,Sierra Nevada or some tasty IPA that they seem to change it up every so often. If you're lucky enough to catch the Happy Hour food special which is Mon-Fri 5:00pm-7:00pm they offer a small limited ,but really cheap HH food menu. Even if we miss the HH specials ordering off the regular dinner menu is no problem because sharing a couple of orders is perfect amount of food for us. I love the restaurants decor and nice warm ambiance, perfect for a date night. The noise level is not factor so holding a conversation is no problem. Don't get freaked out by the Old Dude by the entrance holding a tray with a drink or the life size horse..lol! *Street Parking or Free/Valet Parking with main entrance of the Honolulu Design Center located on Piikoi St. read more

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EVERYONE IS HAPPY HERE during HAPPY HOUR, even the KIDS!!! CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY. So there really are four parts to this orange building on the corner of Piikoi/Kapiolani/Pensacola: 1. AMUSE - the wine bar section with the automatic wine dispensers. 2. STAGE - the sit down fine dining restaurant past Amuse all the way in the corner. 3. CUPOLA - the private room and stage area for special events and entertainment. 4. FURNITURE SHOWROOM - for making drunk purchases after your night at Amuse. I've been to all four places and up until recently I thought that my kids didn't belong here. Kids are not welcome at Amuse because it is a 21+ wine bar, BUT they are allowed to walk through the bar as long as they are chaperoned, to get to STAGE. In my book, Stage Restaurant is considered "fine dining", which isn't really the ideal place for kids. HOWEVER...there are four green couches right after the glass doors where you can sit and order off the happy hour menu. The kids can order food from the HH menu, while the husband can go back out and try more wine from Amuse and bring it inside. HAPPY HOUR MENU Mon-Fri 5-7pm $5 BBQ fries are the bomb diggity $5 Grilled cheese - 3 sandwiches are the "best grilled cheese ever", per my daughter. $5 Button mushrooms in some kind of wine sauce is delicious $8 brussel sprouts with bacon. not on HH menu but OMG Brussel sprouts should always taste like this. Crispy and flakey. $15 Stage sliders - not on the HH menu, but available all the time on the bar menu With such a great Happy Hour menu, we can fill our bellies with great food without breaking the bank. It's cheaper than Zippys. The kids love the food. The hubs loves the wine ATMs. We even ended up with a white recliner after one drunken Happy Hour. Everyone is happy. read more

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I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experiences here. From the moment I am making a phone reservation to paying the bill, Stage is a very professional. FOOD: I like how the menu slightly changes based on the season, which is fun. Their presentation of the food is STUNNING. Flavors are pretty innovative as well. I liked the duck with a lilikoi reduction. The dessert menu always knocks my socks off, I cannot choose only one. SERVICE: Always incredible. The staff here are sweet, attentive, and helpful. They are slower to bring out your entree after your appetizer, and dessert after entree, which I appreciate so I have time to digest and relax. ATMOSPHERE: They seem to also change their decor. Whoever designs this restaurant, I would love him/her to design my room. I also love how they have a live pianist. Classy! Overall, a fine dining experience. Parking is complimentary. If you can splurge, Stage is a great option! read more

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With STage comes wisdom. My, how things have changed in five years! Stage has mastered the flavors of their contemporary Asio-European cuisine, bumping gustatory elbows with some of the most reputable chefs on the island for the coveted Hale Aina Awards. Much of their success is owed to the hard working Chef de cuisine, Ron DeGuzman, who brings the dishes to life with the most creative twists on a plate. Five years ago, the decor and the food was nice but not impressive. Dim lighting, over-the-top decor (they are selling all of the pieces you see in the dining room--after all, it is a furniture store), and the food was bold but too many antagonistic flavors. However, this recent visit has got my head turning! What magic did they sprinkle on their kitchen staff? Service was also streamlined and well tuned. Love it when guests are greeted promptly and the server is friendly and informative. High end restaurant servers need to have a balance of professionalism and panache-- it's a je-ne-sais-quoi 6th sense of keeping people excited about their upcoming savory adventure but keeping it classy. Brendan our server was exceptional-- explaining the daily specials, answering questions, taking swift beverage and app orders, all while maintaining that special server glow. Me, my hubby, and five friends all sat happily on a round table bouncing conversation and dishes off one another like a game of Hot Potato. We were given an amuse bouche of sashimi spoons, a palate cleansing bolus of kalamansi sorbet, and a complimentary dish of Hush puppies and sausage fritters to start our evening. We haven't even received our apps yet and I was getting full! The transition of flavors were melodic, and the dishes deliberate. All five stars so far. Our appetizers were extraordinary. The Stage sashimi is their flagship app IMHO. Fresh, pinky slices of hamachi laid in a neat row with a trio of taste-bud popping seasonings: tobiko caviar, wasabi tobiko, and get this... shoyu jelly. NO joke. Genius! Wasabi smear bannered the lateral aspect of the plate for artistic flair and a tuft of shiso radish salad at the apex of the line. We also munched on blue lump crab cake and decadent lobster bisque, both tasty but portion alert: the crab cake is a modest portion and only ONE cake (not a shareable dish). The bisque was smooth and the flavors calibrated well. Our entrees were the Certified Angus Rib Eye and Beef Wellington Tenderloin. I've always wanted to eat a Wellington but didn't want it from just any old steak restaurant. This would be the night I got to try it. The verdict? HEAVEN. Absolutely, smear-the-last-bite-into-my-mouth ethereal. The pastry soaked up the truffle mushroom duxelle and demi glace sauce, and the tenderloin was the best I've eaten in a long time. The Rib Eye was tasty, but the sauce could use a minor revamp. The adobo sauce was nothing spectacular but the meat was cooked perfectly. To cap the night, I ordered the Very Decadent chocolate cake with Nutella powder and Brown Butter Popcorn Ice Cream. Though it was rich for some, I hoovered the entire dish as well as my complimentary birthday dessert of Kona Coffee Tiramisu like it was going out of style. The average check is pricey, but the experience is worth it. We saw a ton of large party groups celebrating special occasions, and their dining hall is filled at supper peak. The portions can be a hit or miss, so discuss this with your server if you are planning to share plates (especially for the men). I predict great things for Stage and expect them to snatch an award or two for their creative steps and mastery of their craft. It only gets better with STage. read more

