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Name: Restaurant Epic
Address: 1131 Nuuanu Ave, Honolulu, HI, 96817
Telephone: (808) 587-7877
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.83

Restaurant Epic

1131 Nuuanu Ave, Honolulu, HI, 96817

(808) 587-7877
Store is closed

Restaurant Epic Menu

Small Plates

Strawberry & Arugula

Spinach Cobb Salad

Asian Style Roasted Duck Salad

Pocho Mac n' Cheese Balls

Chopped Steak Bruschetta

Petite Caprese Grilled Cheese

Braised Beef Short Rib Ravioli

House Smoked Wild Salmon, Potato & Bacon Hash

Berkshire Pork Belly Confit

Bacon Wrapped Australian Lamb Chops

Crispy Risotto Cake

Roasted Butternut Squash Dumplings

Escargot Poppers

Togarashi Seared Ahi

Strawberry & Arugula

Spinach Cobb Salad

Asian Style Roasted Duck Salad

Pocho Mac n' Cheese Balls

Chopped Steak Bruschetta

Petite Caprese Grilled Cheese

Braised Beef Short Rib Ravioli

House Smoked Wild Salmon, Potato & Bacon Hash

Berkshire Pork Belly Confit

Bacon Wrapped Australian Lamb Chops

Crispy Risotto Cake

Roasted Butternut Squash Dumplings

Escargot Poppers

Togarashi Seared Ahi
Large Plates

Puerto Rican Style Roasted Pork (Pernil)

Miso Glazed Wild Salmon

12 oz. Grass-Fed Natural Rib Eye

Cioppino

Mongolian Pork Chop

Full Moon Ravioli

Sopa de Fideo

Spicy Gumbo

Short Rib n' Mac

Thai Curry Seafood Risotto

Holy Crap That's A Lot of Bacon Burger

Puerto Rican Style Roasted Pork (Pernil)

Miso Glazed Wild Salmon

12 oz. Grass-Fed Natural Rib Eye

Cioppino

Mongolian Pork Chop

Full Moon Ravioli

Sopa de Fideo

Spicy Gumbo

Short Rib n' Mac

Thai Curry Seafood Risotto

Holy Crap That's A Lot of Bacon Burger
Happy Hour - Dishes

Fried Shrimp w/Cajun remoulade

Kalua Pork Spring Rolls

Sweet Potato Fries

Seasoned Edamame

Lemongrass Steamed Clams

Asian Fish Tacos

Chicken Wings

Caesar Tostadas

Pocho Mac n Cheese Balls

Furikake Fries w/Wasabi Aioli

Curried Chicken Potstickers

Bacon Wraped Cheeseburger Sliders

Cheddar & Bacon Tater Tots

Harissa-Spiced Crispy Short Rib Ravioli

Fried Shrimp w/Cajun remoulade

Kalua Pork Spring Rolls

Sweet Potato Fries

Seasoned Edamame

Lemongrass Steamed Clams

Asian Fish Tacos

Chicken Wings

Caesar Tostadas

Pocho Mac n Cheese Balls

Furikake Fries w/Wasabi Aioli

Curried Chicken Potstickers

Bacon Wraped Cheeseburger Sliders

Cheddar & Bacon Tater Tots

Harissa-Spiced Crispy Short Rib Ravioli
Sides

Miso Glazed Mushrooms

Southern Graised Collard's

Roasted Garlic Linguini

Warm Brussels Sprouts

Charred Asparagus

Miso Glazed Mushrooms

Southern Graised Collard's

Roasted Garlic Linguini

Warm Brussels Sprouts

Charred Asparagus
Desserts

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Molten Cake

Baked - Stuffed French Toast

Chocolate Chip & Bacon Cookies

PB & J Crunch Pie

Chocolate Decadence Cake

Jack n' Coke Bread Pudding

Swiss Apple Crumble

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Molten Cake

Baked - Stuffed French Toast

Chocolate Chip & Bacon Cookies

PB & J Crunch Pie

Chocolate Decadence Cake

Jack n' Coke Bread Pudding

Swiss Apple Crumble

Healthy Meal suggestions for Restaurant Epic

Small Plates

Strawberry & Arugula [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spinach Cobb Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Asian Style Roasted Duck Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pocho Mac n' Cheese Balls [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chopped Steak Bruschetta [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Petite Caprese Grilled Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Braised Beef Short Rib Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

House Smoked Wild Salmon, Potato & Bacon Hash [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Berkshire Pork Belly Confit [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bacon Wrapped Australian Lamb Chops [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crispy Risotto Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roasted Butternut Squash Dumplings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Escargot Poppers [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Togarashi Seared Ahi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Strawberry & Arugula [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spinach Cobb Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Asian Style Roasted Duck Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pocho Mac n' Cheese Balls [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chopped Steak Bruschetta [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Petite Caprese Grilled Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Braised Beef Short Rib Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

House Smoked Wild Salmon, Potato & Bacon Hash [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Berkshire Pork Belly Confit [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bacon Wrapped Australian Lamb Chops [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crispy Risotto Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roasted Butternut Squash Dumplings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Escargot Poppers [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Togarashi Seared Ahi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Large Plates

Puerto Rican Style Roasted Pork (Pernil) [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Miso Glazed Wild Salmon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

12 oz. Grass-Fed Natural Rib Eye [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cioppino [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mongolian Pork Chop [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Full Moon Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sopa de Fideo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spicy Gumbo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Short Rib n' Mac [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Thai Curry Seafood Risotto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Holy Crap That's A Lot of Bacon Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Puerto Rican Style Roasted Pork (Pernil) [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Miso Glazed Wild Salmon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

12 oz. Grass-Fed Natural Rib Eye [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cioppino [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mongolian Pork Chop [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Full Moon Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sopa de Fideo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spicy Gumbo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Short Rib n' Mac [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Thai Curry Seafood Risotto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Holy Crap That's A Lot of Bacon Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Happy Hour - Dishes

Fried Shrimp w/Cajun remoulade [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kalua Pork Spring Rolls [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sweet Potato Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Seasoned Edamame [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Lemongrass Steamed Clams [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Asian Fish Tacos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Wings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Caesar Tostadas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pocho Mac n Cheese Balls [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Furikake Fries w/Wasabi Aioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Curried Chicken Potstickers [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bacon Wraped Cheeseburger Sliders [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cheddar & Bacon Tater Tots [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Harissa-Spiced Crispy Short Rib Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fried Shrimp w/Cajun remoulade [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kalua Pork Spring Rolls [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sweet Potato Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Seasoned Edamame [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Lemongrass Steamed Clams [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Asian Fish Tacos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Wings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Caesar Tostadas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pocho Mac n Cheese Balls [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Furikake Fries w/Wasabi Aioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Curried Chicken Potstickers [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bacon Wraped Cheeseburger Sliders [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cheddar & Bacon Tater Tots [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Harissa-Spiced Crispy Short Rib Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sides

Miso Glazed Mushrooms [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Southern Graised Collard's [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roasted Garlic Linguini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Warm Brussels Sprouts [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Charred Asparagus [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Miso Glazed Mushrooms [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Southern Graised Collard's [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roasted Garlic Linguini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Warm Brussels Sprouts [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Charred Asparagus [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Desserts

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Molten Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Baked - Stuffed French Toast [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chocolate Chip & Bacon Cookies [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

PB & J Crunch Pie [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chocolate Decadence Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jack n' Coke Bread Pudding [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Swiss Apple Crumble [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Molten Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Baked - Stuffed French Toast [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chocolate Chip & Bacon Cookies [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

PB & J Crunch Pie [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chocolate Decadence Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jack n' Coke Bread Pudding [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Swiss Apple Crumble [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Visit below restaurant in Honolulu for healthy meals suggestion.

Honolulu Coffee ( Ala Moana Shopping Center,1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Ste 3066 )

Honolulu Café ( 741 Bishop St )

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

Write An Anonymous Review

Angel A.

Great prix-fixe menu and happy hour! We also tried their peanut butter and chocolate molten lava cake which was delicious. Try their mojitos, they are mango flavored:)
(4)
Ronna L.

Super ono food! Every time I come back home to Hawaii, I always stop into Restaurant Epic . Escargot in puff pastry? Check. Kalua pig in spring rolls? I'll take two. Kim chee pork chop with fried rice? Yup yup. Short rib mac n cheese? Oh hell yes. If there's room for dessert, I usually finish off the meal with something decadent (if there's a peanut butter chocolate souffle on the menu, please just do it). Then, I roll myself home, promising (half-heartedly) to not eat so much next time!
(4)
Lori V.

This was a very pleasant dining experience. We all got the tasting menu for the month and it was fabulous. Perfect portion sizes and the food was very flavorful and unique. I would definitely do this again. The decor was modern but cozy, the bar patrons seemed to be having a great time as well. They offered $8 valet parking, but you can park in the Chinatown municipal lot for $3 max.
(5)
Zar A.

Restaurant Epic is a very nice restaurant to dine with friends, co-workers and to have business meetings for those that work in Downtown. The food selection is Asian American and is very good! The price is more on the higher end. The portions are reasonable for the price. The service is great. The staff are very friendly, nice and knowledgable. The decor and ambiance is very nice and romantic! It's quite impressive looking inside for the location of the restaurant, in the dingy edge of Downtown, almost boarding Chinatown. The inside of this restaurant is completely different then the outside decor. I've only been here about two times and would love to come back again.
(4)
Morose G.

Came here last year during my trip home and came this year and enjoyed both times. I wish I remembered what we ordered last year but this year we came during happy hour so I had the kalua pork spring rolls, spicy tuna roll, and lemongrass clams. My date had the lamb with beurre blanc. And the lamb was the winner. 2nd were the clams. 3rd the roll. 4th the spring roll. Server was super sweet and attentive and I love the vibe of the place. Just wish they served bread instead of the curry popcorn. That was a bit obvious and cheap :-/
(4)
Bonnie H.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the Happy Hour at Restaurant EPIC! My fav is the lemongrass clams!! mmm!!! yum! a MUST TRY! the only reason it doesnt have 5 stars is because I wish their "Happy Hour" was longer = ( It used to be extended to 6:30 pm but its back to its normal 4:30-6pm M-Fr hours. see link below for happy hour menu! restaurantepichawaii.comâ€¦ Love their small plates. I found it filling and very nice for an inexpensive, mellow, and chill early evening out.
(4)
Roger P.

I've been to Epic many times. It's one of my favorite downtown restaurants. Today I had the Epic Cheeseburger (my trusted default), and a small sized Asian Duck Salad. Both were delicious. I've enjoyed everything I've tried there over the years. The Ravioli dishes are excellent, as is their Mongolian kabobs, escargot. About the only negative comment I'd make is that about a year ago they stopped serving sushi, which I thoroughly enjoyed. All in all a great restaurant.
(5)
Keoni V.

The appetizer was amazing. I had the risotto cake. The multiple flavors exploded leaving me wanting more. For the main course, I had the bacon and crab carbonara. The dish was rich and tasty. If I have to say, The crab was overpowering and I couldn't taste much bacon. The sauce was too thick and became too much half way through the course. I would've loved half the sauce and bigger chunks of crab and bacon. Great bang for your buck. Large portions and excellent service. Next time going during happy hour to try their pupus!
(4)
Emi H.

Had a business lunch at Epic with my friend Jon and was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was! I ordered butterfish and Jon ordered a burger. The presentation was beautiful and portion sizes of both dishes were fantastic! My butterfish was delicious and I have cravings for it every time I get within a one mile radius of Epic. Haven't tried anything else at Epic and probably won't just because I am such a huge butterfish fan. I was lucky enough to find metered street parking which ended up costing me $3.00. Parking is always such a headache downtown during lunch so next time I'll probably just get dropped off.
(4)
Hungry L.

Happy hour rocks here. It's very classy and relaxed. Fish tacos were delicious! I can't comment on the regular lunch or dinner times.
(5)
Marcus S.

Great food and good service. Parking sucks but worth the $10. Go for the appetizers sine they are smaller portions of the entres and you can order and taste a lot more. The lamb was my fav. China town is the new foodie heaven.
(4)
Tina T.

went there for a friend's birthday. Had several appetizers to share, including the pork belly sliders and the escargot, quite delicious. The entrees were also pleasant and had the right portion size. A good place to go for some comfort food but can't say that the place is that memorable.
(4)
Christian G.

Pretty darn good. Getting thoroughly sick of crappy hotel food and craving cioppino led me to find this place on yelp and make a dinner reservation. Our reservations were for 8pm and we were late, but they were slow, so it was ok. They closed the kitchen around 8:30, which we found a bit odd if they're supposed to be open until 10pm. Regardless, we ordered our dinner, with cioppino for me and garlic shrimp risotto for the DH. I told him he should throw a plate a la Gordon Ramsey when he ordered it, but he was too chicken. I got the tiniest bite of his dinner while he was distracted and it was pretty good. Creamy and cheesy with a healthy portion of large shrimp. My own dinner was magical. I admit to never having eaten either cioppino or risotto (not from a box) before and man, I love some cioppino. It was much more of a thick stew than a soup and it didn't resemble what I've seen on tv and in pictures in that the crab was already cracked and only the meat was in the stew. This came with small clams in the shell, salmon, shrimp, and two scallops. It was delicious.... Pride in cooking shown through on this dish and I was extremely happy with my meal. Even the bread was awesome. I didn't eat all of it and had the leftovers for lunch today, still awesome. Tonight's craptastic hotel buffet showed me what the difference in good food and lots of food can be. I'll be a repeat customer for sure.
(4)
Amir P.

I ate there with my girlfriend for my birthday. I ordered escargot poppers for appetizer and the Mediterranean leg lamb as dinner plate. I am so satisfied with the food and the service. The waiters were so friendly and they kept checking on us during our stay. I would definitely go there again soon.
(5)
Anna L.

Older crowd, but surprisingly trendy & chic. Tall ceilings, mood lighting, and sophisticated furniture. Food was well priced and portioned. If you've never tried escargot, definitely jump for the escargot poppers! It tastes like a mushroom wrapped in a pastry puff.
(4)
Allan H.

Happy Hour was pretty, calamari slightly overlooked but besides that it was great.
(4)
Sheryl M.

My husband and friends and I always use the happy hour at this place as our launching pad for the evening's adventures. We have tried every pupu on the menu and the only one that we felt..."meh"...about was the kalua pork quesadillas. We love the poketini (which is, sadly, no longer served in a martini glass), the Epic roll, their Asian version of fish and chips with super spicy dipping sauce and perfect fries...it's all good. I like all their drinks just fine with the exception of their Epic Mojito which was a tad too sweet for my taste. Our friends love it, too. We order a bunch of pupus, make a meal of it, have a few drinks, and then we're off to someplace else. What really makes this place is the service. The bartenders are especially friendly and the servers who have waited on us when we have been seated at a table have been very efficient and friendly. So why is it only 4 stars? We had dinner here once over a year ago and we were unimpressed. For what we paid, we were underwhelmed. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't spectacular, either. My dinner experience was maybe a 3 star one but I've had many 5 star happy hours that have well made up for it. But having said that, I don't think I'd bother going there for actual "dinner" again.
(4)
First Name L.

Not bad! Exceeded expectations in some areas and kinda failed to meet others. So it's a Monday night, holiday weekend, and my daughter's birthday. We had a few places to choose from but decided on Epic over Kochi and Bonsai. This is a review of BUT's... it was good but... First of all, if you're going to call yourself Epic, you better be Epic. For someone that has never been there, it sets a high bar and in our case the bar was not met. It should be called Very Good!! Parking was fine, we found a street space after a couple circles around the block. The restaurant was 65% full, we were seated immediately. Our waiter was cool but definitely not great. He was nice but we've had better. Ambience was OK... It was like a restaurant trying to be fancy but was missing a few key elements. Music was too soft and didn't fit the overall feel of the place. Food - - Korean Chicken Wings - surprisingly good, deep fried but not too greasy, or it was the first dish and we were damn hungry - Calamari - I'm not a real fan of fat ass calamari that resembles chicken sticks but it was good - Kalua Pork Spring Rolls - Good - Butterfishh and Yellow fin Ahi - It was good but a tad over cooked, they need to visit Roy's and learn how to cook fish. - Black Angus Rib Eye - Awesome, it's a must have - January Tasting menu - -- Spinach Salad - Good nothing out of the ordinary -- Pork Tenderloin - flavorful, served with a gravy that reminded us of chicken pot pie, the puff pastry was weird -- Honey Soy Wild Salmon - Cooked perfectly -- Black Angus NY Strip - Good, a tad overcooked, but after tasting the Rib Eye, this was second rate -- Chocolate cake - way too thick, rich, and condensed - Sorbet - fine - Tiramisu - very good We also got the wine pairings with the Sampler, which turned out to be just two glasses of wine, I'd pay more to have wine with every dish. Overall the sampler is a good deal. Food presentation was excellent. A lot of things could have been better but in the end, the food was good enough to get a 4 star rating. Don't go to Epic expecting Epic anything. Service was so-so, we've probably had better at Chili's.
(4)
Porky Penguin S.

After visiting Louis Pohl Gallery, a group of us went to dinner at Epic. Uh...the food was okay, if you like raw salmon. Mine was just that. And the opah was tasteless. The salmon was supposed to have teriyaki sauce--sure couldn't taste it. The appetizer spring roll was good, though, as well as the quesadillas. Next time, I'll stick with the appetizers. Actually, I don't think there will be a "next time." There are so many good restaurants in Honolulu. Why waste your appetite here?!
(2)
Becky T.

Not sure why the reviews are so poor for this place. I had a really enjoyable meal here. We got the five course prix fixe dinner for $30 plus paid extra $7 each for wine pairing with two of the courses. We were happily stuffed by the end and it was a great dinner deal considering that mist of their entrees are over $20. First course: their take on a caprese, tomato slices with a slice of buffalo mozzarella, a single basil leaf, and over a few greens. What made it interesting though was that they sprinkled some li hing powder over the tomato slices which I really liked. My haole friends weren't too keen on it though. Second course: duck confit and shitake quesadilla drizzled with plum sauce. It was good but hard to really pick out the duck and shitake flavor because the sauce and cheese overpowered it all. Third course: seared scallops with pureed squash paired with glass of Riesling. This was my favorite course. Unfortunately it took about 15min to get this course after finishing the second one. Our waiter kept checking on the situation and even informed the manager about it, even though I was really enjoying my company and didn't even realize it. Due to the wait though, we were able to substitute the strawberry shortcake on the prix fixe menu for any other dessert. Anyway, back to the scallops. We each got two large scallops that were perfectly seared and cooked and served with this shoyu based sauce. This would be an excellent main entree on its own. Fourth course: Chicken with mashed potatoes and asparagus. This entree was sort of lackluster though was really well prepared. I liked that the chicken was thigh meat (love the dark meat!) though that sorta explains why the 5 course could be only $30. Fifth course: Creme brulee that I subbed for the shortcake. They serve theirs in a really large shallow ramekin for more carmelized surface area. Although the top of mine was crackin' it didn't have that rich caramel color that it should have. Good nonetheless. So there were a few things not on point, but overall it was a really good dinner for the price. Maybe I would feel differently if I went for the regular menu prices, but I'm glad that I chose the prix fixe and this would be a place I'd hit up again.
(4)
Frederick G.

Simply Outstanding. Without a doubt one of the best meals I have had in Oahu. We had the Ribeye and the hashbrowns and I was floored. Our Server Nathan was great - very professional and attentive. From the hostess to the end of the meal I was impressed. Will definetly return very soon.
(5)
Paul L.

The food was 5 star, but the service was kinda slow. It would be nice if they brought something for you to wipe your hand after eating the buttery sandwiches.
(4)
M I.

We had a few of the small plates as our dinner. The portion size was great for sharing between two people. The service was great, the food came out pretty quickly, the presentation lovely and the taste was wonderful.
(5)
Sara H.

my dad picked me up the epic roll (scallops, crab, shrimp, lots of goodies w yuzu aioli drizzle) from here for lunch today. i guess that's what i get for ordering sushi from a burger bar place because, let me say, this roll was not quite epic! har har. bad jokes aside, i'd def give this place a 2nd chance, esp when i'm not trying to eat healthy (mac and cheese bites sound amazing!)
(3)
Beth-Ann M.

This place used to be wonderful. Maybe I'm just missing my friend Louise but I really do remember such a time. Returned for the first time in quite a while tonight and was met by disappointment. Got there at happy hour so ordered a number of dishes on that menu. Seems important to mention that almost everything offered at happy hour is fried. We made the mistake of ordering the seafood gyoza (fried) and the epic roll (mostly mayo). We ordered a couple of items off the regular menu once we realized it was a happy fry hour...the bacon wrapped meatloaf and spinach salad was pretty good ...so was the wine. Other than that ...eh..not so much. I'd walk a few steps over to Indigo next time.
(2)
Danielle P.

Came here for Valentine's Day and had their Pre-fixed menu and a bottle of Pinot grigio. Love the vibe here, it made us feel like we were in a different city. We were the youngest couple here too. Why wouldnt you get 5 stars? The food is delicious and the service is amazing! Can't wait to try more.
(5)
Sylvia D.

I'm really not someone that's into the cool, artsy downtown vibe of First Friday...but on this one occasion, I decided to make an exception for my friends. I can act just as immersed in a painting of a blue canvas with red stripes all over it as much as the person next to me who seemed to be intensely studying the thing like it was talking to him. Of course, I did have a few drinks first and we decided to start our new moody, artsy, personas with some drinks and pupus from Restaurant Epic. I had heard some mixed things about this place and decided that we'd try it...plus there was a happy hour flyer posted outside with some pretty cool drink specials. Right after we were seated, our sarcastic but very entertaining waiter informed us that the happy hour specials that were posted right outside the door don't apply on First Friday. But he did manage to soothe us with the fact that there was a $4.00 grey goose on special instead. Nothing to calm the rising panic of cheap drink deprivation like good vodka. We ordered some sushi, the shrimp scampi and the porkchops with mushroom risotto. They were all very tasty. Jared, our waiter did bring us the wrong sushi but he said we could keep the wrong one, no charge, and then he brought us the right one, so for that, I'd say he deserved a fat tip. After 1-2-3-4-5 drinks, and trying to get Jared the waiter to hook up with my friend, much to her mortification, I definitely felt better equipped to rub elbows with the downtown artsy fartsy folks and have my mind be provoked by paintings that look, well, like red stripes randomly done over a blue canvas. C'mon, I didn't have enough drinks to interpret the damn thing, just enough to pretend to be provoked by it!
(4)
kelly k.

like some other people have stated before me, restaurant epic is not so epic. it really is just a-ok. last time i ventured to epic was for a girlfriend's birthday dinner. i had the salmon which came with gnocchi, shrooms, onion, and capers. honestly, the salmon was so-so. there were a few bones in it which i wasn't too pleased about. the gnocchi with the mushrooms, onions and capers were pretty good though. i had a taste of my friend's seared ahi entree which was a little better than mine. but overall, i think epic is like one notch above indigo. and i'm sorry :( but that's not saying much. what i DID enjoy was the sorbet and the chocolate-peanut butter souffle-ish dessert. i'm not sure i'll ever be eating eat at epic by choice... :/
(3)
Lan N.

I haven't been to Epic for over a year now and finally I went back today for lunch around 1pm. It seemed pretty quiet and not packed. Appetizers were ordered consisting of fried calamari and the epic roll. First off, the fried calamari looked very similar to Burger King's chicken sticks. It didn't taste all that great and the dipping sauce was pretty much ketchup mixed with horseradish. You would think that you can't really go wrong with ordering calamari, but in this case don't order it here. The epic roll turned out to be not so epic afterall. Similar to a california roll, but with sauce (probably the japanese mayo). I had the Catch of the Day of mahi. The fish was a bit well seasoned, but the rich buttery sauce seemed to balance it out. It came with a slaw which I didn't really care for much. Who really eats slaw these days? Our waiter wasn't that attentive to detail as in refilling my glass of water. I consumed a lot of water since my entree wasn't well executed. For the price here, it is not worth it. I think I'd rather go to Indigo's instead.
(2)
Dave M.

Hey you got to check out the Strawberry Arugula Salad with candied walnuts and goat cheese, damn near the best salad on the island. Give me two of those and I could call it a night. But my curiousnesses got the bestesses of me so I ordered the ravioli, the braised beef rib, the tater tots, the escargot, the ribeye steak, the clams, and washed it all down with a bottle of Canyon Cabernet and viola I was a pig in heaven! Oh darn i forgot the meatloaf! I'm going back! Eh waiter why you neva tell me about da kine meatloaf brah! nah see you soon, ALOHA!
(4)
Maria T.

Since the sad closing of Palomino's, the Downtown Happy Hour scene has just not been the same for a long time. There was no real place that was 1) classy (i.e. not a bar with questionably clean surface areas) 2) good food and 3) great drinks. About a year ago, my co-workers and I stumbled upon Restaurant Epic. It's on Nuuanu, next to Indigos. We first started going for lunch, which does well, but then we ventured into the happy hour portion of the show, and boy were we ever in for a great surprise! They have martinis and beers for $4, and pupus for $4 - $6. What I love about this place is that its decor is very sophisticated and luxurious. It's the perfect place to bring clients, or co-workers. Also, the food is just fantastic. If you don't know anything about this place, let's just say that the main chef used to work at Roy's, and we all know Roy's is about great quality, so needless to say, he learned from the best. They have sushi, kalua spring rolls, garlic fries, etc. I used to like that the Happy Hour was not well known, because it gave me and my friends some privacy before the dinner rush, but sadly, the Restaurant hasn't been doing well with their Happy Hour, so they have had to cut back. Before, we used to order at least 10 happy hour special pupus, but now the restaurant has limited it to one special per person. Additional food is just at regular price ($10 - $12). Though five pupus for five people is definately enough, I think that this place deserves so much more attention and that people working downtown deserve a nice, elegant place to wind-down. If you go, try the berry martini. They put fresh assortments of berries and it's fantastic!
(4)
Jake D.

This place gets points for hooking me up w/ a vegan option. We were wandering around Chinatown w/out a guide to find some dinner. Indigo wasn't serving, so we tried out epic. Although they didn't have much that looked vegan or veganizeable, the guy in front offered to ask the kitchen if they could put something together for me. I was sold. Nice looking place - going for that metro downtown restaurant vibe. I've seen it done and overdone poorly, but this wasn't bad. The mojito was OK, but definitely not Epic. Good beer selection and happy hour options, and our entree's were tasty. They cooked up the fried tofu and eggplant w/o butter for me and I was a happy camper. Good service to boot.
(3)
Rob T.

The dinner here was great. I had the rib-eye steak, which was cooked the way I like it. I thought it was weired that they did not have starter salad for dinner but had appetizers...go figure. The ambiance and decor -- if you haven't been here before -- is pretty modern, but we went on a Saturday night but there barely was a crowd there. In fact, after we were done with our dinner, we were the only ones there. Makes me wonder why there isn't more publicity for this restaurant. Seems like the put more money in its decor but not in ads. The staff was great and enjoyed talking to them, but then again, there wasn't anyone else there. In summary, the food was great, prices were pretty moderate and they have a wide selection of wines. Happy eating!
(4)
Tad N.

My 3rd time at Epic; first time for cocktails / pupus; last two times for dinner; clam steamers appetizer, pear / mozarella salad, Epic sushi roll were all excellent; crab carbonara very tasty; braised short ribs excellent. Capped the dining w/ the swiss apple crumble - delicious! Our server Lauren was most pleasant, took good care of us always checking to see that everything was just right. Nice restaurant ambiance, great place to start a Downtown evening.
(4)
Kimi N.

This review is for lunch and happy hour. LUNCH: Had the kalua pork spring rolls and Epic roll for appetizer and the teriyaki salmon for entree. Spring rolls were excellent, not too salty and with a sweet chili sauce for dipping. The Epic roll was underwhelming, a little too much mayo. The teriyaki salmon was delicious! Moist, with crispy skin and tasty rice coated with furikake and nori. The portion was a little small for $17 (kind of expected more salmon) but was very tasty. HAPPY HOUR: Awesome! Went on Monday. They have mojitoes for $4 which were apparently tasty. I only ate the happy-hour food. Kalua pork spring rolls ($4), seasoned edamame ($4), Poketini ($8), garlic fries ($4) and teriyaki steak ($12). Everything was delicious and a great value. The Poketini, which actually comes in a dish, not a martini glass, has lots of avocado and ahi, especially for $8. The portions of edamame and garlic fries were huge and delicious. And the kalua pork spring rolls were once again great, although the dipping sauce was a yucky cream thing rather than the chili sauce from my last lunch there. The teriyaki steak would be the only thing I wouldn't get again - it was very tasty, but when compared to the other happy hour pupus, it was the smallest portion-to-cost value and not super special. I would try the steak sliders next time, saw the waiter passing by with 3 pretty good sized sliders for $8.
(4)
CJ C.

Restaurant Epic is my "go to" Restaurant downtown for client lunches or nice occasion lunches. I've been here many times. As some yelpers noted, the service can be spotty, but in recent times is much improved. I think the food is really nicely done. It is uncommon to have a restaurant cook a burger "rare" and do that perfectly. Also love the pork chop, braised short ribs and butterfish. On the one occasion where I had a tough pork chop, it was whisked away and a new chop was served and cooked perfectly. Props for that. The sushi rolls are ok--some good, some just ok (surf and turf), so a mixed bag there. All in all, a good dining experience for lunch. Haven't had the dinner specials or experienced happy hour, but it looks like I'll have to try that next!
(4)
Al D.

Went here again. Had a so-so experience. Ordered the dynamite ahi sandwhich and the fish was a bit ... fishy. Portions are fulfilling but I am disappointed that the fish was not fresher.
(3)
Christine G.

Delicious burger perfectly cooked medium rare and juicy. Great flavors. Yummy tomato bisque. Havarti and bacon grilled cheese was a good combination of salty and sweet with the apricot spread. Fries were only ok. Service was decent but a bit odd that we didn't have a consistent waiter.
(4)
Maria w.

I have been here once before for my birthday, the food is still great but if you want better selections and friendlier service, Happy Hour is the time to go. To the owner that is also the bartender, if a customer has two cran and vodka's and both have the same amount of alcohol in it and you make two more with mostly cranberry juice and not enough alcohol, the customer sends it back you should make another drink instead of arguing with you server that the drink is fine. The owner spends to much time catering to his friends at the bar and taking shots, than catering to his paying customers who come back and bring more patrons. I am not happy with the way the owner/bartender reacted to us sending back our drink. Stop socializing and drinking at the bar and pay better attention to your patrons and learn better customer service, I will not be going back or bringing anymore people with me anytime soon and that's sad, I really enjoyed the food. This is how you lose customers.
(3)
Gabby V.

Came here for the first time one night and I overall loved the place. Although it's small, there's a very intimate and sophisticated atmosphere about it. The menu was simple, yet complex and interesting. I ordered the wild salmon and it was delicious! It was a reasonable price with the right portion size. The only thing I have to say about Epic is that it took a little while for the food to be served. I also like their decadent cake which was absolutely sinful. The service is friendly and the food is sooo good! Definitely will recommend & come here again.
(4)
C H.

Had the prix fix menu last night with the wine pairing ($8 extra for 2 wines). Great food and the 2 wines were very decent. Sauces that accompanied dishes were so delicious. My friends who were there for the first time all loved Epic also. Definitely a return spot.
(4)
Bethany N.

This place is.. well.. Epic. Do the prix fixe, a five course meal for $30 or $37 with wine pairing. That's right. $30. PHENOMENAL. This place is recession proof; they have reduced prices by 15% over this damn financial fiasco. We went on a lazy Saturday night, day after First Friday so it wasn't super hoppening. The four of us didn't wait at all to be seated, our drinks came out super fast. The server was so attentive, as soon as we finished a course we received the next. Our menu was a spinach salad with bacon, hard boiled egg, blue cheese and a warm vinaigrette. This was very tasty and it wasn't tossed, the items were on the side of the spinach so you could enjoy them individually to get their flavor or together for the whole taste.. Around this time one of the boys had a temper tantrum because the other got a smidge more wine than he did and the server corrected it without a fuss or hesitation. I would have just smacked him so A+ for her attitude or lack thereof. The music was Sade. Some more Sade. A little more Sade. Good thing I love Sade or we'd have been in a bad way. Second course was fried calamari. Good calamari, not overcooked, not chewy. Delicious. Simple. Wasabi dipping sauce! I loved it. It bit back! Next was Opah over what tasted like a pad thai style dish (had that sweetish twang about it with fried egg) with a citrus-poppy seed sauce around the outside of the plate. Everything complimented the fish, nothing overpowered it. Prime rib was the next item and I ordered medium rare. They cooked it a bit more than I like but to be fair I am used to someone barely walking my cow past the fire and tossing it on my plate. It was delicious though. It was over roasted potatoes. The potatoes could have had a bit more seasoning, they did have some bacon for flavor but I would have rather just some olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Keep it simple, let the prime rib be the star. There were julienned vegetables which were good; just enough to enjoy the way the flavor complimented the meat. They were out of cheesecake so I had tiramisu. It was good although I'm not sure what they used in place of ladyfingers; some sort of just thinly sliced sponge cake? Either way, good flavor, good balance. I was SOOO full after this! All in all, totally worth the trip down the Pali. $30 for all that food, I absolutely cannot complain. The server was fast and courteous, the food was delicious and they weren't stingy. I will definitely be back for next months menu.
(4)
LooLicious L.

Very nice atmosphere, the food is pretty good, sorta reminds me of Roy's and the prices are reasonable. They also serve lunch with entrees ranging from $10 - $15 for lunch. Dinner menu is the same as lunch but the prices are a little more around $20. The food is not greasy & quite healthy. A very good "date" restaurant.
(4)
Mark G.

Epic's food is under seasoned. And for a menu that doesn't have many options one would hope that which you select is done perfectly. It is a nice environment and the waiters are very helpful. They brag a lot about the chef, which makes me wonder if he has them all a little brainwashed into thinking this is how good food is supposed to taste. One thing that Epic does have going for it is that it is one of the few downtown restaurants that is good for a business lunch in that area. The bottom line is that the service is good, the atmosphere is nice the menu is a little scant and the food is under seasoned. Which is a euphemism for bland.
(3)
J G.

I ate here a few years ago and everything was delicious, so I opted to have my birthday dinner here. We were just a tad disappointed that neither the hostess nor the waiter asked what we were celebrating even thought I was wearing a lei. So there were no well wishes, which I think is lacking of aloha spirit. I sort of think it's their job to be observant and help diners celebrate by saying "Happy (whatever the occasion)." The menu, just a sheet of paper, was slightly, but obviously, worn out, which made me wonder if we had made a mistake selecting the restaurant. I think there's no excuses, and Epic should hand out a menu that doesn't look so beat up. Fortunately, the food was very good. For my appetizer I had "Shrimp n' Grits" - Sauteed Garlic Shrimp, Griddled Cheddar Polenta Cakes, Scallions, Tabasco Gravy. It was different and very good. The portion was generous for $12. I liked the tobasco kick. Our dinners: my husband had the Angus Rib Eye - Hawaiian Salt Rubbed Angus Rib Eye, Truffled Potato Wedges, Sauteed Spinach & Crispy Onions. It was just a tad heavy on the salt, but other than that, it was excellent. He didn't leave anything on the plate. The sautÃ©ed spinach seemed roasted; I really liked it. I had the Cioppino - Lump Crab, U-10 Scallops, Shrimp, White Fish, Clams, White Wine Tomato Broth & Crostini. There were some adjustments (like salmon instead of white fish). It was yum yummy! Both our entrees were $22, which I thought was very reasonable. I thought the chef did a great job. For dessert we shared the chocolate-peanut butter molten cake (a soufflÃ©) with vanilla ice cream ($8). It was excellent! Not too sweet, a nice warm, light cake. I'd order it again. Service - our waiter was Gary and he was very pleasant and gave good service. They deducted $3 from our bill, to cover our parking. I thought that was really nice. I'm not sure if they do that for everyone. At first, when we sat down, the music was nice, soft jazz; later on there was some Lady Gaga music and I didn't like; not for dinner in a place that has a fine dining atmosphere. So for about 15 minutes, the music really sucked. So outside of the things I first wrote about, our dinner was delicious and I recommend this restaurant.
(4)
Elena V.

Out of all the upscale restaurants I've been to in Honolulu this was the worst. I really don't understand the rave reviews on this place. I tried the butterfish and the ahi- the butterfish was chewy not that melt-in-your-mouth texture I would expect... the vegetables tasted like they were thawed from a package reminding me of a crappy Chinese joint. I feel like quality is lacking- they are not using the freshest fish or the best ingredients. The desserts were run-of-the mill dull like ice cream and chocolate cake. Service was a bit iffy- seemed like the waiter had not tasted much from the menu. Not a place I'd return to.
(1)
Chris H.

