Honu Kitchen & Cocktails

Honu Kitchen & Cocktails

363 New York Avenue

Huntington, NY

631-421-6900

Dined: 8/16/2007

Review: 8/17/2007

Atmosphere (9/10): Walking into Honu from the quaint village of Huntington makes it feel like you've been transported to a trendy downtown East Village restaurant in Manhattan. The room is dark, with candles on each table. The decor is most black themed, must different than the Hawaiian feel it had in its previous life as Blue Honu. Palm trees have been replaced by bare steel colums and big red curtains.

Service (8/10): The server was very attentive and knowledgable about the menu, which is impressive since it has only been open a little over a month. I asked for recommendations. Some were spot on, others not so much. Checked back with us many times to make sure we were still enjoying ourselves. The manager checked in with us and we told him this was a great addition to the Island.

Food (7/10): The concept behind Honu is "small plates"; very similar to a tapas bar or, depending on the restaurant, some Manhattan-sized entrees! The staff describes the food as "larger than appetizers but smaller than entrees". Although this depends on your interpretation of appetizer and entree size, it was pretty accurate. I would highly recommend the short-rib stuffed piquillo peppers. Also, the beef tenderloin with a Maytag Blue Cheese reduction was excellent. I would stay away from the over-Cilantro'd Red Snapper with mango, as well as the overwhelming bacon-y dish, Pork and Peaches. Everything on the menu seemed to match the theme of 'small' plates and small bites, though. Most dishes were priced between $12-$16.

Drink (6/10): Although the name implies some signature "cocktails", the drink menu itself is somewhat underwhelming. The peach mojito seemed enticing, but decided to pass. The wine list is small but very familiar to many guests. Most bottles between $40-$60 dollars but go way up into the $300 range. Also, Silver Oak Cabernet by the glass is a big plus when you would like to indulge a bit ($35/glass).

Overall Rating: 30/40, 75%

Overall Assessment: Very good addition to the island. Tapas and small plates seem to be catching fire in other parts of the country, why not the baby brother to Manhattan? Will definately go back for a reasonably-priced, trendy dinner.