Dinner at Mariposa or Panda Express?

Value is in the eye of the beholder. So it is with taste. Two of my favorite Honolulu restaurants are within a few minutes walking distance from each other.

Panda Express is Chinese fast food. Mariposa is exotic fine dining. A meal for two is about a $100 difference. My wife and I can dine on less than $10 at Panda Express. The food is quickly served, warm, tasty

My wife and I can dine on a little over $100 at Mariposa in Neiman-Marcus, perhaps a couple of hundred yards from the hustle and bustle of Makai Market, the food court hosting Panda Express. At Mariposa, the food is eventually served, warm, and tasty.

The extra $90 or so at Mariposa gets us seated and served, not an option at Panda Express. The view at Panda Express is usually of other people eating. The view at Mariposa is that of other people eating, but there’s often a musical group for entertainment, a pleasant sunset, or a view of Ala Moana Beach Park.

Service at Mariposa is composed, measured, and considerate of the dining experience. Service at Panda Express is somewhat faster than hurried.

When we’re hungry, Panda Express wins the call. When we desire to slow down the dining experience, and add a touch of leisurely romance (the only kind available at our age), Mariposa gets a nod.

Between the two are a number of dining establishments worthy of what is left of our dollars, including 3660 on the Rise, P.F. Chang’s, and the favorite, California Beach Rockin’ Sushi. Despite the family curse which closes Honolulu restaurants weeks after our visit, CBRS has stood the test of time.

The next time you see us dining at Mariposa, remember what happened to On Jin’s, Hanatei, Bobby McGee’s, American Bistro, Tower Grill, and a dozen other restaurants of yesteryear which served us dinner, and then closed their doors.