Surf and Turf was great, steak was cooked to perfection. Only reason for not rating 5 stars, the overuse of bread crumbs on the steak and lobster took away the flavor from the key ingredients. The server was good, decor was better than BLT steakhouse and price was better. I'll be back sometime. Thanks
(4)
Jonathan L.

Worst Christmas of my life. Made reservations far in advance for myself. Showed up for dinner and it was a set menu problem was I have food allergies and told the server and they said they couldn't do anything for me. Had to not have a Christmas dinner had to leave.
(1)
Susan F.

My bf purchased the "what a deal wednesday" $50 gift certificate for $25 and took me here for happy hour and dinner. We had shared the five course dinner and the poketini. Its hard to screw up a salad... so the salad was okay with a light dressing. Second course was three pieces of the epic sushi, which was interesting but I didn't think it was awesome (it did have real crab rather than imitation). Fourth course was shrimp, scallop, clams, crab in a red sauce. I was disappointed by this entree, because while looking at the menu it was the ONE thing that I would order if we didn't get the 5 courses. It seemed like it was missing something in the sauce... bland. Fifth course was lamb chops in a blueberry cream sauce. It was different from all the other ways I had lamb chops but it was actually very flavorful and hits the flavors on your palate differently. We also received a chocolate cake.... very rich.... yet not over powering. The poketini was also delicious... spicy poke over a salad.
(3)
Queezy Q.

You have got to be kidding me. I would give this "restaurant" zero stars if I could. In all honesty, the worst food I have ever eaten. I had the soup of the day which tasted like herbal Korean medicine and it was cold. Then I had the their most popular dish, the miso fish, and it was gross. I could taste the old grease on the fish, it was as if I licked the floor of a ghetto chinese takeout restaurant. However, the bread was hot and fresh, but that is the ONLY good thing I have to say. I honestly do not understand how anyone could possibly like this restaurant. I really wanted to enjoy the food because my friend works there too. I will never go back. Save yourselves and stay away.
(1)
Carol L.

I heard really good reviews. Atmosphere: 5 stars. Service: 3+ (might be biased we went on a First Friday Arts Night and we were a party of 17!) Have to agree with others, food in way under seasoned. I had the lemongrass opah. NO taste of lemons grass at all. (blah!) They used that Sweet chili thai sauce (blah X2) . The appetizers were much better epic sushi roll and California roll. Food: 2 stars. Overall, won't come here again.
(2)
Arelene V.

Was taken there on Mon. night. They have a happy hour menu til 9:30pm. We had everything on the pupu menu. Shortrib were very good. Garlic fries I would skip as well as the calamari (too rubbery). Also good was the poketini that came on a plate instead of a small martini glass. The bar has no blender so they won't make blended drinks but we had them create a new drink and we called it the Berry Epic Mojito!!! It was really good! Wonder if they will add to their drink menu. Anyway, the entrees, especially the meat (mauka) ones were really good. Their special dessert molten chocolate/peanut butter cake was the BOMB!!!
(3)
David B.

Hmmm can't say I agree with everyone else here on this place. I thought it was a great restaurant and well priced too for what it served up. Took my wife out to first Friday, for some art, wine, and a bit of clubbing and ended up here for a late dinner. Wait was about 20 mins so we just browsed around and came back. A major plus was that they actually take your number down and call you when your table is ready. Which most restaurants being as busy as that place will refuse to do. The vibe in here definitely took me out and away from honolulu. It felt like i was in one of the major cities. Cool ambiance, loud, people going in and out. Just a lot of activity... And its a nice feel once in while to have this in hawaii. I'm sure it was because of first Friday. We ordered a nice variety of items to try out. (this was a while ago so I don't remember the names exactly, just the taste!) Beef ravioli, spring rolls, rack of lamb, and butterfish. Man...everything was very good. Nice presentations, taste, and portions were very nice and generous. I must say that the lamb here was one of the best I had in a while. I'm very picky with lamb... Service was excellent too. I will definitely return with my wife as we both had a great time here.
(5)
Andrea B.

I first found Restaurant Epic as a default back in November 2007. I was visiting Oahu and wanted to take my traveling buddy to the ever popular Indigo. But alas, Indigo was entertaining a huge party and had run out of almost all the items on their menu. Enter Restaurant Epic. It is a simple modern place in hues of reds, oranges and mustard yellows. The cuisine and decor is of Euro-Asian flare, but is also has a touch of Hawaiian flavor. Per the waitress' recommendation, we ordered the Kalua pork spring rolls for starters. I am 92% of the time a vegetarian (allegedly), but that remaining unconverted 8% is left for such things as Kalua pork. The pork is slowly cooked underground, which makes it ever so succulent and flavorful. The spring rolls were divine. Crispy on the outside and juicy n' tender on the inside. They were in a light drizzle of a sweet and sour sauce and a modest amount of mango chutney. All complimented each other very well. For the main course, again per the waitress, Blue cheese encrusted Papio or Ulua (local fish) which was topped with a small salad of greens. Underneath the Papio were some mashed potatoes, all of which was surrounded by a unforgiving sea of Portobello burgundy sauce and what we think to be truffle oil. We ate in silence. For four months my friend and I talked about this dinner and we recently went back to Oahu. This was the first place on the agenda. We took a couple of friends there and all four of us ordered the same exact thing. We ordered the Kalua pork spring rolls and the Papio. I know, creatures of habit, but we also wanted to see if they could recreate these unforgettable dishes again. And they did.
(5)
Christina K.

RESTAURANT EPIC . . . was not so epic. Closer to mediocre. Had lunch with my Aunty & Mom during the middle of the week. We didn't try the burgers, but got a few appetizers and a 3 different entrees, none of which we thoroughly enjoyed. Their one redeeming quality was the service, all friendly and super accomodating! But I'm really in no rush to go back.
(3)
Jennifer R.

Okay, first of all, the description above that says this restaurant is good for kids is wrong. My friend suggested this place for dinner and I checked it out on Yelp (since the website doesn't seem to work) and gave her my approval since it said "good for kids". Um, the place has no high chairs. Oh wait, my mistake, it has high chairs but they're chairs...that are high. They were kid sized chairs that were higher than the regular chairs but too high to put them at table height and had no straps of any kind to keep the kid in. Who designed these ridiculous things?! The food was pretty good -- we went at 6:15pm to take advantage of the happy hour specials which was a really good bargain so it was kind of a pupu (appetizer) style meal but it was good for the price, I think. The mojito I had was delish. I think I would have enjoyed the whole experience a lot more if they'd had real high chairs or if I'd know to bring my portable one. My son does fine at restaurants if he strapped into a chair and knows he can't get out but with their fake high chair he just wanted to climb out and walk around.
(3)
L K.

full points for a great lychee martini (but minus for the lipstick on the other side of the rim). more points for the fab wait staff. they were very nice and made an effort not to be intrusive. points off for taking away my favorite appetizer and replacing it with something very mediocre. they used to do a couple of nice sized scallops with goat cheese polenta. i'm not a fan of goat cheese but i've thought about those scallops for at least a year now. now it's two small scallops with a tomato sauce/dressing. they're served with a bacon & potato croquette. i do not have an appreciation of bacon and scallops. i love them separately but not together. the bacon is too strong. so minus points all around. more points off for the braised short rib ravioli. one would think that since it's braised short ribs it wouldn't matter if the meat was put in whole, it should be tender enough to cut through w/ a fork. but no. the meat is pulverized to an almost baby food consistency. so not appetizing. the one bright point is the truffle oil drizzle on top. adds a lovely smell. not sure if i'll go back. maybe in another year or so. well bugger. as gross as i found the ravioli filling i'm still thinking about them and want more!! it's been two days!
(2)
ann w.

We had a great meal at this restaurant. Surroundings are modest, with an old Chinatown neighborhood ambiance. We were there for a sponsored dinner for about 30 people. The three choices of entrees (filet of beef, seafood risotto, and a grilled fresh fish) plus two appetizers and set dessert (chocolate decadence) were excellent (Menu was set in advance due to the size of the group). Service was energetic, friendly, and appropriate. We will definitely dine here again.
(4)
Nathan N.

4.5 stars. Why? Paid parking. Make reservations and go early for lunch to get excellent service. Mojito is amazing. I'd dare say it was the best Mojito I've had in the state. It was so refreshing on a hot summer day. Not too tart and not too overloaded on rum. Perfectly balanced drink with a nice dash of mint. Bacon wrapped meatloaf served on a bed of polenta was delicious. I actually wished it was bigger. I absolutely loved it. The only problem I had with this dish was the polenta. I've actually never had it before and I came to realize I don't care for it. Chocolate Chip and Bacon Cookies - It was alright. Nothing to report in the way of a wow-zinger cookie.
(4)
Demur E.

Restaurant Epic has re-opened and it is great. Four and a half stars! Food: Amazing. There were a few hiccups, but only 1/2 a star's worth. We had a special appetizer of escargot with mushrooms, pancetta, and bleu cheese in what seemed to be a veal demiglace. The sauce was awesome, but slightly overpowered the escargot, which seemed a bit overcooked. We did not care if it was uncouth, we both asked for extra bread just to eat that sauce! The Epic sushi roll boasts scallops and crab, but they are not in the roll. I think the scallops were made into a mousse and put atop the sushi along with a crab/mayo salad and it was topped by caviar. My friend had the Saikyo Miso Syle Butterfish. When the wait staff asked how he liked it (it is supposed to be one of the more popular items on the menu), he responded that the rice was a little salty and there was too much of a citrus bite (yuzu?) in the sauce. He said the fish was fine, but something that you could have anywhere. I had the Daube or beef short ribs braised in a dark, meaty, slightly teriyaki-ish (sweet) sauce served with sauteed vegetables and potatoes lyonaisse. Yum! The meat was so tender and flavorful and just fell off the bone. They also offer steaks, a lot of fish and seafood dishes, a duck dish that looks great and also a rack of lamb that I will have to try at some point. The surf and turf and seafood combos allow you to try different things and does not cost much more than a regular entree. For dessert we ordered the Swiss Apple Tart, which was good, and made with fresh ingredients. It came with vanilla icecream and went well with the hot, rich coffee. I, of course, needed my chocolate fix and ordered the chocolate souffle. It was good, but just a bit eggy for my taste. I think Roy's still reigns supreme. (I am being overly critical, because the food was of such great caliber that the tiniest imperfection was noticable). When our waiter brought out a lemon sorbet with fresh strawberries, we thought he brought it to the wrong table. But then we found out the manager (or whomever it was my friend gave his butterfish review to) comped us the sorbet because my friend was a bit disappointed with his dish (which did not stop him from cleaning his plate, mind you). Service: Thus, service was excellent. Very attentive without being claustrophobic. They really care about what you say about their food. The wait staff was friendly, knowledgeable and quick to respond to any requests. Superb! Atmosphere: Very cool vibe and classy. Dark lighting, but there was a warmth and intimacy to it. There was enough open space so you do not feel confined or part of the next table's conversation. It is relaxed. You feel like you could stay all night and talk if you so chose. People were there in "date" clothes, there was the after work crowd and some were even in t-shirts and shorts. Overall: A bit pricey, but worth it. The service is top-notch, the food is innovative, with lots of strong, bold flavors (our waiter told us the chef is a saucier, so the sauces were all awesome, except for the yuzu in the butterfish sauce, apparently). An overall relaxing and enjoyable dining experience. I will definitely go back!
(4)
V C.

UPDATE: The restaurant is undergoing a change: It closed its doors, according to the Honolulu Advertiser ( the.honoluluadvertiser.câ€¦ ), but an April Craigslist posting was hiring. I'll have to check this out again when I'm back in Honolulu. I was happily finishing off my prawns and coconut rice at Green Door Cafe, not paying attention to the owner's conversation with a table about a new restaurant that had opened down the street. Yes, considering Green Door is a four-table restaurant, that paints me as mighty oblivious. It wasn't until the owner, Betty Pang, asked my husband and me, "Have you tried Epic yet? They just opened up. I want to try it." Well, far be it from a visitor to pass up a recommendation like that -- even if it's more based on anticipation than actual experience. So, my husband and I jaunted down to Restaurant Epic when it was all of four days old. Urban modernism on the corner of Nuuanu and Pauahi streets, the roomy L-shaped eatery has a motto "where art, culture and cuisine meet in perfect harmony." The artwork is minimal, and the walls' paint job/wallpaper echo the rice paper patterns of the circular ceiling lights in shades of taupe, gray and an orange coral, but the food has a fantastic balance of Chinese-influenced fusion. The service is young but enthusiastic, with miniscule missteps like leaving the menus at the table after taking the order, serving tea that should've been a wee bit hotter, and serving the entree before the salad (as the waiter did for the table next to us, much to the horror of the hostess/restaurant owner). However, with good intentions and better food, all is forgiven. Ok, ok, the food: The good-sized roasted Kakuku corn bisque ($5) was on the cooler side, but the soup had a nice savory sweetness of kernels and roasted peppers. I went appetizer heavy with wild mushroom blintzes ($7, surprisingly light given the cheesy inlay and woodsy burst of fungi) and peppered scallops ($11). I couldn't quite detect the "veal essence," but the roasted pears delicately offset the flavorful fresh seafood. I chose spinach salad ($9.50) as the main entree, which actually seems to be blanched and mixed with smoked bacon vinaigrette -- if you haven't guessed that this is not the most healthy salad option, they also throw in a poached egg on the side. The spinach is local, and does burst with a heartiness that the bacon only accentuates. Oh, and a tomato confit gets mixed in there for a sweetly acidic smoothness. The bacon bits themselves were a wee bit salty for me, but oddly not as much as for someone as hypersensitive as me. The spouse, who partook in the appetizers with much approval, also had the cola braised short ribs ($18). I don't know if cola means coca cola, although I wouldn't be surprised, since Vietnamese cooking uses 7-Up in some dishes and a favorite Hong Kong drink is hot coca cola and lemon. The short ribs were extremely tender and definitely leaned more towards a Chinese style, but it went surprisingly well with the soft, soft roasted garlic gnocchi in a beef tea sauce. We ate fast, partly because I was starving, partly because the Sunday night crowd was sparse (again, four days old), and partly because the wait staff was so attentive. So, the digestive processes didn't get to register all this food until we dug into the "fire and ice mousse." Then again, that mousse in a tiny deceptively small coffee cup was like a lava slide of richness: Mexican dark chocolate, cayenne pepper, and a carmelized blood orange compote. The fire was the cayenne, but more like a pleasant buzz -- although anyone who remotely hates any kind of burn should opt for the four other choices (guava peach cobbler, almond brulee, lemon tart, sorbets). The ice is the sparkling cubes of orange hidden under a modest dollop of whipped cream. The dessert was great, but the two of us couldn't even finish -- I could stand a spoon straight up in the cup, and we'd already plowed through a third. So, I hope Restaurant Epic does well. It's just a few storefronts down Indigo, the trendy fusion restaurant, and it's also part of the Chinatown renaissance. Oh, by the way, since I started with a chef, I should end with one: The owner of the nearby Soul de Cuba Cafe was eating dinner at the same time. I overheard his reviews to the waiter, and it was mostly thumbs up. Being a chef's restaurant can't be all bad.
(4)
Lauren C.

I made a dinner reservation last night at Epic for a night out with my husband. We've tried to schedule "date nights" once a month so we can go out and relax while enjoying new food. When we arrived that sat us at the VERY first table right in front of the door. At first I was a little bummed, but the restaurant was full and I figured someone had to sit there so I got over that quickly. Our server was prompt, courteous, and explained the specials as we were reviewing the menu. My husband and I had already been to two other restaurants/bars for drinks and appetizers so we decided to split the Surf and Turf. When the food arrived we split the meal and I immediately noticed that the steak was actually colder than room temperature. The taste of the steak was pretty good, but it had obviously been sitting around for a little bit. Now on to the part that really, really irked me...the lobster. The lobster was shameful! First of all it had been stuffed with something (maybe a breading and butter). The menu did not indicate that the lobster had any type of stuffing so I was disappointed that, in my opinion, they had kind of ruined it with extra "stuff". Lastly, the lobster was WAY WAY WAY over cooked. The meat in the claws were actually the consistency of rubber. It was absolutely horrible. I have an affinity for good seafood and was sorely disappointed with the Surf and Turf meal, particularly the lobster. Unfortunately I will probably never go back to Epic based on our experience from last night. We chose to go here on our date night because of the great reviews on Yelp, but we were sorely disappointed.
(2)
Tracey M.

Restaurant Epic is pretty well...epic :p haha (I'm sure this pun is in many other reviews but I couldn't help myself!) Been here for both lunch and dinner, service has been great both times :)! The servers know the menu well and are friendly. Took my best friend here to try it for dinner during first fridays and was pleasantly surprised at how quick service was being that it was pretty busy in there. My best friend had the thai curry seafood risotto and I had the short rib n' mac~ We also both tried escargot for the first time here :D The escargot came in four individual pieces in a yummy puff pastry topped with this amazing garlic butter sauce~ If you ever wanted to try escargot then try it from here! It felt like I was just eating mushrooms haha The risotto had a nice spiciness to it and smelled delicious! My short rib n' mac was made with rotini pasta (which holds sauces much better than macaroni!). The cheese sauce was very subtle which was a good thing because the short ribs was the star of this dish! Very flavorful and tender~ And the onion crisps on top added a nice texture :D Didn't get to try dessert this time but I have tried their swiss apple crumble and bacon chocolate chip cookies before~ Both were very good and who can ever go wrong with bacon anyway? :p
(4)
Nicole F.

Never have I felt so unwanted at a restaurant in my life. Sat at the bar at 9:30. The guy tending the bar, think it might have been the owner, asked us if we were ordering food because the kitchen was doing last call. My boyfriend and I let him know we just wanted an appetizer and dessert. When we told him we wanted the apple crisp dessert he then told us that he didn't know if the kitchen was wiling to stay open that late because the dessert takes half an hour. But your restaurant closes at 10 and it's only 9:30. We decided to leave because he made us feel like we were more of a hassle than anything else.
(1)
Melissa L.

My friend and I were being ridiculously fat when we stopped here while waiting for a reservation at a different restaurant. It was my first time and we just so happened to catch happy hour. DÃ©cor was nice and it wasn't busy at all. We visited on a Friday around 6pm. Our server was good, she didn't do anything that blew me away but she showed us a good amount of attentiveness. We ordered the: sangria, gin and tonic, apple and pecan quesadilla, fish taco, and teri fries. I wasn't a huge fan of the quesadilla the apples didn't taste that fresh and the fish tacos were on corn tortilla (I prefer flour) but it was still good. Drinks were well made and we always had water filled so that was a plus. Everything came out to $30 w/out tip. The menu did look good so I'm sure I would stop by again for a regular dinner.
(5)
Robert B.

Do not order the mix drinks on the menu. They are good!! But over priced for the lack of liquor. Great steak...do suggest you try that. Also the spring rolls are pretty good. I will bring friends back here. Nice private place.
(4)
Chris L.

We only had drinks at the bar. The barkeep seemed to really not know how to do his job. Wife ordered a glass of wine. He didn't have any wine glasses and had to wait for one to come from the dishwasher. It took about 10 minutes. I ordered a Rob Roy, and after a few minutes of fumbling around he said that he didn't have the ingredients for one. Even if he didn't have the vermouth he could have subbed a splash of ginger ale to make a cheesy lame copy. So I ordered an Old Fashioned, and he seemed to be lost on that one too. Didn't even muddle my orange in the glass, let alone a cherry. If you don't muddle you should twist the orange rind into it then, not just put it on the rim. Not impressed.
(2)
Anela S.

The food was awesome! I had the ciappino and they definitely aren't stingy with the seafood in their dish! The flavor was great and my opu (tummy) was happy and full! I recommend this place to everyone and I'll be coming back again!!
(5)
Marion W.

Love this place. The food was good and prices were reasonable. I will definitely go back. I ordered the lamb which was very tasty and not fatty. The strawberry arugula salad was absolutely awesome. Deserts were fantastic.
(4)
Charltons S.

Great food, great atmosphere and great people. Love the Epic burger and Rib-eye Steak! Alan the bar tender makes incredible cocktails! Highly recommend this place!
(5)
Chris M.

Ehhhh. Ok. Just OK. The menu wasn't very extensive and nothing on it tasted very good. Just OK. The atmosphere felt like a diner. Wish the food was as good as one.
(3)
Paul K.

We had dinner after a play at the Kumu Kahua Theater, and chose Epic because of its delicious and diverse menu, with awesome service. Our waiter was friendly, knowledgable, efficient and attentive. He made a great meal a real pleasure. Great bra tender too, who knows how to make a tasty Manhattan.
(4)
Lily B.

The BF and I wanted to try a new restaurant and be adventerous... and I was using the Yelp app, I came across Restaurant Epic. We decided to give it a try. Located in Chinatown, we ended up parking in Mark's Garage and paying $7 or 9 for parking, I can't recall. The neighborhood of the restaurant is a bit... sketchy. Upon entering, you're kinda transformed to another place. The ambiance is quite nice. It's modern, chic, and classy all at the same time. We were greeted and seated quickly. We were started with the house cajun popcorn. I enjoyed it. I thought it was something different, but my BF didn't care for it. yelp.com/user_local_photâ€¦ My BF chose the crispy risotto cake with a fried egg as his appetizer. He enjoyed it. I'm a picky eater, and I felt that there was too much going on in the dish. yelp.com/user_local_photâ€¦ I chose the tater tots with dipping sauce. The tots were overcooked. I wish they gave more sauce because the tots were very dry, but it's my fault for not asking for more. The BBQ sauce was better than the other sauce (which I don't recall). yelp.com/user_local_photâ€¦ We shared the 'chicken and biscuits'. The biscuits were burnt on the bottom (I should've taken a picture). The chicken was crispy and fresh, but average. The curry sauce was very mild (I mean I'm Thai so I have high curry standards) but this was very mild and bland. The dish was okay. A very cute presentation though. yelp.com/user_local_photâ€¦ I ordered the mac and cheese with braised shortribs and crispy onion strings. Not a fan of onions so I had that moved to the side. The mac and cheese was VERY VERY VERY rich... and I know some would argue that mac and cheese is supposed to be very rich... but it was just too overpowering for me. The braised shortrib meat was very tender, but a bit salty. It just didn't seem to go together for me. My fault for choosing this dish... I had asked what was popular and this was supposed to be one of the best selling dishes. I ate a few bites... took it home, and gave it to my BF's brother. yelp.com/user_local_photâ€¦ My BF ordered the lamb chops. Again, a very nice presentation. He enjoyed the dish. I don't eat lamb so I can't second or oppose his comment. yelp.com/user_local_photâ€¦ We heard our server tell the table next to us about a chocolate souffle and how it takes 20 minutes to bake... but he never told us about it. I had to ask about it... and that's what we ordered. We waited WELL OVER 20 minutes for dessert to come out. THANK GOD dessert was good, it was the saving grace. The souffle was delicious and borderline worth the 30 minute wait. yelp.com/user_local_photâ€¦ Ambiance and decor I love. Service was so so. At the beginning of our meal, it was spot on. As we dined, it gradually declined and we were waiting a lot (which I hate). The food, it was okay. My BF seemed to enjoy dinner more than I did, hence the 3 star rating as opposed to a 2 star rating. On a side note... my riesling was good! :) yelp.com/user_local_photâ€¦
(3)
Kelly M.

Went for a business lunch. Had a hamburger. Really good burger. They have a private back room in the corner with a table for 8 or so. Great place for a medium sized group. Good place for a business lunch.
(4)
Michelle G.

Just go. The staff is very friendly and the food is even better. Cocktails are great. We had several things from the menu and they were all fantastic!
(5)
Allison D.

Yummmm. Don't blink walking past Restaurant Epic because you might miss well, something epic. This place is right on the corner but blends in with the surroundings so its easy to walk past it if you aren't looking. BUT! I suggest you don't blink and look hard so you can find this place. I usually hit up this place for happy hour, they have a superb happy hour menu and wonderfully priced drinks which include $4 house wine, $4 Epic mojito, $4 martinis and $4 beers. However, I have been here for lunch and my work had our Holiday party here last year. Service: Usually pretty attentive, and always very nice Food: See the first line. Try the crispy ravioli (think delicious won tons), or the bruschetta for happy hour. For lunch, I suggest a burger, the braised short rib (melts in your mouth!) or one of their salads. Atmosphere: Although you can't tell from the outside, this place is very nicely decorated and has a casual/nice dining atmosphere. Depending on the day, the owner is usually walking around to (look for the guy with the cow cuts of meat tattoo on his forearm), which I think is great. It's always nice to see a chef that is so confident about his food that he'll be in the dining room making sure everyone enjoys it. I said it before and I'll say it again: Yummmm.
(5)
Maria G.

So I'm a bit perplexed about this place. From the outside it looks like a fancy restaurant, but when you go inside there are a lot of contradictions. Let's focus on food first. Asian fusion cuisine which is decent. Great happy hour prices. I was really surprised about their pernil (Puerto Rican Pork). It's the most authentic LATIN food I've had on the island (WAYY better than soul de cuba). So food wise, it's decent. The ambience was a little lacking. I still felt like I was in a cheap chinese restaurant that was trying to cover up its aging facade. The bathroom was dirty, the "open" kitchen was really not a sight for diners to see as it didn't seem as pristine as it should be, and there was a weird smell. So for food it was ok. The place needs a facelift though.
(3)
Vanessa B.

My friend and I after our yoga session was walking around and came across this place and decided to check it out. We coincidently made it to happy hour and the prices were the same as the reg. prices some were a dollar cheaper so that is why they get 4 instead of 5 stars otherwise this restaurant was very good. Great food ! Great choices ! The food was made really fast and the waiter was pretty informative. The Kalbi tacos were off the chain, I was obsessed. When we went in it wasn't that busy, it was a Wednesday night. The environment is really nice. Parking might be a problem being that it is downtown other than that definitely recommend this restaurant.
(4)
John M.

Met up with some friends to eat a place I always walk past but never tried out. So we decided on restaurant epic. We ordered quite a few things and everything was pretty good. I enjoyed it enough that I brought my parents the following week. The portions are big and we were able to share all our appetizers and entrees. We also made it in time before they stopped happy hour. We put in a couple orders of the fish tacos. That was probably the most memorable item. The fish tacos here are worth making it in time for happy hour itself.
(4)
Juan R.

To start off we got seated in an awkward table. Then we ordered our drinks and food. We got the drinks after we were half way done with our dinner which took over 30 mins. People came in after us and we're getting drinks before us. Then a fight literally breaks out in the kitchen with the employees and we can see it from the dining area and the bar! Crazy! The food wasn't even that great especially for the price. Not impressed. Been here a few times and it was great but this time I don't know what happen. The service was really bad Very disappointed.
(1)
Sherry K.

They have added sushi to the happy hour and being Doraku lovers, we decided we have a new favorite. The unagi roll was crisp and flavorful as was the spicy ahi roll. Crab dip was loaded with fresh crab, and korean tacos were amazing. As regulars, we love seeing them change up the happy hour menu. $4 Mojitos too. Their regular menu is nice. Waygu burger is killer as is the curry and pasta..
(5)
Lauren G.

I had been looking for a good dinner spot in Chinatown for our group to go to before we went out.. and luckily, we were able to get a last minute reservation at Epic. Things that will immediately make me love a restaurant... a bartender that pours heavy (check), a menu that includes lots of small plate options (check), an attentive waitstaff (check), and valet parking (check). Epic delivered on all accounts! We all tried about half the menu and there wasn't anything we didn't enjoy. My favs were the "Surf and Turf" appetizer (filet mignon and a crab cake drizzled with hollandaise), the brussels sprouts, and the flourless chocolate cake. 2 of my friends got the short rib mac and cheese and loveddd it... I also saw a couple of salads go by that looked pretty awesome. I'm definitely going to have to return next time I'm out in Chinatown so I can try an entree because there were sooo many that sounded delish!
(4)
Lora H.

I first tried Epic in 2007, when it first opened. Had such high hopes only to be sooo disappointed (as you can see from my original review). It left such a bad taste in my mouth, literally and figuratively, that I never went back. Then.... 6 years later... holy crap, it's been 6 years... on a whim, I agreed to go back when my co workers and I tried to think of where to take some out of town guests since they had already tried Indigo, so we thought, let's give this place a whirl and the recent reviews all seemed positive. Well, I am glad I gave it another try. Apparently, since the last time I was here, the owners changed and clearly the chef changed, and so has the menu. I was happy, pleasantly surprised... to the point that I would recommend this place now and plan to also go back! I had the duck salad - a little light handed on the pieces of duck, but all in all, good flavors!
(4)
Lindsey A.

Fusion done right. Came in and the servers remembered me and got my drink order without saying a word. That was before the food came out! Did the Happy hour menu and everything was amazing!!!
(5)
Nahono S.

loved the ambiance, enjoyed the drinks and variety of pupus. the staff was very friendly and attentive. will be back for happy hour.
(4)
Thomas O.

I feel like Restaurant Epic is a larger, more formal Tango Cafe. With its epic design features, well spec'd menus, and a mile-long list of great drinks you're sure to become a fan of epic proportions. I made reservations for 5 pm via the Yelp app on my phone with the help of Open Table and were surprised that it turned out to be 7 pm on their books...hmm. I don't know if I trust this new reservations feature. In the end it was okay because the restaurant was epically empty when Riana S and I arrived and Nicole K and David C had already ordered. The night before I checked out some reviews to see what people were saying. I was epic-urious! Then I made my way to the menus on their website and I found out they have happy hour from 4:30-6! Now I'm epically interested! Select drinks are $4 and consist of Imported Beers, the Epic Mojito, various Well Drinks, Houses Wines and Martinis. Then there's a list of pupus that are mostly under $7. Riana ordered the Mojito and since I was feeling pretty epic, I had the same, especially because it's my favorite drink drank. It was a little weak, but it tasted very good! Lime-y. Mint-y. Soda-y. Rum-y. Yumm-y. Then we learned that Nicole and David ordered the Crispy Short Rib Raviolis, Cheddar & Bacon Tater Tots and the Short Rib Sliders. I added on an order of the Mac & Cheese Bites, Sweet Potato Fries and the Kalua Pork Spring Rolls. Our server, Nichole was pretty awesome. She was very attentive and just overall nice. I felt like we were in good hands! Our items came out in no time and we were noshing on some ono grinds. The Crispy Spare Rib Raviolis are pretty epic. Like they are no joke! great flavor, nice size, and perfect for sharing. We had two orders (total of 6) and had some to take home. The Kalua Port Spring Rolls were also top notch. I really liked these. The sweetness permeates the meat and the sauce adds a whole 'nother lever of epic. The Cheddar & Bacon Sliders are total epic wins. You should get these at least if you're not getting anything else. Served in a vat of cheddar and bacon ooziness, they're surprisingly crispy and fresh out of the fryer. Nicole and David's sliders looked freaking huge! for $7, it could be a meal within itself. Oh yeah its also served with a dish of crinkle fries and ketchup. The buns looked like they were normal-sized so I don't know what these are sliding past...not my mouth, that's for sure. The sweet potato fries are sweet potato fries. I couldn't tell if they were undercooked or were just sitting for a little while. They was aiight. On top of this, I had to order the Full Moon Ravioli and I split it with Nicole and Riana. David was too full from everything else. What's the matter champ? Cat got your stomach? ANYWAYS. This dish was worth saving room for. The creamy pesto sauce goes great with the mushroom (yes, actual pieces of funghi), spinach, and ricotta filled raviolis. These are definitely homemade and cooked al epic-e. Mixed in the sauce were bits of macadamia (in stead of the typical pine nuts) that complimented the whole package epically. Having a Happy Hour with friends like Riana, Nicole and David truly make this an epic experience. I can't wait to try their burgers when I'll be in the area for lunch when school's back in session. From what I hear, they're pretty epic! Review #018/365
(4)
Jay P.

I've only been to Restaurant Epic once, but I think I've found a new restaurant that I'll be coming to regularly! First off, I was able to make reservations for a group of seven the night before we chose to go directly on their website, which saved time and stress! When we arrived, we were seated immediately and were given our waters, recommendations, the specials of the night, and any other information by our waiter. Overall, the entire staff that night were extremely helpful and enthusiastic. The ambience of the restaurant is very sophisticated and very different from what you see (and know about) outside. The interior is classy and trendy and the paintings on the walls mesh well with the lighting and the overall decor. Since we were a group of seven, we were all able to order something and share small portions with one another. However, I wouldn't really say that this place is a family dining restaurant. Out of what we ordered, I liked the escargot poppers and the mongolian pork chop the best. The seasoning of the escargot was amazing and literally melted in our mouths while the puff pastry made our taste buds pop! The mongolian pork chop also had an interesting and delicious kick -- fusion done right! Lastly, I ordered the molten cake with ice cream for dessert. The dessert itself takes about twenty minutes to bake, so planning ahead might be a good idea. When it did come, I was amazed at how rich and delicious one spoonful was. The peanut butter and chocolate combination mixed well with the ice cream and created an amazing little dessert dish. I would definitely come back JUST to eat the dessert! The only downside of dining here is probably parking. We were lucky enough to find street parking right in front of the restaurant, but my other friends had to find parking about two blocks away. Parking is literally a game of chance when dining here, so just be aware that you may have to walk a long distance to eat at this amazing restaurant.
(5)
Julana R.

I was in Chinatown yesterday and after making a stop at "Let Them Eat Cupcakes," I decided to grab lunch. This is when I stumbled on EPIC. It was a little before noon, and the space was crowded with happy foodies. I sat at the bar and talked to a nice person at the bar about her upcoming LSAT (I have confidence she will do well and pass). The bartender took my order and about 10 minutes later I had a half strawberry & Aragula salad and a cup of Roasted Garlic Tomato bisque soup ... Both were absolutely great! I can't wait to go back and maybe enjoy the ambiance eating there :-) Excellent food
(4)
Robert K.

We have eaten here many times. Always a good meal! They have some sushi appetizers now that are out of this world. I had fun talking to Sam, our waiter, who looks like a local guy but it turns out he's from the Chesapeake Bay area where I grew up. We had fun talking about crabbing as kids. BTW try the artichoke crab appetizer. Outstanding. Thanks Sam for a great meal.
(5)
Mike S.

Epically awful.
(1)
Allyn T.

I think this place is a better deal for lunch than dinner. The food is tasty but in a comfort food kind of way - even though their descriptions sound exciting. Maybe the limited decor made it seem like the prices didn't match the casual surroundings? But I think it was the food itself that didn't seem to deliver much of a punch. We had the escargot popovers, braised beef ravioli, brie cheese quesadilla, for appetizers and I had an apple basil gimlet which was tasty but it didn't have much alcohol in it at all. Then I had the butterfish and finished every bite - when I usually take home half a plate of whatever I eat. It was good and not too large a serving. We ordered the 2 desserts that you have to order early to get it served on time, and the bread pudding, all to share, and they were nice. Everything was tasty enough to enjoy, but just not exciting.
(3)
Daniel L.

Happy hour from 4:30-6:30pm!!!! According to my little bird in the chinese restaurant circle, this restaurant is the sister restaurant of Little Village. That would explain why a large part of their menu has a hint of chinese flavor. The Happy hour is good to try but none of the items were too memorable... I dont think I would come here on non-happy hour times to order these items..... However, the entrees and ambience is nice.
(4)
R S.

In the heart of downtown Honolulu, decor urban fancy and spacious. Mostly frequented by professional working in the area. The lunch menu was simple. Had the spare rib, fish (mong choi), escargot and coffe cheese cake. Everything I had was pretty good. If I had to choose a dish I would order again, I chose the fish.
(4)
Jaylynn A.

This is my new favorite restaurant, hands down. The experience I had was impeccable. Considering it was my first time, I'm so impressed. My friend and I were roaming around Chinatown last week for first Friday. We were planning to try this Cuban place but the wait for their was about an hour. No way! So we kept walking, we came across epic and stopped to put out name down and they said the wait would be about 30 so we left put number and kept on moving. But only 5 minutes later, the phone rang and they had a table. Yes! When we were seated our waiter was there minutes later with the nights specials and recommendations. He was incredibly helpful. We ended up getting the pork chop dish and the ravioli and their infamous escargot poppers. I was a little weary of getting the escargot, I've had it only once and for someone like myself, I was praying it would be prepared well. But the escargot was so good, they serve it in a garlic buttery pastry puff. Very unique and tasty. All the dishes that night were great, every single thing was so good- the wine I had with my meal tied in so well. It was, in every sense, the perfect meal. I'm pretty much convinced I've found my new favorite restaurant. My friend and I are going back for round two soon :)
(5)
Patrick G.

I went here last night with my parents and I was not as impressed as I thought I would be after reading the positive Yelp reviews. I have a feeling I need to go back for Happy Hour because that is what most of the positive reviews are for. The dinner menu had lots of interesting items to choose from. I really enjoyed my wife's chicken and biscuit small plate, but I wasn't wowed by my duck paella. The waitress was very nice and she was very knowledgable about the menu and that helped the overall experience. I am looking forward to trying this restaurant again to see if the hype can be lived up to.
(3)
diana y.

