Alan Wong's (Honolulu) 7.27.14

After a short cab ride through the night to downtown Honolulu, we arrived at Alan Wong's, a restaurant situated on the third floor of an office building. Upon entering the elevator, pictures of the elegant offerings we might choose from adorned the walls and I could feel my excitement building for the final fine dining experience of our short stay in Hawaii.  I'm so glad that we saved Alan Wong's for our final night as it was a new and wonderful experience.

My husband had told the hostess when making the reservation that we were celebrating our 10 year anniversary so we were greeted with personalized menus that the restaurant staff had signed.  It definitely put an immediate smile on my face as I was gazing over the selections.

Chef Alan's Favorite Beer & Virgin Passion Fruit Mojito

We actually weren't planning to drink since we had a flight to catch the next morning, but my husband wanted to try Chef Alan's favorite beer, a Koshihikari Echigo “Lager” from Niigata, Japan, and there was a large selection of non-alcoholic cocktails & drinks so I went for the non-alcoholic passion fruit mojito, which was a really refreshing blend of passion fruit, lime, mint, watermelon and soda water.  Yum. 

Since it was our first time at Alan Wong's, we decided that my husband would break from his pescatarian ways (who are we really kidding, I actually decided this ;) ) and order "A Tasting of the Classics" menu while I would order a few dishes a la carte.  I eat more slowly than he does so I felt like my 3 dishes to his 5 would be fine, plus I figured that he had a "tasting" menu so he'd have plenty of room to help me with any leftovers I might have.  This second statement was, in fact, far from the truth.  Unlike most fine dining establishments where a tasting is a much smaller portion, Alan Wong's tasting menu is pretty substantial so for those of you checking it out, come on the hungrier side of fine dining...

By the way, before your first course arrives, you are served fresh warm house roles with a garlic aioli spread.  They are amazingly good, but be careful not to plow through too many or you won't have enough room for your actual meal.  

On to course 1: 

"Soup & Sandwich" & Chopped Ahi Sashimi & Avocado Salsa Stack

These were my husband's starters from the tasting menu.  The soup was a chilled Hamakua Springs tomato soup--a gazpacho--served with a parmesan crisp and a very fancy pig (foie gras & kalua pig) & goat dairy mozzarella grilled cheese sandwich.  The soup was a pleasant counterbalance to the richness of the sandwich and I really loved parmesan crisp.  The ahi sashimi was really fresh and the avocado salsa tasted like a pretty classic guacamole to me.  Again, it was a nice balance of richness with lightness & a nice textural contrast between the fish & avocado and the crunchy wonton base.  

 Richard Ha's Whole Tomato Salad

As soon as I saw this salad in my preview of the restaurant from the web page, I knew that I had to try it and it certainly didn't disappoint.  The blanched tomato is served on a bed of cucumbers with a Li Hing Mui Ume vinaigrette.  The tartness of the vinaigrette with the sweetness of the tomato and the crunch of the cucumber was AMAZING, one of my favorite dishes of the entire trip.  The dressing is like a haw-flake infused French dressing which I loved, but if you don't like French/Catalina dressings or haw flakes or if you're not into tomatoes (which are my favorite food in the world), I could see how this wouldn't be your thing.  It was completely up my alley though! 

Butter Poached Kona Cold Lobster with Keahole Abalone, Hamakua Heritage Enoki Mushrooms & Green Onion Oil 

Next on the tasting menu was the butter poached Kona cold lobster which was delicious.  Texturally the lobster was perfect--firm, not rubbery and the earthiness of the mushrooms was a really nice balance.  It's always entertaining to watch the bonito flakes dance atop any dish and there was a savory, earthy, overall sense to this dish. 

Kampachi Ceviche with Kaffir Lime & Chili Oil Granite

I'm a sucker for the kampachi/hamachi family of fish and of ceviche generally (I did marry a Peruvian) so when I saw this as the chef's special, I had to try it.  I have to say that this is the one dish of the night of which I wasn't a super fan.  It was extremely spicy with a lot of granite to very little fish.  The fish that was in the dish was perfect texturally, but it's natural flavor was drowned by the spiciness of the overall dish.  A little sad but definitely redeemed by my main course.

Oh sadness! The blurry picture! 

Ginger Crusted Onaga (red-tailed snapper) with miso-sesame vinaigrette, corn & mushrooms

I just tried a bite of this and, unfortunately for you, dear reader, there isn't much of a review to go with the poor picture :( It was a very well cooked piece of fish, but I don't remember much else about this.  When I asked my husband what he remembered, he replied, "yummy." (This is why I write the food blog.) He did say that the crumble on the top was savory, crunchy and tasty, but really I don't exactly know what that means.   However, since it was my anniversary, I guess not taking notes during the meal is to be expected...

