An Annie's Update

Annie’s ( www.anniesislandfreshburgers.com )

For a burger joint this is quite a nice culinary experience.

Passing south through Kainaliu village you would find the Mango Court Shopping Center, a small strip mall situated on the makai side of the road.  In the midst of the shops you will find where Annie plies her trade.

The ambiance is interesting.  Although the eating area is totally enclosed the makai windows, when opened, give the essence of al fresco dining.  The diners may overlook a parking lot bellow but the ocean appears to be within reach.  The restaurant is small but is not too noisy.  The service is friendly but not overwhelming.

The menu is full of burger variations with a couple of vegetarian sandwiches.  I have eaten at Annie’s a number of times and my overall impression is that it has its excellent features and it has some features that are not so great.  The first thing to report is that it is no value.  The food is good but the prices are high.

Regarding the food, the meat (local grass-fed beef) is very good.  The toppings are fresh and very tasty.  A really excellent topping, which is applied too sparingly, is Annie’s Homemade Pickles.  However, the buns (a very important part of the burger sandwich for me) are problematic.  The normal hamburger buns are very good but the chibbata-type buns are dry and undermine the sandwich.  Of course, that’s just my opinion, but it has proven true each time I have eaten with Annie.  The fries are excellent and the portion is large.  However, the onion rings have too much breading and are greasy.

The bottom line for me is that, if I want to spend a little extra for a burger and fries, I will gladly sit down to Annie’s Ultimate Classic Burger with extra pickles and an order of fries.  My experience has been that that is an excellent meal.  One additional comment is that, while I love meat and I like my burgers bloody, friends have reported to me that all of Annie’s servings are rare.  So, perish the thought, if you want a well-done burger this may not be the place for you.  I will recommend Annie’s, with a few caveats, and will definitely eat there again.

Merriman's of Kamuela/Waimea

The long drive through the lava fields that cover the middle of our island was punctuated with lively conversation and bursts of laughter.  We eagerly anticipated a delicious dinner followed by the wonderful music of the Black Cuban All-Stars.

We were the first to be seated but the room quickly filled.  Although there are two alcoves bracketing the entry, the room is configured like a dining hall with the kitchen and bar areas at the room’s far end.  It was interesting how varied the age of the diners was, with multiple groups of younger people interspersed with small seatings of older patrons.  As the room filled the noise level rose rapidly.

The service was very prompt and extremely attentive.  The staff was impressively knowledgeable regarding the food’s preparation as well as its origin.  Nearly all of the dishes were prepared primarily with locally sources products.

The wine list is both extensive and impressive.  We sipped cocktails as we perused the menu and the wine list.  After we had heard the special preparations for the evening and selected our dinner entrees I chose what turned out to be an excellent 2007 Littoria “The Haven” Pinot Noir.  It had beautiful legs, was very smooth, and had rich berry and mild oak tastes.

For our appetizers we selected three things.  First we had the springs rolls stuffed with succulent locally grown grass fed beef, placed on a bed of herbs and lightly dressed with a light sauce   This tasting was quite dense and not what we expected from a spring roll type dish.  The herbs were excellent but the sauce was lost in this serving.

Second we had the Ahi appetizer.  It was comprised of tuna presented in three different ways.  The first was encrusted katsu style.  The tuna was obviously a lower grade cut but the overall taste was excellent.  The second was uncooked shashimi grade cuts of tuna to be dipped in shoyu and wasabi sauce.  It was like eating slices of rich butter with a little kick from the wasabi.  I would place a small bit on my tongue, allow it to rest a moment, close my eyes in utter enjoyment of this most delicious of total taste and texture sensations.  The third was a poke (pronounced po-kay in Hawaiian) of shaved Ahi, sauce and herbs combined to create a very nice, mouth-watering bite.  Although this dish was not particularly well presented it is impossible to undermine this tasting, given that the quality if the tuna is of high grade.  As you may know, the quality of the tuna is determined by the time of the year, for the best tuna is generally gathered during the winter and spring in the cooler waters.

We selected entrees of pork and lamb to broaden our tasting experience.  The pork was a center cut pork chop covered with a deliciously rich hunter sauce filled with mushrooms and placed upon a bed of buttery rich herbal mashed potatoes.  A small slice of pork dipped in the hunter sauce and topped with a portion of the buttery potatoes was simply an outstanding taste sensation.

The lamb cut prepared on this evening was lamb shoulder.  The meat was nicely sliced and placed on a bed of herb-enhanced polenta garnished with feta and fresh vegetables.  The polenta was lovely, although it was a very small portion, but the meat was not a particularly good cut.  The vegetables were al dente but the overall presentation was not of the highest quality.  This was certainly the low point of what had, heretofore, been an excellent culinary experience.

We finished with a cup of Kona coffee and a large portion of Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cake, which we shared.  We sat back for a few moments as we awaited the check.  We decided that, given that we had eaten at this fine restaurant many times over the past 20 years, the quality of the total dining experience had noticeably declined over the past few years.  The food was good but not of the quality of many of our other culinary experiences.  We will return because it is the best on our island but we have come not to expect too much.

