Stage at the Honolulu Design Center

We originally planned on attending the Kahala Wine Festival but the Mrs decided on dinner with a friend (since her husband was out of town on business) to discuss an upcoming trip to the Bay Area later in the year. We chose Stage at the Honolulu Design Center since it's been almost a year since our last visit. Walking through the Amuse Wine Bar, I noticed that they still offered many high-end CA wines like Opus One, Insignia, Caymus Special Selection and Dominus though with $15 to $18 price tags for each ounce, you might want to stick with 1 or 2 ounce tasting portions.

We started the evening with a glass of Prosecco along with the Wheat and Pumpkin rolls then were served the Amuse Bouche of Smoked Tuna with Chips. It was like a creamy smoked ahi spread with a chip somewhere between Wun-Tun and pita chips.

K chose the Stage House Salad ($7) which consisted of basic salad greens mixed with mushrooms, beets, sweet potatoes and tomatoes:

While the Mrs started with the Hamakua Springs Tomato Salad ($11) paired with haricot vert and Feta cheese:

And I selected the Beets and Goat Cheese Salad ($11) with walnuts and frisee. I also ordered a bottle of 2005 Heger Pinot Noir ($50) from Baden, Germany which paired very nicely with my salad since it had notes of subtle ripe red fruit and slate with good minerality and a nice acid backbone with a medium finish.

We then proceeded to the Stage Hamachi Sashimi ($13) which was artistically plated with orange and green tobiko and shoyu gelee with a radish salad. A novel way to have shoyu with your sashimi but not have the shoyu soak into everything else on your plate.

And the "Wafu Style" Beef Carpaccio ($12) with daikon oroshi, negi oil and fried garlic chips. Sort of like a Japan meets Italy raw beef dish.

Before the main course was served, the server brought a raspberry sorbet as a palate cleanser (I know, it's not very focused).

K had the Seafood Risotto ($40) which included grilled lobster and shrimp along with grilled asparagus:

The Mrs had the 12oz Grilled Ribeye Steak with Cabernet demi glace:

While I had the 8oz Sous Vide of Beef Tenderloin ($38) served with a red wine demi, a green onion Hollandaise and a black pepper sauce. I intended on ordering the braised short rib but was intrigued by the "sous vide" preparation of tenderloin. It was very tender and great with the Hollandaise but browning after sous vide cooking made it look like it simply was pan fried (I expected the inner red core to extend all the way to the outer brown crust).

By entree's end, I was stuffed. Not even enough room for the Very Decadent Cake with caramelized bananas, Nutella powder and salted caramel ($10) so I settled for a shot of Grand Marnier Centenaire ($14).

K sampled the Manjari Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding ($10) with toasted coconut ice cream:

While the Mrs had the Warm Apple and Blueberry Crisp ($8) with honey ice cream.

We also were treated to a last bit of sweetness, complimentary chocolate chip macaroons:

The food is as good as I first remember it (while Chef Matsubara still held court) and Chef de Guzman seems to be adding his own touches to the menu. If only Amuse Wine Bar would offer more Old World wine selections, we could make a full evening starting with wine/pupus in Amuse then progress to the tasting menu at Stage...