3660 on the Rise // restaurant review // Hawai’i

by Kris   ⋅   May 20, 2008   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

I don’t know how many times I’ve driven past this place and missed it (and of course by “driven” I mean “being driven”, haha). Well, never again because it is a “don’t miss”. In an expensive-looking building on the iffy strip of “thrift haven” Waialae Avenue, 3660 on the Rise sits “atop” a small hill I suppose. With a name like 3660 on the Rise, one might expect grandiose nosebleed views, but you’ll soon discover that the best view is right on your plate.

3660, the local nickname, was the least expensive on the personal culinary feast tour I took Chris on several years back. Still too pricey for our taste (we like our cheap eats!), the bill for two delicious fresh fish/seafood entrees (the Steamed Shrimp and Scallop Lau Lau was über yummy, but the cute kuro goma sprinkled nori-wrapped sushi towers were a little soggy), Chris’ potent after-dinner coffee, and an architecturally-designed dessert sampler (perfectly crackly-topped Crème Brûlée, rich pumpkin cheesecake, velvety Chocolate Souffle Cake), plus tip came out to about $80. We had gorged ourselves at Sam Choy’s Breakfast, Lunch, Crab & Big Aloha Brewery earlier, so we could barely down the three-courser.

If you know someone that’s been here before, most likely they’ll beam about the bread. Warm, fluffy beyond belief purplish-grey taro buns with all the butter you can stuff in your greedy face, cycle in abundance while you wait for your dinner. Maybe that’s another reason why we didn’t have much room! The waitstaff I’ve heard, is hit or miss; some are pushy about the wine, others are non-existent. We had a semi-stammering nervous bloke who forgot half of the specials and sort of gave up in the middle of his dessert sampler speech. He was a sweetie though; must’ve been new. The socialite wifey table beside us, however, was getting more grease than their bottomless tannins.

*NOTE: try to go to the restroom beforehand or hold it because your only option is the public one down the hall, shared by patrons of the entire office building and quite possibly the restaurant cook staff. It was not pleasant.

3660 on the Rise
3660 Waialae Ave - Honolulu, HI - (808) 737-1177
HOURS: T-Su 5:30p-9p, Closed Monday

About the Author:

Kris Kobayashi-Nelson is an avid food adventurist who has tried everything from jellyfish to sea cucumber to chicken gizzards. She is a vegetarian by day, pescetarian by night.

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