Pan seared Opakapaka with shrimp-pork hash, truffle nage, gingered vegetables & tapioca pearls

This was my main course which I ordered because it was a classic dish, not really knowing what to expect.  What I got was absolutely amazing.  I am Chinese-American myself and this dish brought me back to some of the favorite Chinese dishes that I've eaten.  Generally, I prefer Japanese food to Chinese, particularly in the realm of fine dining, but this was a great change of pace.  It was like the tastiest steamed fish (I've never had a non-whole fish that was so tender) sans eyeball and on top was the shrimp-pork hash which reminded me of a very tasty shumai filling that complimented the fish nicely.  The truffle nage (or poaching broth) was also incredible--buttery and just a touch sweet.  I could have eaten that with rice as another meal (but I was pretty full at this point so I didn't actually eat much of the rice).  The vegetables were crunchy and while the ginger was present in the flavor, it wasn't overpowering.  A really excellent dish.  

Twice Cooked Short Rib, Soy Braised & Grilled "Kalbi" Style with Gingered Shrimp

I didn't try the shrimp on this dish, but the short rib was fantastic, both day of and as leftovers the day after.  Because of the double cooking, the meat was very tender.  If you are rewarming the day after (because your eyes were bigger than your stomach like ours were!), I'd recommend putting the short rib in a shallow bowl with a damp paper towel lightly draped over the edges to give it a little more moisture so that it retains the first day tenderness. 

Although we really didn't have room for dessert, the tasting menu came with a dessert: 

"The Coconut"

The coconut is a haupia (traditionally a Hawaiian coconut-milk based pudding) sorbet in a chocolate toasted coconut shell with yellow passionfruit (lilikoi) sauce and fresh fruit. This dessert was like the island on a plate.  It was so refreshing and simple, a delightful finish to the dinner.  While I was super full going into dessert, I couldn't help but eating more that I should have of the coconut because it was just so tasty. It wasn't quite as good as the Cherry Tobanyaki from Nobu, but it was definitely an excellent dessert. 

Chocolate Cheesecake Anniversary Dessert

We ended up taking most of this dessert home, but it was such a sweet (pun intended) gesture to include not only the signed menu, but also this beautiful plate at the end of our meal to celebrate our anniversary.  And before our check, there was a small plate of brittle coated macadamia nuts which we also ate the next day.  It was such a memorable evening and a memorable dinner.  

I honestly can't wait to return to Hawaii--the aloha spirit of the state was captivating--and the food was incredible.  When we're near an Alan Wong's, we'll be sure to make reservations for another fantastic meal.  If you only have time and/or budget for one fine dining meal on the island, my choice would have to be Alan Wong's--it is truly a Hawaiian experience worth having.  

Morimoto (Waikiki) 7.26.14

Another morning at home, thinking about how just 4 short days ago at this time, I was at Morimoto Waikiki having lunch.  I have to start this review by saying that I have a total fangirl crush on Masaharu Morimoto and have probably watched every Iron Chef (original & America) that he's on.  I love the concept of his food and that he just seems like a nice guy.  The first time I ate at a Morimoto restaurant was shortly after the opening of Morimoto Napa for my 6th wedding anniversary.  As the restaurant had just opened, Chef Morimoto himself was cooking there and signed my Morimoto cookbook. The omakase that night was truly one of the best meals that I had.  We had been back to the Napa locations a few times after that, when we lived in the Bay Area, and it just was never quite the same, but the last time we were there, I had a chirashi bowl for lunch and thought I had died and gone to heaven (the sushi rice is AMAZING) so we decided to try the Waikiki location for lunch.

Morimoto Soba Ale

So, it was a longish (1.2 mile) walk to Morimoto from our hotel and when we got there, we needed some liquid refreshment.  Morimoto is a little hidden in The Modern Honolulu hotel (it's across the street from Red Lobster), but we found it alright and were quickly seated.  The lunch crowd was pretty sparse, but there were two wedding parties and a larger birthday party there so plenty to keep them busy.  My husband ordered a Morimoto Soba Ale (he had tried it before at the Napa location so he knew he'd enjoy it).  Morimoto has a partnership with Rogue Ales to produce three speciality beers, the soba ale, an imperial pilsner, and a black obi soba.  I ordered an iced tea.  Pro-tip on the iced tea.  It was $7.  And it was not a fancy iced tea.  I understand that I was at a fine dining establishment, but $7 for non-specialty iced tea?!?!

Then, it was time for lunch.  

[Side note: Because we've had a lot of the specialities, we didn't end up ordering any of the appetizers, but I have to say that if you're at a Morimoto and haven't had a tartare (toro or hamachi), you really have to try one.  The tartares are amazing and super beautiful, pricy but worth it.]

Okay, on to our meal.  My husband, in his pescatarian ways, ordered the chirashi bowl: 

For those of you not particularly familiar with Japanese food, chirashi is assorted raw fish on a bed of sushi rice and Morimoto's is definitely one of the best.  I love that the chirashi bowl used a lot of local fish and the rice was the amazing slightly sweet, sticky goodness that I remember. If you're a a fan of raw fish or chirashi in general, it's completely worth the trek to any Morimoto for a chirashi bowl. 

