$$$$Price: Moderate • Mediterranean • Ala Moana
Almost amazing. Staff was kind and attentive. Space was beautiful. Parking was no problems. Food was good but I have notes. The competition for this restaurant in Honolulu is Istanbul, though there is admittedly a different ethnic focus on their Mediterranean menus (Greek/Moroccan vs Turkish). Mara is as good as Istanbul in terms of menu potential, but they aren’t getting every dish right. We had a B+ meal compared to Istanbul’s consistent A level. Fish in tomato sauce was great. Beets in the beet salad perfectly cooked (but needed a little more of the citrus). Greek yogurt sundae was fun and I’d go back for it because it’s a unique dessert. Brussels sprouts, squash, and potato sides should have been additional delights but they were for the eyes more than the palette. All of them too dry. Lacked depth of flavor. With a bit of execution improvement, this restaurant could become a total joy.