Passion

Update 11/21/2016: Wow, that was fast. Read how the International Market Place is striving for perfection.

Almost. So close to the pinnacle of perfection was our first night at the renovated International Market Place in Waikiki. In the end, this ruined perfection.

Yes, yes, we should have known better. This is Waikiki afterall, and the rates are posted. But let’s rewind to the start of our evening that started at 4:37pm on Saturday. We had 5:30 dinner reservations at STRIPSTEAK to take advantage of Restaurant Week deals, but we got there early to check out the Market Place and for me to visit the just-opened Flight 23.

This addendum to Foot Action had some previously sold out Jordans like the AJ1 Reverse Shattered Backboard and the Banned 1. Though not for me, I did pick up the Banned.

So yes, the night was off to a great start. There were quick stops to Clarks and Banana Republic where another $140+ was spent. Within 45 minutes of arriving at the Market Place, nearly $300 was spent then it was dinnertime.

The steak and lobster special did not disappoint, and the attentive service at STRIPSTEAK was at its finest.

Even when one sole sushi rolled off the serving platter when brought to our table, a whole new order arrived shortly thereafter. Wow, just wow.

Great food with friends made the time go by, and after dinner, we strolled around to see the other stores. I will say that in all the stores we visited, the vibe of all the various employees simply felt “alive.” I’m not sure how else to describe it, but everyone exuded their own personality making you want to support their business.

Even though we had just finished dinner not an hour before, we came across Kona Coffee Purveyors featuring b. patisserie. They too had Restaurant Week specials in the form of kouign amann sundaes with either matcha, vanilla, or apple pumpkin which you can see, our group ordered one of each.

The other b. patisserie goodies did not go unnoticed as our take home box indicates.

Needless to say, we were dropping bucks at this point. Yet, even with all this patronage, the end of our night was met with a $28 parking bill, validated down to $14. A blemish to an otherwise perfect night at the International Market Place. Fourteen dollars is reasonable you say? Maybe… but couldn’t there be additional price breaks, especially after spending a sum of money at the location? Spending time to spend the money kinda goes hand in hand, so why not reward the business with additional parking validation?

When asked or talking story about the International Market Place, you know the cost of parking will be my primary point brought up, not the assortment of stores, the attentive, personable service, nor the great food. Almost perfection.