EPIC...FAIL. Called ahead of time to make a reservation for 8:30 PM. The woman insisted that this was the last time slot of the night and that they could accommodate our party. We arrived at 8:28 and they told us the kitchen had been closed for the night. This was extremely frustrating considering we planned ahead, spoke to someone who said they could do it, and we missed the opportunity to book at other places nearby. Ended up having to walk aimlessly though Chinatown around 9 PM as most other places were closed. Finally came across a good place, but WAITED 45 minutes to get a table. We got the chance to speak to some of the staff and manager at EPIC and they all seemed like they would rather go home early than gain our business. I can only speculate at this point how good the food is, but if it is anything like the service it gets one star at most. Hate to slam the place but this would have never happened in California.
(1)
Leone A.

Our waitress took way too long to check up on our table, and all she was doing was chatting with her co workers. To top it off, there was a business meeting with people using a projector and a microphone with speakers throughout the entire restaurant! Can you imagine trying to have a nice drink with your coworkers while not being able to hear yourselves think?!? I complained about it, and they said they didn't know this group was gonna be having a presentation. Sooo you're telling me you didn't know, yet they are hooked up to your speakers? It didn't make any sense. Everyone in the restaurant was bothered, and they didn't do anything about it. I used to come here all the time, but this last visit ended it for me. The food wasn't good enough to outshine this mess. #SorryBoutIt
(1)
Aimee N.

The interior of Restaurant Epic is very classy and trendy, perfect for a date night or a girls night out! We started off with the escargot poppers, very tasty and not as slimy as I thought it would be! I ordered the Mushroom Ricotta Ravioli which was drenched in pesto and and my boyfriend ordered the Spare Rib Mac and Cheese - super flavorful! We usually don't order dessert but we had to try the chocolate chip and bacon cookies! I'm glad it came with vanilla ice cream, it was the perfect way to end a perfect meal :)
(5)
Nicole T.

Our company had lunch here for our Christmas party. We exchanged gifts over some wonderful dishes. I had their Thai Seafood Curry. It was savory and full of flavor. Others in our party had the Ahi and their ravioli. The food was absolutely wonderful. As reviewers have pointed out service is hit or miss but the food is fantastic so don't let that stop you from trying this place out!
(4)
V H.

Epic is an all around enjoyable, excellent restaurant in downtown Honolulu for lunch, dinner and Happy Hour. The ambiance is relaxing, chic yet relaxed and welcoming. The service is outstanding and consistent-- thank you. Oh yes, the food is excellent, creative, consistent and pricing equitable. Thank you owner(s) for being in business! Can't imagine Honolulu without you.
(5)
Gina S.

This place is well, Epic. I can only speak about the one and only time we dined there, but the first impression was mmmmmm good. It was a lunch time affair, but while on vacay, we do it up, even during the day... Bacon Bloody Mary, Check. Escargot poppers, Check. Duck Salad. Check. Tomato Basil Soup. Check Pork Belly Cuban Sandwich, Check. French Fries. Check. There were even more dishes ordered amongst us, but if you see it listed I deem it worthy of being ordered. Everything mentioned was really delicious. The other stuff we tried was good too but the true treasures have been mentioned. Service was adequate. The place is nice looking with some chic appeal. The day time atmosphere was enjoyable, but I'm sure the night hours have a more lively feel to them. It's really ideal for a business meeting, lunch date with your new beau, or to play catch up with an old pal.
(4)
Pat D.

Food was average. It was. noisy and crowed. Was right after happy hour; so may have affected the experience.
(3)
Rie N.

The name says it all! Portions, flavor, and service was everything I could have asked for and more! I had the garlic shrimp risotto.... one word... YUMMM!!! The ambiance of this place is right up my alley. Dined here for dinner with a few friends and we were all more than happy with our meals. The price was just right for the amount of food that comes on each plate. Definitely will be back to try more of the menu out!
(5)
Brent S.

Came here with my wife and parents for brunch to celebrate Mother's Day. The staff is very friendly and attentive. The special menu included a Kahlua Pork Eggs Benedict, a Meat Loaf Loco Moco, and a Bread Pudding. The servings were plentiful and quite good. Everything is A-OK. Based on the reviews of other yelpers, we'll probably come back to check out some of the other dishes.
(3)
Greg C.

Food is always great at Epic! Service is usually spot on and the ambiance varies depending on where you sit in the restaurant. I recommend sitting up against the windows so you can see the life that is Chinatown go by while enjoying your meal. Most everything I've eatin there is great, but I'm a real fan of their beef and their apple crisp dessert. Convenient location for those of us working in downtown Honolulu, and for patrons of Hawaii Theatre.
(4)
Teri K.

I was hoping to have their brussel sprouts, but it wasn't on the menu because they're not in season. Instead, I happily ate their ridiculously delicious short rib mac & cheese. It's comfort food at its finest and enough for dinner & lunch the next day.
(3)
Cassie T.

Epic? Ok, bring it on! My husband and I have been hunting for great happy hours! We decided to give Restaurant Epic a try since it is like a block away from our house. We arrived at around 5:30 on a weekday and were surprised to find only like 3 other people there. I figured since it was downtown it would be hoppin. OH well we had an hour left of happy hour! We were happy campers! I also noticed that the actual bar is tiny. Disappointment. Oh well. We were seated right next to the window which brings its on splendor of crack heads fighting in the street, homeless people camping out on the curb and traffic...tons of traffic. Not the best view. We started off with drinks. I ordered the Apple-Tini and my honey ordered the Epic Mojito! These drinks were pretty strong and very good. But, compared to other Happy Hours they were on the smaller size for the same amount of money. But still good drinks. We had two rounds of this and then I switched to the Mojito and he tried some of their well drinks. For eats we ordered four items from their happy hour menu. The Asian Fish tacos which tasted like bottom feeder fish with little to no flavor. I will never order this again. They come with three tacos we each had one and then left the last to be thrown away. That is how bad it was. We also ordered the Fried Shrimp with Cajun Remoulade-$7. This was very good and it has like 6-8 pieces of shrimp. Just ask for extra sauce. The sauce was the star of the dish! The Short Rib Sliders-$7 were just ok. I expected there to be some sort of special sauce on them like the shrimp but no. Just normal ketchup, pickle, and lettuce. I would pass on this if I return too. Finally we ordered the sweet potato fries-$5. Now these were tasty! Normal sweet potato fries with sourcream and a zesty BBQ sauce. Delicious! We will come back for the drinks, sweet potato fries and the dinner menu!
(4)
Mahina K.

First off, I hate the word Epic. As Writing major in college, I think everyone is using it wrong; it's overused; and lastly, it makes me think of Epic poetry, which is no fun. But that little gripe aside, it was pretty empty on a Friday Night. We were walking around hunting for dessert (we already ate at JJ Dolans which was AMAAAAZING). There aren't many places open at 8 that aren't just bars and Otto cakes is gone :( and Let Them Eat Cupcakes closes far before then. We had to get the bacon chocolate chip cookie and bacon ice cream. I got the chocolate decadence cake. The bacon cookie and ice cream was interesting. It was like chocolate and we'd eat it and suddenly there was a piece of bacon in your mouth. I like chocolate and bacon, but something about this was just wasn't right. The chocolate decadence was rich. And I'm a girl that can eat a chocolate Godiva cheesecake like it's finger food. So when I say it was too rich for me, that bugger is RICH! I basically ate half and couldn't finish, drank a ton of water, and just could not finish (Don't you hate it when that happens). I liked it though. The restaurant is extremely trendy. Maybe I'll head back for dinner next time I'm home.
(3)
Kit W.

My good friend and I share the same birthday and after much consideration, we decided on Epic. Neither of us had been there before so armed with just Yelp reviews and a reservation, we strolled in and hoped for the best. In terms of decor, service, and ambiance, Epic was perfect for a birthday celebration. The eight of us were seated at a round table in our own private dining alcove, which was cozy and lovely. Our waiter was incredibly attentive, had a great personality, and knew the menu very well. Here's a quick rundown of the menu items our party had: Buttermilk Fried Pork Chops: Portions are HUGE--probably enough to feed two. Pork is tender and well-seasoned. Crab & Bacon Pasta Carbonara: Disappointing in both texture (pasta was heavy and weighed down by sauce/butter...seemed almost overcooked) and flavor (needed to add salt and pepper to spice up the dish). I thought bacon would save the day against all odds but there was hardly any of it... Escargot Poppers: Light, flaky awesomeness on the outside and hot, buttery amazingness on the inside. You can't come to Epic and leave without having this!!! Full Moon Ravioli: Spinach and ricotta ravioli was delicious with the basil pesto cream sauce! Toasted macadamia nuts and chopped tomatoes provided nice contrast in texture. Seared Ahi with Wasabi Sauce (Special of the Day): Ahi was seared to perfection and went very well with the sauce! Epic made a great impression on us overall, so we all agreed that we had to return to try their happy hour (Mon through Fri from 4:30 to 6:30. We actually made that happen two weeks later and here's what we tried... Bruschetta with Bacon Jam, Feta, and Pico De Gallo: This was soooo delicious!!! It's got to be my second favorite thing here...right behind the Escargot Poppers. The combination of flavors and textures is just spectacular...gotta try this!!! Kalua Pork Spring Rolls: Yummy fusion that went well with the sweet chile sauce. Lemongrass Steamed Clams: Nothing extraordinary but had a very simple and clean flavor profile. Great palate cleanser! Mac n' Cheese Bites: I thought these were only so-so, for all that previous reviews raved about them. What could have made them better is if they had come out hot. Instead, the fried, breaded exterior and the mac n' cheese interior were both lukewarm at most. Neither cheesy nor tasty enough for me. Had a fun and tasty happy hour here overall. Can't wait to come back sometime for yet another Epic meal! =)
(4)
Christina K.

Went back a couple of times lured by the promise of poutine. Soggy! The braised short rib ravioli was still good and the beet salad was good. Still good place to try downtown.
(4)
Victoria A.

This restaurant has been in my "bookmarks" forever! And finally, I had the opportunity to venture into Chinatown and give it a try. I went in for lunch with my sister and cousin visiting from the mainland. Being the investigative diners that they are, my sister checks the website's menu and yelp reviews while my cousin just arrives early for a drink and scopes out the menu. Chinatown is always difficult to find parking... on a budget. The restaurant isn't hard to find, either. The verdict: "Yay, I'm a fan." Family style, we ordered the Asian Style Roasted Duck Salad, Full Moon Ravioli, and the special of the day; which was a Salmon pesto linguini, and we ended with the Chocolate & Peanut Butter Molten Cake. Service was good; our server wasn't hovering but he was attentive and friendly. I would love to come back for dinner! Update to come. :)
(4)
Sean M.

comfort food is right! So, So good! Mac n cheese with braised short rib... It doesn't get much more comforting than that!
(5)
DeAnna R.

Went here to celebrate a friends birthday. Made a reservation online. Super convenient. Showed up and they have us a table in a private room. Was very excited about that. Our server came in and introduced himself and then left and disappeared! That seemed to be the common theme throughout the night. He rarely checked in. Always had to go looking for him or asking for him. We finally found him and got to place our drink order... We also made a point to order appetizers at this time because we were very hungry! So he took our order. Perfect. About 15 minutes later he comes back and says they are out of one of the appetizers... Ok. So we ordered something else. About 10 minutes later he comes back and tells my friend they don't have her main course she ordered.... Ok. So she ordered something else. About 20 minutes later he shows up with our food but still no appetizers! We looked at him confused and said we are still waiting on our appetizers. And he said "oh yeah. We always bring them with the food." What!? We didn't order appetizers to have you bring them out with our food so we don't even touch them because now we are eating out main course...! People order appetizers to snack BEFORE they eat! Super disappointed with this place. I feel like if your going to name your going to have a EPIC in your name... You have a lot to measure up to!
(2)
Marvine M.

Three words: bacon ice cream. Another four words: bacon chocolate chip cookies. Two of my most fave desserts here! ;) I have been here a few times for business lunches. What is very consistent here: excellent service. Lunch specials that are pretty affordable, tasty and VERY well presented. Their plated dishes are quite a work of art. Standouts on the menu: furikake encrusted ahi or ono, the teriyaki burger, miso salmon and pocho macaroni cheese balls. Like others have already mentioned - service is fabulous. My only negative is that their coffee on the day we were there was brewed a little weak. However, I LOVE being invited to Restaurant Epic for business lunches and I don't have to pay!
(4)
Joy N.

Restaurant Epic is a great restaurant for those in Downtown that want something a bit nicer than take out from one of the hole in the wall stores. We come here on special occasions for work or for meetings... Best to make reservations since they often have large parties which take up a lot of their tables. I was a bit bummed that they took off their Epic sushi roll from the menu since it was definitely one of my faves. However, here are a few other things I ordered before: - Full Moon Ravioli - This pasta is very rich-- almost too rich, esp. for lunch. Very tasty but be ready to feel weighed down after. - Roasted Duck Salad - LOVE this sald. The roasted duck is so tasty and they have a light dressing on the salad so you have this combination of salty and sweet. Their half portion is perfect with a bowl of their Tomato Bisque. - Bacon Halvarti Grilled Cheese - This is sooo yummy! However, I ask for the apricot/caper spread on the side since i think it's a little too sweet for my taste. Their tomato bisque is also very good! BUT... my ultimate favorite so far is... The bacon-wrapped filet mignion. This was a special for the day, so I am not too sure how often they have it but it was AMAZING!!! It was a petite filet, but just enough for a lunch portion. It came with a tasty butter sauce, asparagus and TRUFFLE mashed potatoes... OMG... I wish they had the truffle mashed potatoes all the time!! Everything just melted in your mouth!! Overall, it's a great little restaurant to check out!
(4)
Caroline M.

Even though the neighborhood surrounding the restaurant is sketchy at night, the restaurant itself is modern and clean. I ordered the shrimp rissotto, which was very good, but not the best i've ever had. We came here with friends and enjoyed ourselves.
(3)
Kim C.

I went in January for the first time and LOVED it!!! It really is an amazing place. Appetizers are amazing. We had several of them and was full before the meal came. The drinks are amazing as well. We were introduced to a few new ones and would do the whole experience all over again and then some. Food, drink and service is top notch in a comfortable atmosphere. Every time we are in town we just have to go.
(5)
Gspot H.

The Appetizers (Pupus) at this place are great. At a nice place for lunch meetings
(5)
Drew S.

Went here the other night with my wife and her mom. It's a cool place, nice decor, nothing crazy, but for some reason the place is empty everytime I walk by or have been here. Maybe it's the night's I'm going... who knows?? I had the "Holy crap that's a lot of bacon Burger"... It wasn't a crazy amount of bacon. I honestly think I could have handled more. The server told me he's been told it's one of the best burgers people have had, and I consider myself a burger person, so whenever anyone says this, I have to try. It's an impulse. But it was okay. Definately not THE BEST, but ok... My wife and her mom shared a bunch of apps. The steak bruschietta, that was pretty good, probably the best out of all. I wasn't too big of a fan of their escargot poppers, but maybe that's just a preference pov. We had a really good Riesling though, not sure of the name, but I think it was the only one they had. Also, the service was excellent. Server was attentive and friendly and very informative. Probably because he hardly had any other tables lol. Good place. Check it out. Wouldn't mind trying their happy hour though.
(4)
Yoselyn F.

We visited Epic on Good Friday. Meh... is appropriate especially on a holy day after giving up cursing. Bad Highlights: - We ordered drinks, 10 minutes later, after we ordered our food, I asked about them. He suddenly remembered. Mind you we ordered fruit punch. - We ordered two appetizers the jalapeno poppers, "ok" but it was very underwhelming. The salad was ok, but how do you ruin salad? - Our dishes were equally meh: * the rib eye came with fries, and they weren't even good fries * the Cioppino was flavorless, maybe the complaint of saltiness made them bland it? I actually brought more than half home, threw in spices galore and made some white rice and it was bomb! * the ravioli, my friends fiance described it as soupy pesto, I have to admit it looked suspect. - Our waiter was odd, not in the OMG I love Chinatown characters! kinda way but just not focused on us or earth in general. He seemed distracted and failed at basic human interactions. What he chose to focus on was beyond bizarre i.e. we wanted to keep a desert menu, I gave up sweets for lent and was struggling to NOT order every item, a girl needed more time and to really understand the options!!!! he also came and asked for the bill repeatedly although u friend was holding it down, obviously not done with it. Keep in mind that there were two other tables in his section so pressure was not the culprit. Silver lining: - The bread that came with the Cioppino! - The bread pudding desert! - No wait, but that is probably a sign. In conclusion, folks I think you should stick to appetizers? but Chinatown has other options! and the waiters are usually fun-er! so diversify! unless you want some bread pudding, if that is the case invite me!
(2)
Kazuo O.

Likes: food, pernil was spot on... how come Soul de Cuba can't capture that taste? Price was reasonable for the food quality. Dislikes: weird atmosphere, looks fancy from the outside, but up close, feels like an cheaply dressed up low range restaurant. Bathrooms were dirty despite attempts to make them look elegant. Wall paper peeling away. Needs a bit of a facelift. Try: Pernil - distinctly different from Kalua pig.... Bottom line: Although the food was perfectly good and well priced, I was not too impressed by the dining experience overall.
(2)
Charlie D.

Kalua pork rolls and the epic classic burger were my choices for this night and both were fantastic. I was mildly surprised to find walk in seating on a friday night but i possibly just got lucky. I would suggest not ordering from the cocktail menu. The taste and lack of liquor presence are not worth the price in my opinion. Very friendly staff though, our waiter was great!
(4)
Savina C.

Me and my best friend are determine to find the perfect happy hour place. We downloaded the "happy hour hawaii" app on our iphones and this was the first place that popped up. Now we made sure we got there at exactly 4:30 pm to start happy hour. Doing so, we were the first ones there. They close up after lunch and reopen at 4:30 Being that we were the first ones there, we had special attention from our server. She was very sweet and gave us excellent service. i got the mango martini and she warned me that a lot of people said it taste like lychee.. Thank God I love lychee because it's true.. It did taste like lychee. So for happy hour they have some of their appetizers at a reasonable price. We had the kailua pork spring rolls, short rib ravioli, and tartor tots. It was very ono. We both agreed on the short rib ravioli was da bomb! Of course can't leave a place without having dessert. We had their famous chocolate peanut butter molten cake with ice cream. I swear that went straight to the thighs.. Yummy! Now don't let the outside fool you, the ambiance is very cute and relaxing inside. Def a place you wanna go to catch up and I can see why a lot of business people come here. I would def come back to try regular menu. There were a few things that I'm curious about and sounded so delicious. Remember this is in town, so there is no parking lot for this place.
(4)
Frank A.

Restaurant Epic is located in the heart of downtown Honolulu on the corner of Nuuanu and Pauhi Street. This diamond in the rough boasts a beautiful ambiance as soon as you enter. Perfect for a birthday party with a group of friends or a casual setting with a friend or your loved one. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The lighting is soothing and dim in parts of the restaurant for a more intimate setting. I have been here several times for lunch and dinner, always being greeted by a big smile, I believe the owner of the establishment (according to a friend). As always, he is a very friendly and welcoming person and is always happy to see us. The food is delicious and originally diverse, and the portions are just right! The dishes are always exquisitely prepared. From the salads, appetizers, entrees or desserts you will not be disappointed!
(4)
Steven S.

Food was excellent. Service was some of the worst I've ever had. Ordered bottle of wine, server brought two glasses of wine out and then stated it was our mistake. Finally got the bottle we ordered, had to refill glasses ourselves server was too busy to stop by. Ordered appetizer, dropped off by another employee. Server never checked back. Entrees again delivered and no check back. Luckily app & entrees were perfect. No prebuss all dishes remained on table until we were done. Never given an opportunity to order more drinks and had to ask for a dessert menu. Like I said food was excellent service was very poor. Left restaurant frustrated and angry. Will not return EPIC FAIL
(2)
Amanda K.

This is a cute and trendy place in Chinatown. The contemporary decor makes it feel kind of upscale, plus it's always busy. Probably best to make a reservation. Service was friendly but the food took FOREVER. They have a decent selection on the menu, but it's mostly seafood so someone like myself is limited. I ordered the Curry Chicken Catsu and it was delicious! Really loved the flavorful curry sauce and thin slices of fried chicken breast. My friend ordered the mushroom and spinach ravioli in pesto sauce which was pretty tasty. Overall it was a good experience.
(4)
Keisha B.

The food: A+ The drinks: A The service: B The prices: B We came here on first Friday feeling adventurous and pretty epic, so naturally we should go to an epic restaurant right? It was girl's night out and we were feeling in the 'treat yo self' mood so the ambience and prices of Restaurant Epic were on par. The service. We waited a few minutes to get seat. Mind you it was first Friday but the place wasn't maxed out or completely busy. It was still pretty early in the evening (~7PM). We were seated at a very wobbling table that would move with ever single move. Also, though it wasn't overly busy, we felt the service was a little slow. The drinks. Our waitress approached us and asked for a drink order. Again since we were feeling extra fancy (like always) we ordered the overly priced cocktails ($10). I was in between the Peach Lemonade and the Sparkling Sangria. I asked for the waitress's recommendation and she spoke very highly of the Sangria. I really appreciate how honest she was and she was on point. That sangria was probably the best I have ever had. It was a white wine with fruit in high abundance and variety. It was also a good portion - which is always nice. The menu. The menu is very diverse yet confusing. Are they an American restaurant? Japanese sushi? Thai? Or all? Turns out it is new age contemporary restaurant that likes to put a little spin on everything. We started off with the Apple, Walnut & Brie Quesadilla ($7) that had candied walnuts and thyme Infused honey. And I can only really say one word about it : yum. I love brie and I love honey. Put them together in a quesadilla - it leaves you wanting more. For my main course, I ordered the Truffle Garden Pasta ($14) with mushroom, spinach, tomato, onion, basil with linguine pasta tossed in truffle oil and I did not regret it. It was amazing. The truffle oil was flavorful and really added to the pasta but it was not overwhelming. I was impressed, satisfied, and finally had that joy people get from a completely delicious meal. I was literally in food heaven. My guest, Caitlyn G. ordered the Braised Beef Short Rib ($16). It was very tender (like roast beef) and came with steamed spinach sprinkled with bacon and homemade mashed potatoes. At the end of the meal, we were both happy with our choices. I will definitely be visiting Restaurant Epic again, but maybe during happy hour next time.
(4)
Fran P.

Went with some girlfriends for a GNO, and had a fabulous time! Service was excellent, and the food wonderful.
(5)
Christopher P.

This place was phenomenal! Just by looking from the outside, I thought it was a little suspect, but the inside is thoroughly nice! A good rule of thumb is when you see a restaurant with a limited menu, you can assume that everything is going to be good because there not a lot of items on it. And yes it was! We started with a the Escartgo. It was served on a soft pastry puff and delicious! I had the Chef special of the day which was a NY strip with some sort of sweet house sauce, and my wife had the lamb chops, both of which were delicious. We finished with an apple pie of sorts, and you guessed it, delicious! The ambience was a soft decor with 90's R&B playing in the background. Definitely worth checking it out!
(5)
Cora D.

We came here for the Father's day for their Father's day four course pre-fix menu. We had reservations at 8:00 pm and arrived at 7:50 pm to find that our table was given to someone else. So they scrambled and set us up at a table. The ambiance is nice, modern, but dark. Brown decor with low lighting makes you a little sleepy especially at 8 pm. Our server was nice enough but she had a large table to take care of and I think we were placed in her section when other servers sections were relatively empty. So service was not so on point but not all the server's fault. It was a prefix for the entire night no option to order off the regular menu so you had a choice of entree but everything else was set. Pretty much all the same food so you expected seamless transitions between courses. However.... Our appetizer was presented before our soup. Asparagus soup with bacon and crab cakes. The soup was awesome and the seafood crab cakes were good but I have had better. There was quite a wait between the soup/appetizer and the entrees. We had a choice between Angus Prime Rib and crab legs or Petite Fillet and salmon. The steak and prime rib were good the miso salmon was unbelievable melted in your mouth good. King crab legs were good but a bit dried out. The baked potato was not really presented well with it still wrapped up in a huge slab of foil. My potato was not even cut. Server also forgot to give us the baked potato condiments but remembered a little while later. Dessert was nice haupia cheesecake. Light and refreshing with a nice and flaky crust. I guess I was expecting a bit more. I would come back to try their regular menu and to give them another shot a better service. Everyone should get another chance.
(2)
Shelby L.

I love Epic! It's a classy place with reasonable prices. My family and I went here before seeing a play at the Hawaii Theater. We made it there for happy hour (4:30-6:30pm) and got the Teriyaki Fries and the Brie & Apple Quesadilla. Both were really good! The fries were covered in just enough sauce so that the fries still stayed crispy. The quesadilla was favorful and was drizzled with honey. For dinner, I got the Braised Short Ribs with mashed potatoes. It also came with side of hot spinach and bacon bits. The short ribs just fell apart and was very flavorful. The rest of my family ordered the Seared Ahi Salad, Epic Wagyu Burger, and the Misoyaki Butterfish. Everyone said their dishes were really good and flavorful. For dessert we ordered both the Chocolate PB Lava Cake and the Apple Pie. Both take 20 minutes to make so you need to order in advance. The Chocolate PB Lava Cake was moist but lacked PB. We couldn't find it until the end. The Apple Pie had a flaky puff pastry on it and came with a scoop of ice cream. This one was definitely the winner for the night! :)
(5)
Tim O.

I was groovin. Great reds and some really tasty, unique dishes. But nature called. Thank goodness I had already finished eating because lo and behold: The restroom was a stinking mess. (emphasis on stinking!) Upon leaving I asked for the manager. He was hanging around the bar with employees (It looked like a road crew on their continuous break ) Admittedly, I wasn't wearing my most sober, nice guy hat. "Do you know that your bathroom smells like shit?" .....we were done. I felt righteous....
(2)
Eugene E.

Curry Katsu is awesome. Tomato caprese is awesome the best I've tasted anywhere. Atmosphere is elegant. Great service and price is very good. I'll be back for the rib eye
(5)
Trisha G.

Had a lunch with the entire office. Since we had a big party, they asked us to pre-order when we made the reservation. I appreciated the suggestion and offer. We were placed in the back in a semi-private location - also much appreciated. I ordered the FULL MOON RAVIOLI, which was full of spinach, mushroom & cheese deliciousness and drowning an awesome pesto sauce. It was so good. I just wish I could take home a bag of ravioli that I can have at any time. My only gripe was that the plate didn't sit well on the table which made it difficult to eat. I guess that was helpful so I didn't eat all my food before the rest of the table. I also had the LYCHEE SHERBET which was both pretty and refreshing. Full of yummy little pieces of lychee. Great place for work lunch or to meet a friend. I wouldn't mind trying the dinner menu and the rest of the dessert menu -- good lord blueberry bread pudding, chocolate & peanut butter soufflÃ©. I also have to give it to our server who did extremely well with such a large group of demanding people.
(4)
Lillian S.

I enjoyed each dish they served. The service is ok and the ambiance is good. I'll definitely come back again!
(5)
Cali A.

Ooomg! Everything we ordered here was AMAZING! I had the fish of the day which was a blackened Opa. I'm extremely picky about fish and this was done right. The flavors were well balanced and the fish was cooked perfectly. I'm just sad that it's not a regular item on the menu. We ended the night with a chocolate peanut butter soufflÃ© with ice cream and salted caramel drizzle. It was decadence at its best. The best part was that it wasn't too heavy. It was just perfect. The service was great and I left that night extremely happy. We'll be coming back for sure!
(5)
Christa B.

The adjective definition of Epic is as follows: "Surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size". Restaurant Epic does not fit into the adjective definition of the word epic. I had high hopes that this restaurant would be something unforgettable, but other than my dining partner, everything about it was unimpressive. Reservations were easy to make despite the hype. In fact, the place was pretty dead for a Friday night, so I was surprised that service, although friendly, was slow. Service and wait: 3.5 Food and drink: 3 The libations were overpriced and tasted like a liquified icee pop. The drink I ordered, some sort of strawberry concoction with a reisling floater, was more ice than anything in a tiny 6oz. tubular glass. The escargot puff pastry appetizer that were so raved about in previous reviews were light and mild, but the portion of pastry to mushroom and escargot was off balanced. It lacked filler. The short rib ravioli was very bland which was a shame since the meat was tender. The chocolate and peanut butter souflee with ice cream wasn't wOrth the added calories. The accompanying ice cream lacked the creamy consistency and was more like flavored slush. We only ordered appetizers, drinks, and desserts, but I wasn't impressed with the aforementioned so I doubt I'll be back to try any main entrees. Their menu lacks variety. Maybe if they changed the menu and added more substance to their drinks and desserts I'd come back because the ambience is nice for a night out in Chinatown.
(3)
Lori L.

Had a nice dinner at Epic while in Downtown for First Friday. The interior is modern and comfortable and food came out timely even with an almost full house. The Fish of the Day was furukaki crusted Mahi Mahi with a buerre blanc sauce, one piece of choy sum, a vinegar based coleslaw, and rice. The fish was nicely prepared, with the buerre blanc adding good flavor and richness. The Waygu Burger had a soft bun, salty bacon, and rich avocado and was served with fries. With so many toppings I lost a bit of the pure beef flavor, but it was a juicy, well seasoned burger. Located on the edge of Downtown, with room to accommodate large groups, Epic would be a good choice for your next office birthday, retirement, or promotion party.
(3)
Epic-E A.

I love the name, EPIC! I felt drawn to try Restaurant Epic out for some time. I was working in town from the mainland and was meeting up with a friend so we decided to give it a try. I had the Cioppino and my friend had the homemade Ravioli. Both were fabulous! We also shared the amazing Coconut Bread Pudding. The staff was extremely kind and courteous along with informative. Oh... I forgot to mention I had their Epic Bloody Mary! Loved it! Bacon and all! Food and drink made to request. Bathrooms clean. Staff awesome. Nearby parking. Ambiance pleasant. 5 's! EPIC
(5)
A S.

Epic is becoming a bit less epic. while the bar offering are plenty the menus for veg or vegan options is very few. There the night of the horrendous rain storms and one area flooded out and then later a soaked ceiling tile crashed onto some diners table. so if looking for a OK dinng place in China Town and with Indigo's gone it is worth a retry but does need to step things up a bit.
(3)
Claudia L.

They have a sign stating "Please provide pet service certificate upon request". Which is illegal. ADA (American with Disabilities Act) does not allow this. You can only ask a person: is this a service dog? And what does he/she do for you? Shame. It's clear discrimination via ignorance.
(1)
Joshua M.

I really wanted to like this place. 1st the worst service I have experienced in Hawaii. Thats saying something. My meal was the catch of the day. I can tell you if got fish from McDonalds you would be better off. The fish was as dry as bread that sat on the counter for a week. I have no idea what the other 354 people were thinking. This was the worst experience and for the price it was a complete waste of money.
(1)
Kimberly R.

Four star rating for their desserts! As for their entrÃ©es, they could do better with taste. I went here one day with two friends and we all decided to share each of our plates. I had the chicken katsu curry, my friends has the salmon pesto (daily pasta special) and braised short ribs. My curry was salty. My friends salmon pesto was too pestoish which took away the salmon flavor. The braised beef was ok. Their desserts are wayyyyyy too good. Which is why I give them 4 stars. Our server was very friendly and it looked like he was the only server for such a busy lunch hour.
(4)
Tricia M.

i never felt compelled to try Restaurant Epic. i heard a couple "it's good" comments but no "you gotta try this place!" raves. fast-forward many years and they're still in business (a feat in itself for restaurants in honolulu) and i'm working downtown, looking to try everything within walking distance. my first impresssion as i stepped in was "wow" - the interior is surprisingly sleek and modern. we were then escorted into a semi-private room (which my friend had requested), a small alcove that seats a table of 6. very intimate, except for large windows which showcased the people walking by. we ordered a few appetizers, lunch entrees and a dessert to share. everything was beautifully prepared; you could tell that they had been doing this for years and perfected the flavors and plating. nothing particularly exciting, but i must say my miso butterfish (which they usually only serve for dinner, i was told) was super moist and delicious. others had ordered burgers, and the fries were awesome! to me, you can tell a lot about a place by their fries ;) lastly, our server was polished yet helpful and accommodating. i'd give them 5 stars but the prices (our bill came out to about $30 per person including tip) and parking ($4.50 in a nearby lot) was a bit hefty for lunch. hopefully we'll return for pau hana someday (happy hour is 430-600). the only thing (from a marketing standpoint) is that the name just doesn't fit. it almost sounds boastful and arrogant when the food, service and mood is not at all. maybe it stands for "epicurean" or something? anyway, i digress... if you haven't already, go try this place!
(4)
Bobby A.

Birthday dinner here was great. Started with the poke....looked and tasted great...kalua spring rolls....and escargot en croute...very tasty, loved it. Had to get a caprese salad, also very tasty. Misogyny butte4fish was very popular, but I had to get the lamb chops. They were great, a little overcooked but still great with bacon mashed potato. Bread pudding was a must for dessert. Thanks to our waitress Nicole on handling all 10 of us crazies. Cool ambience great food and some pretty good drinks. The place stays packed so make reservations.
(4)
Tom C.

Was in downtown last evening and called last minute to see if I could get a reservation and they had an opening for the time I wanted! We were having dinner with friends that were leaving to go back to the mainland and we wanted a nice place with good food. EPIC definitely fit that bill. Had gone there a few months ago for the first time and loved it then. Last night's dinner was no exception! Excellent service and great food! We ordered steak, pork chop, pasta...all excellent! But my entree was just a salad BUT what a salad it was!! The Asian Roasted Duck Salad! My absolute favorite item on the menu! I will ALWAYS order it as a side or a main entree. We had a selection of 4 desserts ordered with the chocolate and peanut butter molten cake with vanilla ice cream reigning supreme! The added bonus to this dinner was the air conditioning that was such a relief from the absolutely horribly humid and suffocating heat that the Islands have been experiencing for weeks!!! Such a wonderful dinner! I highly recommend RESTAURANT EPIC!
(5)
Karen D.

Hey, it was nice, but not *epic*! I mean, come on, a little truth in advertising here people! All kidding aside, our first time experience here on a Saturday night was good overall but slightly inconsistent. I'd give it 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up to 4! For starters, making the reservation was easy via OpenTable, which is always a plus. We were greeted and seated promptly, and our server immediately stopped by our table to explain the menu specials. He was friendly, attentive, and helpful throughout the evening as well. Since I have a gluten sensitivity, the server (and chef) cheerfully accommodated the special order I placed, which I really appreciated. What was not so good was the fact that when I first asked him to recommend any items that would be gluten free, he suggested the pasta. Which contains lots of gluten. To the folks in food service, if you don't know the answer to a special dietary needs question, PLEASE don't try to fudge the answer, because you're gambling with your customer's health. Just admit you don't know and then ask somebody who does. Moving on, the food had some highlights that my friends and I really enjoyed: Appetizers: Seared U-10 scallops over arugula with cherry tomatoes and ponzu beurre blanc Quesadilla with thyme-infused honey, sliced green apples, and brie Entrees: Rack of lamb, macadamia nut crusted with blueberry vanilla sauce Arugula and mesclun greens salad with strawberries, spiced candied walnuts, feta, and balsamic vinaigrette Dessert: Apple "pie" with puff pastry FlambÃ© crÃ¨me brÃ»lÃ©e Disappointing were the vegetable sides (bacon mashed potatoes and grilled peppers, onions, and mushrooms), which were bland and boring--very much like cafeteria food. We also found the ambiance lacking and slightly shabby, but not in a chic way! Needs an update, for sure. Restaurant Epic is located in the heart of Chinatown on the Koko Head/makai corner of Nu'uanu St. and Pauahi St. Park at Mark's Garage or Chinatown Gateway Plaza. I've noticed valet parking there in the past, but it wasn't available when we dined there, so not sure if it's still an option.
(4)
Jenel O.

I'm gonig to call this one 3 1/2 as well. While Epic has amazing service (our server was great!), nothing was particularly exciting to me. I visited several years ago for lunch and the lunch menu seems more interesting than the dinner menu. Mojitos - tasted good but seemed to lack alcohol. Duck salad - delicious Unagi tempura roll - good, topped with spicy ahi Caprese salad - yummy, lots of garlic on top though (probably not a good first date food) Escargot in puff pastry - I didn't have any but my party said it was really good Chinese style monchong (special) - yummy! Braised beef shortribs - nice and tender. If you see my picture, the server had it split between 3 kids so that is why it looks small (but it's not). Ribeye - little overcooked and little tough, lots of fat. The mashed potatos were good though! It came with some spinach and asparagus too. Chocolate peanut butter souffle - yummy - the peanut butter is inside the molten part only. Apple pie - good! Apples could be a little more firm. Our server was super awesome! Sorry, I don't know his name. We came about a year ago too and he was our server back then as well and did say he thought he had helped us before - good memory. My daughter also spilled water and he quickly, without attitude or hesitation, came back with a lot of napkins and paper towels to clean it all up. I would come back again simply because his service is spot on!
(4)
Mariah K.

