Aku Eats Oahu : a closer look : 3660, a closer look

3660, a closer look

Aloha Everyone!

10/3/08 - Boy, did we have ourselves one special evening! Having already been to 3660 on the Rise several times in the past, I already knew what to expect when wifey and I stopped by a couple nights ago, and that is, nothing short of a simply stellar experience. Outstanding. Fantabulous. No can beat, even!

As one of the original pioneers of Hawaii Regional/Pacific Rim dining, Chef/Owner Russel Siu has long been an influential figure in cutting-edge island cuisine. If there's a big-time culinary event in town, you're sure to find Chef Russel right there in the middle of the excitement, alongside fellow celebrity chefs like Alan Wong, Roy Yamaguchi, Chai Chaowasaree, and others. The many awards his restaurant has merited can't even be displayed in entirety, but I'd say a few plaques hanging on the wall are more than enough to say it all, from both local and internationally-recognized names like Hale Aina, Ilima, Honolulu Magazine, Wine Spectator, Zagat, and Gayot.

Located on the corner of Waialae and Wilhelmina Rise, the restaurant, along with several banquet rooms which can host 17 to 200 people, all occupy almost the entire ground floor of the posh 3660 Waialae building. There is a surprisingly large array of menu items at the banquet facility, all of which can be checked out, along with the restaurant menu and other buzz information, at www.3660.com.

Parking is found within the building by turning mauka (mountainside) up Wilhelmina Rise from Waialae ave., then taking an almost immediate right into the parking lot. In the event of overflow, find an open spot on the street or use the ProPark lot right behind (mauka), available for $4. Take note of streets when searching from out-of-town or for the first time, as the classy, granite-lined building is not exactly a place for large billboards and cheesy neon signs!

There is a sign right over the front doors of the restaurant, but it's not so easily seen from the street, and almost invisible to a moving car.

But enough with the logistics already. Let's get right into some serious eats!

We actually took our time ordering, soaking up the great atmosphere and leisurely ordering a couple of drinks to start with, along with a small Pacific oyster, served chilled on a half-shell and dressed with ginger vinaigrette and tobiko caviar. This fresh, briny, taste of the sea was excuisitely clean, according to wifey, and every bit as slurpingly-good as you'd find at any fancy sushi house or upscale izakaya around.

They were only $2.95 each, which was a bit of a pleasant surprise when read from the menu, but you find out why when it arrives, as the meat was comparable to the size of a large clam - which, actually, is perfect as an inexpensive starter. It's a good way to get the taste buds rolling while also acquiring yet another visually appealing dish, diverting from, if even by a hair, the standard appetizer/entree/dessert format - and without breaking the bank! Wifey and I always appreciate tiny dishes because you can order more of them and get a better idea of what the restaurant is all about, especially at a place like this, where part of the allure is waiting with excited anticipation, wondering just what kinds of fresh, innovative ideas will be presented and embodied within each new course.

Perhaps the most nostalgia-filled, tried-and-true dish at 3660 is the ahi katsu. I still remember back to the beginnings of the Pacific Rim craze, when seared ahi was a featured item at every new restaurant, an obligatory starter on every reputable menu. Perhaps more than any other dish, it quickly became a kind of poster child for this new movement that had begun sweeping through the islands, this fusion that brought together European-style training and expertise with local ingredients and dishes, this unique style that Chef Russell and others helped foster and proliferate. One rather interesting aspect of seared ahi during this time was that it helped an entire generation of western-bred diners, who would not normally have ever dreamed of eating raw fish, to turn course and actually come to enjoy its many splendors! It was a kind of bridge that, coming with the full backing and powerful allure of the most sophisticated new restaurants, coaxed people into becoming comfortable with the whole idea of raw fish in general. Today, it's a given, but this wasn't always the case! Even I, myself, wasn't too fond of raw-anything as a kid, at least on the protein side, but it was dishes like this that helped wean me out of my cultural, and perhaps generational, phobia's.