Mi's Italian Bistro, an update

Each time I dine at Mi’s I want to comment that it is not an Italian Bistro (I’ve never had mashed potatoes in Italy), but I look at the menu selections and decide against such a comment.  Maybe it should be a trattoria.  I don’t know.  The bottom line is that the food is always nicely presented, well seasoned and delicious.  The service is always very good and the ambiance is pleasing.

During my last visit my guest and I began with a very tasty Shrimp Scampi bathed in a delicious garlic butter sprit zed with lemon.  The large shrimp were placed on crostini and topped with pieces of fresh basil and arugula.  What a great start.  I accompanied mine with a nice glass of Chianti and my guest had a buttery chardonnay.

Our second course provided mixed reviews.  My entrée was a perfectly done thinly sliced Veal Parmesan Picatta placed on a bed of garlic-mashed potatoes.  The serving was garnished with crisp haricot verte and drizzled with a lovely sauce.  The sauce was white wine and butter perfectly complimented with lemon, capers and onions.  A small piece of veal topped with a bit of mashed potatoes and lightly dipped in the sauce was an outstanding taste and texture sensation.  The light Chianti was excellent with this serving, too.

My dining companion was not as impressed with her selection.  She chose the Pappardelle of Beef.  In her opinion, and my sample reflected her determination, the meat was of poor quality.  The texture was too dense and, even with the delicious sauce, had little taste.  The sauce was a Chianti demi-glaze.  The serving was on a bed of very nicely done fat egg noodles.  The course was garnished with perfectly sautéed Alii mushrooms, snow peas, sweet bell peppers and garden onions.  With a better cut of meat this would have been an excellent selection.

We finished our dinner with a rich Flourless Chocolate Torte dressed with a Wailua Chocolate Grenache, which we shared.  This heavy but lovely dessert topped what was a very nice dining experience.  I will certainly recommend and return to this cozy little restaurant in south Kona.

Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe at Mauna Lani

I had a nice lunch there yesterday but I must say that there are much better places close by (e.g., Monstero) and I will not be likely to return to TB's for some time for food.  However, it is an excellent place for before dinner cocktails on your way to another restaurant.

The ambiance is excellent.  It is an open air restaurant with panoramic ocean views over the top of the palm trees.  The place is nicely appointed and the music is soothing.  The service is friendly but not particularly attentive...twice we had to ask for silverware.

The food is good but not memorable.  The crab cakes (Crab Calloway...good name) are light and are served on a nice bed of Asian slaw with a drizzle of sweet chili mustard.  Actually quite tasty.  The St Croix Chopped Salad is large but without much taste despite the relatively fresh ingredients.  The South Beach Cuban Sandwich was very nice although without much pizazz.  The accompanying grilled Yucca Fries made a nice taste and texture accompaniment but couldn't rescue the overall meal.

Morimoto's in Honolulu

To optimize this fine dining experience, one should begin by taking a seat on a teakwood recliner under the Autograph Trees around the pool and sip their favorite cocktail.  It is a very relaxing way to begin this evening of culinary adventure.  Just before dinner time the pool is empty of guests, except for the few who will be joining you for this late afternoon extravagance.  If the timing is right, you may watch the sun set between the palm trees and the masts of the sailboats in the marina just below.  Me?  I was fortunate enough to have good timing.  As I sipped my very smooth single malt scotch the sun slipped into the ocean.

Now that I was totally relaxed I casted that aside to enter the very vibrant, modern world of Morimoto's.  A very friendly greeting topped by a warm smile smoothed my transition from my mellow state to this place of high activity.  I elected to sit at the sushi bar so that I could observe the kitchen's wizardry.

The restaurant has a very diverse menu.  Also, the wine and sake list extremely extensive.  I began with a nice 10 year old sake to accompany my course of Morimoto's Shashimi.  This course stacked thinly sliced toro, salmon, eel, tuna, and hamachi and accompanied it with five wonderful sauces.  After adding a touch of wasabi to each sauce, I topped each delicious bite with a different sauce.  The texture was so tender and the combined taste so mouthwatering that I was sorry to finish this selection.

Next came a serving of Wagyu Carpaccio which was very nicely presented and quite tasty.  Myself, I am not a big fan of Australia's Wagyu Beef but this was very good.  However, the next course was beyond belief.  The third course was Oxtail Soup with sides of fried rice and shoyu with herbs and wasabi.  The broth of the soup was deliciously rich.  The meat was amazingly tender.  The fried rice was perfectly seasoned and perfectly done.  Each time I dipped my spoon into the broth I was rewarded with an amazing taste of golden richness.  When I dipped the oxtail meat into the shoyu and wasabi a taste was created that made me close my eyes, drop my chin to my chest and moan in deep enjoyment.  This was, by far, my favorite part of this meal.  I savored each bite.

I was becoming full but I wasn't quite there, so I elected to have three servings of sushi.  I selected Anago (eel), Kani (king crab) and Ika (squid).  Each was prepared in front of me using fresh pieces of the seafood.  Each was accompanied by freshly gound wasabi and freshly slice white Japanese ginger.  The textures and the tastes were different but the combination was amazingly excellent.  The sushi chef smiles at me.  As I finished the final morsel he bowed to me and my joy of eating.  I smiled, returned his bow and bid him good night.  I retreated to the bar for my dessert.  The bartender was happy to serve me a slightly oversized portion of 30 year old sake.  It was a perfect finish to a delicious evening.  I shall definately return to this place.