There restaurant is very nice, and classy. Kinda hard to find because it's in Chinatown, but we found it eventually. There is no parking for the restaurant, you have to pay for parking in the parking lots, no parking validation either. I order the ribeye steak that they had it was good besides the fact that I ordered it medium well and it came out pretty much well done. It was kinda burnt and didn't really have much flavor to it. The service that we had from the lady was very bad !! She was rude and disrespectful, especially to a big party of people that we had that night. There dessert was alright, I really enjoyed the lychee sherbet. That was really YUMMYY !!! For me I wouldn't really go back to this restraint though.
(3)
Lenny B.

Took a colleague there for happy hour. We had a glass of red wine each, lemon grass clams, unagi/ahi roll, edamame and the chocolate peanut butter molten cake. What a deal, bill was only $40.00 Gave it a 4 star because of service. We felt like we were being rushed.
(4)
Rachel J.

I came here with my family when they visited from cali and they loved their food. So did I, i had the bacon burger and it was one of the best ones ive ever eaten. I try to stay away from red meat but if anyone ever asked me to go to epic i would not hesitate.
(5)
Sungjin S.

Heard about the epic restaurant and had to give it a try. The atmosphere was very clean and chic. We ordered a lot of food and left completely satisfied. The service was very good and I would definitely recommend checking this place out if you haven't done so already.
(4)
Debbie R.

one of my favorite lunch places downtown. DÃ©cor is relaxing and wait staff efficient and friendly. My favorite: Epic Burger. YUM!
(5)
Shawny S.

My first time here was on a Saturday night. No restaurant parking so finding street parking was difficult. My date & I had to circle the block a few times. I made early reservations on OpenTable but surprisingly the place was pretty empty when we came. We were greeted & seated right away. Our server was very friendly & explained the menu for us. He was very kind & attentive the entire night, filling up our water & checking on us. We started off with the escargot poppers, U-10 seared scallops & epic style caprese salad. The escargot poppers were so good! The puff pastry was warm & fluffy. It was my first time eating escargot & I was skeptical at first but it was delicious. The seared scallops were good. Although they only gave two & they were small they were cooked perfectly & the sauce on it was flavorful. I always wanted to try caprese salad so I had to order it & it was so yummy. I didn't expect it to look the way it did bc pictures I've seen of it looked different but it was good & I'd order it again. For entrees, I got some kind of pasta my server recommended (I forget what it was). I wanted the shrimp pasta but he recommended that I get something else with shrimp added bc I wanted that thick creamy sauce. My date got the rack of lamb, I didn't try it but he really liked it. Overall my experience here was wonderful. The prices were reasonable, service was great, ambience was nice & clean. I'd definitely come back to try the rest of the menu.
(4)
Nt P.

Haven't come to this restaurant since they opened. I recall them not having their liquor license yet and I had to scrabble around the neighborhood for some beverages....memories.... Anywho - Wifey and I ordered the following: PAN SEARED U-10 SCALLOPS - PRO: Done perfectly, flavoring and searing was spot on! CON: We thought only 2 scallops was lame - presentation could use a bit of improvement too (considering other ordered items looked real good). UNAGI AHI ROLL: PRO: Wow! Never quite had this combo before! It was very well done - to the point I did not need any shoyu - in fact a dab of wasabi helped to brighten it up even more (without detracting from the overall flavor profile). This sushi roll + a nice yuzu dressed salad would make an awesome lunch combo! CON: None. EPIC CAPRESE SALAD: PRO: Nice robust dinner salad. Very well dressed and presented. The Fresh Mazz Ball, and veggies were well balanced & presented. The Balsamic and Olive Oil dressing combined and coated the ingredients just enough to tell you the dressing is there without interfering with the delicate veggie and cheese flavor! CON: None. SURF & TURF: PRO: Seafood selection was Maine lobster tail so I bit. Steak was done exactly as I ordered (MedRare) and Lobster was nicely grilled. Garlic Mash and Veggies was a nice accompaniment. Usually I don't like Garlic Mash because it tends to be too garlicky and bullies the other flavors on the plate (even the steak) - however, I was surprised that it was flavored sparingly and let the main items (Lob and Steak) be the stars. CON: FOR $38 - I think either the Steak or Lob should be larger (especially the lobster - was kinda tiny). Overall - one can get 'surf and turf' at most nice places - thus although I think this dish was executed well - I shouda had the Cioppino (next time). CLASSIC TIRRAMISU: PRO: I love Tiramisu (even when its so-so) however this was not 'so-so'. It was one of the lightest / fluffiest Tiramisu I had in a while - most times the mascarpone is kinda dense - this was nicely fluffed. CON: The description mentioned 'Dark Chocolate' - did not find any....what happened to it? MANGO CREAM SHERBET: PRO: Wow! Very nice light touch on the cream - which let the Mango flavor blossom - hmmm good! Nice big scoop too! (about 3-4 dia ball) CON: None. Ambiance was really clean, modern yet comfy - love the lighting and wall deco. We like open and quiet - so we got first seating (5pm) - they sat us way in the back which made the dinning space look very large and spacious. Our server 'Jackson' was well versed of the menu and made welcome suggestions. I love my classic vodka martini and I am kind picky as to how it is made - well - they did good and accommodated this martini nerd (so I had 2!). All in all a very nice experience - we shall return!
(4)
Sirinat M.

Last Saturday night we tried this place out since its in town. I loved the Miso Butterfish so much and the appetizers were fantastic, too. My husband enjoyed it also - he had the braised beef. We will be back soon. One tip: we called to find out where to park - it was easy and only $3.
(5)
Fred W.

Never, ever had a bad meal here! The escargot poppers are the best on the island if not da WORLD!! The asian duck salad is another dish that we always order which is supa good. My alfredo pasta dish was also very good, as well as our apple pie with ice cream. For the apple pie, be sure to order during your meal (at least 15 minutes), as they bake to order! Staff very good and friendly...always!
(5)
Taylor M.

Maybe it's me. I just don't think I'm into this type of food. Went here with a group of 6, it was a triple date night. We scored and got the table that's in a separate room so it was a nice and private type of dinner. Everyone ordered something different and of course I stuck to my typical meat dish. I ordered the lamb and it was good but nothing really special. Maybe I should've went with a pasta instead. Their appetizers are good but also average. Dessert however is awesome. They advise you to order your dessert as your dinner comes because they bake it fresh! I had the apple pie and it was delicious! Staff was very friendly but I think this place is alright, not one of my favorites.
(3)
Abby L.

The food was amazing! every single thing we ordered tasted great and the customer service was great too! They have a small room in the back that fits around ten people so it's great for small get-togethers or parties! They have a wide variety of different kinds of foods such as sushi, steak, and pastas. They also have a large variety of vegetarian options which is perfect for everyone! The creme brÃ»lÃ©e was served on fire! very cool. loved this place!
(5)
Mia H.

This place is freaking AMAZING. I've been to tons of different restaurants on the island but this is my fav! Recommend the short ribs. The burger was delicious too. I couldn't stop trying everyone's food. OMG.
(5)
Lisa H.

Found this place on Yelp and went here on a Saturday night with my boyfriend around 7. The place was empty! I'd like to give them 4.9 stars since the issues I saw were SO minor. But this is why they're not a full 5: 1. Lighting at the bar. The red light is obviously supposed to be trendy, but you can't see the color of your food and it's kind of obnoxious. Sit at table! 2. I have a pet peeve about pouring. Beer and wine ought to be poured gently down the side of a glass. Everyone here poured drinks like they were pouring juice! 3. Drinks were good, but beer only comes in bottles (nothing on draft) and the mojito I got tasted only of sweet and sour.... which is weird, considering a mojito shouldn't have any. Anyway, they FULLY get all four stars for food and service. First, our waiter was great! He was friendly, attentive, prompt, and chatted with us at the bar. Owner seemed like a nice guy, too. Most importantly, though, THE FOOD was AWESOME. We tried the scallops and the escargot puffs for our appetizer, the Mediterranean salmon special and lamb pops for our main course, and the 151 NUTELLA FLAMBÃ‰ CRÃˆME BRULÃ‰ for our dessert. Everything was presented nicely and tasted really great. The scallop, most notably, was made perfectly (none of that overcooked nonsense!) My boyfriend loves his beer and liked that he could try some craft beers he hadn't seen on the island before. Anyway, long story short, definitely recommend!
(4)
Aja W.

My boyfriend and I had come across Restaurant Epic through popular Yelp reviews and decided to check it out earlier today - (02/26/15) We had called prior to, to ask where their parking was located. Aside from street parking, the woman who had answered the phone recommended a couple municipal parking lots nearby and a rough estimate on prices, to let us know where the more cost-friendly, convenient lots were located. We got there a little after they opened for their dinner hours, so it was not busy at the time. The hostess was friendly and our server was excellent! We ordered the Spicy Ahi Roll and Kalua Pork Spring Rolls for appetizers; both very delicious. For entrÃ©es, I ordered the Miso Butter Fish and my boyfriend ordered the Furikake Ahi Burger with a Plantation Iced Tea. The food definitely lives up to the name of this restaurant, no doubt about that. Prices are fair also; you definitely get what you pay for and more as the excellent service adds to your overall experience. Our server Zhi Cheng was very attentive, and knows how to casually converse with customers while still keeping things very professional. He provided excellent service, the best I have experienced eating out in a long while. The hostess who had worked the evening shift also provided excellent service. Even the sushi chef provided good service, although we had not been sitting at the bar, I could see the same traits being carried out by all the workers there. Don't mean to drag on about this, but it's not often you find everything from the service to the food, to the overall experience at a restaurant to exceed your expectations. Definitely worth trying if you're in the area!
(5)
Nikki H.

I wanted to like this place more than I did, but I wasn't totally disappointed. I guess I had just assumed from the Yelp reviews and photos, that it would have MORE of a selection. In my mind I pictured a small scale Cheesecake Factory with all the options, well, don't be fooled like I was, that is NOT the case. Sure, you can get French, sushi, American and Thai here, but it's like 1 option of each. Hardly a selection. So, I ordered the braised beef ribs which came with bacon infused mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies. The meat was good, the mashed potatoes are a lie, think instant with bacos on top, and the season veggies look like what was left over from a fajita plate sans meat. Why would any chef thing a few bell peppers with mushrooms go well with braised beef? I was thinking maybe asparagus or even some squash? The kitchen forgot to make our escargot, so I didn't get to try that. The salad I split was delicious. The saving grace of this place was our waitress who was phenomenal. I wish I remembered her name. I also made reservations, but don't bother, there was PLENTY of seats available.
(3)
JIll B.

Less than epic unfortunately. A friend planned a special gathering there. We showed up to find our tables (in the section in the back) still had lots of dishes and people at them 5 minutes before our reserved time. Disappointing to say the least. We helped bus and reset the room to help. Not only were we bummed, but the people that were still sitting and enjoying their dinner that got booted from our section were bummed and gave us stink eye. Bartender that night was flat and borderline rude. Food however was good. Get it together Epic!
(2)
Stephanie M.

Happy Hour/Dinner Review Time: Monday-Friday, 4:30-6:30pm for Happy Hour Parking: Street Ambiance: Trendy, Intimate, Low-lighting, Great for groups or couples All of their HH food is $7.50 or less with multiple options so there is something for everyone. For starters, we ordered the Poutine Tater Tots--yumma! I love poutine and although the tater-tots seem to give it a less-upscale-feel the taste and toppings were nothing but. The meat was tender, cheese was "cheesy" and the gravy on-top was the perfect combination. HH drinks are average $4 for beer, the Epic Mojito, Martinis, Wells, and House Wines. Great price! After trying this amazing poutine starter we did order two dishes off the entree list: MUSHROOM, SPINACH & RICOTTA RAVIOLI- this dish was to die for. The ravioli was stuffed with the above, perfectly cooked through, and smothered with homemade pesto, toasted mac nuts, parmesan, and chopped tomatoes. I loved the pesto with mac nuts (hawaii style!) and it just melts in your mouth. MONGOLIAN GRILLED PORK- perfectly cooked pork over garlic fried rice and cucumber kim chee. This in all honesty wasn't my favorite, but definitely worth trying. The fried rice is NOT like fried rice local-style so don't even expect that. The meat was tender and seasoned well, but that was the only highlight of the dish for me. And....SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT! We ordered the "Jack n Coke" Bread Pudding and man, this was the icing on the cake. You can't taste the jack daniels (thank God!) but the pudding is so decadent and beautiful you can't help but love it. This is a no brainer---order this!!! Great 1st experience here and the 1st of many, I'm sure. The service was fantastic and personable and it sounds like they try to keep the menu fresh so make sure to try something new each time! Enjoy!
(4)
Paola R.

Their Wagyu Burger is one of the best burgers I've ever had in my life. The ingredients were nothing out of the ordinary: lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, bacon. It was the beef that was absolutely delicious, tender, and juicy. My boyfriend also really enjoyed his ahi burger. One of our friends got the spare ribs, which they're known for. He said they were amazing. The tiramisu isn't the best I've ever had, but it's still good. I think I'll try another dessert when I come back. There are a list of discounted pupus during happy hour. Their drink specials are house wines, red sangria, and a mojito. I really enjoyed the sangria, but thought the mojito was a bit too sweet and not very minty. The service was good, and the ambiance was quite nice. It'd be great for a date, and for a group (I was with a group of five).
(4)
CY W.

I feel like Epic is underrated. Lately when I go there it's not as crazy busy as before, partly due to so many new places opening up all around downtown. But Epic is still one of my favorite fusion restaurants. My friends and I would just order all the appetizers on the menu and everything is good, no exception! And they have good cocktails too, this Strawberry fields is my favorite.
(5)
Roy B.

Stumbled on the Restaurant Epic while looking for a place near by to pass time before attending an event at The Arts at Mark's Garage. Didn't have to look too far, just a few steps across the street was this place and they had open tables. Walking in to this restaurant I had a flashback of NYC where we visited our daughter, Kimee who was on the original Broadway cast for Mama Mia. It reminded me very much of a lot of places where we had dined. Places that where in older buildings that were nothing to look at on the outside but were intimately attractive inside. The dimmed lighting and dapper furnishing gives this place a touch of class. My wife Joji and I were greeted instantaneously by a genuinely smiling hostess who offered us a table of preference. Shortly after being seated our server introduced himself and did his presentation of the menu and offered several suggestions which is helpful if you did not already do a Yelp search earlier. Earning extra "Tip Points" the server requested for age verification before taking our orders for cocktails, which is a definite compliment when you are obviously at least twice or in my case almost three times the minimum age limit. Our Epic Mojito and Bacon Bloody Mary appeared before us shortly with the appetizers soon to follow all at once as requested. The dishes were the flavors of Asian/European and Island influence and the presentation appropriate and not over garnished or overly done. All of the dishes are well balanced so that the exquisite sauces would not overpower the main ingredient of the dish, in other words, if you were blindfolded you'd know whether it was beef, snails or what ever it is that you were dining on. With so many restaurants and similar dishes being served my choices that stood out for the Epic Restaurant is it's appetizers especially the Escargot Poppers, chop steak Bruschetta, and Braised beef Ravioli. The main dishes and desserts are also appealing , but I still need more visits to make a fair review(stay tuned for future updates). The service is proficient and friendly, the prices affordable, portions could be a bit more but delish and the restaurant is clean and spacious. The toilet could use better ventilation . Street parking is few but there are alternatives such as Mark's Garage.
(4)
Wayne T.

Awesome food, and great service. Waitress was very informative on all selections, and gave us a complimentary cake for our anniversary! Spicy tuna was great, and escargot puffs were out of this world! But the u10 scallops didn't catch my interest. Two pieces and one bite lol maybe they should've added more pieces but smaller.main entree we had the rib eye, and mahi mahi pasta. Over all great experience, and will definitely be back. Prices were on the double side, but it was great :)
(5)
Meg D.

Good service. Delicious food. Came in for lunch as a group of 11. Were accommodated quickly and all drinks/food were prepared promptly. All orders were correct and food was very presentable, great taste, and perfect temperature. This is my second visit and I will be returning.
(5)
Joy N.

My friend and I decided to try this for the Restaurant Week 2013 menu. It was both of our first time eating here. We ordered the pre-fixe menu and added an order of their braised short-rib ravioli appetizer. The food was divine!!! Everything tasted wonderful!!! Their charred caesar salad was yummy, not too much dressing, bacon was perfectly cooked. The escargot poppers were my favorite dish, but I'm biased because I LOVE escargot. The ravioli was soooo good also, the beef was melt in your mouth soft. My friend and I shared the bacon wrapped meatloaf and the miso salmon with risotto. Both dishes were yummy, but our favorite was the salmon. It was cooked perfectly and the whole dish went well together. For dessert they served lemon ricotta fritters which would've been a little better if there was a little more lemon flavor, but it was still good. Our server was ok... I think because he didn't really have to explain anything since we ordered from the pre-fixe menu he was a little bored. He was polite, but not interested in serving. I will definitely be back to try more of the dishes I saw on the regular menu. They also seem to have a good happy hour menu that goes from 4-6:30.
(4)
Quinn D.

This is probably the first restaurant I've been to where they are on top of the water. Whenever my water was running low there was always a waiter to fill it back up. The food was amazing. Kalua pork spring rolls were on point! The first time i went I got the burger for the main dish. Probably the best burger I've had. The second time i went i got the chef special pasta which was an alfredo type pasta. It did not disappoint. Now on to the dessert. The chocolate molted lava cake was by far the most tasty dessert I have ever had. Each bit was better than the previous. It is a little pricy. But food is amazing.
(4)
Emily L.

Miso yaki butterfish was tasty. Their 3 course prefix menu was a good deal for $45. They need to work on the decor a bit. The floor was dirty and there were nails in the walls but nothing was hung up. Just the butterfish dish isn't good enough for me to go back again.
(3)
Judy S.

Great place to celebrate a birthday with friends. Corkage is $15 but their wine list is limited and ok when it's a special event. Dessert on the house. Sushi fresh and delicious. Entrees and salads were great as well. Asian duck salad was excellent. It was large lightly dressed and enough for a meal or if sharing enough for 3-4.
(5)
Jana M.

Had a lovely dinner with hubby, enjoyed the strawberry arugula salad! The other dishes were tasty but a bit heavy, "comfort food" is no joke! Risotto was good but very rich. Service was good! Our server was friendly but not intrusive. Hubby liked the specialty beer they featured. Nice decor, atmosphere- modern. I wouldn't bring my small kids here. Dessert was yummy. Nothing was EPIC however, maybe they should change the name to "really good" which would be more appropriate.
(4)
Edgar M.

Hip. Trendy. Worthwhile. The service and food presentation was great. Attentive staff and thoughtful menu. I'll probably go back when I'm in town.
(4)
Suzanne T.

I'd come here several years ago for lunch with coworkers (it was kind of unmemorable, aside from the mac & cheese balls), but this was my first time for dinner. We made reservations for 6:30pm on a Saturday night and when we arrived a few minutes before, it was pretty empty - maybe two or three tables occupied (even by the time we left, around 8pm, it was maybe half full). Our server was great! Very informative, friendly, and attentive. We ordered drinks (I had the sangria, which was pretty good, but a tad sweeter than I'd prefer), the scallop appetizer, and the miso butterfish to share (we wanted to save room for dessert!). I'm not big on scallops, but thought they were pretty good (I liked the sauce a lot). My bf has had a lot of scallops and said these might've been the best he's ever had (very soft, tender, and a consistent texture all the way through - but, oddly enough, he wasn't a fan of the sauce!). I didn't like the greens it was served on (arula, I believe), but that's just my personally taste (I think they're awful and bitter, but bf enjoyed). The plate only came with two scallops, so luckily there were only two of us! The butterfish was really good. I've had better at some Japanese restaurants (my favorite has probably been at Tokoname in Manoa), but this was near the top. Cooked very well, and a very generous portion. The rice and salad that it was served with were fine. For dessert I tried the peanut butter chocolate molten cake (I ordered it at the same time as dinner so we wouldn't have to wait). It was served with vanilla ice cream, luckily, because I couldn't have eaten it without that. It was tasty, but super rich. (The best bites were those with half cake and half ice cream!) My bf had the coconut bread pudding, which was also served with ice cream. I'm not a fan of coconut or bread pudding in general, but I sampled it and it was one of the better ones I've tried. He really enjoyed it. Neither of us could finish though! (I took my dessert home and ate the other half the next day, but it wasn't very good by then.) Ambiance was lovely, service was excellent, prices were reasonable, I would definitely go there again. We parked in the lot at Bethel/King/Nuuanu (entrance on Bethel) - it was $3 and not even a 5 minute walk.
(4)
Kelly L.

My book club gathers here once a month. We have been coming here for years. The bartenders are great. The drinks are great too! We usually eat off the happy hour menu which goes until 6:30. They have a lot of great specials. We often order the fish tacos, sushi rolls, lemongrass clams, edamame, and fries. I also love the vegetarian curry. They will make it spicy if you ask. We have tried many places in Chinatown for book club, but this one takes the cake. The service and food are always top notch and its a low key, chic atmosphere. Park in any of the lots nearby.
(4)
Susan H.

Epic fail. A few months back we ordered take out and it was ok. Arugula salad with strawberries was pretty good. Brie quesadilla was good but could make at home. Ciopinno was not so good. Flavor was good but not enough meat. We are talking 3 shrimp, 1 scallop, 3 clams and the crab was non-existent. Truffle pasta yuck. There was no truffle flavor. Going to pig and the lady to get truffle ice cream right now. There is a lot of space and empty seats. If you have a big party or are in a crunch this place would suffice.
(3)
Krysten I.

Was my experience at Restaurant Epic epic? Well....erm, no. I was pretty excited. I mean, with a name so great, I had high expectations. I liked the decor, the service was decent and I was in good company, but I left with much to be desired. The mac and cheese was yummy, but definitely not worth the price in my opinion. For dessert, the restaurant was out of the infamous peanut butter/chocolate molton cake and the apple dessert would take 25 minutes, so my friends and I settled on the layered french toast and a lemon curd fritter dessert. The french toast was just okay, but the lemon fritter dessert was really a let down. It was literally a few pieces of andagi with lemon curd and jam sauce..... The drinks were a little expensive and I wasn't really a fan of the flavors. I usually love sangria, but the white sangria they serve at dinner (there is a red sangria served only during happy hour) tasted like sparkling juice. I also tried the mojito. It was super sweet and had a coconutty after taste. Bleh. I think I would come back for lunch or happy hour to give this place a second chance because I really wanted to like it. There were also hardly any patrons on a friday night (first friday too!) which was a little concerning. There were also people smoking right outside the doors when I walked in...I thought there were laws about this, but the restaurant workers didn't do anything about it and they were still smoking outside when we left.
(3)
Eddie M.

Went for lunch and now serving grass fed burgers!!! Tried the spicy teri burger! Awesome!!!!!!! Must try!!! Great ambiance and workers are always friendly!
(5)
Nicole K.

My friends and I stopped by for my first time at First Friday. We had just missed happy hour, but from the menu, it looked "epic"! I definitely want to go back soon for the great selections and prices. At about 7:45, the restaurant was busy, but not packed. We were immediately seated and service was quick. I ordered the Sparkling Sangria, Escargot Poppers, and Rib N Mac. The Sparkling Sangria is a white wine sangria, so the flavor was much lighter and refreshing. My friends also ordered the Strawberry Fields and Epic Mojito. My favorite was my own Sparkling Sangria, but I thought all three drinks were tasty! The Escargot Poppers were good (if you like escargot, which I do!), but eat them quick! They are smothered in butter so the puff pastry was soggy by the time I took my last few bites. I loved the Rib N Mac! The short ribs are tender, the cheese sauce is creamy, and the portions are EPIC! Despite my best effort, I just couldn't eat it all. I was too stuffed from my meal to order any desserts, but my friends ordered the Stuffed French Toast and Lemon Fritters. Overall consensus seemed to be that the Stuffed French Toast was the BEST and that the Lemon Fritters were basically just andagi in a lemon sauce... I work just a few blocks away, so I am certainly going back soon to try their lunch menu as well!
(4)
Mariah G.

Kind of hesitant to come here our the receptionist (when we called) was very unfriendly. He acted like he was doing us a favor by squeezing us in but the restaurant seemed to be empty the entire time we were there. The menu had very few options and both my friend and I did not enjoy our food. Our waiter was nice and checked up on us a few times. Two starts because their desserts were good. Our favorite was the peanut butter chocolate cake. Unfortunately will not be returning to this establishment.
(2)
Mara S.

I love that Epic's menu twists conventional dishes, but does so in a way that is not overwhelming for the non-foodies. It is always unique and delicious. They have a fun location downtown with great interior decor, and it has become one of my go-to suggestions when we're in the mood for something reliably good.
(5)
Kathryn P.

Great friendly quick service and nice atmosphere. Mushroom ravioli was good but very rich. Lamb was a small portion but tasty. Best part was the epic mojito. If you're walking around the First Friday walk this is a much less crowded place to eat than most. The coconut bread pudding was just ok.
(3)
B O.

Interior is great and so was the food. It is a great place for a group. I enjoyed going here on admin day. I want to go back and try the other dishes my coworkers were eating. I enjoyed the curry katsu. The salad my coworkers order was huge. The burger looked yummy too.
(5)
Ryan Y.

Decided to give Epic a try based on Yelp reviews. Parking - lucked out on finding close street parking. There is a muni lot close by for I think $3. There are some weird people yelling to themselves, we just stayed on the opposite side of the street. Decor - chic design, nice layout of seating. I noticed they even had a private room that could probably hold Service - very good service by Nichole. 5 stars. Food - we started with seared scallops and crab stuffed mushrooms, little on the pricey side but it tasted good. Cioppino - it could be ordered without pasta, dining partner mentioned it was really good. I had the rib eye steak, nice big portion and tender, only drawback, it was on the salty side. Dessert - Apple pie with ice cream, big and tasty. Since we were celebrating, we also received a very nice chocolate dessert for free.
(4)
Janel H.

Had our coworkers birthday lunch here, and it was EPIC, lol. The Full Moon Ravioli (mushroom) was amazing and covered with the most delicious macadamia nut pesto sauce. My coworkers had the ahi burger, Epic burger, and the specialty salmon pasta. All of it was amazing and so so so delicious. Our server was excellent, I think his name was Sam. And last but not least, the free birthday dessert was to die for. We had the chocolate decadence, which was NOMS. I definitely will be coming Back here again ;)
(5)
Jan M.

We had a party of four. For apps we had: Scallops-good, but I like more of a brown crust on it. 2 pieces Crab cakes- very good and tasty. 2 pieces Duck salad- very good, easily split a good portion between the four of us. Entrees, guys ended up ordering the same thing and so did the girls. Guys had the special stuffed lobster with furikake filet mignon, they really liked everything on the plate. Girls had the cioppino. Very good size portion, flavorful with lots of tomato and onion. Only thing missing was some crab. Dessert: had the two items that need about 25 mins to,prepare. Had the choco peanut butter molten cake and the Apple pie. Both came with vanilla ice cream. Mojito was very good except could use a little more alcohol. With the combination of great food and even greater service, our first here was most enjoyable. Have already told my friends and coworkers what a great time we had.
(4)
Ariana M.

HAPPY HOUR -- MONDAY thru FRIDAY 4:30PM - 6:30 PM ^^ Just wanted to point out that important information :) I feel every time I look on yelp I always try to find the restaurants happy hour :P and sometimes that's is hard to find in people reviews. Haha. Continuing on - I decided to try this restaurant because of Cara O. review. I just had to try me some Escargot Poppers!! Since we got here a little later than expected - we only got to order a couple things off the happy hour menu. OH WELLS! Better than none at all ;D THE GRUB: {{ PONCHO MAC N' CHEESE BALLS $5 }} Regular price $7. I thought it was okay, but not a huge fan of the mac n cheese balls. yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ {{ KALUA PIG SPRING ROLLS $4 }} Definitely a good appetizer yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ {{ BACON WRAPPED CHEESEBURGER SLIDERS $7 }} Come on guys, EVERYTHING tasted better when its wrapped in bacon :) yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ {{ ESCARGOT POPPERS $8 }} I thought this was okay. It was something different. Although I think I like it the other way when it comes in the white dish and you scoop it out and put it on top of some bread. Of course this is just a personal preference. yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ {{ LAMB WRAPPED IN BACON }} I thought this was good. Like I said - everything is better with bacon :P yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ {{ PORK BELLY CONFIT $8 }} Personally did not care for this dish. I felt that the pork belly was really dry and not very tasty yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ {{ CURRIED CHICKEN POTSTICKERS $5 }} yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ {{ MISO GLAZED WILD SALMON $18 }} This entrÃ©e comes with a furikaki musubi, with ONE stem of choy sum, ONE baby tomato cut in half and covered in miso sauce. I thought the salmon tasted good, but personally not $18 good. Haha. yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ {{CIOPPINO $21 }} Cioppinos are always great. Think of a seafood stew. YUM. However - this cioppino tasted more like seafood in tomato sauce/soup. Not very flavorful, which was disappointing. yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ {{ PB & J CRUNCH PIE }} Yeah... NO. When I ordered this - I was thinking something similar to a pumpkin pie crunch? Or somewhere in that texture. This pie... tasted like straight up peanut butter drizzled in a strawberry sauce... & the "crunch" was only a think crust. -___- not that great. AT ALL. OVERALL: I feel that the restaurant is good. Some of the food was a hit & miss for me. But again, maybe we just had a different cook or something. The atmosphere here is great! They also have a super friendly staff. I definitely will be back to try more someday.
(4)
Stacy S.

Xmas 2014 day pre-fixed dinner menu...very good! Together we had the Filet Mignon and Stuffed Lobster and the other choice entree of Lamb and Stuffed Salmon. The Lamb was my favorite...super tender and soft w/ lovely flavor. Enjoyed the walnut apple salad and shrimp w/ bacon wrapped scallop. And ended our Xmas meal w/ Blueberry mousse shortcake. A delicious meal and terrific wait help...a lovely Xmas evening.
(4)
Roo R.

Meh at best. Didn't feel anything was paired well here and the vibe was way weird. The sides that came with our meals made me ponder what the hell they were even made of. Our service was good, but the food was barely anything. If this restaurant has this high of ratings, I'll probably never eat in Honolulu again.
(2)
Lynvi S.

Nice spot for HH in Downtown. The food isn't OMFG astounding, but there's a decent variety of satisfying HH dishes that are reasonable for the price. My go-to HH items are the $4 Kalua Pork Spring Rolls and the dandy $4 Epic Mojito. Basically, I like this place because I can have a pleasing dinner and get sloppy drunk for less than $30. Epic savings! Other enjoyable menu items: - Shortrib Ravioli (saucy and filling) - Full Moon Ravioli (the pesto cream is a little overwhelming, but it's rewarding after a few drinks) - Escargot Poppers (fun) - Brussels Sprouts (simple, but a nice way to sneak some veggies into an otherwise heavily-sauced and over-seasoned high-calorie meal) - Peanut Butter and Chocolate Souffle (rich, warm, gooey, plush) Service is friendly and attentive, but much like other establishments in Downtown, all bets are off on First Fridays. You know the drill with the horrible parking, but Epic offers valet parking. I'm not going to tell you about my secret free and convenient Downtown/Chinatown parking spots.
(4)
Pamela S.

This is the best place to go for happy hour (ends at 6:30pm on weekdays)! Most of their pupus are half price and their food is super yummy. The short-rib sliders and fish tacos are a must. I also hosted my staff holiday party here last year and they were so accommodating and made a special pre-fix menu for me to use.
(5)
Hope H.

Had the seared ahi salad. Generous pieces of ahi with zucchini spears, small roasted potatoes, hard boiled egg, and small tomatoes on a bed of lightly dressed greens. Very delicious!
(4)
Omi T.

Dinner last night was delicious! Fresh and tasty duck salad, big enough for 3-4 to share. Dressing was light and perfect for it. I will be ordering this on every visit. Service was attentive, and our entrees - butterfish and short ribs -were killer. My new favorite downtown eaterie! Park in public lots (cheap). Have to remember to leave room for dessert...just couldn't stop eating the salad!
(5)
Cara O.

Well I must admit, the food was pretty darn epic, just as the name of the restaurant implies. There were a lot of things I really liked about this place, maybe it was the very classy interior design, or the delicious food but I certainly enjoyed the experience. The escargot poppers were AMAZING, I wish I just ordered a few orders all to myself for my entree they were so good. Amongst that, we ordered the beet salad which was quite nice, the curry risotto, the bacon burger, and the salmon. I really loved the salmon in particular and was really glad to get it. Now enjoyable as it was, there were a few things that prevented me from giving this place 5/5 stars. One was the service. It wasn't terrible, but when our waiter handed out one of our dessert plates, it was dirty and still had some crumbs on it. Normally I wouldn't make such a big fuss, but when you're spending an "epic" amount of money at a place, I expect "epic" service. Besides that, I just wasn't all that into their desserts. I forgot what exactly we got, but they were said to be the most popular, I believe the chocolate peanut butter souffle and some other fruit dessert but they were not all so memorable. Either way, I still enjoyed the food and the experience, but it just wasn't quite 5 star material.
(4)
Angie S.

Five stars for Restaurant Epics Valentines Day 3 course meal! What a wonderful experience. We had delicious scallops, duck salad, butterfish for dinner. I was really impressed by not just every course we had, but the service was so prompt and genuine. It did not seem too busy, although it was Valentines Day, so we appreciated not being filled in a packed restaurant during our meal. I will absolutely be back !
(5)
Mark H.

My new fave restaurant in downtown for a classy lunch... By noon, it was packed so make a reservation if you plan to have lunch here during the work week... I invited a guest to join me so wanted an upscale setting for lunch on this day. I looked over the menu online and found it to be well rounded: salad, appetizers, pastas, burgers, seafood, red meats, etc. Not knowing my guest's preference, Epic seemed like a safe bet... She messaged me that she was going to be late and for me to order for her, claiming she wasn't picky. She follows that up with "if I don't like what you order, we can't be friends".... Holy crap! Pressure! Not wanting to lose a new friend, I decided to go with the percentages and select two options that I felt were safe: their catch of the day which was mahi mahi and their full moon raviolis. Fish is always a safe pick since its a healthier dish, and per the server, the full moon raviolis is a popular item there... Our server, Ben, was fantastic. I felt comfortable discussing the menu items and was at ease with my selections. We shared family style and enjoyed both dishes. We agreed the raviolis dish was quite rich and thought it was best to be shared... The fish was cooked perfectly and the sauce and crusting subtlely complemented the mahi mahi well.. Ben kept checking up on us. Although a simple gesture, I always remember if a server checks up on us or not, and that factors in huge for my scoring on service (also the difference between good or average tipping)... Good decor, attentive service, tasty diverse lunch menu... What is not to like?
(4)
clarence o.

Parking is at marks garage across the street $3.00 now to the restaurant. Friendly and professional staff. Started with stuffed mushrooms folIowed by dinner I had the ribeye and she had the lamb followed by desert creme brulee . 5 stars enough said
(5)
Shay F.

The one thing I love at Epic are their tater tots... but they only have the one I like during happy hour. *sad* ... but I used my puppy dog look and asked the server to please please please let me have them... and he was able to convince the cook to make some! YES! Thank you!!!! You've made my night. The server also suggested the garlic shrimp risotto which I thought was very yummy. It was a great experience. Oh... and the food came out REAL fast. I loved the service and food. Thank you Zhi Cheng!
(4)
Austin B.

I've been here for business lunches and for happy hour. It has a nice ambience and good food, but the prices are higher than average in town so it should be reserved for a "nice" meal. Likes: Eclectic menu. It could be a drawback though because it's hard to see what this restaurant is about. The bacon-wrapped meatloaf tasted like an upscale loco moco, and was really good. Dislikes: Price. But I didn't pay for my lunch the times I went here... But considering the food is good and tasty, I'd consider it. Also, some of the happy hour pupus were disappointing. Favorites: The miso-glazed salmon was yummy. My only suggestion would be to make it larger! All-in-all, I'd come here for lunch again, especially if it's a nice one. For happy hour, there are better places in the area.
(4)
Doris B.