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Ambiance: Modern, funky, hip Customer Service: Great, friendly, professional Timeliness: Slow Food: Tasty, moderate portions Price: Slightly pricey Who would've thought a restaurant in a furniture store can be a good thing? Well I almost fell in love just walking into Stage. I love the awesome tumbleweed looking lights above the tables and the crazy pictures and paintings they have hanging on their walls. Not all of the tables, chairs and lights are the same but it keeps it interesting. They have a small bar near the entrance and a little lounge area with pistachio colored couches. Some of the tables are near a window where you get a good view of Kapiolani Blvd. Each table has nice place mats made of plastic and there is already butter waiting at the table for their house bread, which is seasoned very well but would be much better if it was served warm. They have some pretty good lunch specials (meatloaf and fish) with come with a side of their house salad and soup special. The customer service is pretty good, except that the food takes a while to come out. For instance, I went to lunch with some coworkers and there were six of us on our table and we waited almost half an hour for our food. The restaurant was only half full so I don't see why our food would've taken that long. The thing that I was very pleased with, however, was the attentiveness they had to refilling our water. I drink a ton of water, and so do my coworkers. They must've came to our table at least 7 times to refill our water, it was awesome. Their food is pretty good and if they speed up their serving time, I just might come here more often. I recommend this place if you're looking for a nice place to have lunch. read more

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I love to relax with afternoon tea. There's just something so charming about enjoying sweets and savories while sipping on fragrant tea. Stage Restaurant in the Honolulu Design Center now serves Low Tea in their Lime Lounge. Low Tea is typically served on low-sitting tables, offered during the afternoon to satiate your appetite in between lunch and dinner. While I think having tea on low sitting tables, like at the Kahala Veranda is very lady like and intimate, I rather enjoy tea seated at a dining table. I think it's more spacious and comfortable and I don't have to worry about keeping my legs crossed the entire time. But I digress. Stage currently offers their Low Tea service on Wednesdays with seating at 2:30pm and 3:00pm and beginning October 11, 2014 will offer Low Tea on Saturdays with seating beginning at 11:30am. The cost for the Low Tea service is $38.95 per person and you can upgrade to the Tea Royale which includes champagne for $54.95 per person. The Low Tea offers 6 selections of tea which includes offerings of black tea, oolong tea, green tea and white tea. If you would like a truly decaffeinated tea, ask for the Lemon-Mamaki which is an herbal tea they serve at the restaurant. I selected a white tea named White Mischief, a blend of pomegranate and guava. The aroma was subtle, but sweet and I enjoyed the fruity notes in the hot tea. We started with the assorted tea sandwiches which included wasabi crab with bacon and avocado, black truffle egg salad, madras curry chicken with apples and currants, prosciutto & brie pâte à choux, cucumber "namasu" sandwich with dill cream, and a cured salmon pastry puff. My favorites were the curry chicken and the truffle egg salad, but all the bite sized sandwiches were delightful. The petite sweets that were offered were a chocolate decadence cake, Greek yogurt panna cotta with oatmeal crumble & mixed berry coulis, vanilla bean cookie butter macaron, and honey lavender crème brulée. I really enjoyed the crème brulee and the macaron. The sweets were accompanied by very delicious cranberry scones served with devonshire cream, lilikoi-yuzu Curd, and orange apricot marmalade. It's a good thing they are generous with the scones because I ate more than my share. Although the late afternoon time slot makes attending the tea a little difficult, the menu and the girl talk were well worth taking a couple hours of vacation time. Glad to see they will be serving the tea on the weekends later this month. I think they should also consider adding a non-caffeinated tea to the menu as well as offering an iced tea variation. read more

Stage Restaurant - Low Tea service offered on Wednesdays. Saturday tea times begins in mid October. - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It wasn't very busy (maybe 4 tables in the restaurant). We were told upon greeting that the kitchen would be closing shortly. The server took our apps and drink orders and went to a different newly seated table. My party was ready to order a couple of min later but she was tied up at the new table. Another person came to take our order (maybe the MOD?). She gave off a rushed vibe, which was annoying because we had been waiting at least 10 min to order. After ordering, we waited nearly 30 min for our entrees. The food was unfortunately just not worth it. The only memorable dish was the cheesy garlic bread appetizer, and the tres leche cake was pretty good too. The garlic shrimp pasta was lackluster. The furniture was also uncomfortable to sit on. Our server was really nice but the service just seemed very slow, especially considering the fact that business was slow. I had to walk up to the bar to close out because we were waiting to close out for too long at our table. Really bummed about the whole experience to be honest read more