The warm, crisp, golden-brown coating of the ahi katsu at 3660 provided a stunning contrast to the soft, cool, and luxurious, red centers, and that wasabi-ginger sauce it sat in was simply unbelievable. After all these years, this favorite ground-breaker is still here, no doubt slowly refined and honed over time to the brilliant perfection you see here. An absolutely flawless dish that is a must-order at 3660, even for the dining elite who have long been familiar with all kinds of seared ahi variations at every fancy-new restaurant from here to New York, Paris, or Tokyo.

Can anyone out there name their single favorite food item? Wifey can, almost - sushi. But that's a food group, not a single item. There are as many different kinds of sushi as there are fish in the sea, crustaceans that crawl, invertebrates that slime their way along; even four-legged creatures that gallop, oink, or moo. Like naming your all-time best song, movie, or restaurant, this is a most difficult question to answer. Most people have a set of favorites, but not "a" single favorite. I, however, am an acception to the rule. Without flinching, I can tell you that no other food type brings me as much satisfaction, as much sheer pleasure, as much blissful incredulity than... drum roll, please... foie gras!

There are many conscientious objectors to foie gras, which is literally duck or goose liver, because of the way the animals are treated before slaughter. They are actually force-fed by tubes several times a day for two to five weeks. These particular species are used because, unlike other fowl, they do not have a gag reflex, and have a capacity to fatten up quickly due to the natural processes undertaken in preparation for each coming winter.

During the last few weeks of farming, a mixture of grain mash, fats, and vitamins, usually, are used to fatten the birds before slaughter, causing their livers to abnormally swell up to 12X their normal sizes. That's pretty bad, even without mentioning the cooped up spaces they are confined to. PETA would not be happy at all. Actually, it is quite cruel. Moral dilemma? Maybe... But then again, I think we'd all be surprised at how many different animals are treated in much the same way before getting packaged into the naivete'-inducing, non-offending, conscience-easing final results we find in any supermarket or restaurant today.

But then again, as always, I digress. The foie gras we ordered was pan-seared and placed on a grilled butter brioche, then topped with Maui Pineapple/vanilla compote and a garnish of Italian parsley. The middle sections of the two rounded towers were actually another foie gras preparation called torchon, meaning it was wrapped in cheesecloth or some other towel, poached, and quickly chilled. On top of that sat a strawberry Riesling gelee. What is Pacific Rim these days without at least one gelee or foam, right?

Actually, I didn't much care for the chilled, mellower taste of the torchon, but the pan-seared, melt-in-your-mouth, hot version was everything I've come to expect from foie gras - a super-rich concentration of intense flavors that are altogether luscious, decadent, and downright out-of-control-fabulous. It's like taking butter, pork fat, Kobe beef, a touch of gamey lamb, and o-toro maguro and wrapping them all up into one savory slice! Scandalous, it is...

Along the way, wifey managed to put down two cocktails that 3660 is quite famous for, especially the lychee martini, which is made from a base of lychee juice, a real lychee, and vodka. The triangle-coned glass was really small, but the sweet, delicate, and smooth flavors made it all worth the portions. Her li hing margarita was the classic blend of tequila, triple sec, and lime, only there was a good deal of slush involved and also a healthy dusting of li hing powder, both inside and out. Both cocktails are sure-fire winners for any guy buying drinks for a special female companion. Or, of course, a female ordering for herself! I guess I'm always writing from a guy's perspective first, ey?

One bummer about this place is, that yeah, they have no shortage of femme-friendly cocktails, all your high-end cognacs, ports, and more for the high-rollers, and a sophisticated wine list that dwarfs the main menu, but where does this leave the beer guys? What to do with the crudes and savages like myself, who need a tall, frosty draft? To be fair, actually, draft-lovers often get short-changed in this respect at many upscale restaurants like these. I don't know why. I guess guys like us need a little more refinement, perhaps?

I hope you know I'm just over-dramatizing things. A good bottled beer is just that - really good, still. And Mehana is not a bad way to go, this particular pour coming with a full head, a dark-rich, amber color, and a strong, hoppy taste, a taste that was great for the two I ordered, but perhaps a little too strong had I asked for any more.