Nice place, roomy, with the kind of privacy you need. Food taste really good. My only complaint is the food took awhile to arrive. We pre-ordered and we were a party of 6. We waited 45 minutes for the food. We had to be somewhere after so dinner was on full speed. We asked one waiter for extra rice. Waited 10 minutes, & asked another waiter, who brought it in in 5 minutes. If you have the time to talk story & wait for your food, then Epic should be a good experience. The food is worth the wait but being we needed to be somewhere, it was a major inconvenience.
(3)
Christine E.

Food = 4 stars, but is it worth the price? Meh. I don't know about it. We went here for happy hour which made it awesome. The Portuguese sausage mac and cheese balls were particularly yum! And I really liked the short rib ravioli! (Short rib is my weakness). The peanut butter chocolate molten cake was particularly yum, and for kicks you should definitely try the bacon cookies and bacon ice cream. It was really good...but I just couldn't eat a lot of it for some reason. Perhaps too much bacon? (I know, I know, I can't believe those words have left my mouth either). Had to bring home food for the boy, so I bought a $20 plate of miso salmon, and an $8 side of the short rib ravioli. They were both REALLY good and reheated well. The miso salmon was really tasty and very moist and the short rib ravioli was yummy and salty and delicious. But, $28? For that I expect a bigger portion. That salmon plate was NOT worth $20. And it was on the "Large portions" side of the menu! WTH. Was it yummy? yes. Would I ever order it again? probably not. Though my fiance liked the food, he agreed that it wasn't good enough for the price. So...Restaurant Epic, although I like your food, I'd stick to Happy Hour. P.S the mojito during happy hour is insanely watery and tasteless. Stick to wines and beer :)
(3)
Brad M.

This is a part of Honolulu I would not have visited if it weren't for our local friends taking us here. Restaurant Epic was pretty epic. I ordered a locally-raised steak which was excellent. Nice ambiance and off the typical tourist radar.
(4)
Elyssa D.

We went here last night for a going away dinner. I called a week in advance to try to make a reservation since we had a large party and was told they don't take reservations after 6pm on First Fridays. BUT I ended up calling 30 minutes in advance to us arriving because I realized our party size had doubled and wanted to be sure they could accommodate us. Thank goodness they were able to accommodate our party size and even reserved a table for us. Right when we walked in everyone commented on how nice the restaurant is for the location its in. It really is a hidden gem. We were all first timers aside from the one who recommended the place. Everyone ordered appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Since it was such a large party ill just mention the favorites: The Escargot was AMAZING! I was super surprised. If escargot is a little adventurous for you and your nervous about it, this place is the perfect place to try it! They taste like they are braised in sauce similar to short ribs and then placed on top of a flaky roll. The entree favorites were the short ribs, rack of lamb, and steak. The dessert favorite was the chocolate decadence cake. They had some other intriguing items on their menu like the Apple Walnut and Brie Quesadilla's that were exciting to try. For the size of our party, the service was A-OK. The food was very affordable for the quality. The chef/cooks were really on their game! I would definitely recommend this spot and would not hesitate to return again.
(4)
Brian M.

Korean steak tacos.....epic.....wow. I am from SoCal and these are up there with the greats! My friend told me to check out their happy hour. It is awesome. The burgers dance down your throat! I am very impressed.
(5)
NiKka S.

Found this place on yelp... Liked the fact that we could walk there from our place! Our Server was very sweet. The decor is nice and trendy. Hubby and I were a little surprised that it was pretty empty for a Friday night. The spring rolls were tasty; although there was hardly any kalua pig in them. We both ordered the rib-eye steak, which came out cold. The mashed potatoes were cold too. The bread pudding was the worst I ever had, and it is my favorite dessert. We most likely will not be going back. It's unfortunate, yet most of the past reviews were old... We should have considered that.
(2)
David G.

Great food. Came here with my family of 5. We're tourists and not very adventurous eaters so a restaurant in Chinatown was definitely outside the comfort zone. But hey it was on opentable! Everyone ordered something different (spinach ravioli, short rib, ahi salad, shrimp scampi, and the special lobster pasta) and every single family member loved their food. Good beers (craft Japanese among others) good wine! Cocktails were a tad weak. Service was excellent! The atmosphere was upscale, not your traditional Chinatown place. Highly recommend. P.S. metered street parking or a lot at a 1 min walk away is convenient
(4)
Veronica L.

Restaurant Epic is a modernly designed bar/restaurant right in the heart of Downtown. The atmosphere of the restaurant is beautiful and best of all, CLEAN! We were greeted by who I am guessing is the owner and were seated immediately after arriving. Now I must say, the customer service here is no less than impeccable! Our server was quick, attentive, so friendly and remembered our orders correctly (nothing bothers me more than mistaken orders). I tried three dishes in total. Escargot Poppers: The dish comes with four poppers. But eh, I feel like I could skip on this one. I am an escargot LOVER and will never turn escargot down. The flavors were tasty with the perfect amount of richness. Sadly, I felt like the breading was soaked with oil, like an oily sponge. But who knows! We may have gotten a bad batch, I suggest trying if any of you love escargot! Full Moon Ravioli: IN LOVE with this dish. If you love pasta, pesto, garlic, spinach and mushrooms this dish is a MUST. The sauce is so creamy and flavorful and topped with macadamia nuts! I will say, if you're not one for creamy pasta sauces beware! It may get a little overwhelming, I was full pretty quickly. Miso Butterfish: This was my boyfriends order. My boyfriend loves butterfish and orders it at different restaurants all the time. After all butterfish dishes that I've tried, this by far was our FAVORITE. The butterfish is tender beyond belief and melts in your mouth! TIP: if you're a big eater you may want to order an extra side of rice. The rice portion is small, my boyfriend had to order extra! Restaurant Epic also offers a happy hour menu before 6:30pm with so many different items we have yet to try, so we will be back!!
(5)
Tom Y.

My wife's birthday was the occasion of this mission to Restaurant Epic and I was very pleased with all aspects of the restaurant. I used open table to get my reservations which was a plus! Happy hour is from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. where they featured about 9 appetizers for about $5-$7. (sushi was $10-$12) We also ordered wine for $4 a glass which were very good too. We ordered the kalua pig spring rolls, short rib shooters, apple walnut casadia, fried shrimp with spicy remoulade. The short rib was the best item of the night along with our dessert of applie pie made with puff pastry with vanilla ice cream. Service was fast and great. There were no complaints and the food was very tasty. a definite winning restaurant.
(5)
Miki H.

We went to epic during the last first friday and sat at the bar. The shortrib ravioli was so tasty with the thinnest pasta and topped with fresh tomatoes! The escargot is good too but 2nd best on the island IMO. The sushi was okay and the drinks were good. All in all, I was happy with the decision to camp out here for several hours!
(4)
Sher E.

Pricey but food was pretty good.
(3)
Richard K.

I was lucky enough to get a late reservation during restaurant week to try out this place. I've seen it a bunch of times while in Chinatown but never stopped in. It's right next door to where Indigo used to be. The set menu was great and at $30, definitely reasonable. The meal started with a grilled salad with a deep fried soft-boiled egg. It was delicious...you could even taste the grill on the lettuce. Next came the escargot poppers which had a very savory flavor. The main course was miso salmon over a bed of risotto. This was a bit of a miss. The miso salmon was cooked right, but the sauce tasted like Yoshidas. The risotto was also a little too fusion with shoyu beans inside. I was expecting the risotto to be more cheesy maybe with some mushrooms or truffle oil. Dessert was good, but nothing spectacular. We were served lemon balls with a blueberry and raspberry sauce. It was basically andagi with a bit of a lemon flavor. Again, not horrible, but not spectacular. The service was also very slow, unfortunately. I attribute this as a staffing issue, not our waiter's fault. We could see it was mainly him and 1 other server for the whole restaurant. Definitely a plus 1 for a nice wine pour though. Most places give you a little more than a few sips, but Epic wasn't skimpy with their pours which was nice. All in all, I think I would return again to try out other things on their menu. Maybe during their happy hour or during lunch time.
(3)
Jared W.

I wanted to add more to my first review. --- Things to know --- * Amazing food at a Great price * A Pleasant Ambience * Nicer and more upscale than most of the hole in the wall downtown restaurants. I would definitely recommend to try this place out! --- Details --- - Location and Parking Resturant Epic is located in Chinatown on the corner of Pauahi Street and Nuuanu Street. Being in Chinatown/Downtown the parking situation is not the best. There are many options if you know where the parking lots are. - Ambiance Pleasantly nice. It a nice contrast to the environment outside of the restaurant. Epic has a feeling of being modern, classy, and cozy. Anyone would feel comfortable there with the easy-going vibe there. First time I came here was on a first friday but once inside it felt very relaxing. - Service The service here is pretty good. It isn't the most exceptional service but they are usually fast, friendly, and attentive. - Food Escargot Poppers This appetizer is just Amazing! It starts with its flaky crust, and you taste pesto, the wild mushroom, garlic butter. The middle pops with flavor. I get this every time. Poutine Poutine is one of my favorite appetizer anywhere that serves it. Restaurant Epic does it right with its cheddar cheese and gravy over the beer battered fries. You should get this if you love poutine like I do. Tator tots Another appetizer that and has a spicy BBQ and cheese fondue dipping sauce. Short Rib Ravioli Amazing combination. The ravioli was nice and the ribs were tender, the sauce was good but not overpowering. Bacon Wrapped Cheese Burger Sliders Sliders like I want them Nice, soft, oily burgers, served in a sweet bread bun with tasty and crunchy fries and of course bacon! Meatloaf Bacon Another awesome dish. The heavy BBQ Marsala demi-glaze is sweet and salty and matches perfectly with the meatloaf. It is a bit spicy and just has the perfect flavor... and of course bacon is awesome with anything. Crab Chowder Gratinee This is a a creamy clab chowder with a crunchy top Seafood Cioppino It is almost similar to a stew. There was shrimp, clams, white fish, and scallops. The best part might be the bread. I am a big fan of Epic
(5)
Jake C.

Had dinner with my gf Rachel before the July 3rd fireworks, and this was our first time here for a meal. We had been here twice before for our friend's fundraiser, and at that time we only had happy hour pupus and drinks. I was surprised at how slow it was, I unnecessarily made reservations for two, as we were only the 4th table getting food in there. However, I don't see why it isn't busy all the time! The food is interesting and good! I ordered the mushroom and ricotta ravioli, with a side order of asparagus, and Rachel ordered the small plate of petite grilled cheese with tomato soup, which was interesting. The service was pretty quick, as it was slow, and the food was great! For dessert, we ordered the Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bacon Ice Cream. Holy bacon orgasm. It was so good! The homemade bacon ice cream was amazing! One thing I like about this place is their incorporation of bacon products in some of their foods. For example: The dessert mentioned above, and they also have a bacon burger which has "Bacon Jam"(!). I have no idea what that is lol. The prices aren't too bad, they're pretty normal, around 15-20 bucks for a "large plate", and I have to say that I was pretty full after dinner and dessert. (July 2013 Review 4/31!)
(4)
Kathy C.

Best burgers on the island. Teri burger, Furikake Ahi and Epic are hands down delicious. Been there for lunch and dinner. Make reservations for dinner just in case. My husband had the Chinatown tea and that was amazing. Date night ended early, because we have good coma!
(5)
James D.

Epic! get it...
(5)
Noe I.

The duck salad was so drenched in dressing that it was more of a slaw then a salad. The flavor was great but cold duck fat was a little unsettling to me.
(3)
Kris B.

I've come here several times now and I'm never disappointed with the food! One of my absolute must-haves is the Pork Belly Confit. I also like to get the Jack-n-Coke Bread Pudding for dessert (note: you can actually taste the alcohol, so beware the weakhearted!). I also like the Epic Mojito when I feel like a cocktail. The service is kind of hit-or-miss. Sometimes they're really attentive and sometimes you wonder where they've gone. There is this one guy who is always good - usually in the front, cool Asian dude with glasses (yeah, I'm sorry, that's like 68% of Chinatown's night life on some nights). The prices are in the range that, if you're on something of a budget, you might want to plan for first because you SHOULD get an appetizer, food, AND dessert (maybe even a drink!). The restaurant has that wonderful in-between classy and chill atmosphere so characteristic of a lot of places in Chinatown. There are various parking lots nearby, kind of pricey if you're only in Chinatown to eat. But if you're not staying in Chinatown past midnight, I would suggest the Chinese Municipal Parking lot on Bethel. It's more-or-less around the corner from Restaurant Epic. Definitely recommend for the food! Obviously, since I've been here several times and it's never disappointed. Be wary of the parking and Chinatown's live-in homeless population (keke, see what I did there?).
(4)
Jonathan Q.

First time dining here, always wanted to eat here since I saw it opened a few years back. The outside of the restaurant kinda stinks of rotten trash though. Not the sort of smell I would like to inhale when I have an appetite. The decor is quite nice, love the lighting and the contrasts in here. Our starters were great. Good flavor, tasted delicious. Scallops, braised beef ravioli, Korean steak tacos, escargot popper. However, when the entrees came, that where things got disappointing. I craved lamb that day so I ordered the rack of lamb with macadamia nut crust with blueberry sauce and bacon mashed potatoes. My girlfriend ordered the seared ahi salad. First of all, I ordered my lamb to be cooked medium rare. It came overcooked. But the last piece was medium rare. The macadamia nut crust and blueberry sauce was too much overpowered the lamb, I had to flick all the crust off to the side of my plate, and made a mountain of macnut and blueberry gunk. Too much of that for my liking. It was disgusting. The bacon mashed potatoes were great though. As for the salad, it was a pretty big portion and the entire thing tasted of sour lemon. Way to much dressing. I decided to try it. The first few bites were fine, but as I keep eating it, it became harder to tolerate. The ahi was seared perfectly, but there was more salad then there were ahi. The service was friendly and comforting. Overall, I had high hopes for this place but it was a mediocre experience.
(2)
Dan S.

Our experience at Restaurant Epic was fantastic! We arrived at 5:45 pm on a Thursday (3-5-15) and were seated right away, the server was very helpful and her suggestions were spot on, the food was incredible. We ordered the Korean tacos, escargot poppers, short-rib sliders, ahi & unagi sushi from the happy hour menu. I ordered the Mahi Mahi on a sizzling plater. Overall, it was a great dining experience. I would highly recommend Restaurant Epic!
(5)
Yen P.

The service was great at Epic for our UYE earlier this week. The waiter was very patient and helpful, knowing we had a big group and accommodated us as much as possible. Our orders came in decent time and he even split all of our bills for us. Some restaurants would frown throw a tantrum but it was pretty smooth service that night. Great choice for a Monday happy hour!
(4)
Tracy L.

During a recent all-vegan eating challenge, my BF and I ventured into Chinatown to see what I could find. Luckily, we ended up at Epic. I explained to the always lovely, Brian Chan (whose family owns Epic and Little Village), and told him that I needed a vegan meal. He says, "No problem." After relaxing and watching the BF sip a glass of port (yea, I had iced water with lemon- no alcohol during the vegan challenge), the waitress brings out a beautiful meal of rice with eggplant, mushrooms, and sauteed onions in a plum sauce. It was sooooo good. Thank you Epic for making my meal, although vegan, into a beautiful dining experience;)
(4)
Tiffany Y.

Yelp 365 Challenge #156/365 My husband and I chose this restaurant at a random when we had comp tickets to watch "The Shaolin Warriors" and it was a great experience. No, wait--it was an EPIC experience. See? It's that word Epic that leaves it rolling around in my mind thinking of the different slangs of yesteryears... "That was way cool" "Totally awesome" "Too freakin' rad" Now, there are the words of today: "epic", "beast", or "sick" And this is exactly what Restaurant Epic is....all those words combined... From service, ambiance, food,...O to the M to the G... I am in love with their Braised Shorts RIbs N Mac! It is THE perfect comfort food not just on rainy days but sunshine days too. I have found a liking to brussel sprouts because this is part of their Angus Rib Eye plate that my husband ordered. As we savored our food and basked in the quiet early evening with the sun streaming lazily in as electronica played in the background, it makes you feel so...urban suavÃ© Share the chocolate decadence with your honey and take a walk around the block viewing the different art and scenery after your EPIC experience... You won't regret it especially because the prices are just too...too reasonable. Another EPIC thing to rave about Restaurant Epic! Customer service? Very friendly and non-intrusive. They have a flat screen by the bar side of the restaurant and will inquire if you prefer seating on that side to watch games and if not, they'll seat you on the opposite side of the restaurant. Ambiance: modern with a quiet atmosphere to where you don't realize that there are other dining tables close to you. There is also a room off to the side that are probably for group reservations (Note: You can reserve a table on Yelp) Recommendation: I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who is in the downtown area looking for an "American / Asian" flair of a restaurant. I guarantee...you'll have an EPIC time.
(5)
Ivy Lou H.

This review is just for their desserts. We had the Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake and the Chocolate Decadence Cake. They were both high-quality and very tasty given that you don't usually mix peanut butter with these two desserts. First, the Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten cake was a cake warmed up with a good peanut butter filling. The peanut butter WAS NOT overpowering and added a nice compliment to the chocolate. The Chocolate Decadence Cake was a kind of hard cake that usually had a melted peanut butter sauce poured over it but we got it on the side and drizzled it on the cake. Also quite yummy. The decor of the restaurant is modern chic and the service was great. Definitely good for desserts and probably everything else too.
(4)
Lani S.

Went because got a restaurant.com certificate. They did NOT honor it and made a big deal saying they didn't know about it. Gave me a measely 10% off. I had a $25.00 certificate. I spent over $85.00 just for lunch for something I could've got at Zippys or even Mc Donald's. Mediocre food, overpriced and cheap ingredients. Ordered the duck salad and told them no parsley- waiter refused to tell the chef to omit it until I told him I was allergic to it. Duck tasted old like they bought it at Chinatown a week ago. Shitty waiters, shitty owner that was very rude. Would NEVER recommend this place to even the people I disliked. Save your money and go eat at Zippys- you'd be alit more satisfied.
(1)
Marcia L.

This is quite possibly my new favorite restaurant:) I celebrated my birthday here recently with some friends. The Cioppino was amazing (lots of crab lumps, I was sooo surprised!!), the escargot poppers were awesome (escargot actually had that rich escargot taste, unlike some restaurants where it's just rubbery) , and the drinks are cutely garnished. We sat in a private room in the corner of the restaurant. Even though we were all the way back here, we had great service from our waiter. I love the atmosphere in this restaurant...maybe it's the high ceiling, dim lights, soft looking furniture...Idk! Everything together just sets the right mood and makes you feel like a Young Adult (wish i could italicize that)
(5)
Judy And Joe N.

Dined here on First Friday with a group of 4 others. We didn't have a reservation, but didn't have to wait at all for a table, nice! I would say 3 1/2 stars based on food alone, but our server by the name of Jackson bumps it up to 4 stars because he was competent, patient, courteous, and friendly. Our friend was kind of messing with him a little (she can come off a bit abrasive), but Jackson took it all really well and kept a straight face/professional attitude. I had the nicoise salad with seared tuna, sister had a pasta dish with mushrooms in a cream sauce, J had a salmon burger and fries. All were good - not mind blowing - but pretty good. I think the fries were probably the highlight of our meal, they are a must try! I would probably give it another shot, maybe for a date night or another occasion that calls for fancier prices like this.
(4)
Russ D.

A great little place tucked into Chinatown. Not much to see from the outside, really nice decor on the inside. The stuffed pork tenderloin and the fish special were both awesome, as was the crab and artichoke dip. Not busy either - we'll definitely go there again!
(5)
Cathy K.

Restaurant epic is pretty much epic. The food was delivered quickly and our server was friendly and offered up some great suggestions. Went here for happy hour and orders Kalua pig spring rolls, Korean steak tacos and the unagi ahi roll. The spring rolls were crispy and delicious although a little greasy but what deep fried food isn't?? The tacos were messy but the combination of Kalbi and cilantro and kimchee was an epic mouthful. Only bummer is their happy hour sushi is the same price as regular price but oh well, worth it! Total bill was $24 for all 3 things! Portions were a good size and I left super full and happy!
(4)
Jackson C.

For appetizers, we had the short rib sliders and it was good. But what was epic was the lemon grass clams. The broth was the bomb! It was is good we ordered bread to dip. Also had the happy hour French martini and that just opened up the appetite! The duck salad was great too. We ordered the seafood trio. The crab tasted fresh. Our server was great and was very helpful and friendly. Overall a great experience.
(5)
Raquel T.

Service was friendly. Though some of our questions were answered - it seemed as though a through explanation of ingredients from the chef to the FOH was lacking. I enjoyed the Asian duck salad, a tiny bit heavy on the dressing but very flavorful and full of greens and cabbage and cilantro. The salad was very attractively presented and full of color. I would order this again. Good value at $11 as well. My companion had the ahi burger and it seemed more like a chopped patty of ahi rather than a filet. He really liked the wasabi mayo and I could see the juices from the sauces dripping onto the plate - very moist. It was served with an option, he chose the side salad and it was colorful and full of baby greens. Mango "shebert" (their spelling) was made with cream and too sweet and almost artificial tasting. More like an orange creamsicle. I look forward to the molten cake one day soon...
(3)
Tammie C.

When the Hubby and I have a 'date night', we always try to find a restaurant we haven't been to before. I admit, when I heard the restaurant's name was 'Epic', I thought to myself. "Huh...we'll see about that". We got there in time for their Happy Hour, and decided to get: - Furikake Fries w/wasabi aioli (DELICIOUS! DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!) - Harissa-Spiced Crispy Short Rib Ravioli (EHH...IT WAS OK, I WOULDN'T ORDER IT AGAIN) For drinks we got: - Epic Mojito (ONE OF THE BEST MOJITO'S I'VE EVER HAD!) - Candied Bacon Bloody Mary (PRETTY GOOD, BUT I PREFER THEIR EPIC MOJITO!) We were getting quite full from the appetizers, so we decided to share the: - Mongolian Pork Chop with Garlic-Cilantro Fried Rice, Kim Chee Cucumber Salad and Ko Choo Jang Aioli with a side of Roasted Garlic Linguini - basil, lemon zest. (WE BOTH ENJOYED THE MONGOLIAN PORK CHOP, BUT THE FRIED RICE AND SIDE LINGUINI WASN'T VERY MEMORABLE). Dessert was given to us: - Chocolate decadence cake (VERY SWEET, A TAD TOO SWEET FOR MY LIKING, BUT WE TOOK MOST OF IT HOME AND MY HUBBY AND DAUGHTER INHALED IT THE NEXT DAY) We both agreed that we'd definitely return to try more items on their menu. Our favorites were the Epic Mojito and the furikake french fries. Service was pretty good, I liked the atmosphere and the way the place is decorated. It's a great place to go to for Happy Hour, and the quality of food and prices are very reasonable. PICTURES UPLOADED: yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦ yelp.com/biz_photos/restâ€¦
(4)
Joanne A.

The bf and I are rarely in Chinatown for dinner time, so we used Yelp to find a decent place to eat. Restaurant Epic was an awesome find! Everything on the menu sounded delicious. I ended up ordering the braised beef short rib ravioli with a side of miso glazed mushrooms, and the bf ordered Thai curry seafood risotto. The food presentation was great, and the food itself was savory! Overall, it felt like a fine dining experience at a fraction of the price. I'm definitely planning to try out their happy hour sometime.
(4)
Victoria R.

I love this place!! Everything here was delicious! Great food and even better service :) I highly recommend the escargot poppers. YUM! If you haven't checked this place out yet you're defiantly missing out
(5)
Grant U.

I am still rating this a 4 , service absolutely was horrible this time..2 apps ravioli and spring rolls, spring rolls decided to show up after entree' plates went down. Server said the manager was taking care of that. 1 .. then finished eating all 4 of us, 2 had leftover to box...waited, waited, waited finally someone stood up and then the server comes a little later, takes 2 plates away and says he will be back with boxes..waited waited waited, finally 1 has to leave, server finally comes back and says i will box these..finally get the boxed stuff...2... Now here comes the 3rd.. I had invited myself to join this group in honoring two ladies in our office that work their behinds for me too for a late admin day celebration, so I wanted to pay and surprise the other person wanting to thank them also. I called ahead and spoke to whomever answered the phone to let them know on this reservation that I intended to pay , they confirmed ok they will let the server know. I then got to Epic , found a server and told and pointed that i wanted the check and here is my credit card. He said he would give it to our server. Well the check came and it goes to the other person that wanted to pay. WTF, hell .. once he came back I asked him about my card, he had it in his pocket, said sorry I forgot. Blunder #3, so although the service sucked, the food braised shortrib ravioli , kalua pork spring roll, special fish of the day (2 times), pasta with pesto and fish and my to the max good cioppino were all good, well presented, seasoned right, delicious food made up for it. Not to fail to mention when I called later to talk to Alan the manager, he was so sorry and wanted to make up for it, but i just told him "forget all that, just fix your server"....will keep repeating because the food is awesome..
(4)
N J.

Awesome food quick and easy ambience. Conveniently located to downtown and the airport for a meal before the sad flight back to the mainland..,
(5)
Everett S.

Yes, the place is downtown and the neighborhood is totally dead at night, but the food stands for itself. Atmosphere is a bit odd, there are some strangely placed bright lights. We started with the butternut squash potstickers, they were phenomenal. For mains we shared a pesto ravioli and a St. Louis Style rib dish. The ribs weren't that smokey, they clearly had been made in an oven, but they were very tender. For desert we had something, but I remember it being good. Anyway, one of the better places to eat in Honolulu.
(4)
Aldora K.

Service is slow... food is good, but the service is slow during lunch time which is sort of bad. they fill up the water pretty quickly but the food comes out slow. I would rate this place higher if the service was faster because the food is excellent. The portions are good, the food is excellent and my water was always filled up quickly. I will go back again....
(3)
Johanna M.

Meh...it was just alright. I wasn't as blown away as a lot of the other reviewers. We tried some of the pupus and I found them to be better than the meals. I had the Cioppino and my husband ordered the rib eye. The fries that came with the rib eye were really greasy. My Cioppino was fine...a little salty. The mojitos were also too sweet. To be honest, I probably hyped this place up a lot after reading all of the stellar reviews. It was good but I would likely just return for their happy hour.
(3)
Rhea Cherie B.

If you name your restaurant "Epic," your food better not disappoint. We had high expectations going to the restaurant and they actually exceeded our expectations. It could have something to do with the fact that we had a business lunch there, it was a party of 8 and we were seated in a private corner room with windows, but either way, everything was great from the service, timeliness, and the food. To our disappointment, they weren't serving the Pocho Mac n' Cheese balls they day we went there. Our server mentioned something about a bad batch and they were exploding or blowing up??? Well that was disappointing because many of us had looked at the menu prior to going and already decided that we were going to order that. So we ended up starting off with some Kalua Pork Spring Rolls and the Curried Chicken Potstickers. Both were very yummy and flavorful and were plated with delicious sauces. The 8 of us each ordered something different and every single one of us was pleased with our food. The fish portions were pretty skimpy but those who ordered the fish were delighted with the quality and flavor. Someone on our table ordered the Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf and kept raving about it. I had the Seared Ahi Salad and feared that it would be too small of a portion after seeing the fish but they gave a good amount of salad and ahi. The salad also came with asparagus, tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, and eggs. It doesn't seem like those things would go together but these extras in the salad really complemented each other well. Come to think of it, everyone polished their plates because we all enjoyed the food so much. One of the things I was most impressed with was the plating and presentation. The food looked so "pretty" on the plates. I know "pretty" isn't the best word to describe food but hey-it was! The atmosphere of the restaurant was nice. It wasn't too dark in there but wasn't too bright either. The decorations were nice and it has a nice modern and calming theme to it. Overall, I love this restaurant and although they didn't have the Mac n' Cheese balls and the fish portions were small; they get 5 stars from me because the service, food and presentation made up for it all. I also took a peek at their happy hour menu. It looks awesome! They offer lower prices on appetizers and drinks. I will definitely be back to Restaurant Epic for happy hour.
(5)
Phil R.

This is one of my go-to sit down business lunch places in downtown. Food is consistently good and the service and ambiance makes it a nice place to take clients to during the weekday lunch rush. The miso salmon with furikake musubi is my favorite :)
(4)
Daniel H.

Horrible experience tonight. Place was empty so there was no excuse for the quality of food that came out - cold and definitely unsatisfying. We had to send back 2 dishes to the kitchen. Based on the other reviews for this place, it was definitely a disappointing experience. The waiter was very understanding and sympathetic; maybe just an off night for the kitchen staff/cooks but definitely no excuse since it wasn't a very busy night.
(1)
Grace L.

Classy and perfect for date night :) As far as the food goes, everything I've tried on the menu was absolutely wonderful. We have been here many times and it has never failed to disappoint. Escargot Poppers: 5 stars. The puff pastry and the seasoning of the dish itself masks the overwhelming taste of the escargot, which made it just right. It would have to be my favorite appetizer. Asian Style Roasted Duck Salad: 4 stars. The wontons complimented the asian themed salad very well. The duck was delicious (if you're a fan of duck) but I wish they had put in a few more pieces. The only reason it gets 4 stars is because the dressing was a little overdone and I wish I had asked for it on the side. Miso Glazed Salmon: 5 stars. Cooked to perfection, the salmon just melts in your mouth. It doesn't taste too "fishy" because the miso glaze compliments the fish perfectly. If you like salmon, this is definitely a dish to try. Short Rib and Mac: 4 stars. One word, CHEESE. It's a lot of mac and cheese and if you're a mac and cheese fan, this is your go to dish. The short rib was pretty good, a little too sweet for my taste. I'm not too sure if the savory mac and cheese complimented the sweet short rib, but I ate them separately and they were quite delicious. It is alot of cheese though, so it's only good if you like that sort of thing. Molten Cake with Ice Cream: 5 stars. DECADENT. It's extremely rich, but soooo delicious. It's similar to a chocolate souffle with chocolate and peanut butter melted into the middle. The vanilla icecream is a perfect touch, especially because it's such a heavy dessert. But if you are a chocolate lover, this is so amazing. Baked-Stuffed French Toast: 5 stars. My personal favorite. It's not nearly as rich as the molten cake. It's two slices of french toast with the works loaded between them: strawberries, nutella, caramel, whipped cream, etc. It's not a "light" dessert, but it's definitely not super rich either. Moscato d Asti, Risata, Italy: 5 stars. I haven't had this wine here, but it happens to be my favorite wine. Any restaurant that serves my favorite sparkling wine gets a thumbs up from me. HECKYEAH. PARKING. is. a. pain. Street parking is your only option. But if you drive around in circles enough, you'll eventually find something....we usually do :) It's worth it though, I swear.
(5)
Katherine N.

Best soup ever (it was their soup of the day: a seafood clam chowder basically). Waitress was really nice. Overall, a great experience. The only thing I don't really like is their hours. Open more often so I can get some more of that soup!!!
(5)
Kendra O.

Can't believe we didn't try this place tucked away in Chinatown earlier! Went there for Happy Hour last friday (I think it ends at 630pm) and after finding street parking and walking a block down, made it in at about 6:10pm. The staff was attentive as got seated quickly. Aaron was our server and was excellent_and tended to our endless questions about the menu, and was even kind enough to allow for us to order 2 drinks each. We ordered: 1) kalua pig spring rolls: rates 5/5, 2) the ahi rolls (10 pieces) rates 5/5 3) steak/kim chee tacos, rates 4.35/5 4) artichoke(crab I think) dip, rates 4/5 5) fried shrimp rates 3/5 6) Oh and how I can I forget the chocolate molten dessert with peanut butter gooey-ness just oozing from within! 5+/5 All of this food AND two drinks each we walked out of there unscathed with a bill totaling under $65.00!!
(5)
Loren A.

The wife and I decided to go to a downtown restaurant we hadn't been to yet. She heard some good things about Restaurant Epic from a co-worker so we decided to try it. The dining room was 16% full at 5:15 pm on a Friday (happened to be First Friday too) so luckily they had some room to seat us without reservations. I went in very enthusiastic but came out feeling a little disappointed. Strengths 1. Service - Our server was attentive and checked on us quite often. When faced with some of the challenges I threw at him, he was quick to be sure that they were taken care of. He also recommended a great appetizer, the Apple & Walnut Quesedilla which I would not have thought to try had he not recommended and explained what it was. It ended being the highlight of my meal. Our water glasses were also never empty. 2. Value - During Happy Hour, some of their appetizers are $5-8. We got the Apple Walnut Quesedilla for $7. Large entree plates were around $25-28 while smaller tapa-type plates hovered around $10. Our two drinks, one appetizer, two entrees and shared desert came out to just under $70 so pretty good value for the type of restaurant they are trying to be. Weaknesses 1. Consistent food quality - My wife's lamb had a great char from the grill on it and the smokiness added some depth to it. She also raved about the accompanying mashed potatoes. My Short-Rib & Mac on the other hand, came out really soupy as if they forgot to drain the pasta. They redid another one for me and it did came out with a thicker cheese sauce but there was some grittiness to the sauce. Also, the onion string topping was soggy this time around. Their first attempt had crispy onion strings. I didn't feel like waiting for a second time so I tried my best to enjoy what I had. 2. Unpredictable flavors - If you like to be surprised, you might like this place. On the other hand, if I'm ordering a dish that sounds like something familiar (i.e. - "mac & cheese"), I expect something close to familiar. My Short Rib & Mac had some unusual spices, including cumin, thrown in which doesn't agree with my palate. Also, be warned that they use fusilli instead of macaroni (Surprise!). Our tiramisu dessert was overly sweet for my taste buds. 3. Updated menus - I sometimes like to browse menus online before going to a restaurant. I looked at Restaurant Epic's online dinner menu and saw a bacon burger that I wanted to try. To my disappointment, they no longer had it on their on restaurant menu. In addition, their dessert menu in the restaurant still had a dessert they had discontinued and did not have four new desserts that they just started serving.
(2)
Sash T.

Got to celebrate my birthday last night with my gf and close friends. We ordered almost all the appetizers, a few entrees, and a couple of desserts. Everything tasted good and we hope to go back soon! The only thing I don't like is the parking in downtown. Gotta watch out for the chronics and weirdos.
(5)
Kimmy C.

I realize that 1st Friday's are the worst times to have dinner in Chinatown, but we did it anyway. The hostess informed us it would be a 30 min wait and she was correct. Our group was seated at around 8:30pm and it wasn't really busy. We quickly ordered our pasta meals of carbonara, bolognese, and ravioli. The 4 pasta dishes took over 40 minutes to arrive. The waitress apologized twice for the long wait. No free bread basket was offered to pass the time with. The food was mediocre to okay. We ate it all because we were hungry. The apple crisp dessert was average, not enough crisp and the dish is very shallow.
(2)
Inthira M.

My family and I were in Chinatown to try and find a tux for my nephew for my wedding and we decided to have lunch here. Being that my first experience was a good one I was really excited to try other things on their menu. I was hungry so I couldn't decide what I wanted because when you're hungry you want everything! I finally settled on having a coup of their tomato basil bisque and their seared ahi salad, we also ordered escargot as an appetizer. The place was practically desserted since all of downtown was on their Christmas vacation so it was nice having the servers undivided attention. When the soup came out I was so shocked to see how big it was. It was a big coffee cup size and it was accompanied by a parmesean cheese cracker. I crushed it up and put it in my soup so it had great texture. You could tell the soup was home-made and could taste little bits of the pureed tomatoes. The salad was awesome. It was like a nicoise salad with a hard boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, perfectly cooked asparagus, and fingerling potatoes. The togarashi spiced ahi was cooked rare and they were very generous with the cut. The star of the show was the escargot. For only $9 you get four pieces of escargot cooked in a puff pastry and served with a herbed garlic butter. It was so light (since the sauce was under the puff pastry) and it didn't taste like a snail and it wasn't chewy at all! I wanted three more orders! Amongst all the other options that are available in downtown I really like the quality of the food here. I definitely need to come back more often!
(4)
Ellison U.

Restaurant EPIC Went there with a couple of co-workers during lunch. Place is located in the middle of Chinatown and Downtown which was convenient because it was near. I heard about it through the Yelp event I couldn't make so... we thought we'd give this place a try. Like all other places in Chinatown, very decorative and sort of got that trendy upscale look. At the time it wasn't busy, we were seated promptly with no wait. As far as I know, it's a sit-down restaurant, idk if you're able to do takeout. Anyway, the menu was full if interesting dishes, a lot of Asian fusion influenced entries. Prices were reasonable, they ranged from $15 - $25ish. Portion is a bit tiny for me. Price to Portion ratio was poor. Taste delicious though. Sorry rambling of the food and I haven't said what I ordered yet... Well I ordered the Pan seared Ahi with wasabi glazed sauce and side of Asian colslaw. It was on the special menu and it cost $15~ (I don't remember). The ahi was prepared medium rare sliced Juliann style. Presentation was nice. Taste Delicious... kinda wanted more... I think it was a 6 oz steak. But I tell yah... that wasabi glazed had a kick to it. Friends ordered the Miso Teri Salmon. was baked was teriyaki sauce served with shredded carrots and a Furikake Musubi. I had a taste it was ok... meh. Overall, I like it. Nothing to be overly excited about but I would definitely dine in again. Service was normal. DÃ©cor was nice. Food was delicious. That's all.
(3)
Annabel M.

