Hale Aina Happenings: Chef Mavro's new autumn menu 2013

Lilikoi creamsicle. Photos courtesy of Chef Mavro.

Chef Mavro said goodbye to summer and debuted his autumn menu this month. His new beef dish is a beef and potatoes combination, done up Mavro-style: a mini oxtail loco moco topped with a quail egg; Wagyu beef accented with yuzu kosho (a yuzu, chili and salt condiment that Mavro says "the first time I had yuzu kosho I cried! It's not every day that you discover such an intense and beautiful flavor."); and potato mochi, which Mavro pounds so it gets a sticky, chewy texture like hand-pounded paiai.

For dessert, pastry chef Elizabeth Dippong introduces a lilikoi "creamsicle," crowned with a Sauternes gelee and anise coconut froth; and a new chocolate and black sesame dessert made with Madre Hamakua chocolate, black sesame seed caramelized rice, orange meringue and butterscotch.

Ahi and aleppo pepper

Some holdovers from previous menus: the ahi and aleppo pepper dish that's Mavro's take on a spicy ahi rice bowl. Ahi is blanketed with a sea urchin and aleppo pepper aioli, topped with even more uni, and sprinkled with shoyu powder. Also, there's squab, the breast served with a jasmine tea and squab jus, the thigh on dandelion greens and a poha berry salad.

The menus start at $85 for four courses, up to $175 for the 11 course grand degustation.
Chef Mavro, 1969 S. King St., 944-4714, chefmavro.com