PAI Honolulu is finally open
Pai Honolulu is located on the ground floor of Harbor Court, where Umami Cafe used to be.
It’s been a long time coming for chef Kevin Lee … almost three years in the making, in fact. Most people in Hawaii remember him from his time as chef de cuisine at Prima Kailua — and if you don’t remember him, it’s probably because he’s shy and very focused on his food. Behind that quiet demeanor is an intense and talented chef, something his peers in the industry already know.
“Pai” is shortened from “ho’o pai,” which is Hawaiian for “to execute, encourage, raise up, rouse.” Lee is hoping to excite diners with dishes and combinations that people have never seen before with flavor snapshots of his memories and experiences. He gutted the old Umami Cafe and transformed the space to include his dream kitchen, a chef’s counter, a bar, and dining tables (currently only inside, but soon will feature outside as well).
The restaurant opens tonight and will be open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner from about 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The bar will open earlier to accommodate the pau hana crowd, of course. But enough chitchat. Here’s a sneak peek at the food, drinks, and people behind it all.
Kitchen crew, from left: sous chef Ricky Goings, line cook RJ Abad, executive chef/owner Kevin Lee, line cook Isaiah Miller, and pastry cook Aaron Lopez.
Girl power behind the bar: lead bartender Jessica Laidlaw and bartender Mercy Teixeira. Not pictured: sommelier Rani Shigemitsu. The wine and cocktails are as important as the food.
I got to try their prix fixe menu, which is a great deal at $65 for four courses (five, if you count the appetizer) and $40 for the wine pairing.
Mentaiko taramasalata, an Asian play on a Greek spread made of potatoes and cod roe. Here, Lee uses mentaiko, or spicy cod roe and it’s not fishy. It’s served on lavosh, but they will eventually make their own flatbread for it. This is paired with Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut NV chardonnay-pinot noir.
The turnips, pickled cherries, goat cheese and tarragon provide a beautiful blend of flavors for the chilled corn soup. They sound like they wouldn’t match, but this was one of the crowd favorites at the preview dinner. It’s paired with a Domaine Kiralyudvar Tokaji Sec 2013 ferment-harslevelu, a sweet Hungarian wine.
My favorite was the he’e and fennel ragu on fresh tagliatelle and curried fonduta. If you didn’t know it was octopus, you’d think it was beef, with a rich, hearty flavor. That’s why they’ve paired it with Montalbera L’Acccento 2014 ruche.
I had to double check the menu when the pan-roasted opah came out, because it looks like pork, doesn’t it? It’s served with Katuray flower tempura, broccoli florets, wood ear mushrooms and broccoli puree, which all comes together in a very savory dish. This is thoughtfully paired with an orange wine called Monastero Suote Cistercensi Ruscum 2012 Trebbiano-Malvasia-Verdicchio, which is a good match for a difficult ingredient like broccoli.
Dessert looked very simple, but was just right — it wasn’t too heavy or cloying, just a touch of sweetness to end the meal. The spiced apple banana bread with smoked macadamia nut brittle, caramelized banana and rum gelato was just enough. I was full.
You get a second wind of Hungarian wine with this Royal Tokaji late harvest furmint to go with dessert, also one of our favorites.
The chef’s counter also features a chef’s tasting menu with twice as many items for $135 and wine pairings for $65.
If you’re just in the mood for a snack, here’s a peek at some items on the bar menu:
Dry-aged beef tartare ($10), which has been transformed since I took this photo to have truffle oil in the mix.
Uku tiradito, a seasonal fish dish that will change with seasonal availability. This isn’t quite a poke; it’s reminiscent of poisson cru with a mix of jicama, cucumber, cherry tomato, and seasonal dressing.
Smoked akule croquette ($16), lightly crisp potato cakes with preserved meyer lemon and crème fraiche. This is actually a bar favorite.
Citrus cured salmon ($10) with ikura and crème fraiche on buttered toast.
Mushroom puffs ($8) comprised of cremini mushroom mousse and pecorino gougere. Great for mushroom lovers.
The wines and handcrafted cocktails are as important as the food here, so be sure to at least have a drink while you’re at Pai. I don’t know the wine prices, but the ones I saw in preview were about $10 a glass. At this writing, I don’t have prices for the drinks.
Laidlaw gets lit as she makes me “Burned Bridges,” made with mezcal, scotch, coffee liqueur, orange liqueur, chocolate bitters and a flaming orange rind.
The “Curse of the Golden Flower” is named after an old Chinese movie. It’s a pretty, girly drink made with Knob Creek bourbon, chrysanthemum, lemon and egg white. It tastes just like a chrysanthemum!
A P-shaped lemon peel floats atop “The Pleasure is All Mine,” comprised of Kohana rum, velvet falernum liqueur, lemon, and grapefruit bitters.
If you like a good Negroni, you’ll love “A Man of Conviction,” made of New York gin, St. George bruto americano, and capertif qionquina.
If you’re the DD, you can order a non-alcoholic “On the Wagon,” a soda made with fresh seasonal ingredients. This weekend, they were making this with strawberries and basil. If you’re falling off the wagon, by the way, you can get this with vodka and it’s delicious.
This was just a quick preview, but we’re excited to see what else PAI has in store for us as the menu evolves.
PAI Honolulu
Harbor Court lobby
55 Merchant St.
808-744-2531