Michel's Restaurant of Honolulu

Weaving my way through the heavily touristed Waikiki Beach area and into the park near the Honolulu Zoo, I came upon the somewhat dated Colony Surf Condominium Resort, which housed Michel’s Restaurant, a French restaurant under the tutelage of Executive Chef Eberhard Kintscher.  I walked through the lobby and around back to the Restaurant’s entrance where I was greeted and taken to my table.

The restaurant was open air to the ocean and a wonderful sunset view.  However, the sunset view was the only saving grace for an obvious lack of any other ambiance.  The decorations are garish and the place is very loud, not only due to the ocean but because of the diners talking loudly so that they can be heard above the ocean’s roar.

The service was very good and the staff was very friendly.  The staff was elegantly dressed, as if from another era, but the patrons demonstrated that this was a casual place.  Also, I must admit that I was surprised when the quality of the food greatly outshone the quality of the establishment.  While it was not gourmet food, it was nicely presented and well prepared.

The restaurant had a very limited wine list but the 2007 Hahn Meritage was very nice with the courses I had selected.  I began with a very French Helix Escargots Bourgogne.  The snails were tender and the butter was very nicely spiced.  Next I selected the Steak Tartare.  One of the three staff that served me, Nolan, prepared the dish at tableside.  He prepared the raw, chopped Snake River Farm Sirloin and did an excellent preparation.  The dish was perfectly seasoned and simply delicious.  Lastly, based on the recommendation of the staff, I selected the Prime New York Café de Paris.  The sliced beef had been smoke-roasted and glazed with a delicious truffle butter sauce with a topping of lightly battered, crisply fried sweet onions.  This course included nicely prepared vegetables and bits of gnocchi.  The steak was placed on a bed of mashed potatoes.  The course was drizzled with a very nice cabernet reduction sauce.  It was a great recommendation.  The final course was rich and perfectly prepared, as well as nicely presented.  I finished my meal with a dessert of a very nice Hennessey XO Cognac and a cup of espresso.

While I would not rush back to this restaurant, I did have a very nice meal at a price that was not outrageous.  The ambiance was less than desirable but the service was very good.  It was a nice evening.

Chef Mavro's of Honolulu: a fine dining experience

Located right on the corner of the busy city intersection of King and Mcully Streets, I expected a somewhat less than intimate dining experience.  However, the door opened to a nicely intimate enclave of subdued elegance.  Soft colors and subtle lighting created a soothing atmosphere for fine dining.  The dining space was configured in such a way as to create an environment of hushed tones from the widely varied sorts of patrons and to minimize any distraction from the outside activity.

My reception was very welcoming.  The service was crisp but very friendly.  Even the Chef’s wife and business partner was kind enough to visit each dining patron, welcoming them.  The staff was ever-present, providing excellent but not overwhelming service.  When I say staff, I mean staff because no less than six people helped in my service.  It was explained that the Chef’s culinary philosophy was to create a dish from the seasonally available fresh food supply and then find the best wine to match the texture and taste of that dish.  For me, dining under this culinary philosophy will be an interesting contrast to those chefs with whom I’ve dined lately that espouse a culinary philosophy of finding a great wine and then create a dish to match that wine.

I elected to give this seemingly excellent dining establishment the ultimate test.  I selected their Grand Degustation, which provided 13 different servings to demonstrate the range of Chef Mavro.  The restaurant changes its menu each quarter, so it will not be necessary to discuss each of those courses.  However, I shall relate to you those courses that I enjoyed the most.  Also, I shall give you my overall impression of the meals achievements.

The serving that I enjoyed the most was the Kurobuta Pork.  This course was an excellent combination of tastes, textures, colors and smells.  The pork loin was roasted and served with sautéed shallots in a Szechwan peppercorn crust.  In addition there was a bacon-wrapped pork shank and the entire course was delicately wrapped in a delicious black garlic sauce.  It was a beautiful presentation and was accompanied by a perfectly matched 2004 Gevrey Chambertin from Domaine Dupont Tisserandot.

Also, I was delighted with the Truffle Poached Egg “Osmose”, a rich and elegant course.  The slow poached truffle infused egg was served atop a bed of potato mousseline and garnished with freshly diced onion greens and thinly sliced ham.  This combination of tastes and texture was so excellent and a deliciously dry 2008 Riesling accompanied the course from the vintner, Marcel Diess from Alsace.

Other courses I enjoyed very much were the Colorado Lamb “Djerba”, the Meli-Melo Winter Vegetables and the cheese course of “Mousse de Brie de Meaux”.  There were four seafood courses and there were three meat courses.  Each course was distinctive and, in its own way, delicious, but I must admit to preferring the meat courses to the lovely seafood servings.  At the end of the evening it was obvious to me that the wine pairings were excellent with each course.  Also, the pace of the meal was outstanding.  I will definitely return to this excellent purveyor of fine dining.