We went to Restaurant Epic to celebrate my husband's birthday with three of our kids and my Mom. We chose Epic because everyone has very different food preferences. One kid is a total "foodie" while another is at the other end of the spectrum, refusing to eat anything that he doesn't completely understand. The third will "try" pretty much anything. Tutu had the lamb, with an extra chop ("Seniors" receive 20% off M-F!), which was perfect, with a mint sauce to die for. Husband had braised beef shortribs, son had a huge prime rib, and the daughters and I shared two types of salad (super fresh and tasty), a wagyu burger (bacon aioli and avacado!) and a spicy ahi roll (yum). All of it was delicious and everyone was happy. Had to roll out the door after sharing four different deserts, including free chocolate decadence cake with a birthday candle. Our server was very attentive and helpful. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was cause it was really noisy and the music was loud, so only possible to speak to the person immediately next to or across. That's a bit of a bummer for a family celebration, though if you're looking for an energetic bar scene type place with yummy food, its definitely a 5 star place.
(4)
Andrew H.

Fantastic food, Ordered 7 different entrees/appetizers and loved all of it. Especially the Pork Belly over Collard Greens.
(5)
Margaret B.

I liked it - nice waiters, quaint decor, interesting dishes. Seems very hip for honolulu. Glad we tried it.
(4)
Type A.

Located in a wonderful area of Chinatown. It's so beautiful, fancy, but comfortable, and very very good food. We love going to dinner there and just recently made it for Happy Hour! The chef isn't scared of experimenting. We had a bacon brittle dessert thing, so good! They have side areas that are perfect for semi-private parties. Good date place! Yummy Food!
(5)
Jin W.

Did not honor restaurant week, bait & switch. Rude manager epic failure, offered us 8 to leave...
(1)
Allison V.

hubby and I went there on a last minute date night and it wasnt busy at 830pm when we got there. I had the bacon wrapped meatloaf and it was soo good and moist and he had braised beef with mac and cheese and his was moist as well. my only comment would be that the mac and cheese wasnt cheesy enough. also had the chocolate decadence dessert and it was very tasty as well. Im a chocoholic and it totally curbed my craving for a while! service was a bit slow.. only down side..
(4)
Ane P.

I came here on a Sunday night, and the place was pretty quiet. Besides the sketch streets in the area, and the weird guy that peered into the window about 4 times throughout the meal, everything was very nice! I enjoyed the lychee martini and a slightly salty poke with avocado. It's a nice place to get away from the crowds and the business of every other restaurant on a Sunday evening.
(3)
Vivian H.

Must Order: Chocolate chip & bacon cookies, shrimp risotto, chicken & biscuit We came here on a whim. Constantly passing this place on our way to Indigo. So one night we decided to give it a try for our "Date Night" (which really means no cell phones at the table). I ordered the 5 course tasting menu and the BF ordered the lamb special. Lamb Special: Good flavors but you only get 2 lamb ribs for $26.00! The BF was a little disappointed in this since he loves lamb. It also came with fingerling potatoes tossed with diced asparagus. 5 Course Tasting Menu: I was a little ambitious in thinking I could finish this. Luckily most of the dishes were on the smaller side. Nevertheless I had an epic-ly full tummy after dinner! 1st Course - Duck salad: It was like chinese chicken salad except with duck! Very good but I wish there were more duck (especially duck skin) in it. 2nd Course - Escargot puffs: Very creamy and decadent. The escargot puffs were perfectly puffed and sauced up! It definitely felt very heavy. 3rd Course - Shrimp risotto: I really liked this dish. It came with two pieces of shrimp which seems to be the perfect amount for a tasting menu. The risotto had a great garlic flavor to it and the shrimp was yummy-ly seasoned. 4th Course - Chicken & biscuit with thai gravy: I really liked this dish despite already being desperately full by the time I got to it. The biscuit was actually a tiny jalapeno biscuit topped with a small piece of fried chicken. All components of this dish was well executed and delicious! 5th Course - Blueberry Bread pudding: this dish I probably liked least but being that I'm not a huge bread pudding fan, you may want to take my review with a grain of salt. When I think of bread pudding, I think of ooey gooey creamy pudding. This was not it. The blueberry sauce was good and the bread pudding was fluffy, but not quite what I was expecting. Finally we had the Chocolate Chip & Bacon cookies. How could I NOT order these?! It came with four small cookies dusted with powdered sugar. The cookies were warm and the middle was that perfect warm cookie consistency. I loved that they used bigger chunks of chocolate to offset the bacon. The bacon wasn't overpowering and my BF commented that it was like having cookies that have salt on them. Right. More like bacon salt! It's a place I would go to again for "Date Night". I definitely plan on trying out their Happy Hour. I'm looking forward to their version of the souffle too.
(4)
Jennifer T.

Epic was at its pinnacle friday night (hard to find a synonym for epic!)! Sat at the bar with a fiend for the tail end of happy hour (till 6:30). Food was sooo good. Most notably the wonton braised beef (different from main menu - so delish!) ! Also had a few other dishes on HH menu the fish tacos, tasty, and edamame (always good). They kept coming....the curry gyoza (not my favorite) and the always stellar snails (escargots) in puff pastry. YUMMMMMM. During HH the house wine (and well drinks) is $5.00 but it really is the HH pupu menu that shines here Service is always great and with the HH pupus making it affordable, I am a big fan! Parking - I always park in Kukui plaza (inexpensive), but my friend parks at Chinese cultural center $3.00 at night.
(5)
Jamie W.

What a fun tuesday night activity. A group of us met at the restaurant when it open at 430 for the happy hour. Cute little place with a very infused menu. Asian meets down home American classic cooking with a twist of course. We ordered almost every appitizer all ranging $7 or less. It all sounds a bit off but oh so worth the risk! Philly cheese steak gyso, curried chicken dumplings, bacon and cheese tator tots and my personal favorite ravaloi with spinach, mushrooms, pesto cream and mac nuts. So good had two orders!! After finishing there the group wandered over to HASPR wine company for a wine tasting. Great way to spend a week night and not out to late for a school(work) night .
(4)
Denby R.

I love this place. The food and drinks are great. They have Happy Hour too. I am a huge fan of the Cioppino...if you can eat shellfish...and like that warm home cooked feeling...this is the one! My buddies are big fans of the epic mac and cheese. And the escargot. My friend is non-bacon eater. And they made her mac and cheese without the Bacon. She swears it is the best mac and cheese she ever had. Took my work people there and they had the Bacon jam.....talked about it for weeks. If you call ahead they have the back section that works great for work parties or family gatherings. Wonderful.
(5)
Lori M.

My friends took me here for a small early birthday dinner yesterday We made reservations but as it turned out there was plenty of room and almost empty restaurant. The staff was really friendly, and we had several different people check back on us to refill our waters and were very attentive. The food came out in a timely manner and was very good, I got the escargot poppers, delish!! If I could eat these with every meal I would!! My friend tried her first escargot for the first time and liked them too. for a beverage I had a red wine glass of merlot. For the main course I ordered a small plate, the steak and crab cake. It was small but with my escargot, wine and then dessert after it was a perfect portion. The rib eye my friend ordered was good, but her boyfriend said he was not super impressed with the "holy crap that's a lot of bacon burger". For dessert we tried the choc chip and bacon cookies. I couldn't taste any bacon. Not bad but nothing really special. The stuffed french toast was good! Definitely enough to share! Thanks, Shari and Kaeo, for bringing me here and for the great company!!! :))
(5)
Wade N.

If you're really hungry, and enjoy hearty food, I would recommend the current five course tasting menu at Epic. I am a big fan of tasting menus, but have never sampled so much food at such a reasonable price. To offer two entrees - cioppino AND beef bourguinon en croute - was unbelievable. And you had those selections AFTER the strawberry arugula salad and then gnocchi! All the courses were delicious - flavorful and unpretentious. Our server Nathan was spot on - very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. Saturday nights are pretty mellow and I look forward to a return visit with the rest of the family.
(5)
Jake D.

Excellent service from RJ. The mac and cheese was huge. Escargot was great and the dessert was great...donuts and stuffed French toast.
(5)
Daniel K.

As they say in the Chopped kitchen on the Food Network: "Creative dishes, but lacking on the execution." Portuguese sausage, macaroni & cheese balls, shrimp & grits tostada and bacon- jalapeno wrapped tater tots are some of the great items on the small plate or appetizer menu. I think they forgot the Portuguese sausage, because there were only small minced ones. The other items were okay, but nowhere near amazing. Puerto Rican style roast pork was like eating kalua pig. Good, but where's the poi? Mongolian pork chop was tasty, but needed a sauce. Short rib and mac was probably the best dish, though the macaroni & cheese was watery and needs a binder. Chocolate, peanut butter & jelly molten cake was worth the order as was the baked & stuffed french toast. Absolutely pass on the apple crumble, which was very bland and the Jack N Coke bread pudding was like drinking a shot of Tennessee whiskey. Service was average, but had to wait over 10 minutes for the server to bring the first round of drinks. Strange considering it wasn't very crowded. Stranger that stale popcorn accompanied the drinks. Some major cleaning and renovation or at least touch-up work is in order. Heavy layer of dust covered the lighting fixtures and ceiling near the air-conditioning ducts, and paint chipping all over the place. At about $40/head with drinks, a bit more is expected. I would give this place another try, but food and service quality control is needed.
(3)
Chris M.

On a mission to lose a few lbs before the holidays, I've been bringing home lunch lately to try and eat a little healthier. For those of you who are trying to do the same, you know that some days you just NEED something other than diet food. And, since it was a UYE, I just had to check it out! Well, Restaurant Epic is sure to satisfy your cravings - their menu seems to be all about comfort food, and everything sounded sooooo good that I had a hard time deciding what to order! To start, a few of us shared the Braised Short Rib Ravioli appetizer (4 raviolis per order). The short ribs had a hearty flavor, so it was a nice contrast to the creamy sauce and the tomato salsa on top. I think I coulda eaten 5 of these! yelp.com/biz_photos/lFjnâ€¦ I also tried a Mac & Cheese bite - Mac & cheese ball breaded, deep fried and served with marinara sauce (thanks, Terry K.!) It's unusual for me to say so, but I thought it could have used a little more salt/seasoning. yelp.com/biz_photos/lFjnâ€¦ On our server's recommendation, I ordered the special, a Furikake-crusted Ahi burger ($14, served with a mixed greens salad). The ahi was moist and came with a wasabi aioli sauce that had just the right amount of heat. It's a good thing Thomas O. and I had a "sharing agreement", because after I gave him a piece to try, I devoured it! yelp.com/biz_photos/lFjnâ€¦ Of course, I had a bite of Thomas O.'s Short Rib & Mac grilled cheese. It was rich, tasty, and I'm glad I didn't order it because I would have needed a nap after that! yelp.com/biz_photos/lFjnâ€¦ Our server seemed to have been the only one working the busy lunch crowd. With our large party of 10 plus the rest of the room, I was impressed with the level of service he was able to give. He even divided our bill into individual checks (something I know servers HATE in large groups). Awesome! Restaurant Epic is perfect for when you want to take a nice, long lunch break in a classier place with modern decor. Looking forward to coming back to try the happy hour!
(4)
S O.

We were desperately trying to find a place outside of our resort and found this on open table 1. If it's still on the menu, get the brisket Mac and Cheese. A heavy dish, but amazing. Never would have imagined this to be so good. 2. There was a risotto cake, egg, sausage small place that was equally delish. 3. Save room for the bread pudding. What's killer is the whiskey sauce (which is normally a heated sauce) is actually part of the ice cream on top of the bread pudding, and since the ice cream is never heated, you taste the whiskey right away. Very good. 4. Our dinner was cheaper than breakfast at our resort on Waikiki 5. The biggest downside to this place is that it's on a borderline sketchy street downtown, but it's really cool and worth it.
(5)
Tze M.

Quick Tip: Happy Hour ends at 6:30pm. Escargot popper are the bomb! Epic Restaurant has been open for a while now, but have not made my way to check it out until I was asked to check it out on the First Friday of February. I thought to myself, "Oh great! I have to fight the crazy crowds, gotta try find parking..." To my surprise, downtown was a bit mellow and I found parking in a garage. Located on the corner of Pauahi St. and Nuuanu St. Parking can either be found in one of the many parking garages or street parking. As we checked in, it was 6:30 pm and had just missed the happy hour specials. We didn't have reservations, and it was a thirty minute wait. I has happy they took down our phone number so we didn't have to wait at the door. We walked around First Friday, ran into a friend that suggested we try the bacon wrapped meat loaf - "it's the bomb! So good!" He didn't mention to try anything else, so we were set to try that. We did a quick walk around, and as they said, half an hour we got the call that our table was ready. The service was excellent! We got seated, and quickly served water and they were quick with our adult beverages. Looking over the menu, there seemed to be lots that I wanted to try. But I didn't want to eat with my eyes so we settled on the bacon wrapped meat loaf, and the escargot poppers to start. For my meal, I ordered the cioppino. Both the appetizers were delicious!! And for my dish, it was mild. I felt it could use more flavor. I'll like to return to do drinks and appetizers during happy hour. It was a bit pricey, but the service is excellent. The ambiance is easy going, yet modern and comfortable. It's a bit dark for an intimate feel. If you haven't tried this place yet, I do recommend it.
(4)
Russel M.

WOW! One of the Best Lunches I can remember in a long time. Today we celebrated the finalization of a large R/E deal at EPIC. The Restaurant was semi full and every food item that passed us looked really good. We ordered the Sushi Epic, Caesar Salad, Cioppino , Fresh Alaskan Salmon & a Kobe Burger. EVERYTHING WAS Very good! Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Jill B.

I always want to be able to give this place a higher rating but considering the hit or miss nature of their menu, I can't bring myself to give it higher than three stars. I'll start with my overall assessment: Lunch - 4 stars Happy Hour - 4 stars (If happy hour was longer than 2 hours and the happy hour small plate menu was offered outside of happy hour... even just during lunch, their happy hour & lunch would easily be a 5 star option) Dinner - 2 stars Dessert - 3 stars. And here's why... Their Happy Hour (which is offered Monday through Friday, 4:30 - 6:30) menu certainly justifies the restaurants name as the food and beverages are pretty epic. The Mac n' Cheese Bites, Cheddar & Bacon Tater Tots, & Poutine are a few stand out favorites for happy hour. All food is priced between $5 & $7 and I'm fairly certain that most if not all adult beverages are $4 or $5 each. Unfortunately, except for the Poutine, NONE of the happy hour small plates are available if you're visiting outside of Happy Hour. Even the lunch menu is pretty delicious. The salads are great and burgers are fantastic. The Short Rib & Mac 'n Cheese (which is also offered for dinner) is amazing! Also, the lunch menu is as affordable as the happy hour menu considering most items are priced around or below $10 mark. So why only give them 3 stars? Because as amazing as they are during the day, they somehow just stop being amazing after 6:30. The dinner menu has a number of less than impressive items as opposed to the lunch and happy hour menus where it's difficult to find an item which would qualify as anything less than superb. Dinner, on the other hand, consists of a menu of food that is either amazing or, for lack of a more accurate term, "meh". I recently visited for a birthday dinner and from what our table sampled, the hits were all the small plates we ordered - the salads as well as the Caesar Bruschetta, Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf (AMAZING!), & "Tater Tots". Also, the Pri-Fixe meal for March was fantastic which included the Baby Spinach Salad, Spinach & Mushroom Raiolo, Miso Glazed Wild Salmon, Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf w/ Mashed Potatoes, & Swiss Apple Crumble Ala Mode. In general, you can never go wrong with the Short Rib Mac 'n Cheese and their burgers really are delicious. However, the Crab & Bacon Pasta Carbonara was a horrible disappointment with overwhelming crab dotted with soft/chewy bits of (what I'm assuming was) bacon but no bacon flavor, the Seafood Risotto was decent but not truly impressive, and the Duck Paella was very lackluster and flavorless. Dessert was just as hit or meh, as the apple crumble was great and the creme brulee is always wonderful but the bread pudding was another dry and lackluster disappointment. . Speaking of the dinner, one last complaint I have is the bill splitting policy. Our party consisted of about 15 guests and while the restaurant is quite small I was impressed that they were able to create a large table in the back to accommodate us. Our server was nice and we did not have an issue with any item we ordered (other than disappointment at the flavor). While the kitchen and bar wasn't exactly speedy, our server was friendly and accurate for lack of a better term. Still, I wouldn't recommend epic for any party where the bill is intended to be split more than 3 ways. We were told that their policy is apparently such that they will not split checks more than 3 ways. So, large groups beware, bring cash and a calculator because they also do not print checks by seat number. Our party spent probably at least a half hour after our meal passing the check around with a pen so everyone could figure out how much they owed for their meal PLUS the auto-gratuity which was added to our bill (which, for a party of more than 10 I completely understand). Nevertheless, I don't care if the meals are $5 or in the $20-$40 range (for dinner and a drink as they are here at Epic), it's just irritating to have to sit there for a half our or more trying to sort out a bill.. particularly a bill for a meal that I didn't really enjoy save for the company I was keeping. Bottom line: If Epic can work on their bill splitting policy (or at least be more up front about it), fix the dinner menu so you're not stuck choosing between the short rib mac 'n cheese or skipping forward to just creme brule, offer a 4 hour instead of 2 hour happy hour, and/or offer happy hour plates OUTSIDE of happy hour... I would gladly update this review to what would then be a more appropriately Epic 5 stars.
(3)
Riana S.

One of the many great things I love about Chinatown is that nothing looks like what it seems...well, with the exceptions of drunkards who roam the streets. Ever since I started attending school in downtown, I've always passed by this restaurant. I remember going up to the glass, putting up my hands to the window, and breathing heavily against it, staring at people drink wine and eat their delicious food. Okay, so not that intense but pretty close to it. It wasn't till yesterday, my friends Thomas O., Nicole K., David C. and I attended Restaurant Epic's happy hour. Cheap drinks and great food? Uh yes. $4 Epic Mojito? Yes please. Very tasty, refreshing, and it was the right size to accompany any meal. Nicole K. and David C. had already ordered a bunch of food so I decided to get the fried pork ravioli. It was interesting since the texture was different than your average ravioli. The sauce was really yummy and went along with the dish. $7 came with three huge pieces, perfect for sharing. Since I was on a budget and I was still kind of hungry, I did what I always did: look over to my friend's dish and look all sad and say, "C-c-can I try?" with my best puppy dog eyes. Of course Thomas O. gave in (because it was too darn cute) and let me try his really decadent Full-Moon ravioli doused in pesto-sauce. It practically melted in your mouth and it was just so rich and creamy, I'm definitely ordering that next time. I think it's safe to say that when school starts back up again we'll be hitting up this place more often. Yelp 365 Challenge #19/365
(4)
Susanne D.

Came here with a girlfriend for happy hour and spent maybe $20 total. Amazing food and amazing drinks. I've been here for dinner a couple times too and it was perfect. Definitely recommend!
(5)
Rod U.

It's contemporary, has a great happy hour, attracts a cool crowd and has decent food but its not memorable. No, I didn't drink too much so I can't remember my visits, its just nothing special. Epic strives to be a happening destination like you would find in America's foodie cities (LA, Vegas, Chicago, or NYC), filled with cool people talking it up, drinking, and enjoying some good eats. It takes skill to design a menu to match drink specials and to execute the food so well that customers FEEL its elevating the good time. Sadly this is the restaurants downfall. The menu lacks direction. American bistro, southern comfort, Olive Garden Italian, Asian fusion. Unfortunately, none of it is special. Its all just OK albeit beautifully presented. Their house special braised short rib was properly cooked but one dimensional in flavor. The escargot poppers were just OK but with the heavy garlic butter, and pastry, you can't tell what you are eating. The braised short rib ravioli packs an explosion of flavor thanks to the Boursin but then the short ribs flavor is lost. Service is very good. Finally, stick to the mixed drinks. The wine list is short and weak. A supermarket wine list. A really bad idea since the wines are marked up 100 percent above retail.
(3)
Rylee T.

All I can say is I had better!!! The service was great but the food was just so so, a little over price too. I wouldn't go here again :(
(2)
Juliet M.

Sadly I was very disappointed the last time I went for Happy Hour. The food had lost it flair and quality. I was drinking the house wine that was mediocre. The food: 1) Edamame, the sauce that was used was good, but lacked complexity. It was simply sweet. 2) the Sliders, American cheese was used, and the oil from the meat saturated the sweet buns that seemed to be pulled apart sweet bread rolls. The fries were good. 3) the Calamari was AWFUL. It was fishy and tough - a indication that the calamari was old. 4) The dirty chips were in theory a good idea but lost in translation. 5) Kalua Spring Rolls were good, except the interior was cold. 6) The mac and cheese balls were on the oily side too. My friend has a mojito and it was bitter. I thought that it should be sent back and the bar tender was giving the server a hard time. It was odd. Darn dude, you are only going ot make 100% profit on your well crap boozed drink. It was clear thatChef Ramsey needs to pay a visit to this restaurant bc people in Hawaii smile in your face but will not come back.
(2)
Kasey M.

I went here for happy hour today. Epic is easily my favorite happy hour spot in downtown. Happy hour is until 6:30 (they always give you a warning so you get one last round in). For drinks they have mojitos, martinis, domestic beer, house wines and wells for $4. Such a good deal! The mojito is supposed to be the epic mojito but since it has mango and I'm allergic they will make me the regular mojito for happy hour price. Food wise everything is yummy. Today we had the Mac and cheese balls. Its exactly what it sounds like, Mac and cheese rolled into a ball, breaded and fried, served with a marinara sauce. We also had the lemongrass clams. This is my favorite! The owner is so nice he told me how to make it, but I can never make it as well as they so. I like to sip the broth after all the clams are gone. We also had the fish tacos. You get 3 tacos in flour tortillas with diced fish and a sort of slaw. The tacos have a sort of wasabi aioli (or at least that's what it tasted like to me). I'm not a fan of wasabi so this wasn't my favorite but overall the fish and slaw had a nice taste and crunch. Last we had the bacon wrapped cheeseburger sliders. Yummy! You can't go wrong with bacon. These sliders are served on a sweet bread bun. The burger was cooked perfectly medium rare which is how I like it, but you should ask for more done if you don't like a pink burger. It is finished with ketchup and pickles. I think Epic is a hidden gem!
(5)
Kelly G.

After hearing raving reviews for Epic, I finally got the chance to try on a date with the boyfriend! Decor is nice, but prices are a bit high for me. Food is excellent though. Had the pork belly sliders (one order comes with 3), crispy risotto cake and the duck paella. Beer was a tad expensive ($5 Longboard anyone?) and their wine was decent. Total for everything $80 including tip. Worth it? Once in a long while.
(4)
Jarrett W.

Food was great here... lemongrass steamed clams, miso glazed wild salmon, braised short rib ravioli. The head chef let some of his staff go home since it was a slow weekday night, he pretty much was the host, waiter, and partially cook. We complimented him and his food, even tried to ask him how he made certain dishes.... of course a chef doesnt reveal his secrets. He was kind enough to comp us dessert: Baked - Stuffed French Toast (Hawaian Sweet Bread, Nutella, Marscapone,Strawberries,Toasted Macadamia nuts, Caramel Drizzle! Delish!
(4)
Julie C.

I recently went to Epic restaurant with my family for dinner. We went on a Saturday night, made reservations. I was surprised that the restaurant was so empty especially on a Saturday night. They were only four tables with people at the restaurant including our table. We had the crab cake appetizer which was actually quite good. My husband had the curry which he liked. I had a surf and turf special, which was garlic steak and lobster. They only make the special on Saturday night. Steak was good, but the lobster was very small and had a lot of breading on it. Overall the food was just average. The service was quite good, our waiter was very attentive. The restaurant is located in Chinatown so there's not a lot of street parking.
(3)
Ira J.

I have no funny stories to share about our dinner at Restaurant Epic tonight, and that disappoints me. However, nothing else about our dinner there was disappointing. At Restaurant Epic: the dÃ©cor is trendy, the atmosphere is intimate, the service is respectable, and the food is divine! I had the lamb chops. They were in, what I believe was, a blueberry reduction sauce. What a wonderful dish! The flavors were unusual but complemented each other so well. The sad truth of the matter is that I will likely never get to try any of their other dishes. The lamb chops are so amazing that now I am locked-in. I will order those every time I'm at Restaurant Epic.
(5)
Nathan J.

I am a very picky eater. I tend to order food like "When Harry Met Sally". It is saying a lot that I love just about everything I have eaten @ Epic. All the food is prepared in such a way that all nothing is invasive. Not sure if that makes sense but it's the best way I can explain it. Love the chocolate soufflÃ© desert, it is my favorite desert on the whole island! The service is very attentive and friendly.
(4)
Courtney O.

My friends and I were looking for a fun place to go on a Saturday night for dinner. We called up Epic to make reservations and they said they could MAYBE take us at 7:45 for a party of 6, but there may be a wait because they are kind of busy. Okay. Usually at this point I would have picked another restaurant but I thought, I didn't want to call the other people and change venu on short notice. We showed up at 7:40 and the restaurant was half empty! Hmmm... Did they lie to me? We got seated right away. I must tell you that I came here about a year ago for happy hour and the food was wonderful and the service was excellent as well. Everybody at our table enjoyed their food. It is a little bit pricey. My husband had the pri fixe menu for $34 which has 5 courses. He got stuffed. You can also pair it with wine for $8 more which I think is a great deal! Our waitress was very nice but really not on it. -My friend asked for his drink on the rocks, she brought it in a shot glass. -I asked for the Strawberry French Toast with the nuts on the side and it was like I asked for EXTRA nuts ALL over that sucker. It was so gross. What if I was allergic to nuts!?! We had waited so long for it that I didn't want to wait again for them to make it so I tried to eat it. -We had to wait about 1/2 an hour for our check. It was like our waitress disappeared! Poof! I would have given this place two stars but I know my experience last year was much better. Next time I would go for happy hour and try to spot out the good waiters. There is a public parking lot (entrance on Beretania) that has cheap parking rates and is a block away from the restaurant. I suggest parking there or finding street parking. The lot closes at midnight though.
(3)
Mari S.

I dined at Epic on a Monday evening for happy hour with the girls. It was my first time dining here, and I left feeling satisfied and impressed. The food we ordered from the happy hour special were small in portion but reasonable in price. We ordered the kalua pork spring rolls, mac & cheese balls, spicy ahi roll, gyoza and the stuffed french toast dessert. All the food items were under $10. I also ordered a glass of wine for $4. Our friend who dines at Epic frequently insisted on ordering the french toast dessert. Covered with chocolate, nutella, strawberries, and some kind of corn flake, the french toast was the highlight of my meal! I was impressed with the courteous and efficient service. Being a group of girls, we took a while in coming to a consensus of what to order. Our server was patient and helpful in recommendations. I also like the ambiance of the restaurant. Clean, contemporary and trendy. My kind of place. I'll be back for more yummy appetizers and wine!
(4)
Whitney N.

I was looking forward to dinner here. Made 8pm open table reso. Called about 7:30 to let them know we were running about 10-15 min late and they told us kitchen was closing @ 8:15, whaaat?! Why take 8p reso if closing early at 8:15 instead of their 9:30 published closing time? Ok i get it, a monday night, probably super slow and decided to close early. Fine but have the courtesy to call your guests and let them know. Glad we were running late or we wouldn't have known until we arrived.
(1)
Haein P.

I took one of my girlfriends out for her birthday dinner here the other night. I was impressed and much more than pleasantly surprised. Leading up to the meal, I was anxious for her reaction especially since I didn't really know what to expect, as it was also my first time here. Thank God, we both loved it. The decor is reminiscent of an old-meets-new Manhattan, all very New Yorker, chic and hip. SERVICE: + hostess called to confirm our reservation since we were running 5-10 minutes late + hostess greeted us kindly + waiter was attentive and friendly - didn't recommend the best wine, but it's all good FOOD: (appetizers) + epic roll: perfect starter for the evening, light and mildly creamy from the scallops and lump crab with smokey accents and a refreshing yuzu aioli to compliment it all - beef ravioli: a little heavy for an appetizer, if you're opting for a smaller entree dish, this could be it. the flavors were somewhat muddled and confusing, mix between gyoza with gravy and some sort of chinese-herbed meat within dough + escargot burguignon: so delicious with the buttered crostini, but definitely on the heavy side and slightly too salty for my personal preference, but good with a nice glass of wine nevertheless (entrees) +miso-glazed salmon with furikake rice and choy sum: it was okay, I definitely thought the flavors and seasoning was there, but I know I could make this (better) at home +crab and bacon carbonara: oh man, my favorite. it was so lusty and decadent, in a good way. - lamb with blueberry reduction: this docked a star from me because I ordered the lamb with certain expectations (per previous yelp reviews) and while the fingerling potatoes and the sauce were delicious, the lamb itself was charred, tasting burnt (when I asked for a pinkish medium-rare) and there was hardly any meat, just fat. (dessert) + mascarpone-stuffed french toast with nutella & strawberries : ENOUGH SAID, I die. All my favorite things combined into one. + chocolate-peanut butter molten cake: o-m-g to die for. PRICE: for an overly-stuffed party of 4, with all that food & two bottles of wine, the total bill was just shy of $200.00. This definitely won me over - not only did I get to impress my friend and try a great restaurant I haven't tried yet, but I also didn't have to break the bank just to treat her to a nice dinner out! I'll definitely be coming back to try their happy hour (4:30 - 6 pm Monday-Friday)
(4)
Will L.

Epic has a sweet pau hana menu. It's one of the few happy hour places in downtown that provides a clean, spacious dining room and good food. I want to particularly remark that that $7 fish tacos on the pau hana menu, is a deal. You get 3 tacos (not baja style which is battered, but some grilled fish) garnished with some greens and light sauce. They are not those tiny silver dollar tacos, the tortillas are pretty substantial and filled very nicely. They don't provide anything on tap but have imported beer, mojitos and other drinks for $4 as well. Go here after a long day at the office, down-towners.
(5)
Joelle D.

I ordered a ouple coconut porters, the Togarashi Seared Ahi and for dessert the Chocolate & Peanut Butter Molten Cake. Everything was delicious! The atmosphere and our waitress were also very pleasant.
(4)
Kobe O.

I heard about this restaurant for years but never ate there. I don't really care for their sister Chinese restaurant (Little Village.....even though even raves about it....I can't see why), so I was a little skeptical about this. Went there for lunch a couple weeks ago with business associates. The menu was pretty diverse and the prices were reasonable. We had the escargo in puff pastry and it was good and rich. As they say, escargot taste like chicken..... I had the ahi salad, someone else had the pork chops, and the last member in our party had a burger. Everything looked and tasted great. Portions were more than adequate. Definitely will take the family there one day for a meal. Only bad thing is parking. Can't figure out why the parking meters in town are only for 1 hour.....
(5)
Megsie S.

Great service, good snacks, and cool atmosphere. I went with a big group of friends for happy hour, and the drinks were very reasonable. My favorite part was the mojito with coconut. Their mac and cheese balls were awesome. The happy hour food was a little on the campy side (I imagine one of those bar makeover shows, where they come up with a "new twist" on some regular ol' bar food, serve it in an interesting bowl, and everyone goes nuts), and was lacking in vegetarian options (edamame and garlic aoli fries were the only vegetarian options) but the great staff and ambience made up for it. I'd definitely recommend this for anyone having a small get together in Chinatown. I prefer it to Indigo or JJ Dolan's for busy places to meet your friends. We made reservations for 10 and spent happy hour there before Eat the Street.
(4)
June D.

In and out for lunch today and it was fast, delicious and perfect service with Ben! Opened right at 11a on a Monday too. Reasonable pricing, just the right amount of food. I have to say though with out Ben's speedy service, light hearted style and tables side manner, it might not have been as great. What a way to start the week!
(5)
L Z.

I've only been here for lunch but I really liked it and the prices are reasonable for what you get. The ahi is really delicious with a wasabi cream sauce. The burgers and salads are good too. If you're in the mood for something decadent and rich the curry is great.
(4)
Victoria C.

Came here tonight with my girlfriend for Happy Hour. I had been here before for lunch but wasn't interested in trying their other appz & dishes. I was pretty happy to see the Epic mojito as part of the happy hour... $4.. that's a steal! My friend and I ordered a bunch of happy hour dishes which included the pork spring rolls, poutine (my first time ever trying it but I guess it's popular in Canada), california roll and we ordered the crab, bacon n asparagus carbonara which was from the regular menu. The restaurant was pretty empty so everything was pretty quick and the service was good.. although girl was kind of getting annoying since she kept checking up on us. My mojito looked thirst quenching but unfortunately it was just a little bit *too* sweet for my tasting. I've had much better mojitos before but being that it was only $4, I couldn't complain. Although their lime wedge was very dry!!!! I could barely squeeze any juice out of it! Anyways. The poutine came out first and it looked pretty epic. I was pretty excited to try since I had never even heard what a poutine was before. My friend knew what it was since she had lived in Canada and said it was a popular fast food item that she used to eat all the time. It's basically fries w/gravy and cheese. I thought it was okay though, nothing spectacular. And why wasn't the fries hot? I probably should of asked to send it back but I was too lazy even bother. The pork spring rolls were good but not great. And the california roll, pretty basic and simple.. can't go wrong with a cali roll. Although we ordered 1 order of the carbonara, they were nice enough to split it ahead of time and it was the perfect amount for the both of us. It was very creamy and filled with bits of bacon and little chunks of crab. I also was a little disappointed that this dish wasn't really hot.. just luke warm. Like it had been sitting out for a little while. Ugh, what's up with the luke warm food!!! not pleasant. Between the 2 of us, we did a pretty good job finishing almost everything except the fries. Although we were full, we still had a little room for some dessert. The dessert menu looked pretty good. But we already knew that we were set on getting the stuffed french toast which supposedly new on the menu. I was also craving something chocolatey so we decided to go all the way and order the chocolate peanut butter molten lava cake. Why not try both! The dessert looked pretty damn amazing. The french toast looked pretty epic but it pretty much tasted like a french toast. I couldn't really taste any stuffing? The chocolate peanut butter molten cake was my fav. Once you put your fork into the cake, the oozy chocolate goodness gushes out. It also comes with ice cream so it was perfect! I think the food here is pretty mediocre.. but I think what draws me to this place is the nice relaxing atmosphere. It's a good place to go for happy hour or have a date night with the lover or girlfriends. I like how it's quiet and mellow and not blasting with music and some other places. I'll probably be back for another happy hour!
(3)
Catherine S.

Located in Chinatown, my husband & I live locally- within walking distance to Downtown area, we strolled over to this contemporary, wonderful restaurant. Reminiscent of a small New York Fine Dining eatery, this place is full of charm & warm ambience .. There's a bar that seemed quite popular on a Friday night and holds about a dozen tables. Our waiter provided attentive service... the small plates reminded me of tapas-style plates full of creativity and deliciousness. We ordered the BBQ pulled pork egg rolls, with the sauce on the side-not spicy but a good BBQ bite to it. Also ordered the Pork Belly Confit over collard greens with bacon - pork was tender and had a nice blend of flavors. The large plate we shared as the Braised Short Rib Mac-n-cheese. If you like short ribs and Mac-n-cheese, gotta try this! Great comfort food and large enough to split with another person. Dessert served warm and right out of the oven, a Chocolate Peanut Butter SoufflÃ© that takes 25 minutes to bake with a side dish of vanilla ice cream - topped off the enjoyable meal. Cost of 2 small plates, 1 large plate, 1 soufflÃ© dessert, 1 beer, 1 Epic Mojito later was $57 for 2 people, with tax & tip, it totaled $68 out the door...definitely would eat here again, and highly recommend this beautiful romantic restaurant! It's away from the tourist traps/crowds, attentive/responsive waiter service, worth the trip, lots of young adults venturing downtown and walking to local places including the Fix nightclub just around the block..Epic made a great evening and is close to the Epic restaurant experience you're probably looking for. One star less for price-point of $30 per person (kind of high) for locals on a budget, gonna have to save $ to eat here, but everything else was right on spot.
(4)
Cristy S.

This place doesn't seem to belong in the street it's on because it's so fancy and nice inside whereas outside is just the ghetto. Love the food here, it is delicious and tasty and filling. The tomato bisque is a must-have... SOO YUMMY... but don't forget to say "when" for the guy putting the pepper on or you'll have too much and be coughing on it. I had the full moon ravioli and liked it alot but just wish there was meat with it. The other menu items sound delicious so I will be going back to try other things. Desserts are beautifully presented and very good!!!! Prices are not that bad! Love it!
(4)
Everett A.

