For the Love of...: ...22 North (Kauai, Hawaii)

Overall - 9/10
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Food -  8/10
Service - 9/10
Ambiance- 9/10

This restaurant is named after the fact that the island of Kauai is located 22 degrees north latitude.  Situated in the Kilohana Plantation, the former sugarcane plantation now grows fruits and vegetables used in the restaurant.  Their menu features local fish and meat prepared in a refined Mediterranean style.  The large shaded outdoor patio faces the garden and provides a beautiful backdrop to your meal.

We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to try both their lunch and dinner menus. Both are quite reasonably priced and showcased all the local ingredients from the island. For lunch we had a number of selections. Of special note were their salads which were just the right size and packed with flavour. The smoked fish salad used ono which we had never had smoked and was a nice change from the ubiquitous smoked salmon. 

The tuna tartine was also a nice change from the all too common tuna salad, using really fresh tuna and topped off with a perfectly cooked hard boiled egg. 

Finally, the meatloaf with fried tobacco onions was great for the heartier lunch appetite. The beef was from a local island farm and tasted every bit as good as the beef we can get here in Alberta. the crispy onions were also a nice textural touch.

The dinner menu was also quite varied having many great options for meat lovers and seafood lovers alike. The pan seared ono shown below was served over a flavourful veggie broth was light and the perfect dish for the hot humid weather we enjoyed on the outdoor terrace.

As promised the dish for the meat lovers that night was the roasted leg of lamb served over chick peas. The local lamb was cooked medium rare and although flavourful was slightly tough. 

The portion sizes here are certainly on the generous side and as such we only had room to share a dessert between the two of us. We couldn't have chosen better with the molten chocolate cake. Unlike other molten cakes we've had this one had a nice hint of salt which really brought out the dark chocolate flavour. The addition of heavy cream on the side also added another layer of richness to this decadent dessert. 

Overall, when you combine great local food prepared with care, in a beautiful garden setting with reasonable prices you can't go wrong. Definitely a must visit when you're in Kauai.