Moving on to the main courses, it was a difficult choice for me. There were several dishes that I knew would turn out fabulous, with rock-solid favorites like soy/sake-glazed butterfish, burgundy-braised shortrib of beef, masago arare-crusted ahi steak, and keawe-smoked, center-cut char siu pork chop, but seeing how we'd just eaten some pretty rich appetizers and were planning on saving some for dessert, as well, I decided to go with the small portion of a Chinese steamed fillet of fresh snapper. In this case, an opakapaka, and one of only a few items that came in two sizes.

This high-end, white-meat, flaky fish came in a light black bean broth, with a scattering of black beans and a medley of thinly-julienned vegetables like red bell pepper, yellow squash, and green onion. Now, if I want black-bean fish I'll normally hit up a Chinese restaurant and not a fancy Pacific Rim place like this, but the menu did say black bean broth, so this was a little different, and exactly what I was looking for, thank you, as I didn't want the strong taste of a full black-bean sauce to overpower the delicate opakapaka in any way.

Wifey's entree was a roast rack of macadamia nut-crusted Colorado lamb. Much to my delight, as much as wifey loved it, she could barely get down one rib before calling it quits - onaka ippai quite easily, you know. And that means...

It was with a sinister chuckle and a very grateful stomach that I tore into this fabulous lamb dish. I've had lamb at many high-end places, including once before right here at 3660, but this was, quite honestly, the best-tasting lamb I've ever had since that landmark first time experience with this exquisite meat over 15 years ago! I don't even remember the flavors of that initial evening long gone, but it was special for me not only because it was my awakening with lamb, but also because it was a double-aha moment, where I first experienced the powerful and overwhelming effect of how a pairing of good beer (or wine!) can totally accentuate the flavors of the meal in the most difficult to describe, absolutely surreal of ways! Pretty amazing stuff, it is. Magical, even.

This lamb was cooked perfectly, medium and pink in the middle, with a macadamia nut crust that was finely chopped, almost taking on the form of a crispy panko dusting. As I sliced through and allowed the individual mouthfuls of meat to soak up the dark-red cabernet mint sauce, I was especially appreciative, as it was just the added richness I prefer when enjoying lamb. Unlike a good steak, which doesn't get any better than grilled with nothing more than a seasoning of pure, natural rock-salt, I prefer lamb with a concentrated, luxurious sauce such as this to go with the naturally strong flavors of the lamb itself. But that's just me...

Stuffed from both entrees, I still went along with our original intention of ordering dessert. As always, we like to get as broad a cross-section as possible, so the obvious choice was a trio of mini-items, or a symphony, as they call it, of harlequin creme brulee, which was a mixture of vanilla bean custard and chocolate mousse; warm chocolate souffle cake, with a dense, super-moist but not quite running center; and a fancy carrot cake, the sweetest little slice of glorified sugar on the plate.

We finished the creme brulee, chocolate souffle cake, and a third of the carrot cake, but just barely. I wished I hadn't eaten so much lamb and opakapaka, so I could have finished that, as well... Actually, scratch that. What I really wanted to say was that I wish I had a bigger stomach, so I could have eaten everything!!! Yeah, I like that description much better... What was I thinking? Less lamb and opakapaka? Never!

3660 has everything you want for a special, island-style dining experience. The mood is a bit more relaxed than totally upscale, but never remotely lackadaisical, with friendly, informative, and helpful staff that cater to your every need without being intrusive. You just get the feel that they understand local-style ways, especially if you happen to get our particular waiter, who was breakin' out the pidgeon and seemingly intent on keeping us comfortable and satisfied.

With every city having its share of innovative restaurants offering the very latest of world-class culinary displays and talents, all highlighting their own specific and unique locations but yet employing global perspectives at the same time, Honolulu is no different by any measure. And if this is what you are looking for when visiting the islands, 3660 should definitely be there at or near the top of the list. Locals already know this by now, being an automatic mention when hosting friends from out-of-town looking for modern, fusion dining and island-style cuisine at its very best.

In leaving, I'll leave you with a final shot of just one section of the restaurant, fronting the kitchen.

Take care, and today, make it a particularly special day, allright? It is surely a worthy goal to strive for and commit to, yes?

Aloha till next time!

Aku

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