Feeling adventurous? You should head on over and explore Stevenson’s Library in the Grand Hyatt Resort in Po‘ipu. Named after novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, the restaurant offers a casual and intimate dining experience.
Spectacular sunset views that compliment the outdoor dining setting is just as impressive as the interior — which showcases wall after wall of shelves lined with books.
“We have books all over,” said Assistant Beverage Manager Even Pritchard. “The owners love Robert Louis Stevenson and books, so that’s what happened — we got a library.”
I can’t think of anything better than enjoying a light dinner with a book. And at Stevenson’s Library, you can have just that. I was invited by Diann Hartman of the Grand Hyatt to visit Stevenson’s Library on Monday — sushi night.
Each Friday through Monday, Stevenson’s Library hosts sushi night.
“We do it from 6 to 9 p.m. and it’s always different,” Pritchard said. “The chefs do a different special every night. Our two sushi chefs use their creativity and they come up with things that guest are always happy about.”
With summer approaching, Pritchard plans to possibly serve sushi on a nightly basis.
“Sushi nights are really good — it’s a hit,” Pritchard said. “We’re probably going to do it seven days because everyone loves the sushi. During the summer we might extend it to 9:30 or 10 p.m.”
The chefs at Stevenson’s Library went all out and presented four onolicious dishes — the Rainbow Roll, the Dragon Roll, a Trio of Sliders and the Prosciutto Wrapped Mahi-Mahi Satay.
The Rainbow Roll is priced at $24 and is a blend of crab mix and cucumber topped with tuna, hamachi, salmon and avocado. This is definitely a rainbow of combinations. The three different types of fish — tuna, hamachi and salmon — is a must for any fish connoisseur.
The avocado and the crab gives this roll a balanced texture, while satisfying one’s hunger. If you prefer sushi with some zest, then you should give the Dragon Roll a try. Priced at $18, the Dragon Roll is a combination of spicy tuna, eel, avocado, cucumber, unagi sauce and sesame seed.
Eel, at first thought, might not sound appetizing, but it’s one of the tastiest ingredients in sushi. As much as I love the Rainbow Roll, my heart will always belong to sushi with eel and unagi sauce.
Sliders are making their way to all eateries all over the world, and at Stevenson’s Library, you get a trio of them. The Trio of Sliders are marked at $18. The three sliders mentioned are lilikoi barbecue pork, beef with harissa aioli and crab cake served spicy Asian slaw and pickles.
These sliders appear small, but combined they pack a hearty, delicious punch. The final dish presented was the Prosciutto Wrapped Mahi-Mahi Satay that sells for $14. This dish is served with three pieces of skewered Mahi-Mahi served with avocado-mango salsa, cantaloupe and Hawaiian pepper sauce. This dish did it for me.
What really intrigued me was the avocado-mango salsa. Along with the Hawaiian pepper sauce, it was the right amount of flavor with the right amount of spice. Stevenson’s Library is the place to be if you’re looking for good food, good atmosphere, a friendly staff and an assortment at books at your disposal.
Next time you’re adventuring on the South Shore, visit Stevenson’s Library.