I'm so happy that I went here for Valentines Day. It was so perfect. Their prefix menu was insanely good so anytime you see them offering a tasting menu make a reservation pronto! I felt like everything I ate had so much flavor. I left full & satisfied. My bf couldn't stop saying how good the food was with every bite! I love the decor as well, it kind of reminded me of the Cosmo hotel in Vegas which is my fav hotel lol. The service was amazing and on point. Our water/ beverages never went empty. The waiter/bussers table touched before, during, and after each plate was devoured! Can't wait to go back here! read more

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Yelp Challenge 365 # 139/365 If I had to pick one specific point of credit to Stage, it would have to be the service provided by the wait staff. Seasmoke Vineyards Pinot was one of the better pinots I've had in some time now. And the Clu Du Val Cabernet select was also one of the better cabs I've had in some time. You are probably wondering what I was doing in the restaurant if my reviews are basically about wines. Why was I not at Amuse or, even at Stage Lounge... why the restaurant? Well we started out going for appetizers and wine but Amuse was packed and loud. We mosey on into Stage Lounge... the bartender seemed to have issues with the servers. He was more concerned in dealing with the issues that to serve me a beverage. First golden rule of a bartender? NEVER keep a patron waiting for an alcoholic beverage. So we get seated in the restaurant. Out comes the amuse bouche; little (and I mean little) pastry puffs filled with some meat filling and topped with a tiny piece of what tasted like gruyere cheese. The amuse bouche was chased by a potato roll OR a pumpkin ginger roll. We ordered a few appetizers. I highly recommend the beet salad with goat cheese and the calamari fritte. The calamari fritte batter was seasoned with some sort of chili powder which really added to the tasteless calamari. The calamari was fresh and tender so that's a plus. We had a few other dishes, clams I think and a fish dish both, well, nothing that impressed me. Oh, by then we had to ask for another roll. They will bring you rolls one by one. And the finale which was a grand slam was an almond parfait= almond flavored butter mochi with powdered sugar on top... Good though! Innovative. I'm thinking to give them another try one day soon since our dining was such a helter scelter event. Maybe, I will try their pre fixe menu (with the wine pairing of course). read more

This restaurant is not only visually stunning... The food was impeccable - artichoke amuse bouche, homemade Yuzu ricotta and white asparagus, Manila clam risotto, lamb two ways and rhubarb cheesecake. A perfect wine pairing to boot. Utmost professionalism, free parking on site in Waikiki, and I didn't feel strange alone for one minute. Highly recommended! Ok read more

Happy 9th Anniversary Stage! We had a reservation but we were asked to wait a bit because we showed up a few minutes late. Turns out they have parking, it's not accessible on Pensacola Street at night. Our waiter Daniel and his assistant Jenny were such a pleasure. They made our experience enjoyable. We were actually ready to order but Daniel said he will give us time and quickly dashed off to another table. That's what happens when the restaurant was packed with hungry people I suppose. I got the anniversary prix set and my boyfriend ordered calamari, lamb rack, and strawberry cheese cake. The house salad wasn't anything special. 1/5 Calamari - Batter was falling off but it was so Ono. 4/5 Lamb rack - 5/5 So tender and delicious. Well seasoned. I want some now. Strawberry cheesecake. - fancy mouse on top and it's drowning in a strawberry foam. Hidden beneath the cheesecake are slices of strawberry and Harden sugar. 2/5 Matcha ice cream - the matcha ice cream itself was rich and amazing. Had slightly sweet sponge cake on top. Two mini very firm balls hanging out. 4/5 Over all it was an amazing experience with stage. Can't wait to dine here again. read more

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If i meet someone that loves food then I instantly know i am good to like him/her! There is this new agent in my office that is a foodie and we have been eating together so much its like she became my BFF all of the sudden! Lol. Yesterday she took me toa food festival where the ticket cost her $150 per person so the least i could do was to take her for dinner tonight! Here the reviews: *Ambience: place is super nice and cute inside, they did a total change (including their menu items) *Kona lobster bisque ($13) Delicious! *Duck ala "lilikoi" ($38) I like it but i wish the duc was a little bit more tender *Pan roasted catch of the day We ordered extra sauce on the side and it was a great call! It was pretty good! *Kona coffee flan ($15) I am not into sweets but this one was pretty good! The ice cream was a nice touch! Overall, i enjoyed it. #bellyapproves read more

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I have not been here since the remodel last year. They did a great job! Nice, less eclectic decor. And the live piano helps to lend to a nice relaxed vibe. They called prior to our reservation to check on food allergies. We went in for a bday, so they seated us at a nice table at the window. They also surprised us with a nice bday cheesecake. One person in our table ordered the fixed menu & I ordered other things. That was a good choice because had a nice variety of dishes. I highly recommend! read more

