Back in June a new restaurant opened in my working ‘hood of Kaimuki — to much anticipation and hype.

SALT Kitchen & Tasting Bar was going to be the Next Big Thing, the new In Spot, the Scene to be Seen.

So I skipped it.

I’m not one for crowds, and I had heard SALT has become a hot spot for foodies and curious eaters. The downstairs bar would be packed on a weeknight!

So I waited until a couple of weeks ago — hey, that’s about a month after opening! — to see what the hype was all about.

And to figure out what the heck a charcuterie is.

(Turns out, a charcuterie — pronounced shahr-KOO-tuhr-ee — is a French culinary art of salting, smoking and curing pork. It’s also the name of the delicatessen-style shop where these specialties are sold.)

So we went to the unassuming two-story restaurant on Waialae Avenue to see what the fuss was about.

Here’s what we ate:

Potato salad

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We quickly ordered a plate of the potato salad ($4), halved white potatoes drizzled with lemon and olive oil and served cold. This was surprisingly addictive and flavorful, despite its simplicity.

Salt Kitchen & Tasting Bar, 3605 Waialae Ave. Hours: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. (food until midnight) daily. Phone: (808) 744-7567