Azure (Waikiki, HI)

For the fine dining meal on our belated Honeymoon in Hawaii, we decided on Azure Restaurant in the Royal Hawaiian. After enjoying Alan Wong's Pineapple Room on our last visit, we were also hoping to add his flagship restaurant to the list, but it didn't work out and will have to wait until a (hopefully near) future trip. Looking at a la carte menu, a few options looked intriguing, but we decided on the tasting menu with wine pairings.

To start, our waiter brought a clam dip with black pepper crackers. The clams were tender and briny. We enjoyed this first taste, although the creamy sauce was a bit too thin for the crackers.

Next, a bread basket was brought with olive bread (my favorite), parmesan flatbread crisps (different from the first ones, and Kristen's favorite), and a cold demi (not good). The butter was pretty typical, but topped with red Hawaiian sea salt, creating little bursts of flavor in each bite. I think all butter should be served with sea salt.

The first course was Azure Sashimi, consisting of Hawaiian Yellowfin Ahi Tuna and Japanese Hamachi. The fish surrounded an avocado salad, and was served with watermelon radishes and a papadum crisp. They seem to like bread crisps here, but they were tasty so I'm ok with it. A ginger vinaigrette was poured table-side. I really enjoyed the interaction between the creamy avocado and fish with the vinaigrette. The fish was very fresh, and the radishes added a nice textural contrast. This course was served with a Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec Rose.

The second course was a "Ocean Cappuccino", described as a Dungeness Crab and Black Tiger Shrimp Bouillabaisse. This soup had an intoxicating aroma, and the intense, bold taste of shellfish. There were also small pieces of crab and shrimp strewn throughout the soup. The only complaint about this dish was that it was a large portion, perhaps slightly too large for such a rich soup on a hot day. Its not like I didn't finish it, though.

The third course was a Kona Lobster Tail Risotto. A half Kona lobster tail was served over a saffron and cheese risotto, marinated tomatoes, and Waialua asparagus. The lobster was grilled perfectly, probably the best cooked piece of lobster that I've ever had. I generally prefer the claw, since the tail is often overcooked and tough, but this was exceedingly tender. The problem with this dish was the risotto was overpowering to the point that you couldn't taste the lobster when eaten together. I enjoyed each, so I ate them separately, but this is a perfect example of why cheese and lobster are never allowed in the same dish in Italian cooking. Finally, the marinated tomatoes detracted from the dish and were picked off. This dish was paired with a BEX Riesling, which worked well as the crisp, citrus notes of the wine cut through the rich risotto and lobster.

The final savory dish was the chef's play on Steak and Eggs. A butter poached Beef Filet was atop sauteed Hamakua mushrooms, and served with a taro and brandy puree, and topped with a Madeira-Truffle sauce. The beef was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and was as tender as you would expect from a filet. I've had a oil and butter-poached beef a few times, and have been happy with the flavor and tenderness each time. The egg added richness, and the Madeira-Truffle sauce, along with the mushrooms, added a heady earthiness to the dish. The flavor of the taro puree was ok, but the texture was a bit gummy and offputting. This course was served with a Vita Nova Merlot.

For dessert, we had a Kula Strawberrry and Chocolate Gelato, topped with balsamic syrup. The strawberry was very sweet, and made me wish there was more than one. The gelato was creamy and smooth, but not any more remarkable than others I've had. A single leaf of lemon verbena added a nice herbal note.

Overly stuffed, we were ready for our bill. However, our waiter had a surprise in store. When asked if this was a special occasion before the meal, we had mentioned that our trip was our honeymoon of sorts. Because of this, our waiter came with one final dessert, a banana split. The bananas were carmelized and had a crispy sugar shell, and was topped with vanilla ice cream, toasted coconut, and carmel sauce. Being the good guests (gluttons) that we were, we felt obligated to finish. And we did.

We thought Azure was a pretty good value, given that tasting menus at other spots in town would probably be another $15-20. The service was good and we would be happy to be back.