Chef Mavro - You Should Go and Enjoy a Culinary Journey
Gail Jennings
December 2004

There have been many words written about Chef George Mavrothalassitis and his food. Gourmands, food writers, critics and colleagues pay homage to his culinary vision and the food which is prepared in his kitchen. He is acknowledged amongst his peers as one of the most talented chefs in the world.

This world-class reputation may have an effect on the willingness of some to dine there. Personally, I was afraid the food wouldn't live up to the hype (I've been sincerely disappointed over the past year or so at other "best places to dine in Honolulu" restaurants) and it created a certain reluctance to even try. A local chef/restaurateur helped me decide to go by telling me that "...if I could afford the time and money, I'd eat there at least twice a month." I'm really glad too - it was a delightful evening in a relaxed atmosphere which can only be described as a wonderful food and wine journey.

The first thing I would like to tell someone who has never been to Chef Mavro is to relax - you're in the capable hands of people who have done the hard work of creating delicious food and pairing each dish with a truly complementary wine, and they want you to have a wonderful evening. Dining at Chef Mavro is an event to be savored over and not hurried. You should go and spend the entire evening enjoying the experience.

I strongly encourage anyone who goes to try the wine pairings. A great deal of time and effort went into pairing the selections offered (click here for a description of the process). We were astounded at the difference the perfect wine makes. During the evening, sommelier Brian Geiser would approach the table with the wines for the next courses, pour each and answer any questions. More than once we would sample the wines and wonder "What's up with that wine?" only to be enlightened when we tried the wines with food.

The evening began with a complimentary house cocktail, champagne with framboise. We decided to order the four-course ($100 with wine pairings) and the six-course ($134 with wine pairings) menus. (See the menus.) We learned that you can structure your own course menu from any of the selections and the next time we are fortunate enough to go, we will probably do that. Another important thing to remember is that Chef Mavro's menu changes four times a year (approximately with the seasons), so it would be possible to dine here several times each year and not duplicate a dish.

The food started with an amuse bouche (or, if you prefer, a "pre-appetizer") which consisted of two delicate slices of Hebe, a shortbill spearfish, lightly sprinkled with Hawaiian rock salt and green onions accompanied by two pieces of very thin and crisp melba toast. A classic example of perfect ingredients simply prepared.

The appetizer on the four-course menu was Cumin Seared Ahi with Garlic-Anchovy Paste and Vegetable Seviche paired with Noblio Icon, 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand. The fish was very fresh and the presentation beautiful. We liked the pickled seviche teamed with the cumin on the ahi. These were perfect bite-sized morsels of ahi even better when washed down with the wine.

If you could only order one thing on the Chef Mavro menu it should be the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras topped with Red Currant-Balsamic Glaze accompanied by Li Hing Mui Caramelized Onions and a toasted Brioche Strip. It was paired with Chateau La Foret, 1997 Sauternes, Bordeaux, France. There are no words to describe how wonderful this was. I had never enjoyed foie gras before after trying it several times. This was a whole different experience. It was like a liquid explosion of bacony richness in your mouth. The tartness of the red currant glaze provided brilliant contrast, and the Sauternes was sweet without being cloying and had just the right amount of crisp acid. Amazing - a real culinary epiphany for me.

The first entree selection on the six-course was Keahole Lobster with Garam Masala Foam accompanied by Green Apple-Celery Root Puree topped with Caramelized Green Apples, Minced Celery Root & Lobster Knuckles sprinkled with Shiso accents. The wine was Morgan, Double L Vineyard, 2002 Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, California. What intrigued me about this was the use of an intense flavor like garam masala. It was surprisingly subtle in this application, the foam was delicate yet flavorful and not at all overwhelming to the lobster.

From the four-course menu, Hawaiian Day-Boat Catch (this day it was Ehu, squirrel fish snapper) with Provencale Raite Sauce, Jumbo Asparagus Duet with Sea Urchin Accents accompanied by Paprika Dusted Puffed Rice. The accompanying wine was MacMurray Ranch, 2003 Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley, California. This was especially good with the puffed rice sprinkled atop the fish. A perfect textural complement and a hint of flavor from the paprika as well. The wine really helped propel the flavors of the fish across the palate.

The second offering from the six-course was fish also - Onaga, Marseille Bourride with Garlic Foam and Tarragon Glazed Baby Fennel served with Domaine Barat, 2001 Chablis Premier Cru, Cote de Lechet, Burgundy, France. Bourride is traditionally a fish soup and the onaga was bathed in a milky soup/sauce redolent of garlic and white wine. This was probably the most striking of the wine pairings. Both of us sipped this wine by itself and didn't have a distinct impression of anything. It was a completely different story with the onago and fennel - it was almost a mirror of the fennel flavors and it truly enhanced the dish.

