On the menu: Soufflé pancakes star at Aloha Kitchen

Nadine Kam photos
The fruit soufflé pancake is a top seller at Aloha Kitchen. As of this writing, $17.

If not for some intrepid chefs’ obsessions, we would not have the innovations in cuisine we have seen over time.

On one trajectory are global culinary movements flowing from nouvelle to fusion to molecular gastronomy. On the other is the simple joy of seeing just how far experimentation can push one particular dish to exalted heights.

Americans are accustomed to seeing pancakes and flapjacks in familiar stackable form because we’re comfortable with the homey sight. Not everyone has the same upbringing, but I associate pancakes with leisurely weekends at home, waking up to the sizzle of the griddle and sitting down with the family and a nice big bottle of Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup. Depending on your family tradition, that stack might have been accompanied by marmalade, jam or jelly, a tradition in no need of a remake.

A side view of this chocolate-banana soufflé pancake ($15) gives you an idea of the height of these babies.

But for people from Japan, raised on breakfasts of rice, miso soup, fish and natto, a pancake is something foreign that could use improvement. And so the tweaking began. How could they make these flat, flabby, chewy and somewhat leaden discs more exciting?

Enter the new, inflated eggy soufflé pancake. It has reached epic proportion at Aloha Kitchen in Waikiki, owned by Japanese Olympic trainer Toshi­yuki Yamamoto, who also owns a chain of restaurants in Japan.

Just because he trains elite athletes, don’t assume he’s aiming to impose diet restrictions on the rest of us. The proof is in the soufflé pancakes that are equivalent to eating cake for breakfast. These are as big as a cheesecake. Outside, the texture is like a light chiffon cake. Inside, it has a silky, custardy meringue texture that is easy to devour, but much more substantial and satisfying than an egg-white soufflé.

The soufflé pancake is the highlight of the breakfast menu, topped with various fruit combinations. Considering the size and probable calories involved, I assume it’s meant to be shared, though I have no doubt I could eat the whole thing myself.
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Aloha Kitchen is at 432 Ena Road. Call (808) 943-6105.

They do savory breakfasts as well, such as this eggs Benedict with succulent marinated ham.

If you have the stomach for rich foods, the lobster risotto is not to be missed, made with 18-month aged Parmesan and a satisfying helping of lobster; currently $18 and available day and night.

Arancino at the Kahala offers V-Day menu

Nadine Kam photos
Insalata ai Frutti di Mare is the antipasto course on Arancino at The Kahala’s Valentine’s Day menu. A closer look is available below.

Time is running out to make your reservations for Valentine’s Day next Saturday. Arancino at The Kahala offered a reminder with a preview of its $89 per person Valentine’s Day menu that will be available from from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 14.

The presentation starts with an amuse and bread platter before launching into the four-course prix fixe menu that hits all the romantic notes, starting with a beautiful aphrodisiac seafood platter, Insalata ai Frutti di Mare, featuring ahi, Kona kampachi, sweet uni, grilled abalone, amaebi and scallop. The plate is ornamented with touches of red and green microgreens, and such is chef Daisuke Hamamoto’s deft, artistic eye, that not a leaf is out of place. When I tried to alter his arrangement by moving one leaf for a photo, it looked dreadfully wrong, so I quickly returned the dish to its proper form.


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Next up is the primo course which offers a choice of Linguine con Granchio e Pomodoro (king crab and tomato), or Risotto al Vino Rosso con Anatra. Although the latter is not much to look at—even when dressed in thin strips of fried Tokyo negi and a touch of gold leaf—it offers a pleasant departure from typical risotto dishes, colored with wine in the spirit of the holiday associated with the color red. (The result is more purple.) The risotto is topped with a small serving of grilled Muscovy duck.

Decadence arrives with the secondo course of Filetto di Manzo alla Griglia, a strip of grilled organic U.S. Prime tenderloin accompanied by two pieces of sautéed foie gras, two gnocchi-like servings of truffle mashed potatoes, and a red wine reduction sauce. Cut and layered the multiple offerings to reach nirvana.

And, just when you think you’re too full to eat another bite, dessert of Torta al Cioccolato arrives as a light and airy chocolate mousse surrounded by a textured sheet of chocolate. Not everyone will notice how different it is from other desserts in town, but I appreciated its barely there delicate candy snap immensely and could not figure out how this was achieved.

