Belladonna | Honolulu, Hawaii

Because we've been eating a lot of Asian food recently (Thai and Vietnamese tend to be the most veggie-friendly), we were in the mood for something a little different. Tucked in a little nook next to Coffee Talk on Waialae Avenue is a new restaurant called Belladonna. The decor is very modern and everything is pretty much brand new. Overall, the food was very good and the service was friendly. We sat at the bar, which gave us a chance to talk a little with the general manager.

I forgot my camera at home, so you're going to have to excuse the poorly image quality. I had to use my iPhone and these pictures really don't do the food any justice.

Belladonna
3605 Waialae Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 426-3552

As you can see, the place is so new that they don't have permanent menus yet. In speaking with the General Manager, he told us that they are still trying stuff out, trying to get an handle on what people like.


The bread was average. It was served at room temperature with some butter. If it had been warmed up prior to serving, it would have tasted a lot better.


We started with the salad of the day: Mesclun greens, goat cheese, candied walnuts, and mandarin orange. The dressing was a peppery vinaigrette, which went well with the pungent goat cheese and sweet orange and walnut.


There were no vegetarian entrées listed on the menu. So wifey was just going to order a couple of salads. Our waitress picked up on it and offered that they could do homemade gnocchi or pasta with veggies in either marinara or cream sauce. She went with the pasta and cream sauce. It was a little on the rich side, but we were extremely pleased with the way they had been so accommodating.


This may sound pedestrian to some, especially at a slightly upscale restaurant, but I went with the meatballs and spaghetti. I remember hearing somewhere that they true test of an Italian restaurant is their meatballs and spaghetti and this place did not disappoint. These were probably the BEST meatballs I had ever eaten. They were cooked perfectly and were so moist that they practically melt in your mouth.


Wifey ordered crème brûlée for dessert. I'm not sure why they brought out 3 spoons. I can't really comment on the flavor or texture because I didn't get any :(


I was a little more adventurous with my dessert. I went with their homemade gelato. How is that adventurous? Well it wasn't your run of the mill chocolate ice cream - it was chocolate bleu cheese gelato topped with a balsamic reduction. The manager said they're still working on plating this one so it isn't much to look at, but it was really good.