LUNCH REVIEW: Came here for the first time today on my lunch break with 3 other people. I ordered the Epic Classic Burger which includes Cheese, Bacon, Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato, and a Spicy Aioli Sauce for $10 and i also had a side salad for $2. This burger was very tasteful and "epic". Although i feel the price was a little high for a burger and salad, I would definitely get this again. Service: Our server was very nice and friendly and we were able to get in and out within an hour. Helpful Tip: Something that i did learn about this place through a friend who ate with us is that a lot of the dishes (soups, salads, entrees, and even DESSERTS) include bacon in them. So, if you are a vegetarian, like she is, you may want to check with the waiter before ordering.. just a helpful tip. =)
(4)
Trish P.

with a name like "Restaurant Epic".... you sure better live up to it. lunch with the office is always an interesting event..... this was no exception. traveling into china town, griping about the $10 parking lots, and last nights wiz wafting up from the gutters, my co-workers and i braved the urban elements and headed to Epic in hopes of finding a semi-fancy lunch to celebrate my boss' eventual retirement..... the eats consisted of: - epic burger, with fries (fries cost extra, and are crinkle cut... btw) - bread pudding with berry sauce - chocolate souffle so what can i say? was our lunch epic?..... lets see..... i asked for my burger well done, but received medium well. for a "classy" restaurant, i expected my burger to be cooked properly, but i guess they missed this? - in addition, my co-worker also asked for her burger well done, and received one that looked about medium. WTF. while the burger was not cooked to my order, it was still really tasty, and i would order it again. they use good quality meat and cheeses, and whatever sauce was on there was really good too. the fries were great, but.... were they made in house? i'm not sure..... the bread pudding was delicious, but the alcohol they used to cook the berry sauce was still too strong..... they probably could have cooked this down a little longer. the chocolate souffle was probably the best thing i had here. you have to request it about 20 minutes in advance, so when you receive your food, you should probably mention you'd like this as dessert. it was rich and chocolaty, hot, and did not fall flat (like souffles sometimes do....). the service is top notch, and they have a nice selection of scotches here (no, i didnt have any, but spied them on my way out....). not quite an "Epic" experience, but i will be back......
(3)
Chris G.

Fantastic food at reasonable prices. The atmosphere was perfect- classy and comfortable. The bulk of the menu is essentially tapas, and I wanted to try all of it. They have a decent wine list (you don't need a huge or expensive list for it to be good). We started with the Pocho mac & cheese balls. SO GOOD. For the entrees we went with large plates. My date got the bacon-wrapped meatloaf (special) and I got the Thai Seafood Risotto. Both were exceptional. Coffee and chocolate decadence cake for dessert. The night was great. I definitely intend to come back and try the rest of the menu. Looks like a nice happy hour menu as well!
(5)
Annie W.

I would give this 3.5 stars. Here's the lowdown on this hip joint. The food is really just OK here, because the clam and other seafood dish were not as fresh. You can taste the fishiness of the clams and in the sushi too. The thinly sliced peppered steaks were kind of fatty too. We had great company and the decor is beautiful with over sized lantern inspired lights around the restaurant. The place is a bit L.A. and allows you to dress up a without having to feel overdressed. The bathroom stalls, one for each sex sucked big time. Service can be a little slow, especially when they didn't expect 12+ yelpers to show up within the hour. I really didn't mind it too much because we were chatting away without missing a beat. Their happy hour is within reasonable time periods and their prices are great.
(3)
Derek K.

I had a Food Crew dinner at Restaurant Epic the other week (Stephanie K., Justin Y., Justin U., Dan H. just to name a few of my fellow yelpers). It was the first time I had been there ever. I've walked by the place in the past, but never tried it until last week. Being that this place is called Epic Restaurant, I naturally ordered the Epic Burger and the Epic roll. The Epic Burger was okay...it didn't WOW me, nor was it terrible. The burger itself was very juicy and cooked perfectly. One of the key ingredients that caught my attention on the menu was the spicy aioli. Sadly, there was not so much spicy aioli, which was the reason for the lack of taste. Sorry, I'm just not one of those guys that likes a plain burger. As for the Epic roll, the flavors matched well creating multiple experiences in your mouth. The ingredients were very fresh, as expected in sushi, but the flavor didn't really WOW me again. The taste didn't come out and smack me in the face, it was more on the lighter side. I probably ordered the wrong dishes, because others had better experiences with their food (I have a thing about sharing food so I didn't try any other dishes). Also, I didn't have dessert, but the others said that the desserts were pretty good. For having a big group, the service started out good, but it got worst as we went through the night. I just felt like they were trying to get us out of the restaurant by the end of the night. If EPIC is the name of the game at the Epic Restaurant, they did not hit the mark. I would suggest for others to try it because I really think I ordered the wrong dishes (despite them being labeled as EPIC). I would definitely go back to hopefully better my experience.
(3)
Stephanie H.

Let me preface this review by saying that Yelp has taught me a lot of things so far. One thing; not only is a restaurants overall review important, but so is what other Yelpers recommend as far as dishes. I have been disappointed by places that have gotten good reviews, and I think it is because I am not heeding the advice of my fellow Yelpers. Instead of ordering what is most popular I order whatever sounds good to me at the time. Case in point, Restaurant Epic. Looking at the reviews I see now that I should have ordered one of the more popular dishes i.e. the butterfish. Instead I went with "Breakfast" as my entree and I was non too impressed. So the description said something like sweet potato hash with french toast slices, thick hickory smoked bacon and a poached egg topped with hollandaise sauce. All of this sounded good to me! Sold. What was actually given to me was something more like sweet potatoes o'brian which was bland and nothing too impressive with a generous serving of bacon. The french toast was good though. The hollandaise sauce was a light drizzle of a white sauce somewhat resembling hollandaise but in no way tasted like it. The disappointment came when I sliced open the "poached egg". Ever since Julie & Julia I am a fan of poached eggs; even spent a couple of Sunday mornings trying to perfect the art. This egg in my "Breakfast" entree however? Was not a poached egg. More like a hard boiled egg that had been squished flat and covered in Panko breading. Please don't try to sell me something you can't deliver. This was kind of a common theme throughout the whole dinner. A lot of bells and whistles; i.e. fancy menu descriptions, impressive presentation, cool ambiance. The food however was a whole other story. Nothing too offensive but not amazing either.
(3)
Kiyomi E.

Sorry, Epic Failure.
(2)
Tammie N.

My biggest worry when booking dinner here was whether parking was going to be a problem...but, it worked out fine! There is some street parking, but no open spots when we got there. No worries since there is a parking lot right around the corner that offers $5 "happy hour" rate up until 7pm. The ambiance here is very cozy, but not homey or stuffy. Staff was very attentive and friendly. And the food? YUMMY! What we ate: ~Strawberry & Arugula Salad ~Crispy Risotto Cake ~Escargot Poppers ~Short Rib n' Mac ~Angus Rib Eye ~Furikake Crusted Ahi (Special) ~Lamb Chop (Special) ~Molten Chocolate/Peanut Butter Cake (Special) We all really enjoyed the Crispy Risotto Cake & Escargot Poppers are a "must have"...even our 15 year old liked it ;-p Next time we plan on getting there before happy hour ends at 6:30pm so we can order all the small plate items, which are not all on the regular dinner menu. Overall, this was a really nice place for a weeknight family dinner. Definitely adding this to the list of "date night" dinner spots for me and my husband.
(4)
Kat D.

Came here with my bosses and co-worker for lunch on a Friday afternoon. Good thing we had a reservation, because the restaurant filled up really quickly. I was really surprised by the nice ambiance because from the outside the building is kind of crusty. Our waiter was very attentive (and cute), and was great about refills and checking up on us in general. I had the Furikake crusted seared ahi (special), one co-worker had the raviolli and a side of fries, and the other two had the seared ahi salad. Everything was so good!! The only thing that I noticed was that the raviolli seemed like a small portion. The other dishes were on the bigger side. My ahi was seared perfectly, and served with a wasabi beurre blance, rice, and asian slaw. For dessert, we got the bacon chocolate chip cookies and the chocolate peanut butter souffle. I didn't try the cookies since I don't eat bacon (but the girls said they were delicious), but the souffle was divine. A nice sized cake with a large scoop of home made vanilla ice cream. If I had to compare the quality and taste of food to somewhere, the closest comparison would be Roy's. I love, love, love me some Roy's, so saying that something even comes close to their quality of food is saying a lot. The prices are maybe a little more than half of what lunch at Roy's would cost. Since I work about a block away, I would love to go for happy hour sometime and try the drinks, escargot poppers, and sweet potato fries.
(5)
Mac J.

Excellent place for happy hour. Service slows when they're at max capacity. Show up early to get a seat... make a reservation for groups of 4 or more. Their menu is simple and the food is delicious. Their customer service is also good. If you're a regular, it gets even better! To get the best deal, come for happy hour. Parking is also a challenge so plan to walk at least a block.
(3)
Kepa D.

My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner before the downtown Halloween festivities. Drinks were great proving again the importance of a quality bartender. The highlight was the Mahi special on the vegetable risotto. Fish was seasoned and cooked to perfection as was the risotto. Loved the fact that the staff dressed up in costume as well.
(5)
moejoe r.

I am so so disappointed and let down. My family has been to Epic many times over the last couple years and we have enjoyed the food, atmosphere and service everytime and we thought it would be a great place to take the family for our son's graduation. I called Epic last Wednesday and spoke with Aaron. I asked him if they could accommodate parties from 80-100 people. He said I would have to call back the next day around 4:30 - 5:00pm and speak to the manager, Brian Chan. So I called back the following day and asked for Brian. He seemed very rushed over the phone. I asked him if they can do parties of 100 and he said only up to 80 max. Okay, we could adjust our head count. I then asked if they had any Saturdays or Sundays available in June for our large party. He put me on hold and came back and said that June 15th was not available however June 1 and 8th were available for dinner only. They no longer are open on Sundays and don't serve lunch on Saturdays (I guess they have yet to update their website with that information!) I asked him if we could reserve June 8th. He asked me for my name and email address and said that he was pretty rushed right then but would email me later the next day. So I waited, and waited through the weekend to get a response from Brian or someone at Epic and got nothing. This past Tuesday afternoon, I called once again; I figured I would give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe he misplaced my info or something. Brian wasn't in when I called and the girl that answered the phone, suggested that I call back the next day, "Brian might be in at 10:30 tomorrow morning," is the response I got. Not offering to take a message or try to help in any way. So I called yesterday morning and asked for Brian. I mentioned that I had spoken to him last Thursday and he was going to email me information and I had not received anything. He asked for my email address again to make sure he had the correct address. He said that he would email me information on private parties 'later tonight," Not once did he apologize for not previously email me. And here we are now, more than 24 hours after talking to him and still no email or phone call. Talk about BAD business practices and so unprofessional!!! Our friends and family will for sure be hearing about this bad experience along with high recommendations NOT to waste their time with Restaurant Epic. It's too bad that we can't give negative star ratings!!!
(1)
Vicki A.

Wonderful place to dine! DÃ©cor is very nice and servers are great. They have a great happy hour with dishes offered changing daily. Kailua pork spring rolls, teriyaki fries, clams, edamame, etc. They offer sushi specials, salads, small plates and large plated dinners. There truly is something for everyone. I had the duck salad and loved it. Save room for dessert, Delicious! We will be back whenever we attend a performance at the Hawaii Theater, just around the corner!
(5)
Tia M.

ATMOSPHERE: Outside is pretty ghetto: people running stop signs and red light, creepy and weird people loitering (beware at late night hours), the usual C-town delight. Inside is impressively classy and makes you (sort of) forget that you're in Chinatown. It has a lounge/bar atmosphere more than anything. In fact, my lovely date said that he could imagine Epic turning into a night club in the evening. Clean, classy, and good dining atmosphere. The music is really relaxing too... We got really lucky with parking, snatched a metered stall right across the street. Finding parking is a gamble... good luck. FOOD: 1. Babe ordered the "Angus Rib Eye" $23 (Hawaiian Salt Rubbed Angus Rib Eye, Truffled Bacon Smashed Potatoes, Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad, Garlic-Herb Butter) - the Rib Eye "melted" in my mouth--it was like a marshmallow--super soft and tasty! Great potatoes without the usual strong garlic/butter taste, but more of a creamy flavor. The BRUSSEL SPROUTS was the most memorable part of the dish. They have a genius way of preparing the sprouts: peeling each leaf off the sprout and then baking(?) it ever so gently after seasoning them. AMAZING! They don't just slice the sprout or cook it whole. 2. I ordered the "Miso Glazed Wild Salmon" $20 (Furikaki Musubi, Asian Slaw, Choy Sum, Miso Sauce) - perfect. Salmon was the moistest I've ever had it, flavored well with the miso sauce--excellent. Asian Slaw was the last thing I'd choose to eat with Salmon but it turned out to be a surprisingly great side with the Salmon. Everything else was what I expected (musubi, choy sum). Presentation of this dish was very nice and added a nice fine dining touch to it. 3. For dessert, we had the "Swiss Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream" ($5) which was just some baked crumbs of flour/sugar/butter sprinkled onto dice chunks of baked apple and a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel--honestly, I could make this at home. There was no crust. Nice light/healthy-ish dessert to top off the meal, but nothing special about this one... We cleaned all of our plates. Great food. I would return again to have the same dishes. They have a rather limited menu. I'm a picky eater who likes her steaks, veggies, and fish--don't like the thick/rich/oily dishes. But if you like seafood, lamb, pastas, pork, duck, and snails, definitely give this place a try. SERVICE: Excellent. We went on a Wednesday night so it was easy making a reservation (online!) and we had good service. Wasn't too crowded at 7pm. Waters were always filled. Very nice waitress. Great staff! Epic date at Epic! :)
(4)
Traci H.

It gets an extra star (it graduated to a 4-star place) partially just because they figured out that the air conditioning should not be kept at the same temperature as the FREEZER but also that I tried the short ribs. It's no Le Bistro short ribs. And more importantly it's not as good as my mom's shortribs, but it's still good. It's probably one of the best options for a business lunch around so for that category, I have to give it 4 stars. If I had to rate it against anything possible in the world, well, then it's back in the 2.5-3 star range, but since I decide on what random scale I want to rate things, I say it's a pretty good choice for business lunching...
(4)
Gordon Y.

Had the chiopino which was good not the best but was good enough. Go at happy hour 4:30-6:30 and mojito's are $4. Order the appetizers which I ate only the braised beef ravioli. Very good.
(4)
Shirlene T.

Four of us came here for happy hour after reviewing Happy Hour Hawaii and looking at the pics on Yelp. This place exceeded our expectations and we thoroughly enjoyed our drinks and pupus. Almost everything we ordered was ono, starting with the shrimp, crispy shortrib ravioli, asian tacos, bruschetta, the crispy risotto cake, sweet potato fries, curried chicken potstickers, and of course the spirits that wash it all down, like the apple martini and other drinks. To end the nice evening, we all shared their chocolate peanut butter molten cake which comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This dessert was really awesome and to die for. I will certainly come back for happy hour soon, as this place is easy to find, has great prices, and outstanding food. Forgot to mention, our waitress was very nice and we received excellent service. Can't wait to return, Restaurant Epic totally rocks!
(4)
Shannon C.

My husband and I happened to be in town for a meeting and already had a sitter so we headed over here to check it out. We felt, it was okay, but nothing special or great. The prices were reasonable, and the atmosphere was nice. The salad was good, but it was just a regular salad. The pasta I had wasnt what I expected from reading it on the menu and was ok, the steak was ok too. We didnt order dessert because the dinner took so long in itself, we didnt want to be there for so much longer if we had. Overall, it was decent.
(2)
Ashleigh C.

I've passed this place a ba-jillion times while hanging out in the area. I would stop and look at the menus from outside, and continue on without stepping inside. However, after reading the reviews on Yelp I decided I needed to give this place a try. What better time to go than happy hour right? Epic is right on the corner of Nuuanu & N. Pauahi. I found parking right away right before happy hour started (4:30p - 6:30p). The happy hour menu had so many interesting things that I couldn't just pick one; so i had three lol. The crispy braised beef ravioli was delish! Then I ordered the curried chicken potstickers. Those were also good. I was thinking WOW we're going to go 3 for 3, but that was not the case. I couldn't decide between the kalua spring rolls or bacon wrapped burger sliders. Ben, the awesome bartender, helped me choose the sliders. When these cute little babies came out i couldn't wait to try it but indeed I did have to wait. They came out very undercooked and I had to send them back, asking for them to please be cooked well done. Once they came back out they were just okay. The bread was nice and sweet. The bacon was nothing but fat. And the actual burger was very greasy. I guess 2 for 3 ain't bad. Not feeling full enough I decided to try a dessert. The PB&J crunch pie was okay. If you really love peanut butter go on and give it a try. It wasn't anything spectacular though. Overall I really liked Epic, but the sliders killed it for me. Ben the bartender was very attentive and not too friendly. He made me some great mojitos that were only $4 (happy hour). Oh, and I never waited too long for anything! Epic.. mmm not so epic.
(3)
Lorraine M.

Lorraine: Great place, wonderful food and thoughtful service!! Go!!Go!!
(5)
Emily L.

On one of those rare days when daycare is open when our office isn't, we stumbled into Epic for a leisurely lunch to reminisce about life before diaper rash and temper tantrums. With glass of pinot each, we somehow managed to polish off crispy calamari, short rib ravioli, roasted duck salad, BBQ pulled pork sandwich, escargot poppers, leaving no room for dessert. Would we be back again? For those puffy melt-in-your-mouth buttery poppers, most definitely! Question is when? This is not one of those crayon tossing places. Something though did catch my eye. Way in the back, safely tucked away from the limelight stood a lone shiny high chair that seem to call out to me. Looks like we may be back sooner than I thought.
(4)
Brent K.

This is the third time here. And I must say everything I ate was good ! From the salad to the main dishes and desert. Tonight we had the spinach salad. Well balanced good dressing. The Bacon wrapped meatloaf, out of this world! Sound funky.But taste great. Main course, Miso glazed salmon and for me Angus rib eye. The salmon was delicious, The rib eye had great flavor.garlic herb butter. But not steak house quality. The side salads was delicious,warm brussels sprouts. And the chocolate peanut butter soufflÃ© yummy. And the service was great. I'll be back. Plenty public of parking across the street.
(5)
Kalani C.

4.2 stars. Came here for dinner after drinks at Manifest. Sat at the bar and ordered several of their smaller plates: Chicken & Biscuits in curry coconut gravy. A nice take on a Southern favorite. Probably the best dish of the night. 4 stars. Clams. Rather smallish critters; however what they lacked in size they Viagra-ed in taste (great broth!). Hmm, maybe not exactly the right metaphor, oh well. 4 stars. Pork Belly Sliders with cucumber and scallions in a Hoisin. Average in taste and the bun was more like manapua-ish. Not exactly what I was expecting. 3 stars. Moroccan style beef skewers (?). Forgot the name, but tomato and beef skewers that were nicely spiced and came with a yogurt sauce. Rather salty and just okay. 3 stars. Dessert was the 25 minute wait, Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake with vanilla bean ice cream. 4 stars. All of this we had with a glass of Dynamite Cabernet Sauvignon. Decent. Service was pleasant, however the usual guy at the bar isn't really that personable: 3 stars. Sitting at the bar is nice and you get to chide with whoever comes in next. I like Epic and enjoy its unpretentious nature and casual vibe. Tally: 4+4+3+3+3+4= 21/5= 4.2 stars. #Yelp 365: 107/365
(4)
Melissa H.

We have been here twice for date night and both times were good. The service was really good and the atmosphere is mellow and romantic. We had the braised beef raviolies that were my favorite, the brie stuffed casadillia, the mac and cheese, the spicy tuna roll and then split the bread pudding for desert. Ordering different items tapas style is the way to go here, because servings are the perfect size for that and you can taste different flavors. They also have a nice bar, we ordered dirty martinis and felt that they were not cold enough. Overall it's a great place and we'll be back.
(4)
Royce T.

I always wanted to try here because the food looked pretty good and they post ads for server positions several time a year. Each time I see their ad I think about applying, but I would first have to check out the place to see if I like it or not. First off parking in the area isn't that great. Marks garage, which is next door was charging $10 flat rate to park and another place was charging $15. I was not about to pay this much just to eat at a restaurant. I mean come on, that could buy you a small plate or some other appetizers. As usual there was no open street parking in down town. We circled the block and found a garage for only $3 till 12 a.m. which was fine because we would be out of there way before that. After parking and walking to the restaurant, we arrive there and there is no host to greet us and the servers just walk by. Even the bartender just stood there looking at us. There was no, someone will be right with you or did someone help you, nothing. This was strike one. When the host came back, she sat us but did not tell us who our server was going to be or tell us anything just walked us to our table and thats it, so we waited as several workers passed us by for 5 minutes or so. Our server comes and greets us and tells us the special etc. We saw him pass by our table several time and not once did he tell us anything like, I'll be with you in a minute or anything like that. He didn't seem too friendly at all just kinda going through the routine. This was strike two. We ordered and the food came in a timely manner. I got the braised short ribs with sauteed spinach and whipped mashed potatoes that looked like an ice cream cone and my GF got the crab and bacon pasta carbonara. She said it was pretty good but the taste was too strong, so she couldn't finish it. The braised short rib on the other hand was really good. It was so soft and juicy that you didn't even need a knife to cut it. The meat kind of just fell apart when you stuck your fork in it. Half way through our water glass went empty. I tried to get our servers attention several times. Not till the 3rd time did he come to fill our water. This was strike three. After our meal we got some dessert which was also pretty good. Our server dropped the check and there was no thank you or come again from him. No wonder they are always hiring servers. The food was pretty good but the service sucked. Will I be going back there? No, maybe if the food was great and the parking was easy, I could put up with the service once in a while. But its not, so no, I wont be going back. check out my blog in my profile for other restaurant reviews and travel deals, tips and stories.
(2)
Eddie K.

My first review for the new year and its apparent that eating less is not one of my new years resolutions.... Decided to meet up with some friends at Epic for dinner which coincided with First Friday (FF) and the experience there is definitely different than a non First Friday. No reservations were taken on FF, so it was about a 30 min wait for a table. The Pri-Fixe 5 course menu for $35 is not offered on FF, not too mention a few things on the menu were sold out early. What worked: Strawberry & Argula salad - very good - its spring mix greens, feta, strawberries and walnut with a slightly sweet vinagrette. Kinda like a sweet greek salad. Baby Spinach Salad - very good - fresh spinach/real bacon bits/crispy onion strips Buttermilk Pork Chops - Nicely breaded, not dry but moist inside Miso glazed wild salmon - Light not overly powering miso flavor, moist and tasty. Baked Stuff French Toast - Good, interesting combination of ingredients (sweet bread, nutella, mac nuts, caramel, strawberries, marscapone) that come together to make a great result. What was a miss: Braised beef on mac and cheese - really this was a 50% miss since the mac and cheese was good but the braised beef was overcooked and dry. This could work, if done right. Crab & Bacon Pasta Carbonara - It looked really good, pieces of crab, bacon, asparagus, on a bed of linguine - nice presentation. I was puzzled with this one...it had no flavor at all. Could not taste crab or bacon, really only flavor was the cream sauce. Epic Fail. Our server, I believe her name was Michelle, provided very professional service and the nice urban contemporary interior decor made this a nice place to start of the new year with friends. However, the mens bathroom seriously needs a good cleaning, definitely a place like this should not have a bathroom this smelly/filthy. Surprised a friend of mine, who discovered two young drunk women in the mens bathroom, and they weren't even patrons, just victims off the street from FF.
(3)
Megan J.

I've been hearing about the Happy Hour here for awhile and am glad I finally tried it! What we ordered: 1. The cheesy gravy fries- I'm not a big fan of gravy..but the cheesy part was good 2. The pork sliders - Very ono! 3. The Mac and cheese balls - Not as good as cheesecake factory but still tasted great! And the price is wonderful! 4. Braised Short Rib ravioli - To die for! I love it! Very crispy and has a great taste. 5. Epic Mojito - Great mojito, I make my own a little stronger but overall it was very fresh! Will be returning again!
(4)
David T.

Went for dinner one night, first thing I noticed was the nice atmosphere, great ambiance. It looked fantastic inside and the food sounded amazing. For appetizer we got bacon wrapped tater tots and for dinner we ordered the Rib-Eye Mac and Cheese and the Bacon bacon bacon Cheeseburger. The food was... okay. It wasn't bad, I guess I just had much higher expectations. Bacon wrapped tater tots SOUND amazing but it wasn't special. The mac and cheese was interesting... not bad but not something I'd order again. The burger was pretty standard, the bun a tad too oily. The fries were horribly stale and limp, that was about the only outright negative thing I have to say about this place. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but a strange one. I've never been so enticed with a menu yet been so underwhelmed. Will definitely try again though
(3)
Megs F.

I went to the Fat Tuesday block party in Chinatown with the intention to eat from one of the food trucks.. but when the weather got wet, the decision was made that sitting in a dry restaurant might be more enjoyable. I had never been to Epic, so it wasn't my first choice.. but Du Vin was packed.. so to Epic we went. We ordered the escargot poppers and poutine for starters. I had the duck paella for my dinner and chocolate chip bacon cookies for dessert. The food was.. for lack of a more appropriate description.. epic. LOL. The escargot poppers were so delicious, the sauce is what really made it. The poutine.. truly a fat kid app (if you don't know what poutine is, google it now!) The duck paella was delicious.. the flavor of the sofrito was right on target. And as for the dessert.. yes, chocolate chip & bacon cookies sounds strange.. but it was GOOD. The waiter said that instead of using butter, they use bacon oil. I was sold. The cookies came out hot and chewy with a smoky bacon smell. There's also bacon bits in the cookies.. sweet and salty.. perfect. I'll definitely be going back to try other stuff on the menu. And now that I've taken a peek at the lunch menu, a walk from the office might be in order. ;)
(4)
Clarissa M.

We were seated quickly and attended to promptly. Drink orders were taken super fast and served without wait. 1 star. Decor was cool. 2 stars. Started off with tater tots and escargot poppers. 3 stars. 1 one of us had the Miso Glazed Wild Salmon - not too raw and not overcooked - so tasty. Another had the Angus Rib Eye - soft and tender meat - so yummy. Then the rest of us had the January 2012 5 Course Tasting Menu (which is on their website), which included dessert (eggnog cheesecake). SO DAMN DELICIOUS. 1 star for quality and taste of food. Others ordered the Swiss Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream. Our first time experience was quite enjoyable. Minus 1 star though for the bathroom which was old and not clean.
(4)
Kacee K.

This place was a little pricy but it was delicious and a trendy setting. Great service great food great setting.
(4)
Ka'ua C.

I went to this place with a group of friends around Christmas time. Nice atmosphere service was good and the food was great! I had the tasting menu which consisted of crab chowder, cioppino, a lamb chop w/a port wine sauce, a dessert (which I never got because they ran out). I have to admit I was alittle miffed that they ran out of my dessert, considering it was a tasting menu you would have thought they would reserve some of the food they had on it for the customer. Anyway great food okay service and one screw up I gave them 3 1/2 stars. Since I can only give full stars I'll gve them the four because the food was excellent, especially the escargot poppers. Next time though please try to give your patrons everything you promise.
(4)
Alan And Nicole T.

This restaurant is truly EPIC!! Nuff said.
(5)
Gluten L.

We always like their food, and they're more knowledgeable now about gluten than they used to be. They have very few items on the menu, however, that are not breaded or have soy sauce. The salads and fish are good. They used to have some really great appetizers we loved, like the pork belly one, but they changed their menu. They have great drink selection and aren't usually too crowded. Great happy hour food. The fish curry is really good but not gluten free. I usually have one of the salads and/or the scallops dish. They're really friendly and the food is consistently good. You have to really be careful with your allergies and not afraid to let the waiter know and to ask questions. Even though I always ask for my food to be gluten free, they still will sometimes put non-gluten free soy sauce or flour in my food. Another plus is that even though it's a "fine dining" place, they have fairly quick service. The waiters, waitress, owner and bartender are all very nice, polite and friendly.
(4)
Nannussa I.

Fantastic atmosphere. Amazing food.....
(5)
Krissy K.

I had been meaning to try Epic for years. I wound up here last First Friday, because my friend and I didn't feel like eating street truck food, and everywhere else was way too crowded. We were seated right away. The ambience is very pleasant. We shared the following: Tater tots - pretty good Warm brussels sprouts salad - not what I was expecting but interesting Steamers - just okay Seafood risotto - satisfactory (this was my friend's favorite dish) We also had martinis (extra dirty for her and a cosmo for me; both pretty strong) and split a bottle of wine. :p None of the food knocked my socks off, but it was all good enough. The service was excellent. I also met some nice people while waiting in line for the bathroom, but the wine may have clouded my memory. I wouldn't go out of my way for a return visit, but I'd consider it for happy hour.
(3)
Jay B.

I passed by this place a couple of times and said that I was going to try it. Well, a co-worker beat me to it and said that it was very worth it. He was right. First of all, the complimentary popcorn was very good...you just have to try it. For dinner I had the Cioppino and it was great. Highly, recommend this spot!!!
(4)
Nicole K.

When Thomas O. tweeted my the happy hour menu for Restaurant Epic, I already knew I was hooked. $4 house wines, $4 mojito, $4 beers. Great stuff!! We went around 4:30, so right as happy hour started. I had seen the restaurant as I passed by a few times, and it didn't look that big inside. But boy was I wrong. It goes back pretty far inside, and I think the back is part of the VIP section? I'm not sure, but I did see curtains that cut off that back section, so I did the math. Okay, for the food. David C. and I got the Crispy Short Rib Raviolis. It came with three raviolis that looked more like won tons, but heck these were amazing. Not what I was expecting, but definitely worth it. It had a crisp outside, and the middle had the short ribs in it. Total explosion of flavor in my mouth. We also got the Cheddar & Bacon Tater Tots. Yes, I know it's a high school caf thing to get, but it's always nice to see how different places put their own spin on it. And Restaurant Epic has the best tater tots ever. I love cheese, and I love bacon. And who doesn't love tater tots right? It's like a super-upgrade to Taco Bell's cheesy fiesta potatoes. A total upgrade. The last thing we got were the Short Rib Sliders with french fries. It comes with two sliders, and these sliders aren't your Burger King sliders, these sliders are plump and huge. All the juicy goodness from the short ribs were oozing into the bread making it kind of messy to eat, but oh so good. After only these three pupus, we were both stuffed. I was totally hungry when we got there, too. For the prices and the quality of food, Restaurant Epic knows how it's done. I was also happy that they had a cabernet as their house wine, and it tasted pretty good. The epic mojito was also a pleaser. I couldn't taste any alcohol, and sometimes those are the most dangerous ones. We didn't opt for dessert because we were so full. But that's definitely on the menu for next time! Riana S. did see these little ants crawling on the wall. They were super tiny, and we didn't even notice them until after we were done eating. So that's why I knocked a star off. Other than the ant situtation, it was a great meal with great friends. Definitely coming back here. Yelp 365: 019 of 365
(4)
Ray Q.

Nice people. Very friendly. Great service. My girlfriend and I were taken real good care there. Will visit again as soon as possible
(5)
Madison V.

The restaurant is so chic inside and very nice for a dinner party. The food is great as well and the staff is nice. Make sure to try the escargot!!! I thought it was going to taste horrible because the idea of eating a snail is strange. But it tastes like mushrooms you must try it!
(4)
Yon S.

Refuses to honor their own gift certificates from christmas. They will close down soon.
(1)
Dan C.

Friendly staff (Alan behind the bar and Brian in the kitchen) make this a regular spot for me. New items on their menu keep it interesting. Quality is always excellent.
(5)
Katherine L.

Two of my friends share the same birthday, and our group of eight came to Restaurant Epic in celebration. It was a first for all of us, and we all quite enjoyed it. Atmosphere: It is very simple but chic, with a smooth asian-fusion decor and welcoming warm deep colors and wood. We especially loved the fact that they seated us at a round table in cozy nook that separated us from the main room. Hopefully, it helped somewhat mute our noise and boisterousness from bothering the other guests. Drinks: They carry a respectable list of wines and bubblies, but unfortunately my party did not end up sharing a bottle and left me the only one with an alcoholic beverage. I had their famous Epic Mojito, which is a mango infused mojito with sweet-and-sour. It was okay, but I preferred it be a bit stronger with not as much sweet-and-sour. Food: The Escargot Poppers are AMAZING!!! The Escargo is so delicious with the strong butter and garlic flavor and the pastry is so fluffy and flaky, melting in your mouth. YUM! The Carbonara I ordered was just too buttery and creamy for me, and was rather bland. And my friend ordered the special, which was a seared Ahi with a wasabi sauce, and it was delicious. The French Toast, though there might be way too much things going on with the Nutella and the rest of its toppings and dressings, was all in all pretty delicious (as well as HUGE). The Apple Crumble is really good, though there was not enough crumble to go with the apple. The Chocolate Decadence Cake is not really a cake but a really rich fudge-like creation. The Creme Brulee was good, not much different from all the other ones I've had before. All in all, I would recommend this place for friends to hang out. The atmosphere is warm and fun, the service is friendly, and the food is pretty good. Next time, I will have try their happy hour.
(4)
Kevin H.

I had a great dining experience here. The food was excellent. Tapas style dishes but still decent sized. The escargot poppers on puff pastry was a tasty and innovative twist on the standard dish. Duck paella and crispy risotto cakes were also very delicious! On the other hand, the braised short ribs which were blah.. recommend saving your stomach for something tastier. One downside to this restaurant is that they don't have any special cocktails or mixology type drinks. But, the drinks were made pretty stiff, which is always a good thing.
(5)
Seth H.

I think I waited too long to finally try this place because it didn't live up to my expectations. We got there at last call on happy hour items, so I ordered up some fish tacos which was actually the high light of the evening, this sauce had a hint of wasabi in the dressing and was very tasty. Three for $7, very nice. I ordered the crab chowder which was not bad, an order of the empanadas which I thought was good but the wife didn't. I had the rib eye and mashed potatoes and the wife had a shrimp risotto which she felt was too salty, my rib eye was good. But overall, nothing really to write home about. Didn't get desert, nothing really stood out for me. Since I was there we took a stroll around the neighborhood, found out where Lucky Belly, Little Village and JJ Dolens are, more places to try in the future.
(3)
Paul A.

Creative dishes, delicious desserts. Enjoyed the drinks too, we were lucky enough to get there when there wasn't much of a crowd so service was great. Close to the municipal parking garage which was nice since the street was packed, valet isn't a bad option either if you get validated.
(4)
Joe W.

A small group of my coworkers, my girlfriend, and I went to Epic for happy hour for the first time on a random Monday afternoon just because! Epic's Happy Hour has $4 house wine, "epic mojitos", beer, martinis, and well drinks. A bunch of the appetizers are also discounted for happy hour. We went around 5:30 right after work (we were feeling the pressure of the upcoming week and need to blow off some steam... preemptively!). It wasn't very busy. We had a reservation but probably would have been able to walk in and get a table with no problem. Overall the ambiance was very nice--the restaurant had a very warm and east-asian sort of feel to it and there was a full bar at our disposal. The servers were very polite, answered all of our questions, and refilled our drinks frequently (Service - 4 Stars). We quickly ordered as the minutes before the end of Happy Hour sneakily ticked by (Happy Hour is from 4:30 to 6pm). These are the happy hour appetizers we got: Spicy Ahi Sushi Roll - 4 Stars Fresh ahi rolled uramaki (inside-out) style with sprouts and a spicy/sweet aoli sauce. This was my favorite appetizer. Crispy short rib raviolis - 4 Stars The name describes it all. It has some kind of strong cheese in it, which works really nicely with the ribs. The pasta reminded me of a spring roll or lumpia. Kalua Pork Spring Rolls - 3 Stars This was really good, but as the night went on, the meat portions in the spring rolls got less and less.... Sweet Potato Fries - 3 Stars Nice and crispy and sweet potato-ey. :) Korean-Style Street Tacos - 1 Star I didn't like these at all. I was expecting the Eatgogi wagon tacos, and this was a sad, dry disappointment. The flavors just didn't work together. My coworker also described a grape soda after taste. Epic Mojito - 4 Stars Nice and strong with flavors of citrus and mint, and I think they use syrup instead of sugar because it was smoooth. 4 of us got out of there fully stuffed for $75, so the value was good. We could have stayed and eaten more but our stomachs were ready to call it a night. (Value - 4 Stars) A great place for happy hour! Tips: Park at Mark's Garage or the Municipal Parking on Nuuanu and Beretania.
(4)
Bret H.

Yeah it's pretty epic.
(4)
Chris V.

