We finally revisited Le Guignol after what seemed like eons. The last time we were here for a wine dinner, Aunty Leilani still greeted diners at the door and Chef Shane manned the kitchen. Chef Shane left for the States and Aunty Leilani passed on almost 2 years ago. But the intimate setting and great food still remains and continues with Chef Ala’s able hands.
We started dinner with a bottle of Billiot Laetitia which is their tete de cuvee and consisted of multiple vintages and had a nose of white flowers and subtle stone fruit – maybe even a touch of ginger with a seamless palate flow and medium finish.
We started dinner with a bottle of Billiot Laetitia which is their tete de cuvee and consisted of multiple vintages and had a nose of white flowers and subtle stone fruit – maybe even a touch of ginger with a seamless palate flow and medium finish.
We started with several appetizers including the Foie Gras Special which included Chilean langoustines, cauliflower puree and toasted macadamia nuts:
The traditional baked Burgundy escargot with parsley and garlic butter:
The Soup l’Oignon or French onion soup (mainly since the Mrs never tried French onion soup at ANY restaurant) and I can tell you, boy those garlic croutons retain heat like tofu in a nabe:
And the Salad Lyonnaise which included sliced pigs ears which gave a pleasing contrasting crunch the same way croutons function. I assume because of the terrible weather both here and Stateside, frisee wasn’t available so baby greens were substituted.
We then progressed to the Bouillabaisse:
Boeuf du Jour – they were serving rib eye last night – with a Sauce Bordelaise:
And the Ris de Veau du Chef or veal sweetbreads pan fried with bacon and capers with a garlic mash:
I opened my last bottle of 1998 Chateau Dela Gardine Chateauneuf du Pape which still had a mixture of tar, grilled meat, leather and a touch of funk on the nose but a pleasing palate flow with dried red fruit and licorice with a long finish. Last bottle, oh well! Wines don’t last forever. We also opened a 2005 Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon in 375ml. While it was still dinking nicely, I felt that it seemed closer to a 10 year old bottle than a 5 year old. I’m not sure if the small bottle size was causing premature aging.
For dessert we pulled out all the stops and ordered the first 4 items – even if everyone was stuffed at this point. The Cinnamon Croissant Pudding had a great flavor and was visually appealing but we thought it was a little dry - perhaps soaking the croissant a little longer or pouring it over the top would have helped?
We also sampled the Flourless Chocolate and Espresso Cake which was dense and rich though I didn’t get much rose from the rose ice cream:
The Olive Oil and Cracked Black Pepper Cake with Bleu Cheese Ice Cream – this was my fave of the night – like a shortbread cookie with hints of pungent black pepper and bleu cheese ice cream to balance all of the flavor sensations:
And the Cinnamon Flavored Crème Brulee:
Yes, we do plan on returning again… and this time we won’t wait until eons have passed.Le Guignol
1010 S King St Suite 108
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 591-1809
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