We tried this place on a whim as the other mediterranean restaurant didn't have an early reservation time and we had noticed this place over a year ago.When calling for the reservation they said that they could squeeze us in. maybe that was the sign. I had looked at pictures of where we sat on other photos and it was clear that they did squeeze us in. I didn't mind the location as it was near the front close to the bar by the area where they input orders. It was clearly in the way of others passing by us as they would hit the corner of our table. we also didn't understand why we are putting in an awkward position because there are many available seating areas -unless they like those areas for large parties which definitely could've been broken down to smaller tables.We will say this: service was great and prompt.The mr didn't like the additional charge for kitchen help.The food is Mediterranean fusion and I was not sure about the fusion part. Maybe because there were artichokes and octopus on the menu.We did order the artichoke karaage. It's really deep fried artichoke. It was OK. Some pieces were overly seasoned than others. The Mr. ordered the steak crostini. He said you couldn't taste the flavor of the meat at all. I ordered crab and scallion arrabbiata. I will say the texture of the spaghetti was on par perfectly al dente. I wonder where they get the pasta from. The sauce however was nothing spectacular. I had hoped for chunks of crab but they must've been pulverized within the sauce. Had I not remembered I ordered crab, I would never have known there was crab in the sauce. And I also have to agree with other patrons that a basket of bread would've been nice as there is way more sauce to pasta ratio that I could've mopped up with some bread. The mr ordered bolognese and again, was disappointed with the lack of taste in the sauce. We have to agree with other patrons where the price tag did not meet the quantity or quality we were hoping for. Two appetizers, two meals, a bottle of wine and two cocktails was well over $250. the cocktails were not as impressive as we would have liked. There was something strange with the limoncello that I couldn't put my finger on, but I also couldn't finish it -it just had a strange aftertaste. The mr is pretty particular about his old-fashioned and didn't care for his as well. He said it tasted very deluded.Considering it was date night and we wanted to try something new, we did. Would we come back again? Maybe if someone invited us but for now we will try other places. Once again, was the food great? No, but it was good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Ann N.
We tried this place on a whim as the other mediterranean restaurant didn't have an early reservation time and we had noticed this place over a year ago. When calling for the reservation they said that they could squeeze us in. maybe that was the sign. I had looked at pictures of where we sat on other photos and it was clear that they did squeeze us in. I didn't mind the location as it was near the front close to the bar by the area where they input orders. It was clearly in the way of others passing by us as they would hit the corner of our table. we also didn't understand why we are putting in an awkward position because there are many available seating areas -unless they like those areas for large parties which definitely could've been broken down to smaller tables. We will say this: service was great and prompt. The mr didn't like the additional charge for kitchen help. The food is Mediterranean fusion and I was not sure about the fusion part. Maybe because there were artichokes and octopus on the menu. We did order the artichoke karaage. It's really deep fried artichoke. It was OK. Some pieces were overly seasoned than others. The Mr. ordered the steak crostini. He said you couldn't taste the flavor of the meat at all. I ordered crab and scallion arrabbiata. I will say the texture of the spaghetti was on par perfectly al dente. I wonder where they get the pasta from. The sauce however was nothing spectacular. I had hoped for chunks of crab but they must've been pulverized within the sauce. Had I not remembered I ordered crab, I would never have known there was crab in the sauce. And I also have to agree with other patrons that a basket of bread would've been nice as there is way more sauce to pasta ratio that I could've mopped up with some bread. The mr ordered bolognese and again, was disappointed with the lack of taste in the sauce. We have to agree with other patrons where the price tag did not meet the quantity or quality we were hoping for. Two appetizers, two meals, a bottle of wine and two cocktails was well over $250. the cocktails were not as impressive as we would have liked. There was something strange with the limoncello that I couldn't put my finger on, but I also couldn't finish it -it just had a strange aftertaste. The mr is pretty particular about his old-fashioned and didn't care for his as well. He said it tasted very deluded. Considering it was date night and we wanted to try something new, we did. Would we come back again? Maybe if someone invited us but for now we will try other places. Once again, was the food great? No, but it was good.
Gary E.