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Celebrating a birthday, anniversary, new job, got friends from out of town, someone to impress, like to oggole naked people or got some hard earned money to spend?! Then go ahead and take them to stage where they truly roll out the red carpet for you. You re-read the naked people part, huh!? Yes, they have enormous pictures of naked people plastered here and there but of course tasteful. If you do have a special occasion to celebrate, I would recommend dining at night. Stage also give you extra things to dazzle your mouth buds when you dine at night. Button Mushroom Appetizers before our sampler appetizer: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=1v3DeVJWZpqbsOidoSvscA Sorbet served on a spoon to cleanse our pallets before our entrees came: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=5Gpyx9YPidOFdTJovrjKGw Awesome Desserts before our dessert sampler and birthday brownie: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=D3IB1q0KgqIkdxlU8Otb_Q At lunch you'll see more of a business type of crowd and I've seen little ones dining with their families as well. For appetizers I enjoy the Calamari: It wasn't too gamy. Some parts were crispy and it tasted awesome. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=0ObJhthc-LvY-ZFRhDU2gw Seafood Appetizer Sampler: Crisp Panko Breaded Lump Crab Cakes, Stage Ahi Poke, Stage Hamachi Sashimi http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=STohyx1gTi2rKHkznLboSA My husband loves french onion soup and he really likes the one served at Stage: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=cCs9dszrLW1vU1EdwqJXUg For the lunch entree I really enjoy eating the Open Face Crab Sandwich. Snow Crab Meat, Bacon & Cheddar Cheese on Baguettes. It looks like the bread will be hard but it was just the right texture. The portion sizes are good. Usually at fine dining restaurants the portions are small but at Stage it's a good size. Open Face Crab Sandwich http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=1v3DeVJWZpqbsOidoSvscA Stage also offers Prix Fixe meals. I highly recommend this! I didn't see it in the menu there but I remember seeing the special in the newspaper. My husband got this for lunch. Here is a link to the menu: http://www.stagerestauranthawaii.com/stage-menu/stage-lunch/86-stage-lunch-prix-fixe For $26 he got a choice of appetizer. He choose the soup. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=i4kmxwn_Oa4uO3v7yB21Jw Choice of Entree. He got the Home Style Meatloaf. Certified Ground Angus Beef, Truffle Mash Potatoes, Brown Gravy, Mushrooms & Onions: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=q-2pLp4poJIbl1kn8FsAbQ Choice of Dessert. He choose Brownie Ala Mode: Chocolate Forage Brownie, Anglaise, Macadamia Nut Toffee, House made Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=DUPXggRHX_sXHy-HWJBrjw The Chef's Dessert Sampler Du Jour is decided by the Chef but everything we got that night was oh sooo delicious! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=WSOBTS7FVpuJ9baZDE_cD Another reason why you should come to Stage if you have a special occasion to celebrate is because they give you FREE dessert! My birthday brownie: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dF3v6roeyx7Q5fZKzPx5cg?select=6q7wAxOQUIw5QoX5HG-drA Yes, I had those desserts offered by Stage, then the sampler platter, and I ate my birthday brownie. It was my birthday and I'll eat like a hog if I want to. : D IF you want to hang out before or after you should also check out Amuse. We dined on a Friday night and we were able to hit up the wine bar and enjoy some live music before hand. read more

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It has been a few years since I came to eat at Stage, and I really loved every single thing about our experience. From the food to the service, and the drinks. Everything was delicious and the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. I forgot to take a pic of my drink (get the home sweet home) And also, get the lamb chops read more

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This has got to be one of my favorite places to dine. My boyfriend frequented here before he and I started dating and since we have been together, I think we have been here atleast 7 times since last year lol. I just love the food, ambiance, and the service. Everyone is so nice there. This last event we went to was their last Tuesday night wine tasting dinner. Everything paired perfectly and Sky came around educating us on the wine that was paired with each course. Chef as always did amazing with the menu. They had a watercress puree I wasnt sure about but it was surprisingly delicious. The portions were perfect too. I wasnt overly full and had enough room for dessert in the end. I forgot to take a picture. Lol. But it was a creme brulee. So good! Definitely a must dine in restaurant. read more

