We recently were treated to a retirement dinner at Straits in Kakaako - I retired just over 2 years ago but Ms S just retired at the end of July after 6 years of Federal service. Straits specializes in Singaporean cuisine and just opened in Kakaako about 3 months ago but they've had a presence in the Bay Area since 1987. Upon entering Straits, you immediately get the club vibe as both sides of the hostess station is the lounge with low ottoman style seating around low tables in a dimly lighted space with club-type music playing. The dining area has traditional dining tables though the dim light and music carryover into the main dining area.
Because our former co-workers enjoy their cocktails, they literally sampled all seven cocktails on the menu including the "I'll Be Around" ($17) with rum, lemongrass syrup, lime and mint...
The "Jillian" ($18) with vodka, lychee liqueur, lychee juice and elderflower liqueur covered by a smoke bubble...
The "You Sexy Thing" ($18) with Kaffir lime infused gin, fish sauce honey, red bell pepper juice, lime and coconut milk...
The "Sir Raffles" ($18) with gin, Benedictine, Grand Marnier, cherry liqueur, pineapple juice, lime and grenadine...
The "Purple Rain" ($18) with whisky, lemon, elderflower, blackberry and egg whites...
The "Milk and Honey" ($18) with tequila, Thai chili infused banana liqueur, Carpano Bianco, honey syrup and clarified lemon milk...
A "Sunday Afternoon" ($17) was also ordered with rum, pandan syrup, coconut syrup and lime but I forgot to get a photo though it looked just like a green Sir Raffles...
Everyone ordered one dish and we sampled everything family style including the Straits Frites served with Kaffir lime aioli and housemade ketchup ($15)...
The Roti Prata served with a spicy curry sauce ($12)...
The Hamachi Curry Crudo ($27)...
The Garlic Noodles ($19)...
The Wok Fried Noodles ($24)...
The Hainan Chicken ($28) which was my selection as I've always wanted to sample this classic dish and it is listed as one of their specialties...
The Nuoc Cham Pork ($38)...
And the Lemongrass Beef ($46)...
Okay, now the disclaimer. I usually don't order spicy food when dining out as my noggin' turns into a waterfall even with something as simple as spicy ahi poke or artichoke jalapeno dip and though none of the food selections had the chili pepper icon next to the description, the nuoc cham pork and wok fried noodles did get my noggin' glistening so I didn't go back for seconds even if they were tasty. The roti prata, frites and lemongrass beef were very good especially when the frites were dipped in the kaffir lime aioli so the meal was very much appreciated as a "parting" meal for both of our retirements. However, though the food was tasty, I'm not sure if Ms S and I would return as the prices were in the high end Waikiki range - I guess with the development of Kakaako, rents are almost as high as in Waikiki. And though the service was excellent, the music is a wee bit too loud for normal conversation so on the drive home, we both noticed slight dry, scratchy throats as we had to speak louder than usual. And we're way past that club scene age... heck, we're both expecting our first Social Security checks soon...
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