My wife and I booked a reservation at Vein after viewing the photos and reading several reviews on Yelp. So, on Thursday, 4 April 2024, there we were. First, we want to salute the entire staff. We have never seen such a hard-working group. Our meal started with an Aperol Spritz and a Negroni 13, accompanied by Karaage artichoke hearts and grilled Tako. Both of these starters and the drinks were superb. Next, we ordered lamb and Pistachio pasta. The grilled lamb was the best we've ever had, anywhere on the planet. The bucatini pasta was perfectly al-dente, covered in a house sauce of puree and pistou pistachio nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Prosciutto di Parma. This unusual creation was a first for us, and it was exceptional. Finally, we shared Creme Brulee and their fabulous Bread Pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Whew! This place is welcoming and comfortable. We never felt rushed. The Head Chef, Mr. Jordan Harris, was most gracious, taking the time to chat with us. He even added a special gift to our go bag! We will most definitely return! Five stars!
Ayaka O.
The best bread pudding I ever had! Must try!! Beef was so tasty. I want to try more different dishes! Love outdoor seating. Very busy restaurant. Dog welcome! High quality food. Highly recommended.
Greg T.
This is bitter sweet review for me but here goes. My wife, who does not go to town very often with me happened to this day. While we were in the Kaka'ako area we came across Vein and were excited to try it. It was not very crowded, we perused the Yelp page on it, and were impressed with the food and menu. We went in and sat down, were slightly disappointed to find a limited menu for lunch but did see a few things that interested us. I ordered the 'Vein' Waygu Hamburg Steak w/'Vein'Steak Sauce and my wife ordered the Jidori Chicken 'Nan Ban' w/Scamorzza. As we waited there were a few other tables seated. Started to feel the trouble when we were waiting longer than we should have had to but it got worse as the tables that were seated after us were served. I inquired as to the whereabouts of our food, and was told that the hamburger steak takes a very long time, but that it was coming. At the 55 minute mark I had to throw in the towel and tell him that I needed to get back to work and can I just pay for the few drinks that we had. I was told the food was coming out as we spoke, so they were kind enough to remove it from the bill, but gave it to us anyway and to go bag a few minutes later as I was paying for the drinks and said sorry for the wait. That was very kind of them, however, not going to town nearly as much as I do my wife was a little disappointed and hungry, as was I. The atmosphere, and the ambience was really nice, the bartender and waitress were absolutely stellar, and the drinks were very tasty. we took the food home and reheated it, which I'm sure affected the quality somewhat, but, what we found was a bit of a mixed emotion. The hamburger steak was very good, but there was not enough gravy. The vegetable which looked like a possibly shredded cabbage, was absolutely boring fairly tasteless., and just no substitute for a vegetable. My wife's chicken plate was the same, the chicken was good but the rest of it was absolutely boring. I do hope to make it back there and try some of their other dishes and hopefully be able to write a stellar review, this one just has to stand on its own because it's what the experience was like.
Boyd R.
Highly recommend this place Food was cooked well and spot on Service was great and even considerate I haven't had the chance to explore the inside But from the outside seated area it looked great and my date she also enjoyed it too thank you &
Keiko W.
I've wanted to eat at this restaurant for years but never got around to it. Yelp sent me a Collection of noodle places and Bein was one of them. I asked hubby if we could go for my birthday dinner and he said sure! The menu is not very elaborate but hubby and I figured that maybe they wanted to specialize in a few dishes. The server was a nice young man with a boisterous voice. He joked and teased me which I enjoy. We asked for his advice on the menu and he suggested the Steak Crostini appetizer. Delicious! Then we decided on the Risotto Funghi and the CAB Harami Steak to share. Both dishes were delicious . Ended the meal with the Bread Pudding and Crème Brûlée. All in all we enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Only small disappointment was we have the server the parking ticket to validate but when we drove out turned out it had not been validated and we had to pay $9 for parking. Not a big deal but a bit disappointing. Will we be back? Maybe.
Karla L.
We had been dying to give this place a try. We finally got a reservation and not sure if it was because it was a weekday but service was not great. Our waiter didn't greet us but let us sit for 15 min and then came over and ask "what do you guys want". We instantly just felt that the experience went down. The food was rather tasty. We did not order much as we felt like we couldn't ask questions. We had our pastas,loved them. Waiter not once came to ask how we were doing or if we needed anything. The waiter only came over to clear our plates and ask "are you having desert here". The service was really disappointing.
