Behind Closed Doors

Secret entrances may set the mood, but thoughtful menus — from elevated pūpū to more substantial plates — give O‘ahu’s speakeasies another reason to visit.

(Photo courtesy Alter Ego.)

Step into a speakeasy and you’re in for a hopefully unforgettable experience: hidden entrances, mood lighting, elaborately themed décor, a little intrigue… Not to mention a slew of cocktails that are usually as thoughtful as they are tasty.

All of which is great. But what happens when you get hungry?

Some of O‘ahu’s best hidden drinking spots also boast standout pūpū, inventive small plates, and even full-on meals that rival the quality of what you might find at a top-tier restaurant. Here are a few of our favorite speakeasies where the food is reason enough to go looking for the door (or password or secret bookshelf or you get the idea).

(Photo by Laura La Monaca, courtesy 430 PKWY)

430 PKWY

Head up the stairs at the corner of Waimanu and Pi‘ikoi streets to find 430 PKWY, where low leather couches, framed prints and vintage posters, even a glowing christmas tree in the corner, make the space feel more like a well-stocked 1960s living room than a conventional cocktail bar.

The menu takes a similarly polished approach to familiar bar fare. There are $5 oysters, plus sandwiches of all shapes and sizes: a Wagyu French dip, ahi or avocado brioche, and a small-but-mighty ginger miso hot dog made with miso pork sausage, bright aioli, and chives.

In a town with no shortage of places offering pork belly bao, this one’s a winner, featuring a thick slab of pork belly that’s lean, not fatty, charred on the outside but still juicy, with green peppercorn aioli and a sweet soy glaze.

Can a grilled cheese sandwich really be worth $20? Sure, when it’s made with smoked gouda and thin-sliced salame, served with a cup of tomato soup made with meaty Roma tomatoes from Ho Farms in Kahuku. Just like mom used to make (if, you know, she happened to run a speakeasy).

430 PKWY
430 Pi‘ikoi St., Ala Moana, (808) 490-5492, @430_PKWY

(Photo by Laura La Monaca, courtesy 430 PKWY)

(Photo courtesy Alter Ego.)

Alter Ego & Gaslamp

If the term “speakeasy” ever falls out of fashion, Gaslamp could easily just call itself a steakhouse. Located inside Kailua Town Pub and Grill, this hidden cocktail bar boasts dry-aged and Wagyu tomahawk steaks carved tableside, served with beef-fat mashed potatoes (naturally). There’s also an 8-ounce filet mignon served Steak Diane-style with garlic confit, black truffle, and a rich Hāmākua mushroom sauce; bone-in Dutch veal chops (with optional cheese bath); and an A5 Wagyu beef belly “of the beast” with calabrian chilis and basil over pappardelle.

Not to mention the seafood: day-boat oysters, charred octopus, African lobster, seafood tower, the works.

If you can’t get enough of the vibe here, head upstairs to Alter Ego, a speakeasy within a speakeasy—could there be such a thing?—overlooking Gaslamp from a second-floor perch. Alter Ego has its own entrance, cocktails, and adventurous menu. Start with the caviar potato croquettes (call ‘em “dirty tots”) made with deviled egg yolk, dill, and bacon crème fraîche. Plus king crab chawanmushi with shimeji mushrooms, smoked trout roe and asparagus; and pan-roasted duck breast in a raspberry-and-port gastrique with fire-charred broccolini and butternut squash velouté.

You can’t go wrong with either Gaslamp or Alter Ego—or just Kailua Town Pub and Grill, if you’re thirsty for a post-speakeasy pint.

Gaslamp & Alter Ego
26 Ho‘olai St., Kailua, (808) 829-0867, gaslamphi.com

(Photo courtesy Alter Ego.)

(Photo courtesy RM. 38.)

RM. 38

Tucked away in the Imperial Hawai‘i Resort at the makai end of Lewers Street, follow the neon sign reading “PAWNSHOP SINCE 1938” to RM. 38. Inside, this Southeast Asian trading outpost-inspired lounge is an eclectic den filled with curios collected by owner Kevin Aoki over a lifetime of travels. Meanwhile the front lobby is stocked with plenty of cigars, lighters, and other accouterments.

The food menu is just as far-reaching as the décor, bouncing from Japanese bar snacks (think wafu pork sausages and truffle popcorn) to hearty chicken liver pâté, crispy ahi bites, cold ginger clams, takoyaki, and more. Highlights include Washugyu beef tataki topped with truffle ponzu and crispy garlic; and chicken karaage glazed with bourbon and soy.

Both pair nicely with the bar’s signature 38’s Special, a decadent mix of A Midwinter Night’s Dram whiskey, Luxardo syrup, herbal Lucano liqueur, crème de cacao, and bitters. The whole thing arrives in a cigar box, where it’s smoked tableside. (If it isn’t enough smoke for one evening, you can light up your own in a tiny cigar lounge just outside.)

RM. 38
205 Lewers St., Waikīkī, (808) 200-2917, rm38hawaii.com

(Photo courtesy RM. 38.)

(Photo courtesy Vintage Books.)

Vintage Books

There are plenty of books in the lobby of Vintage Books in the heart of Kaimukī. But the real draw is the upscale lounge in the back, a “love letter” to the neighborhood serving cocktails and ranch-to-table feasts that put protein first.

For instance, venison tartare topped with pine nuts, Asian pear, omija berries and tobiko aioli, served on toasted crostini. Or a Thai-inspired “cowboy” salad of arugula and mint, plus smoked pipikaula, inamona (kukui nuts), and a bright nuoc cham vinaigrette.

Small plates with crab or mushroom rice cakes are meant to share. So too are taco flights served on housemade ‘ulu tortillas with your choice of Wagyu brisket, kurobuta pork belly, marinated and smoked marlin, or braised pork.

If these sound small, don’t fret. Bigger appetites can dig into ribeyes with compound butter, arugula, and fries, or Australian grass-fed lamb ribs with crème fraîche and mint. And then there are the steamed Manila clams, swimming in Goan curry alongside Portuguese sausage, kiri mochi, and Punalu‘u sweet bread.

For early risers (or those looking to shake off a Friday night hangover), come back Saturday or Sunday morning for a secret brunch of herb-lemon ricotta omelettes, crab or smoked salmon Benedicts, guava French toast, and more.

Vintage Books
3660 Wai‘alae Ave., Kaimukī, (808) 736-4917, vintagebookshawaii.com

(Photo courtesy Vintage Books.)