Arancino VP Aya Inamura shed some light, explaining the shell is airbrush sprayed chocolate that hardens around the mousse. Bamboo charcoal in the chocolate gives the mixture its deep, mysterious black color.

Add wine pairings for the four courses for $29 per person, and for your entertainment, accordion player Wallen Ellingson will perform romantic tunes to set the mood.

Here’s a look at what’s on the table:

 Amuse of prosciutto and fig.

The Insalata ai Frutti di Mare is a beautiful melange of maguro, uni, buttery Kona kampachi and scallop sashimi festooned with microgreens.

 Linguine con Ganchio e Pomodoro (king crab and tomato) is one of two Primo course options. This dish is paired with Dobbes pinot noir.

The secondo course is a Filetto di Manzo all Griglia, grilled organic U.S. prime tenderloin accompanied by two pieces of sautéed foie gras, truffled mashed potatoes presented like gnocchi, and red wine reduction. Paired with Gianfranco Bovio barolo. Tableside truffle service by chef Hamamoto will be $20 per person.

 Dessert of Torta al Cioccolato. I don’t even know how they got such a beautiful, delicate chocolate sheath around the mousse. Sublime. Paired with Branchetto Banfi. Below, a detail of raspberries and gold flake.

Such is Hamamoto’s attention to detail that a close inspection of the plate reveals such details as gold flake and tapioca powder in addition to raspberries and flower petals.

Four Hawaii restaurants make OpenTable's Top 100 'Most Romantic' list

Leni Knight photo
From left, Shige Purdy, Todd Capela and Julio Caetano welcome lovers to Michel’s at the Colony Surf on Valentine’s Day. The restaurant is one of four that made OpenTable.com’s list of 2015 Most Romantic Restaurants in the United States.

In time for your Valentine’s Day planning, Open Table has released its 2015 Diners’ Choice Award winners for the Top 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America, including four in Hawaii.

The list reflects opinions gleaned from more than 5 million restaurant reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2014, for more than 20,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Hawaii’s most romantic, according to Open Table users are:

>> Brown’s Beach House at The Fairmont Orchid, Kohala Coast

>> Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante, Wailea, Maui

>> La Mer at Halekulani Hotel, Waikiki

>> Michel’s at the Colony Surf, Waikiki

Leni Knight photo
Chef Hardy Kintscher’s classic French dishes, often incorporating local ingredients, are crowd pleasers.

The list comprises restaurants in 31 states and Washington, D.C. California has the greatest number of winners with 15, followed by New York, Texas and Virginia with eight each, and Arizona, Florida and North Carolina with seven apiece, and Nevada with five.

Colorado, Hawaii and Illinois each have four. The complete list is at: www.opentable.com/most-romantic-restaurants-in-america/

I happened to dine at Michel’s Feb. 4, and even though I was with girlfriends, I can vouch for the still-romantic-after-all-these-years vibe of the restaurant, from executive chef Eberhard “Hardy” Kintscher’s classic French menu to the mood-setting expanse of beach and sunset, to the hospitality and indulgent service.

Nadine Kam photos
Part of Michel’s charm and romance is its beach setting with beautiful sunsets just outside its windows that are open save for blustery days.

Few restaurants offer showmanship on the dining room floor these days, but here, the wait staff are called on to risk singed hair for flambé dishes, and to plate and create a sauce as well as any professional chef.

On the menu for Valentine’s Day will be an amuse of Scottish smoked salmon and bay shrimp; first course of creamy abalone and wild mushroom chowder; second course choices of Big Island beef carpaccio, warm Maine lobster salad, or Pacific oysters on ice or baked Rockefeller style; main course of bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin or grilled mahimahi; and dessert of white chocolate mascarpone cheesecake or Belgian dark chocolate-strawberry coupe. The cost is $150 excluding tax and tip.

Michel's is at 2895 Kalakaua Ave. Call (808) 923-6552. Here’s a look at what might be on the table on a more typical day:

The danger of escargot is filling up on bread to get every last drop of garlic herbed butter before the meal even begins.

Seared diver scallop in passionfruit-white wine sauce with angel hair and micro cilantro.


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Vino hosts Oregon summer truffle encore dinner

Nadine Kam photos
Truffle accented roasted bone marrow with braised shortrib ragu was on the menu during last week’s Truffle Wednesday event at Vino. One of my friends was leery of tackling marrow for the first time, but she ended up being the one to scrape the bone clean.

Oh heart be still. Vino chef Keith Endo and Master Sommelier sent out word last week of securing a pound of Oregon summer truffles that inspired a short menu of Wednesday night specials.

