Alan Wongs, a closer look

Aloha!

11/1/08 - Exquisite. Classy. Flawless. Contemporary island-style at its very best. What else can I say? Alan Wong's restaurant on South King St. is the absolute epitome, the very embodiment of Hawaii Regional/Pacific Rim dining. The whole experience is like a finely-tuned Swiss watch; a sleek, jet-black, custom-designed Bentley; an engine purring along with such precision that it almost sounds natural, like a gently rolling wave or waterfall. The effortless ease in which it's all put together here is quite something to behold, for sure.

Alan Wong's is not one of those places where you feel as if a jacket and tie need be worn, nor feel nervous about using the right fork or spoon, nor about making the wrong gestures or improperly placing an elbow or two on the table. Instead of a whole lot of haughty, imperial high-mindedness, there is instead a casual ambience that allows plenty of room to relax, probably because of the pervading island-style feel, without compromising one bit of the sophistication and attention to detail found in any French, Pacific Rim, or upscale Steak House restaurant. Though undeniably cutting edge, with a brand of stylish, haute, fusion cuisine that could hold its own in any large city across the nation or around the world, the whole operation is never pretentious, and never, ever reaching, and never having to appeal to the cruder elements of flash, glitz, and buzz to try to attract more attention. The dishes are a quiet blend of perfection and beauty, with all the confidence of something that just is, not something that wants to become. And the great thing is, that the same amazingly impeccable form that has kept this restaurant at the top since its very inception well over a decade ago also brings with it a discipline to remain humble and attached to its island roots and culture.

The very location on one-way South King St. is humble-looking, indeed, occupying a small building just before Pumehana St., and then the more well-known McCully St. shortly thereafter. The parking situation is valet only, unless you want to find a space somewhere on the road. However, at a mere $3 charge (without tip), and just for the fact that, hey, this is Alan Wong's, you may want to cloak the entire evening in style and let the guys deal with parking for you, instead.

The appetizers looked very interesting, with perhaps the most famous selection, Da Bag, a most tempting choice, indeed, coming as a generous portion of steamed clams, kalua pig, and shiitake mushrooms placed in a foil bag. Poor me, I still haven't tasted it yet, despite the raves I constantly hear about it. The new wave opihi (Hawaiian limpet) shooter was pleasantly surprising to see on the menu, coming in spicy tomato water infused with fennel, basil, ume, and shiso essences, as was the Big Island abalone with Hamakua Eryngi mushrooms and a drizzling of negi oil. Hot, rice-less "California" rolls were even more interesting, constructed with a baked lobster mousse wrapped in nori and a crab/avocado stuffing. Then there were also favorites like Hudson Valley foie gras, nori-wrapped ahi tempura, roast duck nachos, and more.

As good as everything sounded, wifey and I decided instead, what the heck, we may as well go all the way, straight to the top, with the whole shebang - a seven-course tasting menu! Nothing's better at any fine restaurant than trusting the chef to put together a whole slew of feature dishes, each working harmoniously in a specific order to maximize the experience and offer more variety. Imagine the magic that happens when Chef himself whips up a total of seven different dishes, each one paired with Wine Director Mark Shishido's matching selections, and each one designed to build off of eachother, purposefully leading to an intense climax of complementing flavors, all appealing to the finer, more subtle, more skillfully percieved perceptions that emanate from true artisanship and pride of craft. Whoops... of course, we didn't know all that yet! I'm just falling all over myself with excitement, is all, not quite able to hold back until the appropriate time. Leaking everywhere, I am.

While Wifey went with wine pairings, for $135, I, myself, stuck to a food-only offering, at $95. I just don't much care for wine, that's all.

Or do I.....?

Hmmmm.....

Instead, I ordered Alan Wong's favorite beer, a Japanese import called Koshihikari, from the Echigo Beer Company. If you favor Bud Light, Coors, Miller Genuine Draft, and other light-tasting beers, this pour is the ultimate step-up for you. It is just about the smoothest beer on the planet, which also means that it can appear a bit weak for some. Unlike the examples above, which are inexpensive and but mere steps above water, Koshihikari does have body and a sweet, lasting after-taste associated with good quality. When looking for a super-light hoppiness that won't overpower any dishes in the least, this is a great choice.

The first of seven courses was an attractive, squared-glass of raw Big Island-raised butterfish (first time I've had butterfish sashimi!), raw uni, and cooked lobster tail, all sitting on an abalone gelee and topped with a few very pretty varieties of gourmet-type greens.

The great attention to detail was evident in every aspect of this cold seafood salad, from its fresh, vibrant, locally grown greens to the slightly briny, clean taste of abalone and silky, yet firm texture of gelee on the bottom. The strong, pungent uni (sea urchin) is not exactly a dish for everyone, including myself, so I had to mix it in with butterfish and gelee to mellow it down a bit. Hey, anyone that gets me eating the stuff must be doing a heck of a job, for sure! Being a normally uni-averse person, I referred to wifey on the matter, who confirmed that the soft innards of this prickly creature was indeed about as fresh and delicious as they come. No such referrals were needed, however, with the lobster! Plucking the small portion of tail out and cutting it into several pieces, I savored each and every morsel of its tender, perfectly cooked, slightly salted flavors all by themselves. Fabulous.