"Loco Moto" Lunch Set

I decided to do the loco moto lunch set, which is Morimoto's take on loco moco, a Hawaiian classic dish.  Morimoto subs wagyu beef for the usual hamburger meat and uses an organic local egg with hayashi gravy (stewed onions & beef).  It was savory deliciousness, but really, really filling and pretty heavy for lunch on a warm day.  The rest of the set was also nice.  The miso soup had freshly cut silken tofu, the sushi was (as to be expected) fresh, and I loved the kabosu dressing on the mixed green salad which was a light counterbalance to the richness of the loco moco.  

Overall, I was pleased with our meal, but it wasn't my favorite on the island.  Morimoto still is my favorite celebrity chef though and I have a hard time imagining that changing any time soon. 

Nobu (Waikiki) 7.25.14

Just returned from a weekend in Waikiki for my 10th anniversary where we got to take advantage of the shopping, the beach, the hiking, and, of course, the food.  This will be the first in a series of fine dining blogs & then I'll probably end up doing a shorter, combined post on cheaper eats.

We started our anniversary weekend with dinner at Nobu, Waikiki.  The Nobu fine dining chain is one of my favorites in the world, so it seemed appropriate to start there. We got there in time for happy hour and started at the bar, where signature drinks were $8.  This is the Matushisa Martini:

Premium Hokusetsu Sake & Ketel One Vodka garnished with cucumbers

I don't drink much, but I took a sip of this cocktail just for good measure.  It was too boozy for me, but there are plenty of other signature cocktails that are sweeter and all of them are $8 at Happy Hour.  I actually had the Signature Shiso tea which was AMAZING (if you're a huge tea lover like I am).  It was a white peony tea with shiso, really subtle in its flavor and perfect for the post-flight headache that I walked in with.  

We decided that we wanted to focus on the local fish of the islands.  We've been to a couple other Nobu locations (Los Angeles & Las Vegas Hard Rock) so we thought we'd try dishes & specials that might be more unique to the Waikiki location, unfortunately, this means that I didn't catch all of the names of the fish that we ate, not being very well versed in Hawaiian fish names :( 

Whitefish Sashimi with Dried Miso

The whitefish sashimi with dried miso is one of our favorite Nobu dishes and the Nobu Waikiki version uses a local whitefish which is slightly firmer than the whitefish normally used at the other locations.  I love this dish because the citrus of the yuzu with the savory of the dried miso, and contrasting textures of the garlic chip & whitefish make a perfect combination in your mouth, with just a hint of onion from the chive.  So delicious! 

Bigeye Ahi Poke NOBU Style

Our next dish was the bigeye ahi poke Nobu style which was pretty much all local, from the island.  The bigeye tuna was locally caught and the seaweed & heart of palm garnish were also harvested from the island.  I had this seaweed several times during our stay on the island and I loved it.  It provided a nice textural crunch and saltiness without being very briny.  This wasn't my favorite dish, but my husband loved it (which is perfect because then we didn't fight over it ;) ) .  It was too earthy and savory and I'm not a huge heart of palm fan, but if you are, it's a great dish to try. 

Tempura Monchong with nori, jalapeño, cilantro, & red onion on a light ponzu tempura sauce

I don't think I've ever had Monchong before, but this was delicious.  The tempura batter was perfect, the sauce was light and it was really balanced on the palate.  I really enjoyed the hot crispy tempura with the freshness of the cilantro & onion and a bit of sweetness with the ponzu sauce.  

New Style Salmon Sashimi

New style salmon sashimi is my go-to dish at every Nobu.  I love it so much.  The salmon melts in your mouth and blends perfectly with the soy, sesame, hint of chili oil and chives. I loved the roasted tomato on the plate--the skin was crisp and it was delicious.  This is probably not my favorite rendition of this dish (I like it better at the Las Vegas Hard Rock location), but it was still definitely a winner. 

Finally, what took the cake (literally) was dessert: 

Drunken Cherry Tobanyaki

I think this is the best dessert I've ever had in my life. Zaya rum-soaked cherries, mochi sponge cake, macadamia nut brittle, warm spiced caramel and amaretto ice cream.  This was seriously AMAZING--as in, I am actually salivating writing this blog right now in remembering the taste of this dessert amazing.  The brittle with the amaretto ice cream & caramel were seriously magical.  I liked that the cherries weren't overly tart or sweet, but really balanced and the sponge cake was a really nice texture.  I seriously would eat this a million times.  In fact, I wish I was eating it right now.  

Well, that's a fitting note to end this blog on--as I look longingly for some poor substitute for some dessert around the house.  But, stay tuned for more culinary adventures from the Hawaii trip soon on the blog.