Larry Cortez
Newly transplanted to Hawaii from Southern California I craved my local restaurant comfort food from a nearby Filipino friends restaurant. Always a go to place for all my favorite dishes. One dish in particular was his curry beef over rice. No one seem to get the flavor I recognize to be at the same level of goodness until I walked into this restaurant. Let me introduce VEIN at Kaka’ako. Not family with the choices the hostess recommended her favorite the curry wagu. With some unexpectation I was delighted with the best curry wagu burger with egg! So good! The tender wagu burger with curry topped with an over easy egg and side salad was so ono! Top it off withLilikoi Momosa and you have the perfect lunch. Highly recommend! Can’t wait to try the other dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tani D.
Woooow amazing restaurant!!! Really fast and kind servers! Their food was exquisite. My friend brought me here for a late Birthday dinner and I am hooked I love this place. They have 18% off pastas during their happy hour. We were looking at the menu and were debating what to get so we ended up getting 3 different pasta dishes to share. The mushroom risotto, bolognese, and the uni pasta. My favorite dish is the bolognese I love that the pasta was not over cooked or mushy. It was a perfect texture Al dente and the meat sauce was not over powering. I'm not a huge fan of uni but my friend was and that was her favorite dish.
We LOVED every single dish we ordered! Will definitely going back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Nicholas Heuermann
Great experience. Unique and flavorful dishes. Our favorites were the Grilled Tako, hanger steak, funghi risotto, and the lamb.And best bread pudding I've ever had for dessert.Our server was very nice. I definitely recommend this place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Risotto Funghi, Hanger Steak
Timothy Yamada
I always feel bad going dinner on holidays, but they did an exceptional job making our night comfortable and the food exactly what we were hoping it’d be.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A M
The ``mushroom soy sauce pasta'' I had for lunch was too sweet.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Kevin for 3
Food was super amazing!!However, the servers were too “casual”. They did not even validate my parking ticket.But I still strongly recommend you their food!!
We tried this place on a whim as the other mediterranean restaurant didn't have an early reservation time and we had noticed this place over a year ago.When calling for the reservation they said that they could squeeze us in. maybe that was the sign. I had looked at pictures of where we sat on other photos and it was clear that they did squeeze us in. I didn't mind the location as it was near the front close to the bar by the area where they input orders. It was clearly in the way of others passing by us as they would hit the corner of our table. we also didn't understand why we are putting in an awkward position because there are many available seating areas -unless they like those areas for large parties which definitely could've been broken down to smaller tables.We will say this: service was great and prompt.The mr didn't like the additional charge for kitchen help.The food is Mediterranean fusion and I was not sure about the fusion part. Maybe because there were artichokes and octopus on the menu.We did order the artichoke karaage. It's really deep fried artichoke. It was OK. Some pieces were overly seasoned than others. The Mr. ordered the steak crostini. He said you couldn't taste the flavor of the meat at all. I ordered crab and scallion arrabbiata. I will say the texture of the spaghetti was on par perfectly al dente. I wonder where they get the pasta from. The sauce however was nothing spectacular. I had hoped for chunks of crab but they must've been pulverized within the sauce. Had I not remembered I ordered crab, I would never have known there was crab in the sauce. And I also have to agree with other patrons that a basket of bread would've been nice as there is way more sauce to pasta ratio that I could've mopped up with some bread. The mr ordered bolognese and again, was disappointed with the lack of taste in the sauce. We have to agree with other patrons where the price tag did not meet the quantity or quality we were hoping for. Two appetizers, two meals, a bottle of wine and two cocktails was well over $250. the cocktails were not as impressive as we would have liked. There was something strange with the limoncello that I couldn't put my finger on, but I also couldn't finish it -it just had a strange aftertaste. The mr is pretty particular about his old-fashioned and didn't care for his as well. He said it tasted very deluded.Considering it was date night and we wanted to try something new, we did. Would we come back again? Maybe if someone invited us but for now we will try other places. Once again, was the food great? No, but it was good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
