Outer space good. Mind blown. So much flavor and umami packed into small bites with a wide variety of ethnic flavors. My partner and I were over the moon. I enjoyed everything and the experience as a whole. We got to chat with Ana preparing all different dishes and enjoyed her expert decorum and conversation skills. Each item was explained and questions answered. Great date dinner. We will be back! FYI, can be gluten free on request and they exclusively come up with different dishes for gluten free, so there's a $30 upcharge.
Standouts for me were Dan Dan tortellini, crystal crostini, kofte, kalo senbei, smoke of gravy pie filling, katsu mushroom sando, tacos, banana dessert and batter of the waffle dog. The soft scramble just egg on the sando was fluffy and a little wet, just the way I like it. Dan Dan flavors were intense and the schezuan peppers at the end had the perfect mouth tingle. Crystal crostini crunch was fun and garlic is my weakness. The taco sauces...bagna caude and strawberry something were so flavorful! Kofte had a thin, hot crisp layer with a hefty filling that I appreciated. Everything was yummy, really.
Being picky, there were some inedible parts of the ulu in the pie, my partner and I wanted the pie crust as a slab like in old pictures vs the flower cut out which is pretty but not enough crust, the pie crust itself was hard to bite through. Waffle dog filling was mostly cheese that had melted, so upon biting, it looked empty (but tasted delicious).
I'd like to be able to sit down at a table and order full sized portions of my favorites. A bowl of tortellini? Yes, please. A full steamer of xia long bao? Right here!
Location! Entrance is facing 11th Ave across from the basketball court of the local park! The restaurant is skinny like the night bus squeezing between two cars... Look towards the far left of the one story building for the AV Restaurant sign next to the dumpster (unfortunate). This is not part of the complex of restaurants accessible from the big paid parking lot. Actually you can park right in front of the restaurant for FREE. Go up 11th Ave from waialae, it's a right turn after the park/basketball court.