I had a truly wonderful dining experience. The quality of both the food and the service was exceptional -- it genuinely felt as if I were dining in Japan.
If you look at my photos, you can see some of the course menu they provided. I was especially impressed by the freshness of the chicken. The restaurant sources its chicken from the Big Island and ships it fresh via FedEx rather than using frozen products. You can really taste the difference.
Every dish was excellent, but the liver was particularly memorable -- incredibly fresh, rich, and almost melting in texture. I also loved the vegetables, especially the eggplant and the purple yam with homemade Bagna Cauda sauce, which was absolutely delicious.
The grilled eel was another highlight. Cooked over Binchotan, the special Japanese charcoal, it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and simply incredible.
The final dish, a chicken, mitsuba, and gobo takikomi gohan cooked in a Donabe, was exceptionally flavorful. To top it off, they made onigiri from the leftover rice for me to take home, and it was just as enjoyable the next day.
Chef Ikeda's grilling technique is phenomenal. Watching him work the fire while preparing the yakitori was almost like watching an artist perform -- the way he controls the flames with his movements is truly impressive.
My only concern is that the restaurant currently serves only 10 guests per day. I hope they will be able to maintain this extraordinary level of quality once they fully open, especially when Chef Ikeda is away at his New York restaurant.
Overall, thank you for a wonderful, wonderful dinner. I'm already looking forward to returning! read more