I’ve been hearing so many people talk about uni pasta lately, and after months of waiting, I finally got to try the mysterious dish myself! What is uni pasta? It’s sea urchin!
Although I’m an avid seafood lover, I’ve never eaten sea urchin before. Treating myself to a fancy birthday dinner, I reserved a table for two at Arancino, a spot famous for their uni pasta.
Tasting Uni Pasta at Arancino
There are three Arancino restaurants on Oahu. Arancino Di Mare, Arancino at the Kahala Hotel, and Arancino on Beachwalk. We dined at the Beachwalk location, which is in Waikiki.
The quaint restaurant has an Italian vibe that was similar to what we experienced in Rome. The wait wasn’t too long for how popular it is, and we were treated to some yummy bread with EVOO and balsamic vinegar.
The seating arrangements were very tight though. Where we were seated, if I tried I could have easily grabbed food off of another tables plate!
Jarden started off with a salad, the Insalata Mista, which he really enjoyed. I started off with a sinfully rich, lobster bisque with sherry, or the Zuppa di Aragosta. The bisque was so insanely delicious! I enjoyed every single calorie.
For Jarden’s main dish he got the Lasagne, and the $23 the portion was pretty decent. He had enough to take to work the next day for lunch 🙂
Their famous uni pasta, Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare, was served in a sweet garlic wine cream sauce. Seriously, one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had!
So what does sea urchin taste like?
Uni is hard to describe; it’s rich and creamy, but also very salty. Not fishy…but it has a fresh-from-the-ocean taste. This pasta lives up to the hype, and you need to try it if you’re a seafood aficionado.
I’m now a big uni fan, although it is a delicacy so it’s quite expensive at almost any restaurant. The hype is real at Arancino though, and it’s a great restaurant for some Italian food in Hawaii! The portions and taste are great, as well as the wonderful service. I’ll be dreaming about that delicious uni until I return!
For more information on Arancino:
Arancino on Beachwalk
255 Beachwalk Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 923-5557
