With the amount of time I spend at Vino, I always keep
telling myself to try those other dining establishments in the 50th because you
know, there ARE other restaurants out there other than Vino. But I keep
telling myself "okay, next week"... "or the week after"...
"or next month" and by the time you know it, that recently opened
restaurant is celebrating its 1st or even 2nd anniversary or even worse, closed
for good. And another potential glorious meal bites the dust.
But there is hope. Pop-Up restaurants. For the past year
or so, these fly-by-night operations have started popping up (pun intended) at
unlikely locations. First it was The Pig & the Lady at Hank's Haute Dogs in
Kakaako (they found a regular niche at the local weekly Farmers Markets as of
late), La Plancha at Morning Glass Coffee in Manoa (Chef McGee now holds court
at The Whole Ox Deli) and recently Miso & Ale at Moke's Bread & Breakfast
in Kailua (also at Lucky Belly in Chinatown and Mr. Ojisan in Kapahulu).
What makes a Pop-Up more enticing? Expediency. You're
usually alerted to a Pop-Up dinner with only a couple of weeks notice and they
usually limit their dining experiences to 30 or less diners. No time to
procrastinate and say maybe next week or next month. Hesitate and the
opportunity is gone. Maybe forever. So purchase now - yes, most Pop-Ups require
advance purchase of the limited reserved seats so pre-pay fosters commitment.
No more backing out. No refund. No getting "sucked" into Vino on the
same evening.
The Miso & Ale
Story
The story actually starts a generation earlier as both
Chef Chistopher Okuhara and Chef Christopher Gee come from notable local food
families with Chef Okuhara's family running the venerable Likelike Drive Inn
and Chef Gee's family running Legends Seafood. After both completed formal
culinary training and did stints at notable local and Bay Area restaurants, their
paths crossed at the Dining Room at Laniakea YWCA then eventually to their
joint venture, Miso & Ale.
Chef Okuhara is the more reserved of the two getting
credit for running the kitchen while gregarious Chef Gee runs the front of the
house. Add unofficial Maitre'd Titus Nakagawa along with resident sommelier
Keola Warren and you have a quartet for Pop-Up success.
A benefit with most Pop-Ups is you're allowed to BYOB and
since our group travels with a small cellar of wine selections, it makes it all
the merrier since we're able to pair multiple wines with each course. And as
usual, we started with a little bubbly...
The Menu
CHAPTER 1
“SURF & TURF CHARCUTERIE”
Smoked Thai
chicken sausage with a butterscotch miso mustard, cured ahi with a lemongrass
romesco, and pork belly rillette with a petit apple compote
Our Selections:
2002 J. Lassalle 1er Cru Brut
1998 Domaines
Schlumberger Cuvee Anne Gewurztraminer
CHAPTER 2
“FARM FRESH SUMMERTIME SALAD”
A summer time
salad of fresh spinach, mint, basil, candied tomatoes, and toasted pumpkin
seeds with a kabocha panna cotta topped with a lardon vinaigrette
Recommended pairing:
Pinot Gris from Oregon/Rogue Mom Hefeweizen
Our Selections:
2010 Penner Ash Viognier
2010 Lou
Coucardie Rousanne/Viognier/Grenache
CHAPTER 3
“HOT AND SOUR RAMEN”
Fresh chukka
soba with a hot and sour chicken broth, seasonal vegetables, and vegetable
gyoza
Our Selections:
2010 Alois Lageder Dolomiti Pinot Grigio
Zardetto
Private Cuvee Brut
CHAPTER 4
“MISO & ALE ALL DAY BRAISED SHORT RIB”
All day braised
short ribs with roasted mirepoix, garlic-arugula grits, and dark ale sauce
Recommended pairing:
Chianti Classico/Damian Donker Belgian Strong Ale
Our Selections:
2004 Saxum Broken Stones Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre
2001 Tenuta
Guado al Tasso
Chateau Boswell
Beckstoffer IV Cabernet Sauvignon
CHAPTER 5
“DECONSTRUCTED PB & J”
Liquid nitrogen
peanut butter ice cream with toasted vanilla lime cake, red grape tapioca, and
roasted curried peanuts
Our Selections:
Graham's 20 Year old Tawny Port
Monchione
Carbone Birbet
The Verdict
The Surf & Turf Charcuterie board was definitely the
most interesting pairing Eastern flavors with European technique. It presented
an amalgam of flavor sensations from earthy and herbal to sweet and sour to
salty and savory though it was a difficult pairing for just one. Luckily I
sampled four different wines with the courses with the Gewurztraminer and
Viognier leading the pact. The only sensation missing from the dish was a
textural contrast like a crispy pork skin on the rillette, fried herb on the
sausage or crunch with the ahi.
There was a brief hiccup with the salad course with the
candied tomatoes almost missing their cue being added after the plate was
tabled but the Gewurztraminer and kabocha panna cotta were sheer heaven! The
salad had a great balance of flavor and textural sensations though I either
would have julienned the tomatoes or rehydrated them slightly to reduce the
"chewiness".
Like The Pig & the Lady, Miso & Ale also serves a
liquid course and the sweet and sour ramen had a nice balance of heat, sour and
savory with the surprising addition of a sweet potato wedge and paired
perfectly with the Prosecco.
Chef Gee stated that 18 bottles of dark ale went into the
"all day" short ribs. Fallin' off the bone with unctuous gelatin, it
actually made the Saxum Broken Stones seem light in comparison. The flavorful
grits completed the ultimate savory course... and Guado al Tasso didn't hurt
either...
Dessert was the main spectacle of the meal with Chef Gee
narrating while Chef Okuhara created the perfect peanut butter ice cream from
liquid nitrogen and a Kitchen Aid in all of 52 seconds. And while the tawny
Port was great, the Birbet complemented and lightened the dish at the same
time. For those planning on booking subsequent meals, tableside ice cream
production (in various flavors) seems to be a recurring theme with Miso &
Ale.
Though there were a few "hiccups", the overall meal and experience was GREAT! And I would highly recommend sampling Miso & Ale if you find yourself vacationing in the 50th. Of course I can't tell you where they'll serve dinner next as they simply "Pop-Up" at various locations. However they do have a website advertising their next series of dinners if you are in the 50th: http://misoandale.com
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