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Why write a whole page for one restaurant? Because it's the best of the best, and requires a little more space to do justice to the experience that comes from dining in an establishment such as this.
Where does one begin when one has an epiphany? Just as all the authors of our revered religious texts began their works with the creation of the universe when they had their respective epiphanies, as most storytellers start with events from the distant past and progress toward the conclusion, so too must we start at the beginning... Reservations. The hallmark of a fine restaurant begins with this initial contact with the paying public; it sets the tone for what is to come, and shows the level of concern the establishment has for the comfort and enjoyment of its patrons. The fact that the hostess who took our reservation asked if we were visiting them for a special occasion did not go unnoticed; a good restaurant will note that information and comp you something specifically because the dinner is a celebration of something. The dress code was spelled out for us politely but forcefully, which we appreciated -- nothing like dropping a few hundred dollars on dinner, only to have to put up with gawky teenagers in ripped jeans and wife-beater tee shirts wandering around the dining room to spoil one's appetite. For your information, they expect men to dress in slacks and dress shoes, with either a long-sleeved shirt and tie or a long- or short-sleeved shirt under a jacket, while for women, a blouse and skirt or evening dress is appropriate, or (since we ARE in Hawaii, after all), a tasteful muu-muu is also allowed.
We arrived and were seated by the window. The French doors are usually open to the night air, but this evening was windy and raining heavily, so we got to look out the windows at a roiling sea with gray, overcast skies and low visibility.
The evening began with a complimentary glass of Dom Perignon champagne and a pair of tiny ham and cheese quiches to whet our appetites. I should mention that the dining room is elegantly decorated with wood panels (koa?) ink printed with various outdoor scenes, and supporting beams are bedecked with ornamental woodwork. The lighting is kept quite low, but may be raised upon request; we were happy with things the way they were.
We decided on the price fixe menu degustation, which was more expensive than the usual a la carte and entree menus but which would give us a better overview of what the restaurant had to offer. In addition, we asked for wine pairing with the meal (we could have done so ourselves, but the wine list featured predominantly smaller artisan wineries from the French countryside, so we would have been lost regarding the differences between a pinot grigio from one winery or one from another one probably located only about ten miles away) The menu (with comments) was as follows:
Foie Gras Mousse with a Banyuls Wine Reduction -- served with a crisp wheat cracker, this helped to establish a flavor on our palates for what was to come.
Beer-tempura Battered Foie Gras served over Asparagus Flan with Banyuls Wine Reduction -- A very delicate opening course, crisp and warm, with the creamy, delectable texture and flavor one always associates with good foie gras. The flan was soft and smooth, without the heavy grassy notes I was expecting from a creamed asparagus preparation, and accented the foie gras very well. The reduction added a hint of sweetness and fruit, which complimented the aforementioned flavors perfectly. The course was accompanied by a small glass of the Banyuls, which is a French rendition of port wine (can't call it port, because it's not from Portugal). Sweet, mellow, and very fruity, the Banyuls was a refreshing accompaniment to our first course.
Tartares of Hamachi, Ahi, and Salmon with Ossetra Caviar -- Layered atop one another Napoleon-style, the fish was held together by a layer of creamy crab, and served with accents of green pea. The fish was quite fresh, and was accentuated by the saltiness of the caviar. This course and the next were accompanied by a glass of Sancerre "Reverday," a crisp, dry chablis with notes of citrus.
Sea Scallops Provencal Style with Chanterelles and Risotto on a Rosary of Fresh Tomatoes -- Risotto, for those of you who haven't had it before, is not necessarily the most difficult side dish to master, but one which many cooks don't bother to master. By simmering Arborio rice (a short-grained, somewhat glutinous rice) while adding just the right amount of liquid to keep it going and stirring constantly, you arrive at a state where the rice is creamy and flavorful, with the center of each grain still chewy without being hard or crunchy. Finally, we found someone who knows risotto; the scallops, mushrooms and tomatoes were almost secondary to the fine texture and flavor of the risotto underneath. Not neglecting the other ingredients in our survey, however; the scallops were still firm without being rubbery, and flavored well with the buttery sensation from the chanterelle mushrooms.
Spiny Lobster "Tristan" au Gratin on a Bed of Mushrooms and Glazed Angel Hair Pasta with Bercy Sauce -- I don't know what Bercy Sauce is (I tried to look it up, but couldn't find it), so maybe it's taught at higher levels of cuilinary training than Chris or I possess... but we liked it. The lobsters were young and sweet, with a light gratin covering them (don't think gritty bread crumbs like potatoes au gratin, think a smooth, slightly cheesy coating). The creamy sauce married well with the pasta, and the sauteed mushrooms still possessed a lot of their flavor (many cooks tend to cook the flavor right out of their fungal friends, leaving them limp and lifeless) This and the next dish were accompanied by a glass of Veriton, from Archery Summitt Winery in Oregon. This wine was dry, and crisp like the Sancerre, but was much more fruit forward without the citrus notes of the chablis.
