Chilled Lobster
When I think of Azure, the iconic Royal Hawaiian’s signature restaurant, the ocean front view and fresh seafood instantly come to mind. Azure is one of Honolulu’s best fine dining experiences and perfect to bring visitors and celebrate special occasions. Recently Gem was invited as a guest of the restaurant and I was lucky enough to be her plus one!
Five course tasting menu
Azure’s Chef de Cuisine Shingo Katsura, who started his culinary career in California, introduced his tasting menu this year. The five course menu, inspired by his culinary journey and Japanese roots, provides a sampling of all his favorite flavors. I couldn’t wait to try it. The first course was a beautifully plated Ahi Poke Toast served with squid ink tonnato, pickled mango, and crispy bonito. The fresh ahi was delicious and paired so nicely on the buttered toast.
The second course was the Chilled Twin Bridges Asparagus Bisque which was poured at the table. I’m usually not that excited about chilled soups, but the asparagus bisque turned out to be very refreshing on this particular warm summer evening. I enjoyed the bisque with its asparagus, citrus, and ginger flavors.
The third course was my favorite, Pan-Seared Onaga served with squash noodles, Kauai prawn, and Vietnamese herb pho broth. Since the onaga was pan seared, the skin was crispy and very tasty. The fragrant pho broth was a definite highlight.
The fourth course was three generous pieces of Snake River Farms Wagyu Ribeye served with pommes puree, truffle creamed kale, Alii mushroom, pickled shallot and sauce Bordelaise. The wagyu ribeye was divine and cooked perfectly that it just disappeared in my mouth. I found this dish very comforting and loved all the savory flavors.
The last course was of course dessert – a beautiful White Chocolate Mousse with bananas foster filling, honey comb, and toasted honey marshmallow. A sweet ending to such a pleasurable and satisfying meal.
The five course tasting menu is reasonably priced at $105 without wine and $145 with wine. The five new world wine pairings were handpicked by certified sommelier Micah Suderman.
Thank you Chef Shingo Katsura and Azure for hosting our fabulous dinner! Gratuities were paid on our own.
Thank you Chef Shingo Katsura and Azure for hosting our fabulous dinner! Gratuities were paid on our own.
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