I love truffles so had to be there, but didn’t post anything afterward because I don’t like to tease people with events they can no longer attend.

But guess what? Another batch of the Oregon truffles has been secured and an encore “Truffle Wednesday” event will take place tomorrow, Feb. 4 at Vino.

The a la carte menu—offered in addition to the regular menu—is completely different from last week, but Endo rarely makes a misstep. Here’s what you can look forward to:

>> “BLT” house-cured smoked bacon, organic egg, Hauula tomato and shaved black truffle.

>> Black truffle risotto of Cararoli rice, Maui onions, black truffle and beef “katsuoboshi” onion jus.

>> Lobster and carrot mezaluna with Kona Maine lobster, tarragon butter and black truffle.

>> Hudson Valley foie gras and truffle agnolotti with port wine and truffle demi.

>> Wild mushroom pizza with red wine-braised short rib, Nalo Swiss chard, frisée and black truffle.

>> Hamakua Ali’i mushroon bisque with housemade ricotta, lardons and truffled grilled cheese.

To give you an idea of prices, last week's menu ranged from $14.50 for ravioli di ouvo to $18.50 for red wine-braised shortribs.

Vino is at 500 Ala Moana Boulevard. Reserve at 524-8466.

Some of the dishes featured last week:

Ravioli di Ouvo with housemade lemon ricotta, sage brown butter and shaved fresh truffles.

Homemade tagliatelle with parsley, organic butter and truffle.

Red-wine braised short rib with foie gras, carmelized Maui onions and fresh black truffles.

Grilled white asparagus, with homemade beef jerky and warm truffle vinaigrette.

MW cafe series hones in on Hawaii chocolate

Nadine Kam photos
The Evolution of Chocolate dessert highlighted flavors from several aspects of chocolate production, including a tart and fruity sorbet with essence derived from the pulp of the cacao pod.

Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka continue to be the hardest working couple in the biz. If it seems like I’m always at their MW Restaurant, it’s because they are so creative in coming up with new ideas, and tireless in their execution.

On the heels of their Secret Menu dinner I documented yesterday, was their Chocolate Cafe, the inaugural event for a series that will highlightvarious island ingredients throughout the year; in this case, chocolate from around the islands.

The event took place in MW’s new private dining room, with patrons lining up to indulge in all manner of savory and sweet treats priced from $3 to $18. Orders were taken at the door, and chocolate lovers could opt to eat in or take out, though trying to find a table was a squeeze in the 40-capacity room.

Dishes proved to be irresistible, but after trying to share a hot chocolate, it was so good I wanted my own, and oh boy was that filling! I think all of us were willing to risk a tummy ache later for ambrosia NOW!

Plans are to host a themed event once a month, the next one highlighting products from Naked Cow Dairy, pitting cow vs. goat milk. I have a feeling I would be drawn to the goat team, but with the goods in their capable hands, I may be surprised.

Follow www.facebook.com/pages/MW-Restaurant/121306648044497 for updates.

Michelle Karr-Ueoka, friend of cacao.

Savory items on the menu included a beautiful grilled chicken mole, and below, pork chili.

Chocolate bruschetta.

Treats packaged to go.

All items made the long journey from pod to finished form. Among speakers that day was Madre Chocolate's Nat Bletter, who talked of his first time making chocolate in his New York apartment. He now offers a $24.80 .bean-to-bar kit to help guide others in the process.

The 'Secret' is out

Nadine Kam photos
MW Restaurant’s Secret Menu dinner that took place Jan. 22 started with a quartet of hand-passed canapes.

Foodies are a restless lot. While others are content with their teri beef plates, loco mocos and poke bowls, the foodie is constantly prowling about, sniffing out the best new thing to put in his or her mouth.

Instead of waiting for things to happen, foodie Sean Morris seems to enjoy prodding chefs to make things happen. He’s a fan of secret and hidden menus, full of dishes chefs are capable of creating apart from their regular menus, and arranged such a meal at MW restaurant for 10 of his fellow food enthusiasts.

But when he found out Thursday’s dinner would be held in the restaurant’s new, adjoining private dining room, he thought it might be a waste of owners Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka’s time, so to make it worthwhile, he promised to fill the 40-seat room. A simple post to Facebook did the trick, with fellow foodies shelling out $70 apiece to partake in the special dinner.

MW Restaurant’s Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka introduced the dinner and their secret ingredient.