This second course was perhaps the funnest and quirkiest of the evening, with elements that did mimic the savory liquid of soup and the body of a sandwich, only with more contrast. Much more contrast. First of all, the tomato soup was not hot but cool and refreshing, sweet but with a little bit of tartness, while the crispy layer of mozzarella played the part of another matching ingredient - potato chips! The sandwich was wrapped in a "bread" that was predominantly moist, but with just the right texture outside to loosely shadow a grilled cheese sandwich, while the inside, filled with foie gras and kalua pig, was meaty, super-rich, and super-delectable. And to put all of these competing personalities into one classy dish? Ve-ry happening...

Two courses into this meal, and I was already blown away.

Ok, ok, I'll get to the three main ingredients already! Here we had a mix of unagi (eel), foie gras, and pork hash. Now, pork hash is strong enough in itself, but in this particular dish it could actually serve as a mellowing agent to the other two! Taken all together, they blended seamlessly into yet another creatively decadent course.

"Very different," I thought. Very different, indeed.

Have I really arrived at that point where I could finally begin appreciating what I have long been envious of? First, it was hops and barley - through beer, that is, then rice, through sake - was it finally time to start recognizing and acknowledging the fine art of grape fermentation? Or, was this a fluke, a one-time, perhaps alcohol-induced abberation?

It's just that, way back in high school, I may have been scarred by a series of bad experiences. Weekend after weekend, our certain clique of friends would meet at a particular house to party the night away. Like clockwork, after 12am, when alcohol could no longer be purchased, we'd begin raiding the mom's stash of cheap wine - warm, and right from the box and spigot. Abhorrent, it was, but still, we kept drinking it, completely disregarding the sour, rancid taste that would linger on, right through 'til the next morning, when things got reeeally bad! Eventually, we stopped going there altogether, but by then my loathing of wine had already entrenched itself firmly around my young palate.

I guess it took many, many years of rehabilitative coaxing, along with the combination of Alan Wong's fine cuisine and Mark Shishido's excellent pairings, to once and for all bring healing to this once-deprived soul! I think I can finally begin to see the light of yet another art form, yet another world of appreciation that will add that much more interest and depth to my ever-growing love for the complete dining experience! We'll see in the days ahead what this leads to, but one thing is for certain, and that is, that I will forge forward on this matter with great anticipation. I'll probably start by talking to Big Al, who already has the nose and palate for fine wines. He'll certainly be amused that I'm now a convert!

Anywayz, we'd better move along. We're not even half-way there yet!

Next up was a steamed Kona Kampachi with truffle risotto flan. Risotto and flan? I was left wondering if it would be sweet or savory, and whether it was Italian, French, or Asian-influenced - you never know at a modern fusion restaurant! It actually turned out being very Asian in taste, with the flaky-white, super-clean taste of steamed kampachi being a welcome departure from the fatty-richness of previous dishes. The "flan" was not sweet at all, but savory, and more like a Japanese zosui than anything else, with a slight dashi flavor and taste of dried scallops throughout.

Even though the few experiences I've had with steak-cut (thick) Wagyu beef have not been the best, I decided to go with it anyway - Alan Wong's, you know... It's just that even at fine restaurants this luxurious meat is often cooked like any other steak, and left on the grill much too long. This causes the delicate fats, which are not your normal, hardier variety of fats, to quickly leach out of the meat, rendering it almost to the point of sirloin. Talk about defeating the whole purpose! Thin-cut, yakiniku-style, where the meat is literally cooked for a few seconds on each side, is best to take advantage of this expensive delicacy and, to me, one of a handful of favorite dining experiences I've encountered thus far.

In the case of thicker cuts of high-quality Wagyu, like the ones served here at alan Wong's, never, ever, should they be eaten well-done, or even medium, but always rare or medium-rare. This allows it to maintain its insanely high fat content, the most important aspect of this type of meat, and the biggest factor setting it apart from others. And sure enough, in another of a series of first's for me, this thick cut was cooked perfectly, on high heat and seared quickly, with the insides still pinkish-red and absolutely oozing with tender, fatty goodness. Bad for the body, maybe, but good for the soul!

For a further look into Wagyu (Japanese) beef, including the legendary Kobe and others, check out the Yakiniku section.

The Wagyu steak itself, like wifey's tenderloin, rested upon a bed of the best marinated Japanese ferns I've ever had in my life! As side-dishes, I loved the combination of different mini-towers constructed on the same oblong plate, all of which sat upon a base of lightly-grilled yamaimo medallions, or Japanese mountain potato. The discs were light, crisp, and refreshing, with that most yamaimo-like quality of sliminess that gave it yet another interesting contrast in texture.

The first tower, in the foreground, was a blend of vegetables in a kimchee sauce that came spicy, sweet, and savory all at the same time. In the middle sits a few whole, braised garlic cloves, while the far background contains shelled edamame pieces tossed in a kind of Hawaiian/Asian salsa. And for a touch of zest and a cool decoration, a whole calamansi lime was sliced into two pieces.

Locally, it has swept up so many Ilima, Hale Aina, and Honolulu Magazine Awards that the only surprise is when they don't win, a situation that doesn't come very often. All I can say, is that even if you gotta put away ten or twenty bucks every paycheck, you owe it to yourself to come give it a try at least once in your life.

I'll leave you with a parting shot of the menu, this time from the outside, since I've already given you a taste of the inside.

Hope you all are having a most enjoyable day! Still groggy from last night's Halloween reveling, are we?

Take care and aloha till next time, anywayz!

Aku