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I had high hopes for this place but alas, it let me down. I'd potentially give it another shot, but at those prices, it's going to take a real event (or someone paying for me) to get me back. Since I went in with high hopes, let's start with the positives--if you like cool furniture, this place is for you--you have to walk through parts of the furniture store first and it's kind of cool to play around in there! Definitely way out of my price range, but fun nonetheless. The service was quite nice actually. And it usually takes a lot for service to make me say something nice. Shawn was incredibly nice and knowledgeable, or at least he knew how to BS on his feet. He was honest about what the Chef's Shared Menu was (you have to split each dish, rather than you both get the dish) and that the lobster salad has 3 oz of lobster tail on it. He helped me make a decision on the best part of the meal: the Sexy Back drink--yum. Strawberry puree, fresh mint, and some sort of vodka and champagne. Oh wait, there was another good part of the meal: the lobster in the warm kona lobster salad was cooked really well. I've had many an over and undercooked lobster and this one was juicey and great. And therein lies the end of the good experience... Salt: no I'm not talking about the restaurant in Kaimuki but rather that the chef seems to love salt. I'm not a rabbit looking for a salt lick, but it could have been fitting. I don't love salt to start with but I'm usually fairly forgiving since a lot of people have a thing for salt. But this was a little too much. The lobster salad was super salty and the lettuce was super wilty and really not very appealing (I ate all the lobster and left most of the rest). The short ribs were too salty too. And I love short ribs. Sigh. Fail. Meat: the short ribs ("Hayashi rice" dish) were tender, but that's about as good as it got. The flavor was too salty and just overall not enjoyable. It is a dark sauce, so if you like dark and salty, this is for you. The mushroom risotto wasn't bad, but to be honest, it didn't have much flavor. Maybe they ran out of salt before the risotto came out. The kurobuta pork chop was tough. Some of it in the inside at least was a little juicier but for the most part it was super tough and a little dry. The crab cakes were ok. Nothing spectacular but nothing too bad. I guess it'd ok. Oh they were super slow so they brought out calamari on the house. I don't eat calamari so I can only say that it was pretty ugly. And I think it tasted ok. Nothing out of this world, but ok. Those were my two biggest issues. Let's see what else: the pumpkin roll was pretty enjoyable. The black pepper brioche was ok too. The pepper hits you on the back end. They give you an amuse bouche (something with anchovy and goat cheese) and an intermezzo (some cherry li hing thing that tasted like cough syrup) It was like 100 for two of us, including only 1 drink. Yowzer, I think we can eat at Alan Wong's cheaper and enjoy it more. Really interesting crowd there. Totally mixed from young guys in white tuxedos, to us on "date night", to what looked like a multi generational family dinner. So don't be scared to try it. It's pretty loud. Free parking, just tell the valet you're going to Stage, and they should let you park. And if the one guy says no, you have to valet, ask the other younger guy. They were a little confused. I really did want to like them but when the food just isn't there, I get grouchy. We didn't risk dessert, just in case it went from bad to worse. At least this time we didn't have to get me dinner after we left dinner. I just went home hungry but with bad leftovers--want some? Hope your experience is better than mine read more

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Decided to have my birthday dinner here with the fam since I wanted to go somewhere nice and try something new. Upon entering, I was really impressed by the decor and atmosphere. But I mean this is located in the Honolulu Design Center so the decor should be fabulous! The menu had some unique items... in fact they all sounded good so I had a hard time deciding what I wanted. I knew for sure I wanted the French onion soup (my all time fav soup). After much contemplation, I settled on trying their special of the day, Chinese style steamed mongchong. Before our appetizers arrived, we were served with 2 choices of bread. The pumpkin bread was delish! They also served an amuse-bouche which was some crispy thing that I seriously can't remember what it was, but it tasted good! It seemed like the night was starting off good and I thought I had picked the right place to go for my birthday...... Then the French onion soup came. I am a BIG fan of French onion soup... so I was uber excited. It looked ahhhmazing. Unfortunately, it didn't taste as good as it looked. It was just a tad bit too salty... even my grandma agreed. She told our waiter and he was nice enough to return it and take it off the bill. I was okay with drinking mines... I mean it wasn't like it was inedible. But def not the best tasting French onion soup. As for my entree (the steamed mongchong).. it was pretty good but I wouldn't say it was out of this world. I tried a bite of my sister's pork chops and it was bit tough :/ It seemed like my grandma and mom weren't that impressed with their meals either. Considering that this a fine dine restaurant, you'd expect to have great tasting food.. but I guess you're really just paying for the ambiance and atmosphere here because food wise, it was just meh. Service was okay, but towards the end of our meal, our server was nowhere to be seen. I think prob the best part of the night was the dessert sampler that we shared plus the complimentary birthday cheesecake (I think it was lilikoi?) that I got. Although I wasn't thoroughly impressed, at least I can say I gave this place a try. I'm curious to see what their lunch menu is like..... read more

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On advice from a good friend, I finally had the chance to have lunch here today after listening to him go on and on and and on and on (you get the picture).......of how they have this terrific-fantastic-blink or you'll miss it pre-fixe lunch special. For the nominal and reasonable price of $26, each person receives a starter / appetizer, entree`, and dessert. Now from my point of view, that's definitely a bargain, especially for the caliber and price range of a "normal" meal at stage. We called in for lunch reservations, but as I found out later they're recommended but not needed. We were shown to a fairly spacious table for 2 and the hostess was kind of enough to place our napkins and hand us our menus. NOTE: For some reason, there was only one hostess working during lunch today. If it happens to be busy and there's only 1 hostess, be prepared to wait as she was the only one greeting customers, showing customers to their tables, and answering the phones. For the pre-fixe` lunch menu, you either have a choice of the soup of the day or the spinach caesar salad to start, and you have 4 choices for your entree and may select eitehr misoyaki salmon, meatloaf, mushroom pasta, or the shrimp carbonara. Dessert selection is either the creamsicle panna cotta or the brownies ala mode. Please see http://www.stagerestauranthawaii.com/menus/stage_lunch_menu.pdf for the full lunch menu offerings. To start, I decided to have the soup of the day, which was beef vegetable. I chose the meatloaf for my entree, and decided on the brownies ala mode for dessert. The soup was delivered and served piping hot, just the way I like my soup. There's just something wrong I think with serving any kind of soup at a lukewarm temperature. In any case, the soup was delicious and was gone in a flash. Since it was quite busy today (there must have been a lot of Valentine lunches going on), we had to wait a while before our entrees were served. Well, I have to say I was impressed by the meatloaf. Yes I know it's just meatloaf. But it was served with truffle mashed potatoes and covered with this flavorful brown gravy covering every delicious morsel. The meatloaf itself was just simply delicious and I would order it again in a heartbeat. Lastly, dessert was such a work of art. The brownie with vanilla bean ice cream was set in the middle of various fruits and drizzled with macadamia nut toffee and chocolate syrup. To die for indeed! Bottom Line: The pre-fixe menu at Stage is definitely worth your time and money. read more

