Valentines at Chef Mavro

Valentines Day. Many people hate it, or at best endure it as a necessary but not quite pleasant obligation. Then there are the incorrigible romantics like me, itching for excuses to celebrate (and not just on February 14th). For us, a good celebration means good food and so Junko and I found ourselves at Chef Mavro for Valentines Day eating some of the best food on the island.

The menu has changed since our last visit but not the Mavro mojo. Favorite moments from our meal...

Most playful course: Fois Gras au Torchon, a technique where foie gras is cooked in a towel. The foie gras was then wrapped in seaweed and presented like nori sushi, if nori sushi tasted like heaven and had the smoothness of melted butter.
Best taste of the night: Braised Short Ribs on Truffle Accented Celery Root Purée. The meat was so tender it was just looking for any excuse to dissolve apart, and the purée was rich with the aroma of white truffles. Served alongside were brussel sprouts and the intended headliner of the plate, Kobe-style beef, but it was the short ribs that won our hearts and mouths.

Most memorable part of the evening: believe it or not it wasn't the food. The best part--besides my sweetheart, of course--was watching the other diners. Looking around the room we saw couples, some of whom were sitting here for the first time. Let's be honest for a sec. With the unfamiliar food and formal setting, fine dining can be intimidating. Yet I watched the same scene unfold at table after table. A new course would be presented. The couple would taste and smile, and in some cases literally laugh with delight. They may have started the meal nervously, but the enjoyment washed that all away.

No one really knows what happens in the kitchen back there but we were witnessing it's magic. The food was so delicious and fun that it helped diners to relax and enjoy their evening. I'm probably romanticizing again, but I like to think that tonight Chef Mavro helped convert a few more people from enduring Valentines Day to celebrating it.

Junko, Chef and me. Three is not a crowd.

Related posts:

→ Read about our first visit to Chef Mavro this past Fall.
→ Two years ago today we celebrated Valentines at Alan Wong's: A Dinner Drama in Four Acts.
→ The Winter 2007 menu
→ Chef Mavro opens new restaurant, Cassis Honolulu