We tried this place on a whim as the other mediterranean restaurant didn't have an early reservation time and we had noticed this place over a year ago. When calling for the reservation they said that they could squeeze us in. maybe that was the sign. I had looked at pictures of where we sat on other photos and it was clear that they did squeeze us in. I didn't mind the location as it was near the front close to the bar by the area where they input orders. It was clearly in the way of others passing by us as they would hit the corner of our table. we also didn't understand why we are putting in an awkward position because there are many available seating areas -unless they like those areas for large parties which definitely could've been broken down to smaller tables. We will say this: service was great and prompt. The mr didn't like the additional charge for kitchen help. The food is Mediterranean fusion and I was not sure about the fusion part. Maybe because there were artichokes and octopus on the menu. We did order the artichoke karaage. It's really deep fried artichoke. It was OK. Some pieces were overly seasoned than others. The Mr. ordered the steak crostini. He said you couldn't taste the flavor of the meat at all. I ordered crab and scallion arrabbiata. I will say the texture of the spaghetti was on par perfectly al dente. I wonder where they get the pasta from. The sauce however was nothing spectacular. I had hoped for chunks of crab but they must've been pulverized within the sauce. Had I not remembered I ordered crab, I would never have known there was crab in the sauce. And I also have to agree with other patrons that a basket of bread would've been nice as there is way more sauce to pasta ratio that I could've mopped up with some bread. The mr ordered bolognese and again, was disappointed with the lack of taste in the sauce. We have to agree with other patrons where the price tag did not meet the quantity or quality we were hoping for. Two appetizers, two meals, a bottle of wine and two cocktails was well over $250. the cocktails were not as impressive as we would have liked. There was something strange with the limoncello that I couldn't put my finger on, but I also couldn't finish it -it just had a strange aftertaste. The mr is pretty particular about his old-fashioned and didn't care for his as well. He said it tasted very deluded. Considering it was date night and we wanted to try something new, we did. Would we come back again? Maybe if someone invited us but for now we will try other places. Once again, was the food great? No, but it was good.
My wife and I booked a reservation at Vein after viewing the photos and reading several reviews on Yelp. So, on Thursday, 4 April 2024, there we were. First, we want to salute the entire staff. We have never seen such a hard-working group. Our meal started with an Aperol Spritz and a Negroni 13, accompanied by Karaage artichoke hearts and grilled Tako. Both of these starters and the drinks were superb. Next, we ordered lamb and Pistachio pasta. The grilled lamb was the best we've ever had, anywhere on the planet. The bucatini pasta was perfectly al-dente, covered in a house sauce of puree and pistou pistachio nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Prosciutto di Parma. This unusual creation was a first for us, and it was exceptional. Finally, we shared Creme Brulee and their fabulous Bread Pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Whew! This place is welcoming and comfortable. We never felt rushed. The Head Chef, Mr. Jordan Harris, was most gracious, taking the time to chat with us. He even added a special gift to our go bag! We will most definitely return! Five stars!
The best bread pudding I ever had! Must try!! Beef was so tasty. I want to try more different dishes! Love outdoor seating. Very busy restaurant. Dog welcome! High quality food. Highly recommended.
This is bitter sweet review for me but here goes. My wife, who does not go to town very often with me happened to this day. While we were in the Kaka'ako area we came across Vein and were excited to try it. It was not very crowded, we perused the Yelp page on it, and were impressed with the food and menu. We went in and sat down, were slightly disappointed to find a limited menu for lunch but did see a few things that interested us. I ordered the 'Vein' Waygu Hamburg Steak w/'Vein'Steak Sauce and my wife ordered the Jidori Chicken 'Nan Ban' w/Scamorzza. As we waited there were a few other tables seated. Started to feel the trouble when we were waiting longer than we should have had to but it got worse as the tables that were seated after us were served. I inquired as to the whereabouts of our food, and was told that the hamburger steak takes a very long time, but that it was coming. At the 55 minute mark I had to throw in the towel and tell him that I needed to get back to work and can I just pay for the few drinks that we had. I was told the food was coming out as we spoke, so they were kind enough to remove it from the bill, but gave it to us anyway and to go bag a few minutes later as I was paying for the drinks and said sorry for the wait. That was very kind of them, however, not going to town nearly as much as I do my wife was a little disappointed and hungry, as was I. The atmosphere, and the ambience was really nice, the bartender and waitress were absolutely stellar, and the drinks were very tasty. we took the food home and reheated it, which I'm sure affected the quality somewhat, but, what we found was a bit of a mixed emotion. The hamburger steak was very good, but there was not enough gravy. The vegetable which looked like a possibly shredded cabbage, was absolutely boring fairly tasteless., and just no substitute for a vegetable. My wife's chicken plate was the same, the chicken was good but the rest of it was absolutely boring. I do hope to make it back there and try some of their other dishes and hopefully be able to write a stellar review, this one just has to stand on its own because it's what the experience was like.