Stage Restaurant - Brownies ala mode - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This restaurant surprised me. It got a lot of great reviews so I wanted to come check it out. We had dinner here the weekend before Christmas and the place was packed! The server said that a lot of families were having holiday parties. Apparently people like to take advantage of the prix fixe menu. The first thing I noticed was the hodge-podgy decor. No two tables were the same. All the chairs were different. For lighting, there were huge lanterns hovering over us. There was even a huge, wooden, life-size black horse that had a santa hat and a lantern popping out of its head. Very strange. The service was great. The hostess placed black napkins in our laps as we sat down. Our server was very friendly. There was a "bread guy" and a "water guy" to help out the servers. I have to say that their pumpkin ginger bread is very good. We even had some raspberry sorbet to cleanse our palettes before our entrees arrived. When we left the table, someone came to refold our napkins. This is pretty upscale service for Hawaii! What we ordered: Crispy crunch salad - this is similar to an asian themed salad with won-ton chips, edamame and a lime vinaigrette dressing. I enjoyed the salad but it wasn't anything special. Escargot - doused in butter, garlicky and pretty mediocre. Home style meatloaf - I really enjoyed this entree. The meatloaf was moist, yet dense. It had a great flavor and I loved the corn, mushrooms and demi glace. Very tasty! New York steak wafu style - this entree was exceptional. The sauce and the flavors were delicious. I loved the three different dipping sauces. The garlic chips, mushrooms and ponzu sauce combination was SoOoO good! Overall, we had a great experience here. I know that if we were to come back, we'd have another good meal.... but to be honest, there's nothing truly exceptional about the menu. And the menu is pretty small. read more

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First time here and it was amazing. Service was great, food was incredible and the chairs were comfy. Prices are great for the tasty food you get. Would definitely go again! read more

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I love this place! The food is always delicious and creative, the service is spot on and extremely attentive, the bar keepers have never served me something that was terrible, and it's right next to the amuse wine bar (to which they allow me to go back and forth with my wine glass). The location is a bit odd as it's on the second floor of the inspiration furniture building by Alamoana shopping center, however this is a true hidden gem of a place. I heavily recommend it. A word of caution, though this place makes for an unforgettable dining experience please make sure that you have ample time to enjoy it. I would often spend 2 + hours here with my fiance before the meal reaches its end. read more

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We were seated right away and given a rose for Valentine's Day. Staff friendly and professional. 5 course actually 8 if including the palate cleansing sorbet . After each course, they take your plate and fork, then bring you a new fork for the next course. Everything was good and we especially enjoyed the scallops and the chocolate stout cake dessert . read more

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Coming from a regular that used to absolutely love this place, I no longer recommend nor will I be dining again. I'm ok with the recent increase in price (some almost double like the New York steak) BUT THE QUALITY OF FOOD AND PREPARATION HAS GONE TO SH*T. Portions still very small but if you're going to raise the price, make it edible! The fish (raw and cooked) isn't fresh like it used to be, steak super chewy. All our food came at room temp. So many choices for diners so up your game Stage! There's a reason why it's dead (only three other parties) on a weekday. What a waste $300 dinner for 3 people. read more

I love love love the ambience in this restaurant. It's fine dining but Uber cute for couples! My fiancé reserved a dinner table for us for our anniversary and the seating was just ahhh-mazing! We pretty much sat in this cozy cocoon or half shell looking thing facing the city lights. Our server was great. He constantly checked on us and gave us a free desert. The experience was great. The food was okay. I mean as you all know, when you go fine dining you're looking to spend some big bucks on small sized meals. Stage is one of those fine diners where the appetizers are actually enough. I was even telling my fiancé that prior to ordering our main dish but he insisted that if the appetizers was that good then the main dish had to be better. I ordered the salmon and he ordered some type of raw fish as well. His was actually good but he felt he could have ordered this somewhere else for a cheaper price, which is true. The appetizers though! Let me tell you.... they were well worth it. Calamari was great! It was a little tangy but still very good. What really blew our minds was the sashimi. So fresh and they somehow turned the shoyu into these mini balls that just popped in your mouth with the sashimi and wasabi! So worth coming back for these! read more

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We went to Stage to see our friend play piano, drink some more wine, and have few bites of dessert. We thoroughly enjoyed the music and the table service was wonderful. read more

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Decided to go to Stage for restaurant week 2015. Menu seemed delicious and reasonably priced. We had the restaurant week special, which comprised of Lobster Bisque, Seared Ahi, Wafu steak, and Lilikoi dessert for $50/person. Lobster Bisque and Seared Ahi were yummy. The Wafu steak was a bit tough to eat. Thank goodness the Lilikoi dessert was very light because I was so stuffed. I think I ate too much bread. Couldn't stop eating it with the hummus. Too good. Our server was Kevo and he was very friendly/funny. The wait staff were very attentive with water, bread, cleaning the table, and seeing if everything was okay. Very much appreciated. At the end of the night, Kevo handed us our bill and serenaded us. What a character! read more