Restaurant Epic was the venue for Aloha Friday lunch. I chose to eat the chicken special of which was 2 pieces of fried dark-meat chicken drizzled with a sweet & savory sauce. The chicken was nicely fried and the sauce, sweetened with honey, was a nice accompaniment to the chicken and dish in general. The starch provided was a coarsely mashed potato which was also good. Four spears of fire-grilled, slightly charred asparagus garnished the dish. Overall it was awesome. However, it seemed like there was a lot of FRIED SKIN. In my younger years I would have called this a gift, a Godsend and saved this for my last few bites. However, I'm older now and I discard chicken skin as fast as used kleenex. For an appetizer we chose a braised shortrib ravioli with a brown sauce reduction and topped with what seemed to be a salsa of tomato, onion & I think pineapple. The appetizer portion brought four to a serving. The ravioli was awesome! I would have eaten a whole plate by myself...and when I mean a plate, I'm thinking 15 pieces to a plate. ' I definitely enjoy Restaurant Epic and I shall definitely return. See you at Restaurant Epic.
(3)
Valerie R.

I'm really torn between rating this a 3 or a 4...it's more like 3.5 stars.... Epic is right down the road from Indigo, so close that you can throw a stone. They even share the same valet parking! Unfortunately, I think Epic suffers from the same hit-or-miss syndrome that Indigo does. Don't get me wrong - the menu is inventive and the interior is perfect for date night or a girls' night out on the town, but not perfect. I went out with a bunch of my friends from work and we were excited to be seated in a little semi-private back room surrounded by windows on three sides. It was zombie pub crawl night, so we couldn't ask for a better place to people watch! We'd heard about the prix fixe menu and it looked super tasty - until I saw all the other small plates. Luckily for me, I didn't have my heart set on the prix fixe menu, because by 8 they'd already run out. So what did I love? I had the spinach salad, which was so fresh and perfectly balanced. A hit! The braised beef short rib ravioli was also delicious - the pasta tasted home-made. Yum! My mojito was one of the best I've had on the island - very lime-y and refreshing. And what wasn't so great? The EPIC mac n' cheese sounded terrific, but the consensus was that it was under-seasoned and bland. I also had one of the sushi rolls and felt that there was an over-abundance of rice and perhaps a little too much of the mayonnaise-y sauce. Sat in my gut like a rock! All in all though, the food was pretty darn good. Maybe it's because between the eight of us we had a better chance of being exposed to a miss, but there's more good than bad, so give it a try!
(4)
Donna L.

I've been meaning to give this place a try a while ago, but never got around to it 'til recently. Gosh, I wish I've gone here sooner! First of all, I looooove the place/decor - high ceilings, spacious, cool vibes, and chic-y without being over the top. This place reminds of something you'd find on the mainland, which is nice for someone like me, who's not originally from the 808. Anyway, moving onto the food... my better half and I came here for lunch the other day, and we both really enjoyed our meal. We had the escargot poppers, crab & avocado salad bocadillo, and braised short rib. Everything we ordered was pretty good... soooo good that we finished ALL of it... our server seemed quite impressed by that (we're such oinkers, yeah? lol!). The escargot poppers were delectable little treats; four bite-sized morsels of deliciousness, making them the perfect starter, because it's not too filling, which served to be a great warm up to our meal. The short rib was pretty good, but to be honest, I've had better... however, it definitely held its own, and it went well with the mashed potatoes and natural jus that it came with. My sigfig's bocadillo was just the right portion size and was accompanied by a bowl of piping hot tomato bisque, which complimented the sandwich nicely. All in all, the food at Epic totally delivered and made our bellies very happy. I can't wait to try their dinner offerings!! :D Epic is a great choice, if you're looking for something a little different and out of the ordinary.
(4)
Tiffany H.

I am in love with the deep fried mac and cheese balls!!! You definitely need to get that when you go there. Service was excellent. We were there during happy hour, so they were pretty busy. However, our waiter made sure that he checked up on us regularly, which is a major plus for me. He was really patient with us too when we asked him a million questions about the menu. Our drinks came relatively fast as well. I definitely want to come here again.
(5)
Jon M.

This is a two part review that averages out a three star rating. First part is the food and drinks, second is the service. The food was all delcious. 4 star. A bit pricey, but I really enjoyed it all. Kind of reminds me of a trendy hipster yet upscale restaurant in SoCal. They have a 5 course tasting menu that was about $35 and an extra $15-20 I believe it was to pair with wines. The portions on the tasting menu were small, like one course was one slider. Actually kind of small in general. The tater tots come with dipping sauces, trying to classy up a tater tot. They were really good, but for $8 you get about 7 tater tots. So everything is kind of expensive I think. Most dishes around the $15-25 range. I had the crab and bacon pasta carbonara and really enjoyed it. But everything was really good. The service though was crap. 1 star. Our server almost never came back to check if we needed drinks or anything, we had to flag her down. And the restaurant was maybe half full, if that. And she kept forgetting things, she would forget what drink I ordered. Or she brought a shot of something when we asked for it on the rocks. We asked for no nuts one of the dishes and it still came out with them (which could be the kitchen's fault). But overall the service just left a bad impression. I'll probably be back because I like the unique vibe and I'd like to give it a second chance. Maybe the server was having a bad night or something. Overall, the ambiance is great, the food was tasty, the service was just poor. +good food +cool ambiance -expensive -poor service
(3)
Jessica W.

Went for Valentine's Day. Only menu available was a price fixe menu for $40. Service was excellent and food was also excellent.
(5)
Simona M.

We happened into Epic the other night. What a nice surprise! Sat at the bar where Johnny, a great bartender, directed us as to what was tasty on the menu. Loved it! Nice to have upscale Pupus, well made drinks and attentive service. The desserts were exceptionally good too. We will return, again and again!
(5)
Cassie W.

Made reservation for 830pm. Showed up there at 820pm and hostess was lost in the sauce on my reservation, luckily there was a seat available for my date and I. No organization or structure of flow in the environment. Waiting on a waiter for 20 mins and Food took another 45 mins to come out. Food was all looks and not as epic as it seems. Major epic fail!!! Not worth the money!!!!
(1)
Kaiulani K.

The tasting menu is a steal for the amount of food you get. I like that it changes every month so it doesn't get boring for regulars. It seemed a little empty for a weekend night, but we were well attended-to, so that was a plus. Our glasses were kept full and our waitress was very nice. The mozzarella and tomato salad was good (the mozz is deep fried), but I was a little put off by the li hing powder sprinkled on top; it seems like it's supposed to hit the same flavor notes as balsamic vinegar, but a bit too sweet in my opinion. The kalua pig spring rolls were good also. The risotto was tasty, but could have been put together a little more carefully. My seared scallop was cold, it seemed like only parts of my dish received a splash of lemon, and the rice wasn't that cream. It seemed like they used white rice instead of arborio rice. I did finish almost all of it, though, so I'm not sure why I'm complaining now? The rib eye floored me. SO tasty. I don't usually order steaks because I prefer to try different menu items, but I would order this again. Also, for a tasting menu the plate was a VERY good size. It seemed as if the risotto and rib eye were almost the size of a full order. Tried the lamb; the blueberry vanilla port demi really works. Ended with a chocolate cake. My boyfriend tricked me by asking a question so that I was talking while he stole away more than half the dessert. By the time I got hip to his scheme it was almost too late. But I do know that chocolate cake was pretty good also.
(4)
Kapena C.

Plain food made to look like something special. Stay home and cook your own Mac n cheese...
(2)
Gloria S.

The 3 star is for their Happy Hour! Prices and Appetizers Review Only! My favorite is the Poketini - Ahi, cucumber, sweet onion, avocado, spicy Aioli, Crispy lotus root... Other tasty appetizers... Alaskan King Crab Cake Kalua Pork Spring Roll Plum Szechuan Grilled St. Louis Ribs Nice ambiance, best time to go is happy hour, street parking or public parking close by, the surrounding area outside is okay during the day and about a block down the street that area may scare some people during the evening hours... depends on what your use to seeing...
(3)
Miki L.

Enjoyed a table full of appetizers -- at happy hour prices -- and managed to clear most of our plates. Tho, it was one dish too many for two moderately hungry people. On the menu... Ahi roll, pot stickers, 'tater tots, braised beef sliders, and a mesclun salad. Service was spot on. Not too much, not too little, jussss right. And the price ended up being $40 for two, including a glass of wine. I'll definitely have another visit. It's be a great place for dinner or pau hana again with a small group of friends to share a table full of small plate.
(4)
Jessie D.

This is kind of a truncated review, as I only caught the tail end of Happy Hour and the beginning of dinner. But, from what I experienced from Happy Hour, this might be one spot to keep in mind for the Pau Hana crowd. The Happy Hour is quite generous, especially on Mondays and Tuesdays, where it extends to 9pm (the rest of the week, it's 430-6). We went here on a Friday and I quickly found my party, already enjoying the Happy Hour libations. The mojito is top notch and worth the visit alone. I also partook in the calamari, which was excellent, and the Cheddar Bacon Tater Tots. In hindsight, you already know what you're getting with Tater Tots, so there's no big surprise there. I also happened to have the Classic Burger, which features Wagyu Beef and avocados. The beef was excellent and the burger overall was quite good, but there was nothing that screamed out that it was a $14 burger. It's no Pineapple Room burger, that's for sure. But, for what it was, it was not bad. I do give props on crinkle cut fries. I always feel nostalgic when crinkle cut fries are served. But, Restaurant Epic gets the nod because of their top notch service. I seriously took the last sip of the mojito and before the glass hit the table, I was asked for another round. Also, they bus the table quite quickly, getting our used plates out of the way, making sure the table didn't get too crowded with stuff. Overall, an great experience. Would like to try the sushi on the next visit. Great service, very good food, slightly overpriced, but almost justified by the level of service and attention you get. Dinner menu gets an incomplete, but Happy Hour definitely gets a recommendation and the 4 star rating.
(4)
Kara K.

We went to Epic this past First Friday. Staff and ambiance were awesome enough, but the food was lacking. We had the escargot, gumbo, and chocolate decadence cake. I should have known that the gumbo would not meet my expectations, so that's my bad.I've had pretty decent gumbo before and I should have known that a chic restaurant would not make good gumbo. The escargot was okay, they must have combined it with 3 butter sticks. Tasty, I would order it again if I ever went back. The chocolate decadence cake was really rich and wasn't really a cake; it was more like refrigerated chocolate with white icing. I've had better chocolate before and I was expecting cake instead of a chocolate bar. Everything came out to about $45. It appears from other reviews that Epic may have a rotating menu so maybe this contributes to the improvement of the food? I feel like this may be more of a place to go to be seen, not for the food. There's nothing wrong with that but I would think twice about going back again. I did notice a nice area in the back of the restaurant that could host a small party, that is a nice option to have for groups.
(2)
Tommy H.

This place was great for dinner; we went there after the show. I had the seafood pasta; she had the vegetarian dish. They were both great. Only bad thing was that the portions were too small.
(5)
Steven L.

I work in the neighborhood. I walk pass Epic often only stopping momentarily to scan the menu think "I'll try it one day" and continue on. So I finally do. My wife and I and our daughter strolled in there one night after work. It was just little after rush hour. The atmosphere was nice and warm, very important. Big windows facing historic the Nu'uanu street. We were greeted and were recommended several plates and we tried almost all of them. We started with Escargot poppers, nice combo of salty texture and flaky pastry. Followed by the risotto cake. I ate short rib Ravioli, clean flavorful and simple plate and my wife had the Veggie Full Moon Ravioli, full of flavor of course I had to poke my fork across the table to try some. We finished with a rich chocolate rasperry tart. A good night walked out to Chinatown for a stroll satisfied and full.
(5)
Kate R.

Chinatown really has a kickin selection of restaurants from which to choose a happy hour, and Epic's right in that mix. I've been here twice now, once with the hubs and recently with a larger group. I appreciated that they took reservations for HH, which many restaurants do not -- and we had our own little room which was a nice touch. I ordered a mojito to start with per a friend's recommendation, but I wouldn't order one again -- go with one of their house wines or a beer instead. The mojitos are only $4, but I don't think they're even worth that -- they're fairly weak and too sweet for my tastes. Their pinot noir, on the other hand, was delicious and was also only $4. Score! We ordered a whole myriad of pupus -- short rib sliders (on sweet bread -- yum!), mac and cheese balls (eh, just ok), sweet potato fries (yummy!), the Epic roll (too mayo-ey, don't order if you have a mayo phobia like me), and a mozz/peach salad that was NOT on happy hour but definitely made me happy. I'd come here again over, say, Indigo's because they have more food choices for a low price. I got a peek at their lunch menu, and that looks really good, too -- I'm not sure how they keep their prices so low but I'm glad they do. Mmm, mmm good! Yelp 365 Challenge #11/365
(4)
K O.

I would rate the food 3 1/2 and our service 5! In all fairness it was not a busy night though. I had the recommended pork chops which was done perfect and very tasty! My son had a pasta dish which could not compare to my dish. The happy hour prices made the overall bill much less. Happy hour appetizers were average. Nothing extra fancy. Our server was really friendly and quick. He actually gets five stars!! Great job!! I would go again just to eat the pork chops and to dine there during the happy hour period.
(4)
Noopha P.

Great drinks, especially lichee martini and they have a good selection of wine.
(5)
Sophie C.

I came here a second time because I could not stop thinking about their delish escargot puffs from the last time I was there. I was worried that this place would not be a kid friendly spot since one of my coworkers had a child, but the staff was more than accommodating. They made sure the child was well taken care of and when she was throwing a small fit, the owner dropped by with strawberries and whip cream for her. Ahh...so sweet of him! Interesting fact: Owner has a knife tattoo on one arm and vegetable tattoos on the other. Thus, looks like he is cooking. Cool right?! "Little guys" Tatar tots-Were so-so Escargot puffs-cannot go wrong, it was buttery goodness with just nough garlic Mozzarella mac and cheese balls-mac and cheese fried with marinara-it was simple, but hit the spot :) "Big guys" Full moon ravioli-Best ravioli I have had in my life! Ravioli skin was soft like wonton skin and was swimming in pesto sauce. The mushroom and spinach filling was a little mushy. "Finale" Molten Peanut Butter and Chocolate souffle-Moist chocolate cake, but too little bit peanut butter. Tasted more chocolate if anything. Stuffed French Toast-very disappointing from the first time. Had way last toppings and got smaller :(
(4)
Ally I.

It was a delicious dinner, indeed. Here is a list of the appetizers that we had: Unagi & Ahi Roll: Tempura Unagi & Spicy Yellow Fin Ahi Handroll, Cucumber, Kabayaki Drizzle Kalua Pork Spring Rolls Crispy Risotto Cake (I can't remember verbatim what it was called) Escargot Bourguignon: Sauteed Escargot, Garlic Butter, Mushroom Duxelle, Crostini Everything was ono, but the unagi & ahi roll and crispy risotto cake were my favorites! The tempura unagi in the roll was a nice addition, and the fish was super fresh. And the crispy risotto cake - albeit I can't recall the name - was tasty! And for dinner, I ate: Angus Rib Eye: Hawaiian Salt Rubbed Angus Rib Eye, Truffled Potato Wedges, Sauteed Spinach, Crispy Onions The meat was tasty and not tough at all (I had it cooked medium). It comes on top of the wedge potatoes so they are coated with the sauce from the rib eye. And the service was top notch. Your water glass was always filled and our waiter was polite and courteous. It was overall a very pleasant experience. Oh, and great ambiance, too! Awesome food, customer service and ambiance - that meets my criteria for an excellent spot.
(5)
Thi L.

Came here with a girlfriend on a Saturday night before catching a show. Neither of us had been there before and were pleasantly surprised. We ordered the steamers (clams in a yummy garlic butter sauce), crispy risotto cake, mesclun salad and spicy ahi roll. The food came out really fast. Our risotto cake wasn't that hot when it came out though, so I didn't find it that delicious. I liked the salad with boursin cheese...very tasty. The spicy ahi roll is pretty run of the mill, don't think I'd order it again. Overall, it was a nice atmosphere, good lighting (key when you're dealing with alcohol-induced asian flush), good service..I will come back again to try other menu items.
(4)
Chris O.

Monday and Tuesday Happy Hour runs from 4:30pm-9:30pm (yes, reread that). The decor of Epic sets a very relaxing mood for it's patrons, which is always a good thing after a long day of work. Since we were the first people to arrive for their happy hour, we were immediately greeted and seated. Epic's happy hour menu consist of a variety of items, some of the ones that caught my eye were: Kalua Pork Spring Rolls, Sliders, Mac n Cheese Bites, Fish and Chip, Garlic Fries, and Kobe Meatballs. The Mac n Cheese bites were your typical mac and cheese, but were deep fried in a ball and served with marinara sauce, and was delicious. The Kobe Meatballs (3 on a plate) didn't have as much flavor as I anticipated and was average at best. Granted we were the only people eating at the time, the service was quick and the staff was very friendly.
(3)
Chad K.

Met a friend for dinner here and loved the place, not my first time so I dont know why I havent written a review yet. The atmosphere at first may seem a bit reserved when you first walk in but you realize its actually pretty relaxed and comfortable. The waitstaff are very nice and pleasant, they make you feel like youre a regular even though its only your 3rd time. I started off with a grey goose cran, followed by a personal favorite shooter of mine heavy Crown, a little Peach Schnapps, and a splash of sweet and sour, you should try this beware though that it will sneak up on you :) Both were made very well, nice and stiff. Our appetizer was an unagi roll with spicy ahi, tasted delicious. I think the unagi was fried with panko or something, I wasnt expecting it to be crunchy like that but it made for great texture, either that or we got the wrong roll none the less it didnt last very long. I ordered the butter fish with I heard was super good, and it was. The flavor was perfect and I only had one bone in the entire portion I was served, impressive knowing how many bones are in this fish normally. Instead of dessert I opted for more drinks, what the heck, stick to what you know is good right. Coincidentally I recognized one of the waitstaff from the gym and he bought us a round of drinks very nice of the guy. Looking back I feel like I didnt leave a large enough tip being that he bought us a round, damn it. Overall this is a great place for a date or in my case just meeting up with a friend, the food is really good, service is top notch and the no pressure atmosphere helps in keeping you feel relaxed and able to unwind with a few good drinks.
(4)
T Y.

The food is always great! Alan always makes a great drink! You have to check this place out when you are in Chinatown!
(5)
Mario Q.

Pretty Good. Bacon Burger was tasty but a bit too sweet. Sweet potato fries were very good and crispy.
(3)
nick m.

I've lived in the Chinatown area for a while now but never ventured to try Epic- the negative reviews discouraged me and there is no shortage of dining options down here. So I finally got the chance to try it as a dinner for four for a special occasion. I was impressed with the inside, you could do a date or professional function here. I got the tasting menu with wine pairing on the advice of a fellow yelper and it was a good recommendation- 45$ for 5 courses and 2 glasses of wine, to include dessert. Table appetizer was the 'crispy' calamari- the strip kind, which wasn't really crispy when it got to the table and was just OK. tasting menu: Mesculun salad- nothing special, reminded me of what you'd get as a complimentary salad anywhere with goat cheese Wagu meatballs- came on a stick in red tomato sauce, spicy and seasoned but.. well at the end of the day it's hard to be wowed by meatballs in tomato sauce butterfish- REALLY good. butter-tender and the furikake rice served with it went nicely together Braised shortribs with mashed potatoes- my favorite course of the night by far. Fall-apart good with a great sauce, and my friend who ordered it as the entree was similarly pleased. chocolate decadence cake- really thick, almost like eating fudge! tasty but almost too heavy wine pairing of one white (viognier) and a red (merlot blend?) worked well for the course progression. we also got creme brulee which was outstanding and made with real vanilla- by far the favored dessert around the table. Service was attentive- a little TOO attentive. Twice the server delivered the next course while one of the people at our table was still eating the prior one! I know we all like food fresh from the oven or pan, but it was kind of ridiculous. Bottom line? This isn't a GREAT restaurant, but it is decent and has some strong dishes and their location would make me come back. I'm definitely planning on doing happy hours here in the near future. It's not in the same league as Roy's (though their marketing would have you believe it) but it works as a nice addition to the non-hole-in-the-wall establishments in Chinatown for dining out.
(3)
wendy m.

Excellent! Fusion food at it's best! My friends and I were visiting from LA and came here on a Friday night and couldn't have been happier! Dishes I tried: Kalua Pork Spring Rolls-So good!! Fried so more like lumpia, regardless they were amazing Escargot-Perfect garlicky buttery goodness Steamer Clams-Well cooked and seasoned well Spicy & Ahi Roll-Yummmm! One of the best rolls I've tasted in Hawaii or the mainland Braised Short Ribs-Amazing! The meat was perfectly cooked, tender and delicious We also had a tempura spam musubi which was amazing! Might not be a regular menu item because I can't find it anymore, but it should be! I have a lot of favorite foodie spots in Hawaii and this will definitely join my list of places I need to visit on my next trip!
(5)
Shannan Y.

I celebrated my birthday here with some friends. I ordered the cioppino, which was okay. My friends ordered the garlic shrimp risotto (very tasty), short rib n mac (flavorful), and the angus rib eye (delicious). The six of us had a room to the side to ourselves; we had a blast! The waiter was decent, but I think we overstayed our welcome because he stopped serving us water at the end of our outing. The restaurant was very empty, but it was a Monday night in downtown. For dessert, the restaurant gave a complimentary chocolate decadence cake...rich, but not too overwhelming. I also ordered the creme brulee, which was good; nothing fancy done to it. The waiter recommended the swiss apple crumble, but I didn't taste that one.
(3)
Tracie F.

I thought this place was great!! We went on a "first Friday" and it was packed. The wait was close to an hour. I really liked that the hostess took our name and number and we were still able to walk around and not spend an hour camped out in front of the place. Once we got the magic call we were seated immediately. Our waiter was friendly and on top of it. It was a nice paced meal! Everything came out at the perfect speed. The atmosphere was trendy yet welcoming. It was not overdone at all. The food was awesome! We started with the short rib ravioli. A weird combo indeed but it was out of this world. The portion was perfect for two but it could have been stretched to four since there were four pieces. The meat was tender and the sauce not overpowering. Loved it!! I had the macaroni and cheese. Fab-ooo! I have honestly never had a better gourmet mac and cheese. It was an overly gene ours portion served piping hot. I loved the crust of cheese on the top. It was the perfect texture! The bacon was a fabulous touch. It did not overpower the dish and was cut into perfectly small pieces. I only ate about a quarter of it because it was so huge! The only drawback...there was nothing else with it. This meant that there was no color. In addition it was so rich it would have been nice to have something to kind of break that up. Maybe sauteed spinach? Something green... My +1 had the rib eye. Another awesome choice. It was cooked to perfection. The portion size was perfect...enough to fill even the most voracious appetite (don't tell him I told you that!) Now I am a snobby dessert connoisseur and once again Epic did not disappoint. The apple crumble was tasty. Portion was not huge. It could have been a little bigger. They did not have the molten chocolate cake but I guess that gives us another reason to return. Prices were as expected. A little on the high side but it is gourmet fare. We will definitely be back hopefully for the chocolate cake!
(4)
Dan H.

I ordered the full moon ravioli. Very rich and creamy. The nuts (pine nuts?) offered an interesting contrast to the texture of the dish. Positives: elegant atmosphere, good service, wide menu variety. Negatives: limited parking, no beer on draught, little spendy, wasn't impressed with desserts.
(3)
Laurie M.

It was ok, the food was good, but most tables are within the bar area which isn't very romantic. Very hard to hear your own conversation.
(3)
L M.

only one thing to add....get a mojito! asap!
(5)
Christine S.

Good happy hour selection, nice cocktails. I've enjoyed their prix fixe dinner. Good place to go with friends.
(4)
Scott W.

Very tender steak. Best I've had in a while.
(5)
Jermy D.

Great spot to hangout when you're looking for HH drinks on a Monday! Go for the calamari and mojitos! The booze: A nice selection for HH staples: $4 beers, $4 wine, $4 martinis, and $4 mojitos. I tried the mojito and fell in love. The bartender knows how to make a nice, stiff mojito! My bf had the gin martini. Whew! that was one of the strongest gin martinis I've tasted in a while--Delicious! I proceeded to have the lychee martini. It was strong, but good. But the mojitos are the way to go when you come here. The food: Their HH food spread is quite nice. More extensive than most in this area, that's for sure. We had the mac and cheese bites, edamame, and calamari. All were tasty, but the definite winner for me was the calamari. It's not your traditional calamari rings and tentacles, it's actually strips of calamari that kind of resemble french fries. The calamari was tender and not rubbery--which is a nice plus. Another person in my party had the wagyu beef burger. It was tasty but didn't think it was anything to write home about. I do want to come back again to try their burger bar from 2-4pm (i think). The food can best be described as diner food kicked up a notch. The service: The service is great! Our waiter kept our water glass filled and our libations flowing. Once you reached the last sip of your cocktail, he was right there to offer you another. The food also came out pretty quickly as well. All in all, a great place for a nice happy hour on a Monday!
(4)
Brent C.

One of the best bartenders in Oahu, the food is solid, great prices, and fantastic happy hour. What else do you want?
(5)
Alao H.

I went to EPIC for the second time this past week for a birthday party. Surprising, they actually let us reserve pretty much an entire side of the resturant and the wait staff was so expedient during our meal, I would turn to talk to someone and when I looked back at my glass of water which was almost empty was full, with no one around (too cool). The food is okay, however I would advise against the 5 course taster meal becuase if you have a rather large appetite like me, you will not be full. The menu is great on everything else (they even serve snail, which I found quite tasty). The drinks seem to be okay as everyone around me seemed to be getting drunk off of the few that they consumed. I would have to suggest the lamb if anything, with some veggies. Overall good pick, would save it for larger groups, however, a one on one is suitable too. (Honestly, Im not that big of a fan of eating out, so take my advice with a grain of salt).
(2)
Jon L.

Just another high-mid end restaurant with mediocre service and a forced ambiance. The food was standard fare for the price. Nothing impressive. The entree's didn't pop out. Their salads are pretty good, but it's not hard to make a good salad. Last week, I accidentally dropped a head of lettuce - on the way down it hit a tomato, and then splashed in a puddle of balsamic vinaigrette. Shazam, accidental salad. The waitress seemed like her boyfriend just dumped her - sorry but don't take it out on us. Especially a group of 6 strapping young men, who incidentally, order mohitos. Honestly, the place isn't bad. But it's called "Epic" damnit. If I walk into a restaurant with a hyperbole for a name, then I better be getting a hyperbole for a meal. Stay tuned for the opening of my new restaurant "Gnarly," which will serve nothing but ham and cheese sandwiches on wonderbread.
(3)
Tiffany A.

For a congratulatory event for a coworker, we headed down to Restaurant Epic. At this point of my career in downtown (2 years mind you) I never heard of it. Haha. I may have seen it on my drive down Nu'uanu but it never occurred to me to dine here. I have no idea why I waited so long!!!! Although the wait for the food was a bit long, the food was pretty darn good :) I went with something simple to fit my small lunch appetite and ordered the Havarti & Bacon grilled cheese served with the Tomato Bisque (this soup was the real reason I wanted the sandwich). It came on a small lunch size plate and was the perfect size for me! The sandwich was unbelievably tasty and I didn't know that an Apricot spread could add so much flavor that wasn't overly sweet. I switched up the bread though from the Hawaiian Sweet Bread bun to the Multigrain and I wasn't disappointed. The sandwich was perfect for dipping in my delectable tomato soup. The soup was about a cup portion served with a Parmesan crisp (fried cheese in layman's terms). It was just what I wanted to comfort my palette. I would go back for those two things again any day :) I tried a piece of the Braised Short Ribs and that was very good. Everything else that was ordered was served very elegantly and all people were very satisfied and happy. I think I would probably order what my friend ordered which was the Pork Chops. But you can't forget the desserts! The menu is short but there are really good options. So we went with Creme Brulee, Simple Apple Cinnamon and the Tiramisu. Not to quote Usher but "Oh-my-gawd!" Of all three, I have to say my favorite was the Creme Brulee. It was creamy and not overly sweet even with the layer of sugar. The Simple Apple Cinnamon was delectable. Very simple and yummy for an apple cobbler with ice cream. The Tiramisu was prepared in a way I've never tried before: cream cheese. In my experience, it's usually made with whip cream but this was done with cream cheese and it made it that more richer but in a good way. The cream served on the side complemented it so well. Overall, love love love the food! The wait time was a bit long and there wasn't too much of a lunch crowd in there. But I'll definitely return!
(4)
Doris D.

Just ok, way over priced and over hyped. The food is decent, but I wouldn't recommend it.
(3)
Dani S.

After paying an arm and a leg for dinner here, I went to the bathroom 3 times the next day for #2... If that's not called food poisoning, I don't know what is.
(2)
Jonathan W.

My girlfriend and I went to dinner here with my parents. We went early to have a few cocktails before the folks arrived. The owner greeted us and was more than happy to let us sit at our table before my parents arrived. We drank grey goose w/soda and lime. They were excellent. Our server came to check on us and see if we wanted food before the rest of our party arrived and we declined. Our server was on top of getting us fresh cocktails before we drained our current ones throughout the entire evening. We ate family-style, sharing 4 appetizers and 2 entrees. We ordered escargot, epic-style "tater tots", an epic roll, lamb chops, and had misoyaki salmon and new york steak. Everything was amazing! I was especially impressed with the epic roll; it is definitely a must try! Service, food, and atmosphere were all 5-star.
(5)
Tia S.

The raviolis are sinfully delicious! I came here three times in one week, because I couldn't get enough of these. The staff thought it was hilarious. Raviolis are made with heavy cream, mushrooms, macadamia nuts, fine sheets of pasta, and awesomeness! Sushi is okay. Was kinda disappointed they didn't offer sake (rice wine) during my visit. Stick to the entrees. Seafood risotto is nice. Spring rolls are good. They also have special prix fixe menus; single app or salad, entree, and dessert. for roughly $30. Good deal! Relaxing ambiance, cool staff, and quality food at reasonable pricing. Great place for dinner. Avoid the cumbersome task of finding parking in down town and take advantage of the valet parking. I'm not a fan of walking around down town at night, especially on a full stomach. It's worth paying $5-$6 in my opinion.
(4)
Sally S.

Had reservations for a group of eight, and they were good about phoning to reconfirm. Last minute, we were six, and they still accommodated us in the corner room. Service was good. Our waiter let us know that happy hour prices were still in session and quickly got us drinks. Everyone ordered something different, so we got a good sampling of the menu. No one was disappointed. For a downtown dining experience, this is worth repeating.
(4)
Lauren B.

I highly recommend this place! We came for dinner, but the Happy Hour and Lunch menu looked great as well. Food: Delicious. We ordered the miso salmon and crab, bacon, asparagus carbonara. Both dishes were cooked to perfections. The fish practically fell apart and had just the right amount of miso. For the carbonara, I was pleasantly surprised they didn't skip on the "good stuff." I was expected a mound of pasta with a little bit of crab and bacon. I was way off! There was a ton of delectable crab meat and bacon in this dish. At the end, we were left with no pasta and just crab, bacon and asparagus to enjoy. The pasta was rich, but was complimented well with the salmon dish and a white wine. Service: Excellent. Our waiter was very attentive and kept our wine glasses nice and full. He made great suggestions (we ordered the wine he pointed out) and was very knowledgeable of the food and wine menu. I will definitely be back soon.
(4)
Jamie L.

We really love this place and go all the time. The lamb entree with the blueberry sauce is the best dish on the menu, don't come here without getting it. They have a great happy hour on Monday and tuesday til 9pm.
(4)
Katrice K.

I went here for lunch and it was very good. 5 stars for service 4 stars for food 4 stars for ambiance The waiter we had was very helpful and recommended to my coworkers and I a bunch of things and what to stay away from (the shrimp scampi appetizer). We ordered the fried calamari and epic sushi for appetizers. The fried calamari was alright, nothing special with a wasabi flavored cocktail sauce. The epic sushi was quite good, but rich and creamy with a lot of mayonnaise. For the entree I ordered the teriyaki salmon which was delicious and flavorful with a furikake musubi and some cooked vegetables. I also sampled the ravioli which was delicious and made me wish I had ordered that instead. I also sampled some of my coworkers spare ribs which was more like the beef in beef stew without all the other vegetables. It was tender and the mash potatoes were quite tasty. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice lunch.
(4)
Bailee W.

EPIC is one of my favorite restaurants, but I am giving it a moderate score because of the poor customer service and management. We go to Epic frequently and recommend it to all of our friends and colleagues. The food is affordable and tasty. However, I went to Epic with a group of friends and we were not served bread until 35 minutes after seating and we were served our dinner 45 minutes (at least) after ordering (probably about an hour after being seated). The waiter apologized and explained that a large group ordered before us. However, at least 2 groups seated next to us not only were seated AFTER US, they were served BEFORE us. One group (of 3) arrived nearly 30 minutes after we arrived and were served before us. I mentioned this to our server. He apologized for the slow and poor service, admitting that both were poor, and said he would talk to his manager to try to make it up to us. When we got the check, we received no discount, no complimentary dessert, not even 1 soft drink was comped, or a personal apology from the manager, which probably would have sufficed. Either the waiter didn't ask the manager, or the manager didn't care about the poor service. EPIC will still be one of my favorite restaurants, but think twice if you want your meal to come out timely. And forget about the manager caring at all about customer satisfaction.
(2)
theresa s.

we go to epic mostly on mondays and tuesdays b/c of the all night happy hour. it is nice since we dont have to rush from work to get there before the typical 6:30 pm cutoff. the food is very good, even the happy hour menu items are very good-- my favorite is the poketini, basically a very tasty poke on baby greens. i love that dish! this past week, i gave the 5 course menu a try, which i thought was a steal for $35!! everything was very good-- the steak was cooked to my liking. the portions were enough for 2 people as a "tasting". my BF got french fries and it tasted fishy, i am assuming bc they also serve fish and chips, which they most likely fry in the same oil. since he doesnt eat fish, it was a thumbs down for him, so he just had to wash it all down with another glass of wine! great atmosphere...
(4)
Evan S.

Overall, I am on the edge of giving this place four stars. The food is really very good but i'm not sure that it is worth the epic prices! Hit this place up during happy hour for sure. When we went in it was an all male wait staff, which was kind of strange. The food came out to the table one dish at a time a couple of mins apart from each other. I guess you could say most dishes are family style and this makes for a fun atmosphere. I was very pleased with the staff and bar tender.
(3)
Stacey K.

This months tasting menu was way below average. 1. The salad was boring 2. pork with puff pastry tasted like microwave food 3. salmon was average 4. steak sucked 5. dessert was okay I'd give it 2 stars for this months menu. but average my last review out so 3.
(3)
Weyman W.

GEM OF A FIND! The atmosphere, decor, wait service, culinary dishes are all worthy of acclaim. Our party of 8 ordered a variety of dishes that we shared liberally with each other to validate my impression of this gem of an Asian fusion restaurant. There wasn't a dish among the many we ordered that was subpar. Having spent twice as much for as many varied comparable dishes from Roy's earlier in the week, I must say we'd needlessly overspent at Roy's. Our waiter Zhi was ever solicitous, filling our glasses frequently and repeatedly, providing information and advice as freely. The calm pace was appreciably noticeable in contrast to our earlier dinner at Roy's. All in all, I would prefer dining at Epic again and again. Its value and culinary excellence cannot be ignored. My own fine memories? Definitely the ahi appetizer, the sautÃ©ed mushroom side dish, and the chocolate soufflÃ©.
(5)
Naomi K.

It was definitely an EPIC experience. We drove in from Ewa and were overwhelmed with the ambiance, service and exceptional food! The duck salad is absolutely the best I have ever eaten! The Chicken and Biscuits with the Thai Curry sauce was out of this world. The fried chicken held its delicate crisp even smothered with the sauce! Can't wait for our next venture out of Ewa for another EPIC experience!
(5)
Janna C.

I also don't know why people are so down on this place. I visit Hawaii about once a year and was super excited when this restaurant opened. I used to go to Indigo half-halfheartedly because that was the only option in Chinatown. I always found Indigo overpriced, bland, and boring. Epic's menu has its up and downs, but the appetizers are solid, the service is phenomenal, and the portion sizes -- come the f**k on. They are generous to say the least. Also, the prices are below industry standard. Granted, I live in New York City, but if you get upset about paying $14 for fresh fish or $12 for foie gras, then you're simply a cheapass. If you're looking for fresh Hawaii ingredients (yeah, I'm talking about tasty local heirloom tomatoes and Kahuku corn), and bartenders that will listen to all your woes -- check out Epic.
(5)

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Address : 1131 Nuuanu Ave
Honolulu, HI, 96817
Phone (808) 587-7877
Website https://www.restaurantepichawaii.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:00 am - 1:00pm

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No

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Restaurant Epic

1131 Nuuanu Ave, Honolulu, HI, 96817

Restaurant Epic Menu

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