Chef Mavro

Our dinner began with an orientation to the menu. Chef George Mavrothalassitis' tasting menus rotate quarterly with the seasons. Wine pairings are selected by a vote of the restaurant staff--there is no separate wine menu. On the night we dined, there were three different tasting menus, each with no repeats from the others: a three course ($65/$99 with wine), a four course ($71/$115 with wine) and a six course ($102/$148 with wine). Unlike many places, substitutions are encouraged. If you see something from a different tasting menu that you can't live without, you can trade. If you want it all, a Chef's Table menu ($150/$212 with wine) offers quarter portions of everything.

We were celebrating tonight, so we each chose the Six Course, with wine pairings.

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six courses

SAUTÉED HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS
poha berries, spiced kabocha bread, braised leeks, balsamic-foie gras glaze
Kerpen 2003 Riesling Spätlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

ONAGA FILLET
marinated with fennel, "Big Wave" tomatoes, vegetables á la Grecque, sauce raíte
Domaine Baron, 2004 Sauvignon, Touraine, France

KEAHOLE LOBSTER A LA COQUE
Kahuku corn cake with lobster coral, cucumber glazed with essence of mint, pomegranate yogurt sauce
Lynmar 2004 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, California

ROASTED MOUNTAIN MEADOW LAMB LOIN
medaillons dusted with cépes, eggplant with ajwain accent, baked aliʻi mushrooms, confit tomato, lamb jus
Badia A Coltibuouno 2000 Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy

BIG ISLAND GOAT CHEESE "TATIN"
li hing mui caramelized apples, upcountry baby greens
La Spinetta 2005 Moscato d' Asti, Biancospino, Italy

CHOCOLATE AUX ESPICES
chocolate bavaroise cream wrapped in mochi, licorice ice cream, black currant sauce
Ramos Pinto 1998 LBV Port, Portugal

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I'd like to kiss whomever invented the amuse bouche, those bite-sized morsels brought out before the meal officially begins. The perfect amuse bouche is a playful surprise to awaken both mouth and mind. Ours was a cold carrot soup, seasoned with cumin and orange then topped coconut foam and dusted with curry. The best part: it was served with a straw. The carrots had a slight bitterness, but I laughed at the presentation. Drinking soup through a straw!

The first course was slice of foie gras sitting on a bed of braised leeks, a play on liver and onions. In my experience, most opportunities to taste foie gras are presentations that treat it like a superstar. (It costs so much, might as well feature it.) In contrast, Chef Mavro has created an ensemble plate where the foie gras doesn't play the role of diva. As Junko put it, "Try a spoon with a little bit of everything at once: foie gras, berry, crisp and glaze. It works as a team. Now sip the wine. Wow." This turned out to be her favorite plate of the evening.

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MARBLED TAKO
finely sliced octopus, ponzu sauce, salmon roe, green papaya salad
Leasingham 2004 Riesling, Clare Valley, Australia
substituted from the three course menu

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After hearing about the marbled tako from Gail, we had decided to swap one of our foie gras courses. The tako consisted of translucent slices of octopus, topped with salmon roe, shaved papaya, ponzu sauce and specks of shiso. Such a simple dish, but such pure flavors. The exquisite tako, combined with crunchy papaya and a shiso high note was in perfect balance. It was my favorite plate of the evening, despite what I felt was a weak wine pairing.

Most notable about the poached onaga was that it was served with "sauce raite," a reduction of red wine, capers and anchovies and paired with a Sauvignon. It's unusual to see onaga paired with red wine, but the combination was bold and satisfying.

Too often I've had rubbery lobster, but the Keahole lobster was buttery and tender, served alongside a piquant yogurt and pomegranate sauce. The fullness of the Chardonnay kept the sauce from becoming too tart and helped the lobster to shine.

The lamb loin was exceptional, but the accompanying confit tomato stole the spotlight. Cooked overnight at 140 degrees, the slow roasting took all the goodness and sweetness from a whole bushel of tomatoes and concentrated it into the size of a golf ball. I could eat a whole meal of these tomatoes alone.

Li hing mui brought a local twist to the Goat Cheese Tatin. Lemon, chives, goat cheese and tart apples turned upside down but well-married. The apples of the Moscato echoed those in the tatin; a straightforward but effective wine pairing.

Before diving in to the dessert course, we were given watermelon mint in champagne jelly to "recalibrate the palate." Light and refreshing, a Jello for adults.

As our server brought us our Chocolate Aux Espices, she noted with some amusement that the Chef always has one weird dessert on the menu. By this point in the meal, we were ready to trust anything they brought. The combination of chocolate, mochi, licorice and black currant was foreign but fascinating. I'd order this one again for the novelty.

To top off the meal, we were given a small plate of mignardises: rose petal Turkish delights, espresso truffles and apple walnut baklava, each exceptional in their own way.

Just when we thought we were done, the sommelier brought out several additional desserts and their wines, "compliments of the kitchen." We were comfortably stuffed, but who can turn down creations like these...

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FIGS POACHED IN BURGUNDY WINE
candied walnuts, cinnamon wine reduction, Hawaiian Vanilla Vineyard mascarpone parfait
Maculan Estate 2004 Dindarello, Italy
from the three course menu

LILIKOI MALASADAS
guava coulis, pineapple-coconut ice cream
Blandy's Malmsey Madiera 5 year, Portugal
from the four course menu

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The poached figs were my favorite of the desserts, rich with burgundy. My only regret was that the parade of food was dulling my palate and brain. There's only so much I can absorb in one sitting.

Only one dish has returned to the seasonal menus year after year, and with good reason. The lilikoi malasadas, although not as daring as the Chocolate Aux Espices, elevate the popular local sweet to new levels. And with those, we cried, "mercy!" Our meal, three hours later, was complete.

I can't say enough good about the service at Chef Mavro. The extremely knowledgeable staff was professional but warm, willing to answer our myriad questions about each course. The sommelier personally poured each wine and helped talk us through what we were experiencing. Chef Mavrothalassitis made his way to each table during the evening and spent several minutes chatting with us, making us feel welcome. It was fine dining throughout, but with that personal touch that let us know they were glad to have us with them for the night.

Reading back across my notes above, I don't feel I've done justice to our remarkable meal. Translating the dinner into words is like trying to describe to someone a sunset across the Pacific. You need to experience it for yourself. As for us, we're already looking for our next "special occasion" so we can have an excuse to revisit the best meal we've had on Oahu. It blew our expectations away.

chef mavro
1969 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 944-4714
www.chefmavro.com

Other reviews:
→ Gail, bless her heart, can't help but write about Chef Mavro after every visit. Now I understand.
→ Bill Hunt adds Chef Mavro to his short list of Hawaii restaurants not to be missed. (Scroll down near the end.)
→ A Gayot review of Chef Mavro.
→ Valentines at Chef Mavro
→ The Winter 2007 menu
→ Chef Mavro opens new restaurant, Cassis Honolulu