Highly recommend this place Food was cooked well and spot on Service was great and even considerate I haven't had the chance to explore the inside But from the outside seated area it looked great and my date she also enjoyed it too thank you &
I've wanted to eat at this restaurant for years but never got around to it. Yelp sent me a Collection of noodle places and Bein was one of them. I asked hubby if we could go for my birthday dinner and he said sure! The menu is not very elaborate but hubby and I figured that maybe they wanted to specialize in a few dishes. The server was a nice young man with a boisterous voice. He joked and teased me which I enjoy. We asked for his advice on the menu and he suggested the Steak Crostini appetizer. Delicious! Then we decided on the Risotto Funghi and the CAB Harami Steak to share. Both dishes were delicious . Ended the meal with the Bread Pudding and Crème Brûlée. All in all we enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Only small disappointment was we have the server the parking ticket to validate but when we drove out turned out it had not been validated and we had to pay $9 for parking. Not a big deal but a bit disappointing. Will we be back? Maybe.
We had been dying to give this place a try. We finally got a reservation and not sure if it was because it was a weekday but service was not great. Our waiter didn't greet us but let us sit for 15 min and then came over and ask "what do you guys want". We instantly just felt that the experience went down. The food was rather tasty. We did not order much as we felt like we couldn't ask questions. We had our pastas,loved them. Waiter not once came to ask how we were doing or if we needed anything. The waiter only came over to clear our plates and ask "are you having desert here". The service was really disappointing.
Newly transplanted to Hawaii from Southern California I craved my local restaurant comfort food from a nearby Filipino friends restaurant. Always a go to place for all my favorite dishes. One dish in particular was his curry beef over rice. No one seem to get the flavor I recognize to be at the same level of goodness until I walked into this restaurant. Let me introduce VEIN at Kaka’ako. Not family with the choices the hostess recommended her favorite the curry wagu. With some unexpectation I was delighted with the best curry wagu burger with egg! So good! The tender wagu burger with curry topped with an over easy egg and side salad was so ono! Top it off withLilikoi Momosa and you have the perfect lunch. Highly recommend! Can’t wait to try the other dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Woooow amazing restaurant!!! Really fast and kind servers! Their food was exquisite. My friend brought me here for a late Birthday dinner and I am hooked I love this place. They have 18% off pastas during their happy hour. We were looking at the menu and were debating what to get so we ended up getting 3 different pasta dishes to share. The mushroom risotto, bolognese, and the uni pasta. My favorite dish is the bolognese I love that the pasta was not over cooked or mushy. It was a perfect texture Al dente and the meat sauce was not over powering. I'm not a huge fan of uni but my friend was and that was her favorite dish.
Restaurantji Recommends
We LOVED every single dish we ordered! Will definitely going back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Great experience. Unique and flavorful dishes. Our favorites were the Grilled Tako, hanger steak, funghi risotto, and the lamb.And best bread pudding I've ever had for dessert.Our server was very nice. I definitely recommend this place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Risotto Funghi, Hanger Steak
I always feel bad going dinner on holidays, but they did an exceptional job making our night comfortable and the food exactly what we were hoping it’d be.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The ``mushroom soy sauce pasta'' I had for lunch was too sweet.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Food was super amazing!!However, the servers were too “casual”. They did not even validate my parking ticket.But I still strongly recommend you their food!!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Uni Carbonara, Crème Brulee'