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We went yesterday for lunch and the food and service has never been better. The highlights on the menu were Monchong Tempura , Miso Yaki NZ Salmon and of course the Meatloaf. My friends always have the impression the restaurant is expensive but nothing could be farther from the truth. Most entrees are $12-18 considering the price of just a basic Hamburger in Town this is almost a bargain. read more

Stage Restaurant - Oct $15- deal - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I just went here w a few girlfriends to celebrate my birthday and I am so happy they picked this venue!! We had a great time and it felt so good to dine out and socialize a bit! I'm sorry that I dont have photos of our food, I was so busy talking. Lol. We ordered everything off of the appetizer menu. I loved the escargot...one of the best to me! The brussel sprouts was a fave on the whole table...we ordered a 2nd. The salmon was fantastic and we gobbled that too. The truffle mushrooms...can I just lick up that sauce! Holy moly! Oh!!! Before I forget, I have a friend that was out on a strict diet and they willingly accommodated her restrictions! She got modified versions of things that made her so happy and we were happy! Like, we were sad she couldn't indulge but they did that and now we gonna go back for our next group birthday cele! I didnt have an entree but there was a special on rack of lamb and braised beef that they all loved. My group raved about the apple dessert as one of the best they tried. One of my friends live in the condo and said they have fantastic desserts so just an fyi to you all! Great ample parking downstairs and temperature check and documentation of who came in. All staff wore face mask. read more

Stage Restaurant - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Best place in HNL! The service was fantastic and the environment was fantastic. Really premium. I came here for my friend's birthday and had a perfect day! read more

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Such an amazing way to finish my stay on O'ahu. The food was delicious from start to finish. Also,Stuart is a gem. Thank you so much for providing spectacular service and stopping by our table to talk story. He definitely made our dinner experience memorable. If you're ever stopping by at Stage, ask for Stuart. read more

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I went back and forth on the quite a few times on how I should do this. I have only eaten here one time and that was on New Year's Eve, so the only option we had was a tasting menu. I generally love tasting menus. The presentation of the food was excellent, the service was also fantastic. However, one of the dishes we had was a sushi plater 3 pieces 2 sashimi and 1 tartar. Frankly, the sashimi was chewy and bland. My reason for 3 stars is the amount of food, for a four-course taster it was 100$ per person or 160$ with wine. I have never been so hungry after a tasting menu. I literally went somewhere after this to order a meal, and I'm not a big guy or anything 6ft 170lbs. There was 6 of us in the party most of us felt this way. read more

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I believe this place was probably good at one time. However, I think I waited too long to come here. It has completely changed from what it used to be and I only know this by comparing the short menu to all the things I've seen here on Yelp. Pretty much none of it was on the menu. I had this place bookmarked primarily because I wanted to try whatever cotton candy drink I had seen in several pictures, but it is no longer there to try. Everything here is small portion and very expensive. The bill for 5 people with no appetizers (only entrees) was over $300 including tip. The service was good, but we waited for at least an hour before our food came and by the time it did, the restaurant would close in the next 15 minutes. The food was ok. It was definitely not worth what we paid for it though. Although the restaurant is nice, I was really disappointed and probably would not come back again. read more

Stage Restaurant - Seared Ahi - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

During Restaurant Week 2019, this is the time all the restaurants can showcase what they have to offer. This is my 3rd restaurant in a week's time, so I am able to compare what I've eaten and where stands out. Service: A+ The service was outstanding! I cannot believe how many different people actually came to our table. Probably 5-6 different individuals either served us or removed used utensils or dishes, so the interaction with the staff was outstanding! With each dish served, the server of the food described the dish and mentioned the ingredients in the dish. A lot to remember! The removal of used utensils and dishes were immediate. There was no chance for it to be sitting. Food: A Appetizer: Escargot with Green Butter was amazing! Simply put...WOW!!!! Following this was a scoop of Strawberry Guava Sorbet- served as a palette cleanser. Delicious! Entrée: New York Striploin was great! I didn't like seeing the blood flow into the sauce as I cut into the steak, but the flavor was great. The chefs actually created a special sauce for me due to my intolerance to ginger. They took the initiative to create something for me, which was absolutely delicious! I would have never know what the original dish was supposed to taste like, but this was super! Dessert: Since the Pumpkin Ice Cream and Gingerbread must have ginger, I ordered the other dessert- Citrus Crème Bavarois. This dessert was yummy! It was a big dessert, which consisted of pomegranate sherbert, vanilla bean shortbread, strawberry coulis. Ambience: A+ Absolutely beautiful! Who can deny this? Dinner: November 19, 2019 read more

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Went dinner here to celebrate our 2 friend's birthdays. Restaurant followed PPE, sanitizers available, they did temperature checks and staff wore masks and gloves. People were placed to comply with social distancing. Appetizers were great and delicious. We had the salmon tataki..the ahi dynamite and Manila clams were the specials for that evening. We also had a complimentary bread dish n that was good.. They gave us a guava sherbert to clear our pallet. Dinner my friends all had the beef wellington and I had the BBQ spiced kurabuta pork chop. They said the beef wellington was good! The pork chops was big and think. Had it medium and it was really soft, tender and juicy. Cutting into it was really soft and tender. I would recommend both dishes. Dessert we had the ube haupia chocolate ice cream cake and the lilikoi Creamsicle. Both was good but the lilikoi was my favorite. My friends got tiramisu for their birthday n that was delicious too. Due to covid, their menus are different every day. I wouldn't mind coming again. Staff here were nice and awesome....Support local!! read more