In the spirit of fun and with a little bit of showbiz flair, the Ueokas introduced the dinner with a mystery brown paper bag containing a secret ingredient that would permeate the meal. And, ta-da, from out of the bag, they pulled a foodie favorite, foie gras.

Beyond the main courses, details like housemade Naked Cow milk butter, with its marvelous straight-from-the-farm stinky cow aroma, were well appreciated.

My aim here is not to tease, but inform, so I wanted to let you know you can enjoy any of the secret menu dishes with 48-hour notice. You might also want to note the Kona lobster cannelloni was the consensus savory-side hit of the evening.

Smoked tako canape, and below, arancini. Before dessert’s arrival, we were also treated to airy potato beignets.

Kabayaki unagi over foie gras fried rice was the first of the main courses.

Kona lobster-filled cannelloni was also crowned with the shellfish and served with a tomato ragout, the savory-side hit of the evening.

Smoky Kurobuta pork loin in an upscale dish of kalua pig and cabbage was the most filling dish of the evening.

Beneath the chocolate tuille was “one way” of Waialua chocolate mousse served “two ways.” The one in the cup was in standard mousse form, although at first glance I thought it was a souffle and was surprised when I slipped in my spoon. The other “way” was dehydrated mousse.

The evening left many asking when the next secret dinner would take place. There are at least five restaurants interested in hosting the next dinners, and right now, one every other month seems to be a workable goal. And of course they will take place at restaurants Morris — whose taste is most in line with mine out of everybody I know — loves.

You can stay informed by following Sean Morris on Facebook or @incurablepicure on Twitter.

First Bite: Waikiki Sand Villa's Wood & Bucket

Nadine Kam photos
Oysters presented during Wood & Bucket’s Jan. 9 grand opening are $3 apiece, topped with tomato and jalapeño salsa.

There’s something cooking at the Waikiki Sand Villa Hotel. At one time it was home to The Noodle Shop and the comedy/music trio if Frank de Lima and Na Kolohe. Then at some point in the ’90s, or maybe sooner, it went quiet.

Now all of a sudden, there’s been a burst of activity. Perhaps motivated by the popularity of the poolside Il Buco, an unassuming gem of a wine bar, hotel management has gone forward and refurbished the former street front Sand Bar, and rechristened it Wood & Bucket.

Company president Hiroki Shuto was in town to celebrate the bar’s grand opening on Jan. 9, saying he’s wanted to make changes since 1987, and along with the redesign, thought the name change was necessary.

The name Wood & Bucket is one of the most nonsensical I’ve heard lately, and has no deep meaning save for the fact that most of the interior comprises wood, and the menu comprises a bucket of ambitious and far-flung ideas. That is typically the starting point for the naming of a thing, but that is as far as they went. But, should you happen to find yourself there on Super Bowl Sunday or beyond, you will find a casual, no-nonsense setting with some classic bar fare as well as more upscale temptations on shareable big and small plates.

The food is the work of chef Winston Madayag, formerly at Top of Waikiki, Ruth's Chris Steak House, and Fresco.

Added bonus No. 1: Night owls will be happy to know it’s open until 4 a.m. daily for those late-night or early morning munchies.

Added bonus No. 2: Before or after a visit, you can rest your feet in the warm water of the hotel’s free ashiyu, or solar-powered foot spa, a pleasant way to end the day.
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The Waikiki Sand Villa hotel is located at 2375 Ala Wai Boulevard; cross street is Kanekapolei. Call (808) 922-4744.

My favorite dish here was the lamb lollipops with five-spice and cumin.

I loved the buttery polenta on a small plate of polenta and BBQ shrimp, which was quite bland. The polenta was nice compensation, but may be too rich for some, so I thought the portion was perfect, at $8.

The kalbi tapa comprises a few pieces of boneless shortrib with sides of kim chee and mac salad, $7.

Tortilla Española with a filling of sliced potatoes and onions was just OK. It could have used a bit of spice and heat. The anchovies on top were not enough to flavor the entire omelet.

A classic caprese had an extra layer of chorizo, $5.

Seafood pescatore is one of the bar’s entrée plates, at $16. It was rather dry when I was there, and if you want pasta, you will be better off heading to the Waikiki Sand Villa’s poolside wine bar, Il Buco.

Sizzling New York steak platter, $17.

Sweet lilikoi ribs and the polenta and ribs were among the sample dishes at the Jan. 9 grand opening.