Sauteed John Dory Fillet with Avocado on an Orange-Basil Butter Sauce -- Firm, flaky fish with just enough of a crust from the pan to give it a certain toastiness to the flavor, this was a culinary tour de force (I hate that phrase, but it really does fit here) The butter sauce was light and creamy, with hints of its flavoring ingredients without overpowering the fine taste of the fish.
Mussel Soup with Saffron -- sounds pretty simple, right? WRONG; a creamy seafood soup is always a minefield of possible mistakes: too much salt and the flavor is lost completely, too little salt and the flavor is flat and uninspiring, cooked too long and the flavors will never balance right, cooked too little and the flavors won't blend properly or you might have a funny aftertaste. The soup was done just right; in a word, this small offering was sublime. It shows the wonders of a simple dish done RIGHT, like a really good tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich -- easy to do if you know what you're doing, easy to fall into mediocrity if you don't. But when you get everything perfect, with all the ingredients going where you want them and doing what you want them to do, you arrive at nothing less than a gustatory revelation.
Lamb with Mushrooms, Monte Carlo and South of France Style Vegetables -- The lamb had been barded with bacon before roasting and slicing, imparting a wonderful smoky flavor to the meat. It was accompanied by a small sweet pearl onion and tomato, both stuffed with a rice-based stuffing, and a zucchini "tart." This was served with a Cote du Rhone, from Domaine Andre Brunel, a peppery, musky, dry red wine which was nonetheless very light and refreshing, particularly for a red. It brightened the flavors of this course, which could have been quite heavy without it -- some people like that, and therefore the waiter and sommolier gave us the option to choose a Pinot Noir instead, which was somewhat oakier than the Cote du Rhone, but we decided against the switch.
Selection of French Cheeses -- Classically, a dinner isn't complete without a cheese course, so why not? The restaurant offers a cart with about a dozen different cheeses. We decided on samples of Roquefort (the crumbly blue cheese we like when we can get it), a Pont-de-Neuf (creamy, very sharp cheese with a rind which will take your breath away, it's so strong), a chevre (fresh goat cheese, like feta but spreadable), and another very sharp cheese whose name escapes me but which I loved -- it had the consistency of Cheez Whiz, but had a flavor that was out of this world. The cheese was accompanied by walnut bread, walnut halves, grapes and dried apricots to help cleanse the palate between bites of cheese, so their individual flavors could be fully appreciated. We selected a glass of Taylor Flagate 20 year tawny port, which was... so good words escape me. Let's just say I'm going out hunting for it at the next available opportunity, because it was so smooth, fruity, and almost smoky in flavor.
Dessert Variation "La Mer" -- A selection of desserts offered by Executive Pastry Chef Christina Rosa and Assistant Pastry Chef Rick Chang: A pineapple parfait, garnished with a thin, dried slice of pineapple; a fruit compote of strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry; a fruit "tart" with fresh strawberry, blueberry, honeydew melon; a scoop of mango sorbet; a chocolate cup with almond cream and garnished with fresh fruit. We opted out of cognac or more port in favor of coffee at this point; even though the meal took place over nearly three hours, we were still pretty goofy from the wine and port from the previous seven courses. Along with the dessert plate we ordered with our meal, an extra dessert appeared -- a chocolate opera cake with a birthday candle in it for Chris, a truly decadent finale to a fine birthday meal.
As a finale on the evening (as if we hadn't already consumed our calorie count for the week in one meal), a selection of sweets and petit fours was presented to us, then boxed for our later enjoyment.
The service was friendly and helpful, timely and well-informed. The atmosphere was lovely, especially when the rain stopped and the sky cleared to allow a few rays of moonlight to peek through to illuminate the palms outside the French doors, and the warm, moist Hawaiian air drifted in once the doors were swung open to the night. And the bread kept coming -- up until dessert, the waitstaff made sure that we each had a petit pain and a small brioche on our bread plates at all times... I think that's how I ended up consuming half again the mass of food that Chris did, because I can't resist a good loaf of bread. *urp* The petit pain had a nice crust on it, with a warm fluffy interior and a pleasantly yeasty flavor, while the brioche was light and airy, with just a hint of sweetness to it.
Will an evening at La Mer cost you a bit? Of course, but you'll realize that it's worth every penny. Save up for it and treat yourself to a dining experience that is unequalled in Hawaii; you're worth it, and it's like nothing you've ever had before.
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