La Mer Restaurant in the Halekulani Hotel on Waikiki beach just may be the finest restaurant in Hawaii. It is certainly a classical French style restaurant in a setting that is second to none. As the sun was setting I was able to enjoy a chilled glass of complimentary Lanson Black Label Champagne as a welcome to the relaxing, totally satisfying dining experience that was to follow. The food at La Mer is close to classic French with an Hawaiian touch but this is not any sort of "fusion" cuisine. Under the steady hand of Parisian Chef Yves Garnier the food is crafted for artistry and taste as I would expect from a 2 or 3 star Michelin Restaurant in France. Your first dilemma will be making a choice from all the tempting menu offerings. Fortunately the menu is structured so that diners may select any number of courses and combine hot and cold appetizers with a stellar selection of meat, fish and poultry items. In addition there is a nine course tasting menu available. Most diners choose either two courses and dessert ($90.00), three courses and dessert ($120.00) or four courses with cheese and dessert ($135.00). The nine course tasting menu is available for $150.00. So what do you get for this budget bursting splurge? I dare you to choose from such cold appetizers as: Serano Ham and White Asparagus on Manoa Lettuce with Roquefort Cheese and Walnut Oil Vinaigrette or Lobster Gellee with Sea Urchin and Caviar from Aquitaine. Also on the cold list are Tartares of Onaga, Scottish Salmon and Big Eye Tuna, Lobster Salad with Avocado, Hearts of Palm and a Petit Lobster Soup, a Grande Assiette Gourmande selection of the Chef's favorite creations and, of course, Caviar with the traditional accompaniments. Hot appetizers range from Fresh Truffle on a Potato Galette, an ethereal interpretation of potato salad topped with shaved truffle, Sauteed Fois Gras on Roasted Pineapple, Langoustine Accented with Aquitaine Caviar and Steamed Leeks, Mussel Soup with Saffron and Baby Vegetables and, of course, Escargots served on a Portobello Mushroom with Garlic Hazelnut Butter. Five fish courses were offered the night I dined at La Mer, each highlighting the freshest seafood available. Chef Garnier uses some interesting combinations of French technique to underline fresh island fish such as Crispy Skin Onaga on a Warm Potato Terrine with Pork Confit and Truffle Jus or the absolutely melt-in-your-mouth Fillet of Opakapaka Baked in a Rosemary Salt Crust. Other scaly and spiney choices are Chilean Sea Bass with "Korobuta" Pork Belly on Alsatian Choucroute, Bouillabaisse La Mer Style and a Big Island Lobster with Fresh Herb Butter and a Petit Pasta Casserole. Moving right along to Meat and Poultry the selections are no less fascinating. Starting off is a Roasted Goose Breast with Sea Salt and Lavender Honey, Medallions of Milk-Fed Veal, Tournedos of Japanese Wagyu Beef from Kagoshima ($40.00 additional), Roasted Colorado Lamb and finally a Filet Mignon of Venison. All meats are natural and hormone-free. The nine course tasting menu contained some dishes similar to the above and several that were not on the regular menu, indicating that the kitchen is up to the test. And I hope you save room for dessert. Pastry Sous Chef Michael Moorhouse creates some of the most fun ways to totally blow a diet you will ever sink your teeth into. If you have a "Passion for Chocolate" try just that, a Valrhona Chocolate Ganache Tort on Orange segments with Chocolate Sorbet, Gianduja Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Sandwich and Creme Anglaise Foam Topped with Salted Popcorn! The wine list is one of the most complete I have seen in Honolulu. The wine prices, while high as are all lists in Hawaii due to shipping costs and very steep state taxes, are less than the 3 and 4 times markup imposed by certain other high end eateries on the island. I enjoyed a spectacular bottle of Cloudy Bay 2006 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough New Zealand, a wine that sells for $30.00 per bottle retail in California, priced at $56.00 at La Mer, a relative "steal". The service too was completely professional and well orchestrated. La Mer is one restaurant where everyone knows exactly what they should be doing and they do it exceptionally well. La Mer in The Halekulani, 2199 Kalia Road, Honolulu, HI 96815. Tel: 808 923-2311. www.halekulani.com Reservations essential, all credit cards, dress - smart casual, jackets for men...no shorts, sandals or T-shirts for anybody!
Copyright Marc R. Kauffman 2008 - 2011. All rights reserved.