Bali by the Sea

An evening at Bali by the Sea is more than just a nice meal out. It's a trip to an earlier era, a time when dining was a classy affair. The first clue is the world class panoramic views looking out over the Pacific. The dining room decor is dated but nice, with tables for two under pools of cozy light, topped with white linens and heavy silverware. Pairs of waiters move discretely around the room in white dinner jackets and aquamarine bow ties to match the water outside. The guests have a dress code of their own: collared shirts, slacks and covered shoes for men, skirts or slacks for the ladies. Leave your board shorts and slippahs at home, this place has old school sophistication.

The menu is described as Pacific Rim cuisine but leans strongly towards tried-and-true preparations like insalata caprese, boullabaisse, filet mignon and rack of lamb. In each case, the classic dishes are given a small contemporary twist and include ingredients from around Hawaii.

For our meal we decided to both try the Chef's Five Course Tasting Menu, one with wine pairings ($90) and one without ($65). Before launching into the tasting menu itself, we were presented with a basket of lavosh, a baguette and Irish soda bread, each solid examples of their type. Next came the amuse bouche of baked brie crowned with a plump raspberry. Designed to be eaten in a single bite, it was a sublime combination of smoky cheese against the sweet/tart berry. We were off to a great start, and the official tasting menu hadn't yet begun.

The first course of the evening was a Hawaiian ahi tartare on crostini with Nalo petite greens and wasabi aioli. The ahi was to die for, light and pillowy to a degree I've never tasted, especially since ahi is a dense, meaty fish. The greens provided visual accent without contributing to the flavors, but that was forgivable. The star of this plate was the ahi.

The pace of the service was was impeccable throughout the evening, never too fast or slow. We were given time to savor each course appropriately and then just as we started to anticipate the next dish it would materialize, whisked by our thoughts to the table. Most of the servers have been here a long time--ten, twenty, even thirty years--and it shows in their well-oiled execution.

The first of the entree courses was petite filet mignon, and when they say "petite" they really mean it, complete with a miniaturized cast iron skillet. The filet was prepared tableside with whimsical flourish then served with a red wine reduction topped with Boursin cheese. A fairly bland assortment of mushrooms, carrot, asparagus and Okinawan sweet potato sat to the side. Altogether it was fun without daring too much.

Moving along, the third course was a pear sorbet with cranberry reduction. I don't have a photo, but it was neither picturesque nor memorable, duly cleansing palates for the next course.

One of the signature dishes at Bali by the Sea is their orange miso-glazed Kona Kampachi with lentils, hearts of palm, Hauʻula tomatoes and a mango vinaigrette. This was clearly our favorite dish of the evening, with moist, flaky kampachi, the sweet umami of orange miso and a pleasant pea shoot crunch.

Rather than force a hard choice, dessert offered a trio of coconut lilikoi mousse, guava creme brulee and
kona ice cream over flourless chocolate cake; not terribly creative, but all delicious. As we were mopping up the last of our dessert we noticed a smoking volcano being delivered to another table. Calling over one of our waiters, "Excuse me, what is that?"

"You'll see soon."

Moments later our own volcano arrives. One of the traditions at Bali by the Sea is that each meal ends with a complimentary chocolate replica of Diamondhead, erupting dry ice smoke and cradling dark chocolate truffles. By this point we didn't need any more to eat, but the kid in me thinks a smoking volcano is cool, if a bit silly. For that matter, the adult in me appreciates a restaurant that has endured for decades doing what it does best even as everyone else chases the latest culinary trends.

Pretend it's still smoking

Bali by the Sea
http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/dining/bali-by-the-sea.asp
Hilton Hawaiian Village
(808) 941-BALI
Open Monday through Saturday, 6pm - 9:30pm

Related:
→ Bali by the Sea caught my interest more than a year ago after Gail from Hawaiidiner.com raved.
→ EatHereOrNot wasn't as impressed.
→ David Choo was somewhere in the middle, neither starstruck nor appalled.

There's still time to enter your name in my raffle to win the new cookbook by Iron Chef Morimoto. Do it, you won't regret it!