The Black Angus Beef Onglet (Hanger Steak) wrapped in Pancetta sauteed with Olive Oil Balsamic Sauce and served with Artichoke Barigoule was part of the four-course menu. It was paired with Rancho Zabaco, 2001 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, California. The quality of the beef used was excellent and it was perfectly prepared. It's easy to fault a bad beef dish but hard to find lots of descriptives for a good one - sometimes less is more and that is surely the case here. The wine pairing was outstanding as well with the wine bringing a nice round finish to the palate.

The last entree from the six-course menu was the Roasted Mountain Meadow Lamb Chateau with a Tapenade Puree, Honsehmeji Mushrooms, Flageolet Dumpling and Saffron Jus paired with Chateau La Fleur de Jaugue, 2001 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France. The lamb was lovely and well supported by the olive puree and sauteed mushrooms. The accompanying dumpling was filled with a creamy fava bean mixture and the wrapper was crisp, not soft. This wine pairing was excellent and I later heard that this was the one food and wine pairing that was agreed upon unanimously by the wine selection committee.

The Cheese Course was a Big Island Goat Cheese "Won Ton" with Maui Onion Shavings, Sumida Watercress and Lemon Oil. The wine served was Les Varennes du Grand Clos, 2002 Chinon, Loire, France. The wrapper was made with North African brick dough which is similar to filo dough but somewhat saltier and sturdier. Chef Mavrothalassitis has said that this is an attempt to recreate a dish his father used to make with feta cheese. This was probably my favorite dish even though it was the simplest of all.

It was time for dessert but, in true Chef Mavro-style, a "pre-dessert" was delivered. Thin slices of fresh strawberries encased in champagne gelatin circled the bottom of glass bowls and provided a few delightfully refreshing bites. Very nice.

If there is one thing I love, it's dessert and the ones at Chef Mavro were a triumph of flavor, texture and composition. There were three selections and I confess to having tried them all. I send kudos to the new pastry chef, Hiromi Okura, for an excellent job.

My personal favorite was the Hibiscus Mousse, a three-layer dessert. One layer was Hawaiian Vanilla-Maui Pineapple Curd (the pineapple is a low-acid variety and incredibly sweet), another was Raspberry Custard and the top layer was the Hibiscus. Perched atop the beautiful pink foam was a crispy golden ring of pineapple which provided the perfect "crunch" to this dessert. It was accompanied by an Italian wine, Azienda Agricola Bera, 2003 Nyscati D'Asti, with just the right amount of fizz. This dessert was delicate, delightful and delectable!

The Lilikoi Malasadas with Pineapple-Coconut Ice Cream and Guava Coulis have been on the menu for almost six years and I can understand why, as they are small, tasty treats filled with lilikoi cream. However, in comparison to the new offerings, they lack a certain refinement and aesthetic sensibility. If you love malasadas though and want to see what a "gourmet" malasada would taste like, do not let me discourage you from trying them. They were certainly enjoyable.

But the real dessert star was the final selection - Rosemary Chocolate "Canneloni" with Lemon Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce. A "canneloni" was created from a thin sheet of clear gelatin wrapped around a rich rosemary chocolate cream. Rosemary and chocolate, who knew? Accompanied by the lemon ice cream and golden caramel, it was completely enticing. My dining partner described this as an "earthy" dessert and he meant it in the very best possible sense. The wine was Olivares, 2000 Cosecha, Spain, and it had just enough presence to work with this dessert.

Lastly, the "after-dessert" of tiny nibbles of Butter Mochi with Coconut and Dark Chocolate-Coffee Bean Truffles was delivered. It was almost enough to push one over the edge to excess and though we tettered on the brink, we did not topple over. Perfect.

What can I say about this dinner? The best part of the meal was the complete sense of relaxation which allowed us to fully enjoy the experience. The pace of the meal was brilliant as well and each course built our anticipation for the next one - so much so that it was truly pleasurable. Words can not adequately describe dining at this level and I would simply tell you to go and enjoy for yourself.

When the check was delivered, it wasn't even painful, it had been worth every penny. When I add up the amount of money I spend, and I know many others do, on food that is merely "okay," it seems worthwhile to treat oneself to the special joy of a truly exquisite meal once in awhile. I'm already saving for my next visit which will hopefully be when the next new menu is introduced. Oh, how much did we spend? $251.50 before adding the tip.