Post #448363 by congawa on Mon, Apr 20, 2009 12:51 PM

We also had service issues, but I chalked them up to the franchise changeover, the event crowd and Saturday night. Really, it was good to see it that packed. We were told to ignore what it said on the menu for several items, so I assume they are still transitioning. The person in our party who ordered the sea bass, which was recommended by the waiter, had the best dish. The carmelized salmon was decent (though I'm used to Walt's Wharf and haven't found any that measure up), but the opaka paka was so-so. The ahi poke taco appetizers were delicious, and we will definitely order those again, as well as the sea bass. I had assumed the mai tai was the original Don's recipe (I went to the Corona del Mar Don's a couple of times with my parents as a kid, but I wasn't yet of mai tai drinking age at that point). We will come back on a weeknight or a non-special event weekend night. We probably should have either come earlier to eat (though time-wise that wasn't possible for us), or just eaten at home and come earlier for Tikiyaki Orchestra as we ended up missing the first set and not really having a seat. But it is great to see the old Sam's continue as Dons, and we will be back.