South Shore Tour and Dinner at Michel’s
Monday, January 15, 2018
We looked forward to spending another day exploring the island with Kenny from Oahu Private Tours. I believe if you are doing multiple tour days they try to keep you with the same guide. I forgot to mention that after our tour on Saturday Jason called to check in and see how our first day went. Besides ensuring satisfaction, I’m guessing this is an opportunity to confirm it was a good fit between the guide and the guests. Which it definitely was for us!
Everyone had breakfast in the room. I was running behind this morning so Pam and Dave headed down to the lobby a few minutes before 8:00 a.m. Pam would frequently remind us that it takes her longer… to get ready, to get to where we were going, to shop, etc. Yes, she was on island time! While Brad and I were in the elevator the cutest girl joined us a floor or two down and we had the following conversation:
Her: “I’m in the wrong tower.”
Me: “That happens sometimes. Do you know where you are going now?”
Her: “Yes, but I have to be somewhere at ten.”
Me: “You have a couple hours so you should be fine.”
Her: “Yeah, but it takes me a long time to get ready.”
This was about the time we got to the lobby level and parted ways. Once we got in the car and joined Dave, Pam and Kenny, we had to tell Pam we saw her younger self since she was in the wrong tower the day before and claims it takes her a long time to get ready!
Anyway, Kenny gave us an overview for our South Island tour as we started driving. Since it was Martin Luther King Day, Honolulu traffic was very light. I wish I could claim it was be design but I honestly didn’t even realize that when creating the schedule. Note for future trip planning: notate holidays.
Our first stop was the King Kamehameha statue and Iolani Palace. Kenney parked the van near the statue and gave us some history of these landmarks and the people behind them. One of the things we liked about the tours was the informal conversation. While visiting all of the sites we learned from a local, which we preferred over a scripted speech I’ve experienced before on guided group tours. I’d say we were at these two places 20 minutes or so. We had considered a tour of the palace early on, but it didn’t make the cut for the final plan. Stopping by and seeing it from outside was enough to satisfy us for this trip.
Next we went to Nu'uanu Pali lookout, which offered beautiful views of the eastern/windward side of the island. At over 1,000 feet above the coastline, there is an amazing feeling of soaring above everything else. This was yet another moment of feeling truly in another world. There are several signs that explain each significant landmark in sight. We also saw several hikers even farther above us on the mountains/cliffs that surround this area. We were definitely not among them!
This was one of the cooler mornings; especially up in this more shaded area. I’d guess it was in the low- to mid-sixties. We looked at Kenny, who was shivering in his tank top, and asked if he was cold, to which he replied he was freezing! Since he had shared he might move to New York someday, we told him that if he would have a new context for the word freezing! Anyway, this was a great lookout and another example of someplace that I doubt we would have gone if exploring on our own.
We also visited the Byodo-in Temple, located in the Valley of the Temples,. This is a smaller scale replica of an ancient temple in Japan. Some might consider it a tourist spot, but we enjoyed it and would visit it again. Admission was $5 per person, which was not included in the tour cost. It is very tranquil and is easy to just spend time admiring the beauty of the structures and the surroundings. There is also a massive bell that anyone may ring – which was cool! This stop was one of Brad’s favorite spots on our trip. Feeding the koi was surprisingly fun – let’s just say that none of them are underfed!
Lunch today was at a restaurant that started out as a food truck but is now a freestanding restaurant. Trust me, it’s nothing fancy inside but has very good food. And there was a rush of locals after we got there, which I take as a good sign!
Again today there were several beaches and shoreline vistas that we experienced. On some level you may think, ‘eh, I’ve already seen the beaches, I’m good,’ but each one is unique and offer different things to appreciate. I’d guess over the two days we visited to eight to ten different shoreline spots and don’t regret any of them. That said, I’m not going to elaborate on them individually here. But we will share pics! Some of the places we went this day included: Lanikai beach, Makapu'u lookout and Halona blowhole.
For dessert we had requested shave ice since we hadn’t tried it yet. I know Matsumoto’s is the big name, but we went to Waiola shave ice instead. Holy yum! It was so good. Later in the trip we all had shave ice at Aulani and I’d say they were pretty comparable. If I had to choose, I’d say Waiola was a little better. It looked like the same ice-shaving machine, but I feel the preparer packed them slightly differently. And the ones from Waiola were cheaper, as expected with the normal Pixie Dust surcharge for all things Disney!
Kenny dropped us off around 2:30 p.m. and it was another relaxing afternoon at Aulani until dinner. Again, I cannot say enough good things about Kenny and Oahu Private Tours. Even now, knowing all of the places we went, there is no way we could have had the same experience on our own.
Dinner was at Michel’s at the Colony Surf. This was the last of our higher-end restaurants and is located in what I’m guessing is a condo building. I believe the restaurant has had some interior updates since ownership changed over the last year. It is a nice interior, but definitely on the ‘stuffier’ side. I do not mean that in a negative way, but it’s a French restaurant and the décor supports that. Of the restaurants we went to, this one offered seating that was closest to the water. We were seated along the wall of ‘windows’ – really just massive openings. The water was probably less than 20 feet from the side of the restaurant.
The food was amazing, and the service was great. This restaurant has a number of tableside preparation options on the menu, which can be a fun experience – just be prepared for the heat of flambé! This ended up being our most expensive meal, excluding the luau, since I consider that entertainment as much as a meal. One of the reasons this exceeded my budget estimate was that several of the tableside presentation options had a minimum order of two. Sure we could have skipped a few of those, but what fun is that? They were actually pretty accommodating with letting us split some courses. For example, we split a single order of the Lobster Bisque, which was enough for us each to sample it. Since it was very rich, this tasting size was actually plenty for me – I couldn’t imagine eating an entire bowl and still having an entrée afterwards. We also split two salads between the four of us. I believe Brad’s was the only entrée that was finished tableside. We split two desserts, but didn’t try the soufflé.
Dinner at Michels: Drinks and the view from our table
Dinner at Michels:Starters and Salad
Dinner at Michels:Entrées and Dessert
Overall, it was a great meal and I’m glad we saved it for the end because it set a high bar for quality, service and experience. However, other than the very close waterfront, this restaurant seemed to be the least ‘Hawaii’ feeling. If you are seeking a local experience, I wouldn’t put this at the top of the list. We did not see any children at Michel’s and I don’t know if they even have a kid’s menu. But if you are celebrating a special occasion, or just want an excellent meal, consider Michel’s.
After dinner we made it back to Aulani. I believe this was a night that we stayed in the room or on our balcony rather than venturing down to The Olelo Room.
Next Up: More Aulani time and more shopping!