KAILUA has gone south for the winter, as in viva la Mexico! Where once diners chose between Cisco's Cantina and El Charro Avitia, there's been a quiet revolution going on, with the entry of Bueno Nalo and a Mexican lunchwagon that often appears on Hamakua or Uluniu streets. And lately, it's been even more confusing, with El Charro splintering into two restaurants, both only half as good as the old. Mexican restaurant
splits in twoONE day El Charro Avitia was open, the next it was closed. Its owner moved, without much fanfare, over to the space formerly occupied by Philip Paolo's. The space has had the effect of a David Copperfield "illusion" on about four restaurants in the past four years -- now you see them, now you don't. The move, even for an already successful restaurant like El Charro's, is questionable since it was situated on prime street-corner space. The only drawback was a lack of parking, although in Kailua, it's not all that hard to find street parking at night.
It looks as if El Charro's menu is intact, with familiar favorites in the evening such as Sizzling Shrimp ($16.25) and Chicken or Beef Fajitas ($15.50); Fish Vera Cruz (market), in a sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, tossed with new potatoes and mushrooms; and New York steaks. The execution is something else. It's as if an ocean's worth of salt was poured into a dish of Chile Colorado ($11.95), lean pork in a spicy Oaxacan sauce. Ditto with the Enchiladas Verdes ($11.95), stuffed with shredded chicken and cream cheese.
Even the guacamole was well salted, without needing to be. Ditch the Morton's and the food should be back to old standards. One good thing is that unlike El Charro's, Castillo's is now open Monday nights.
Castillo's: 407 Uluniu St.
Hours: Lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays; dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays; dinner 5 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Prices: About $12 to $18 for two for lunch; $35 to $45 for two for dinner without drinks
Call: 263-9888THE menu created by former employees of El Charro is about half that of Castillo's and satisfaction is a hit-or-miss thing. On my first visit I was very disappointed by a watery green sauce and salsa, and a chorizo burrito that contained mystery meat rather than sausage. On my second try, I warmed to the complimentary offer of guacamole, but when I tasted it, I wondered if they were just trying to get rid of dip that had been sitting around all day. Things improved with fresh Ceviche Jalisco. Shrimp fajitas ($14.95) measured up to old El Charro standards, as did the Carne Asada, steak topped with salsa fresca ($13.95).
The familiar haunt and familiar faces of the staff is reassuring. With a little more consistency, the Garcia clan may be here for a long time.
Los Garcia's: 14 Oneawa St.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Prices: Dinner about $30 to $40 for two without drinks; B.Y.O.B.
Call: 261-0306See a listing of past restaurants reviewed in the
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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
-- excellent;
To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to features@starbulletin.com
