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Small Plates, Big Flavors Hiroshi takes Tapas to a whole new level
By Kevin McQuarrie Oahu
Island News
At
L’Uraku restaurant, Chef Hiroshi Fukui gained a world-class reputation
as a master of fusion cuisine, blending the flavors of Japanese dishes
with the techniques of European cooking. He’s since left L’Uraku, and
has partnered with D.K. Kodama, of Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi
Bar and Vino fame, for a new restaurant. Called
Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas (the spelling of Eurasion, as opposed to Eurasian,
is a nod to the idea of fusion), the restaurant is in the space formerly
occupied by Sansei, which has relocated to Waikiki. It sounds a bit like a
game of musical chairs, with all the restaurant and chef shuffling, but
you will be surprised how much the interior of the former Sansei has been
transformed. Hiroshi
Eurasion Tapas features cool, minty shades and far more light than its
predecessor. The cramped, are-we-in-Key-West bar has been opened up and
calmed down. Elegant wine storage displays are a nod to the restaurant’s
commitment to wine and food pairings. The open kitchen has been closed
off, replaced by a wall with a gauzy sari fabric hanging. Vibrant art
lines the walls. The
wine list at Hiroshi is extensive, and very well-chosen. Our server,
Katie, recommends we order a flight of wines, so we start there with a
trio of whites and a trio of Pinot Noir (both $8.95 for three 2-ounce
pours). Instead of bread, we are brought a dish of house-made rice
crackers—warm and salty and perfect for dipping into the wasabi aioli
accompaniment. Hiroshi
is tapas-style—and we’re using that term pretty loosely, granted. You
won’t find Spanish bar snacks, but you will experience small plates,
meant to be shared. The menu is divided into three sections, moving in
size of plate and substance from “To Start,” “In Between,” and
“To Complete.” (There is also a “To Indulge” menu, offered,
appropriately enough, at dessert time.) One
of the pleasant surprises of the evening was how moderate the prices are
at Hiroshi. It’s truly upscale food and excellent service, yet still
affordable. The most expensive “To Complete” plate is the Pan Roasted
Filet Mignon, and that’s only $21.95; most of the dishes on the menu
fall in the $6.95 to $15.95 range. That said, if you have a hearty
appetite, you’ll need to order a lot of dishes—and they are indeed
smaller portions than most Americans are used to. (We ordered one “To
Start,” three “In Between” and two “To Complete” and it fed two
adults fine.) We
started our meal with the Duo of Contemporary Sushi ($9.95), a sweet, miso-glazed
salmon and a ginger-scallion ahi, and an order of Seared Sea Scallops
($9.95). Both were delicious. The Softshell Crab “Ooze” ($7.75) really
needs to be renamed, but was excellent. One of the highlights of the meal
was the next dish, a Sizzlin’ Moi Carpaccio ($9.95) served with truffled
Nalo microgreens. Well, I say “highlights,” but then the Miso Yaki
Butter Fish ($15.95) and Crab-Stuffed Kona Cold Lobster Tail ($14.75) were
just as good. It’s hard to pick, really, which dish excels, as they were
all pretty much perfect. Dessert
was a bit less stunning. We split an order of the Green Tea Crčme Brulee
($6.50), which was OK, but to me, more like a pudding. Next time I’ll
have to try the Flourless Chocolate Cake or Hawaiian Vanilla Bean Panna
Cotta. And there will definitely be a next time—only, we’ll bring a bigger group, so that we’ll have an excuse to order more dishes and sample more of this great food. Hiroshi
EURASION TAPAS Located
at Restaurant Row, 500
Ala Moana Boulevard Ph:
533-4476. Validated parking. Open
daily; doors open at 6 p.m.
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