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I HIGHLY recommend everyone to try this place once to experience the ambiance, food and service. Everything was amazing! I used open table to make reservations and it was so easy to use. I recommend it to make reservations. When my friend and I were walking to the restaurant there was a huge room off to the left side and wondered off to check it out. No one was in there, but wanted to see it. It looked like a lounge area to go and hangout. A male staff came to check on us and he was great answering our questions about the room. He happened to be the manager (Michael) and welcomed us to the place. We then went to the restaurant and was very surprised that we got a nice scenic spot. We sat at a table with a 2 person couch, but we did not feel comfortable sitting side by side. They were able to adjust the seating. It was nice to lounge on the couch after we ate all that wonderful food. The service was great, food was awesome and the place was welcoming. We were able to taste a variety of things and by the time dessert came, we were so full that we boxed up one of our desserts. This place will not disappoint you. read more

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Originally we had planned to go to Amuse for my friends going away party but the table availability wasn't there for a party of 12. The person who took the reservation told me that our tables would be close to each other. I was pleasantly surprised that they gave us a large table at the back of the restaurant. The server came and took our drink orders, and then we ordered appetizers and entrees. Then we waited...and waited...and WAITED! Appetizers took about 45 minutes, entrees another 30-40 minutes. The appetizers were great, I especially loved the shisito pepper and I've been to Amuse before so I knew the papas Bravas would be good. Someone else got the hush puppies which were also great but fried a little over. For my entree I got the special gnocchi they had with lobster and crab. I'm from Maryland, I love crab, what I don't love is picking crab shells out of my teeth, but it does happen especially the fine shards. Two people got the salmon and they were so unhappy with their meals, I tasted some and it had a similar taste to canned salmon, very salty. Another person got the lamb chops and she said they were very good and another got the beef Wellington which looked great. So after we were done with our entrees the server came and asked about dessert and we said we were getting dessert but werent sure yet what to get. Someone in our party went to the bathroom and when she was coming back she saw a table with a small cheesecake and brownie tray and we asked about that. The server went to the kitchen and the pastry chef said they could do it at $4/person which is a great deal. Others got the chocolate haupia pie because it was vegan. And then we waited even more, another 30 minutes. It was around 10:30 when we got desserts, keep in mind that we had a 7:00 reservation and ordered around 7:30 our drinks. They did bring an ice dessert to my friend whose party it is, which was a nice touch...but this was the slowest dinner I've been to; and the restaurant wasn't packed, there were actually very few tables filled. We closed the restaurant ending our meal at 10:52. I remember Amuse being slow too but this was a lot. read more

Like many others, my first visit wasn't great. If I was writing this review back then, I would have given Stage 3 stars. However, I have been here a few more times and I am proud to say that I'm giving Stage 5 stars! The restaurant is located in Inspiration Furniture Store. That should give you a little context on what to expect at Stage, this isn't a quickie meal. This is a meal to be savored and enjoyed, just like the furniture at Inspiration. You will notice that the dining furniture is from Inspiration and you will note that they are of excellent quality. So having Stage showcase the furniture makes sense. To get to the restaurant itself, you'll enter through Inspiration and head to the second floor via the escalator or elevator. You'll probably park your car right outside the doors of the furniture store. Access to parking is via Pensacola Street or Piikoi Street. There is a pedestrian entrance from Kapiolani, but it closes when Inspiration closes. Once on the second floor, you'll have to make your way through Amuse Wine Bar to get to the entrance of Stage, where the hostess will escort you to your table. The bar is to the right and you'll see the wonderful horse lamp in the middle of the room. On the far left side, from where you enter, is the kitchen. It's nice that you can see all the hustle back there. Keep in mind that they also provide food for Amuse, so while it appears that the restaurant isn't busy, Amuse may be and might be taking all the food. (OH NO! JK) But seriously, keep that in mind while waiting for your meal. Courses are timed not to back up on each other. So this would be a perfect spot for those romantic dinners for conversation or when groups of friends are catching up since you won't be rushed to eat your food. Prices are alright and are comparable with other nicer restaurants. But if you are looking for a deal, try the tasting menu or go to their wine dinners. You get a good deal (with wine!) with a great sample of their chefs' work. But if you are looking to do a la carte, try the duck. It has got to be one of the better ducks I've had and that includes the duck I've had in Paris! I especially like the palette cleansers, too! The desserts are awesome and I appreciate the congratulatory empanada with chocolate writing. Unfortunately, they don't have lunch available anymore. If you want lunch, you'll have to go downstairs to Stage Cafe. Bathrooms are by Amuse, so be prepared to walk a bit for the potty. There was a pianist playing. I love live music. It adds to the whole atmosphere. Awesome leisure dinner with good food, music, and attentive service is why I give the 5 stars. read more

Stage Restaurant - Three desserts! La bouquet (the hibiscus foam is yum!), likikoi creamsicle, and a "congratulations" empanada with house made ice cream - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Always outstanding. The chef here is amazing. The food here is art as well as something to feed your party .