Happy birthday to me!

Andre took me out to a nice dinner at Michel’s at the Colony Surf for my birthday.  Michel’s is fancy French restaurant situated right on the beach overlooking the ocean at the edge of Waikiki.  The restaurant was open air and they sat us by the window for the sunset seating.  Unfortunately, it was cloudy so we weren’t able to see the sunset, however we still had a great time since the food and service were amazing! 

Window seating

We sat by the window, which was nice because we were able to see the beach and enjoy fresh air.  We had an early reservation at 5:30PM, so the restaurant was relatively empty when we were seated.  The tables around us were empty, which was nice because we were able to enjoy some privacy.  However, the staff were very attentive and made sure our napkins were folded when we got up to use the restroom, our water was full, and took our plates as soon as we were done.  It almost felt like they were watching us, but it is all part of their excellent service.

Helix Escargots Bourgogne

Since it was a French restaurant, they had escargot on the menu.  I love escargot and will order them if they are on the menu.  The dish came out piping hot and smelled amazing.

Escargot on bread

The herbed garlic butter was so good on the bread.  We were mopping it all up.  I couldn’t get enough but knew I couldn’t stuff my tummy with bread and garlic butter as this was the first course.

Yellowfin Ahi Tartare

The other appetizer we ordered was the yellowfin ahi tartare.  This dish had a lot of flavor and even though it looks tiny sitting in the huge plate, it was a nice portion.  The wonton chips made it easier to scoop and eat, but I didn’t need it.  I just ate it with my fork and almost thought it was a distraction from the ahi.

Kona Coffee Glazed Rack of Lamb

For the entree, Andre ordered the rack of lamb.  Without a doubt, if there is rack of lamb on the menu, he will order it!  I am like that too with certain things.  When the menu said “rack” of lamb, it was not a joke.  Usually restaurants will skimp and only give you four, but this plate came with a full eight rack.  The Kona coffee demi glaze was very good with tender lamb medallions.  It added a very nice flavor and the lamb was not gamey at all.

Beef Tenderloin Rossini

Since he ordered the lamb, I wanted to try something different.  I had already planned on taking a bite from his dish, so  I ordered the beef tenderloin.  It was topped with a big piece of sauteed French foie gras.  The interesting thing about this dish was that I was not given a steak knife.  The beef was so tender that one was not needed!  The foie gras was so buttery that it added another element to the already melt-in-your-mouth beef.  It was delicious.

Foie gras laying on top of the tenderloin

You can see how big the foie gras was.  I also really enjoyed the mashed potatoes because there were porcini mushrooms hiding in it.  It was very good and I was very happy with my entree.

Sorbet trio: guava, lychee, and strawberry daiquiri

For dessert, we wanted the molten chocolate cake but it was not on the regular dessert menu.  We saw it on the prix fixe menu earlier, but I am pretty sure you can order it.  However, since it was my birthday, Michel’s treated me to their pineapple lilikoi cheesecake.  I love anything lilikoi and was eye-ing it on the menu.  Luckily for me, it appeared magically before my eyes!  How did they know?  It had a nice chocolate Happy Birthday on the side and was topped with a candle.  Andre quickly sang happy birthday and we dug in.  He also ordered a sorbet trio which was light and cleansed our palate.

Me & Andre

We had a wonderful time and the food was amazing.  I would definitely recommend coming here for a special occasion as the menu is on the pricier side.  It is a fancy restaurant, after all, so definitely dress the part as well.  Also, when making your reservation, make sure to ask for a table by the window, especially if you are dining there around sunset.  Unfortunately for us it was cloudy but if you are lucky, you will be treated to an amazing view.

Michel’s at the Colony Surf
2895 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 923-6552